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What's the story?
On tonight's Monday Night RAW The Miz was forced to defend his Intercontinental Title against a mystery opponent. However, with no chance to prepare, The Miz still triumphed over his last-minute title challenger: Matt Hardy.
In case you didn't know...
The Miz is currently enjoying his seventh reign as Intercontinental Champion and has quickly established himself as one of the top guys on the RAW roster following the Superstar Shakeup that saw him leave SmackDown LIVE, bringing the Intercontinental Title with him.
The heart of the matter
The Miz found himself defending against one half of the Hardy Boys, Matt Hardy on Monday Night Raw in a surprisingly good match. The opening of the match saw The Miz take every opportunity to allow his Miztourage to get involved behind the referee's back.
Matt then turned the tide of the match and was able to hit most of his classic offence, including a Side Effect and a huge Moonsault, both of which The Miz kicked out of. Hardy then hit Miz with a Twist of Fate.
However, the Miz had the wherewithal to roll out of the ring following Hardy's finishing move and was able to recover enough in the time it took Hardy to get him back in the ring. One Skull Crushing Finale later and The Miz has retained.
What's next?
The Miz will go on to face United States Champion Baron Corbin at Survivor Series in a mid-card champion vs mid-card champion match. This match has already been teased as of late, with The Miz cutting a scathing promo against Corbin on social media.
Author's take
Matt Hardy hit The Miz with every significant move he has and The Miz kicked out, making the current Intercontinental Champion look incredibly strong and capable in the ring. It's good to see that The Miz can win a match without cheating, or resorting to outside interference.
