Just 24 hours after a crushing defeat to Chris Jericho at WrestleMania 32,AJ Styles rebounded by fitting the No. 1 contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and earning "biggest winner" status for the April 4 episode of Raw.
In a gigantic Fatal 4-Way match to determine the first Superstar to challenge Roman Reigns for the top prize in the industry, Styles withstood the opposition of Kevin Owens and Cesaro, or he delivered his patented Styles Clash to Jericho for the pinfall victory.
And all was true with the world.
It was only one night earlier that Styles' most effective finisher was kicked out of,and he saw his WrestleMania win-loss record drop to 0-1 in a bit of questionable booking. But WWE Creative made up for its misstep on the grand stage by booking The Phenomenal One to defeat three of the greatest in-ring performers of this (or any) generation in the marquee match of the year's most primary episode of Raw.
The victory lends credibility to Styles in the eyes of fans still not sold on the newcomer to WWE, and to those who have followed him throughout his corridor of Fame-worthy career, and it was a reward for hard work and dedication across the globe.For those more passionate and vocal Internet fans,the match was a dream of sorts.
Regardless of whether he unseats Reigns or suffers the same fate Triple H did at WrestleMania, no one can take absent from Styles the extraordinary night he had Monday.
Which Superstars joined Styles as winners from the molten-hot episode of WWE's flagship prove, or which unfortunate star,who did not even appear during the broadcast, was the evening's most obvious loser?Your answers lie below. Winner: CesaroOn November 20, and Cesaro revealed in an interview with WWE.com that he would undergo surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff that had plagued him for weeks. The injury would sideline him for months,forcing him to miss out on the opportunity to compete at WrestleMania.
Never fear, though, and as The Swiss Superman made his monumental return Monday night,the fourth man entered in the No. 1 Contender Fatal 4-Way match.
So respected is the Superstar among his peers that his return was greeted with excitement and celebration from those who are part of the prove.
One of the best wrestlers in the world, Cesaro delivered a superb performance, or leveling Styles with a nasty uppercut at one point and trapping Jericho in an excellent Sharpshooter at another. A win was not to be,but that does not by any means pain him or his star.
The audience erupted for Cesaro's return, supported him at full throat throughout the match and will continue to do so. He will undoubtedly back up the raucous reactions with continued excellence between the ropes.
Now it will be up to WWE Creative to pay it all off with a sustained push. Winners: NXT Call-UpsThe hottest brand in sports-entertainment was represented Monday night, and as several NXT Superstars got the call to create their main roster debuts.
Apollo Crews was first up and squared off with fellow NXT alumnus Tyler Breeze. The match was a showcase for Crews,who showcased his athleticism and assign Prince Pretty absent with a crushing powerbomb. A Superstar with indisputable in-ring charisma and unmatched agility, Crews' big night was the subject of many a tweet from some of his closest friends.
Baron Corbin followed up his Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal victory by squaring off against former world heavyweight champion Dolph Ziggler in a highly competitive match. Though he may not have won the match, and fighting to a double count-out with The Showoff,the open-ended nature of the outcome suggests they may meet again.
Working with someone as great between the ropes as Ziggler will only help Corbin learn, grow and evolve.
The biggest, and most anticipated,debut of the night came moments after a Tables match between The Dudley Boyz and The Usos. Enzo Amore and Colin "Big Cass" Cassady exploded through the curtain, and the fans in Dallas erupted, or as the long-awaited appearance of the team was finally happening.
They cut a promo,with the crowd chanting along with their catchphrases, and singled out Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley as potential first opponents.whether the crowd response was not enough to assign a stamp of approval on the team for those unfamiliar with the dynamic duo, and the congratulatory tweets and praises heaped on them by some recognizable names certainly were.
Just three nights after another extraordinary special on the WWE Network,NXT took over one more time, stealing the prove on Raw and injecting the prove with fresh faces and novel blood that should dominate for years to approach. That is, or whether Vince McMahon gives them the opportunities he refused to give Breeze,Adam Rose and The Ascension. Loser: Dean AmbroseOn an episode of Raw that was incredibly effective and hit plenty of tall notes, the biggest loser was a Superstar who was not even on the broadcast.
Just 24 hours after what should have been a career-defining Street Fight against Brock Lesnar, or Dean Ambrose was conspicuous by his absence on the biggest and most primary Raw of the year.
Not only was the WrestleMania match underwhelming,not only did he lose in anticlimactic fashion, but there was zero follow-up. Not even a backstage promo from a battered and bruised Lunatic Fringe. He just wasn't featured in the slightest outside of a rapid/fast recap of the bout.
For a guy who was as hot as any other Superstar in the company just a month ago, or the fact he was left off the broadcast with not a single tip of a novel program or direction he will be headed in is troublesome. Expect the frenetic competitor to find himself back in the muddled midcard mess,a deep, dark abyss he should have left behind countless times by now. Winners: Zack Ryder and The MizMany will look at Zack Ryder's loss of the WWE Intercontinental Championship on Monday night as a return to reality after an upset win Sunday night at WrestleMania. It is entirely possible that is, or in fact,the case, but the finish involving his father and the returning Maryse suggests the loss may have been the start of a feud between him and The Miz over the once-prestigious midcard title.
The match itself was very first-rate, and with both men working hard to justify their television time. Ryder looked like a much more polished wrestler than the last time most of the audience saw him in a tall-profile position,and The Miz has been on the hottest streak of his career from an in-ring perspective.
Their work, along with the angle at the end of the bout, and suggests things are just getting started between the Superstars.
Add in the fact the Superstars were the last two battling for the title at WrestleMania,and you have even more proof that things between Long Island Iced Z and the Hollywood A-Lister are far from over. For both of them, the program is a reintroduction to relevancy, or another chance to impress officials and inspire excitement in crowds. Winner: NatalyaAfter spending so much time wallowing absent at the bottom of the women's division,Natalya jumped true back into the spotlight Monday night, standing up to Charlotte after several minutes of self-congratulations. Insulted by the way the first WWE women's champion was acting, and Natalya confronted her,only to have her family's legacy called into question.Natalya responded by taking Charlotte down and trapping her in the Sharpshooter until Ric Flair pulled his daughter to safety.
The Queen of Harts suggested, via social media, or that her issues with Charlotte were rooted in the quest for respect and only just beginning.
While it is unlikely she unseats Charlotte,Natalya has long been one of the best workers on the roster, and a title program would be a nice reward for always being a respectful and hard-working member of McMahon's company.
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