WWE Raw Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from May 29

The May 29 episode of Raw put the finishing touches on the build to an Extreme Rules pay-per-view.

The Superstars who stepped up and seized the moment, earning "winner" status ahead of Sunday's broadcast, were those who scored high-profile victories or saw their roles expanded on WWE's flagship show.

Roman Reigns pinned Seth Rollins in the main event of the night, but it was a change in demeanor and attitude as he took the fight to The Architect that helped him achieve the status he did.

Samoa Joe knocked off Finn Balor and Bray Wyatt in a Triple Threat match, building momentum for himself as he enters Baltimore for Sunday's extravaganza.

Then there was Corey Graves, who suddenly saw the significance of his role enhanced greatly as he kicked off a story that figures to play heavily into the red brand's summer plans.

Not everyone was as lucky as those three performers.

Find out why Alexa Bliss, The Titus Brand and Kalisto are the biggest losers of this week's show with this recap of Monday's USA Network presentation.

Winner: Roman Reigns

Seth Rollins made the unfortunate mistake of claiming to "own" Roman Reigns. The two had competed numerous times in the past, most notably at Money in the Bank 2016, where Rollins defeated The Big Dog to capture the WWE Championship.

Thus, his hubris was at least understandable.

Unfortunately for The Kingslayer, the claim awakened a fire in Reigns that not only propelled him to victory but also elicited an in-ring attitude not typically associated with WWE's biggest full-time star. Reigns carried himself like a cocky, superior athlete, taking a moment to talk trash and remind Rollins the squared circle is his yard.

He was ruthless in his assault of his former tag team partner's ribs and demonstrated the nastiness fans have so eagerly anticipated out of the juggernaut for so long. He worked the role of the heel in the match, and the results were tremendous.

His clean victory in a hard-fought match against his longtime friend-turned-enemy put Reigns at the forefront of the favorites to leave Extreme Rules as the No. 1 contender. While there is no indication Reigns vs. Lesnar is a match the company feels comfortable enough blowing through on a second-tier pay-per-view event like Great Balls of Fire in July, Reigns is in a role coming off his feud with Braun Strowman and showcasing a different side of himself Monday night.

He does not necessarily have to win Sunday as long as he continues to flash some of the quiet arrogance and no-nonsense attitude the likes of which he exhibited Monday night. That makes him a far more interesting performer and adds to a character desperately in need of a little development.

Building his persona and adding layers or an edge will do more for Reigns in the long run than another high-profile victory on pay-per-view ever could. He will win many more matches and championships. Building on his performance Monday and allowing him to open up his personality should be a key objective of management and WWE Creative in the coming weeks and months. 

Loser: Alexa Bliss

Alexa Bliss is one of the most talented and natural performers on the microphone the women's division has to offer. She has repeatedly shut down fans' attempts at starting "what" chants and exudes a confidence when the spotlight is on her that many others do not, including her Extreme Rules opponent Bayley.

Monday night though, she was given the unenviable task of carrying a segment of television that was horribly written and died a slow, agonizing death in front of the live audience. No matter how hard she tried to steer the segment back on course, the fans were adamant in their assessment that the segment was boring.

The performers, presumably actors, that surrounded her and their shy timidness did not help matters as Bliss was left to do all the heavy lifting.

That the exclamation point on the ordeal was simply another kendo stick shot to Bayley did not help matters. A putridly written segment ended so anticlimactically that it only served to call attention to how truly lackluster the entire ordeal was.

And Bliss, at the center of it, absorbs as much of the stink as anyone.

It is unfortunate, really, given how much of a roll she had been on prior to Monday's broadcast.

Winner: Samoa Joe

One week after choking Seth Rollins out in the main event of Raw, Joe returned to the Monday night staple and scored a victory in a Triple Threat match, defeating Finn Balor and Bray Wyatt in an action-packed bout.

The manner in which he did so fit his character and told a story, which heightened the quality of the bout.

Joe spent most of the match on the arena floor, picking and choosing his spots. He broke up pins, took the upper hand and went for a near-fall when the opportunities presented themselves. That strategy culminated with his entering the ring just after Balor delivered the Coup de Grace to Wyatt, tossing his longtime rival to the floor and scoring the pin on The Reaper of Souls.

He stole the decision but that did not matter. All that mattered was that he left with his arm raised in victory, the undisputed winner in a match featuring two former world champions.

The Samoan Submission Machine had found himself in a lull of sorts, wallowing in mediocrity following a loss to Rollins at Payback a month ago. The recent string of wins and a high-profile pay-per-view main event has him on the right path.

Losers: The Titus Brand and Kalisto

WWE Creative is in the midst of telling the story of The Titus Brand and Apollo Crews' reluctance to convert to the cheating and underhanded methods of mentor Titus O'Neil. While it is admirable that the writing staff is seeking to give lower-level competitors something to do on the flagship show, it has repeatedly gone about it the wrong way, dooming the stories to failure.

Monday saw O'Neil and Kalisto sprint through a sloppy match with no story or structure. The winner, O'Neil, is inconsequential because there was nothing about the contest for the audience to latch onto. It was simply two guys doing moves before the finish.

Sure, the outcome is meant to inspire Crews to follow suit and do what is necessary to score a win, as O'Neil did by holding his opponent's tights. That makes sense and fits the narrative. It is lost on the audience, though, who just sat through the most meaningless minute-long match of the night and had no reason to care about either guy.

Especially when WWE Creative cannot be bothered to give them more time to work with on a three-hour show.

It is a creative strategy that has repeatedly failed the promotion before, so why it continues to employ it is a mystery. 

Winner: Corey Graves

Twice during Monday's show, Corey Graves found himself at the middle of a scandal.

First, he received a scoop via cell phone about information that could be damaging to Raw general manager Kurt Angle. He discussed it with the Olympic gold medalist during a backstage segment, revealing to Angle in what figures to be a bit of foreshadowing that people tell him things.

Later, Graves implied Big Cass is the culprit behind the attacks on Enzo Amore. This elicited a passionate denial from Cass, who confronted the voice of Raw at the commentary table.

The sudden introduction of Graves into storylines beyond the announce position suggest Vince McMahon and WWE Creative are pleased with his work as a host and personality and want to utilize him to his fullest potential.

If that includes positioning him as a "dirt sheet" guy who gets scoops about his fellow Superstars and utilizes them to his advantage, so be it.

While Graves has been extraordinary on the mic, relaying storylines to the audience and discussing each match from a wrestler's perspective, he has a lot more to offer the WWE product. Letting him branch out and expand his role is a step in the right direction.