The biggest winners and losers from last night's SmackDown (May 8)
Last night's SmackDown was one of high highs and low lows, with a fantastic start and end and a sagging middle. Thankfully, the blue brand did its best to pick up the pieces from an awful Backlash pay-per-view and set its sights on Money in the Bank. The qualifying matches made the show feel important, which is much more than can be said for most shows these days.
Who came out of the episode with wind in their sails?
Winner: The Miz
The Miz has quietly become one of the best workers on the roster. He proved it again last night in a fantastic match with Jeff Hardy.
The two veterans went back and forth, with Miz seemingly outmatched but finding ways to make up for his disadvantages. One notable spot saw the A-lister flash his veteran instincts by rolling away from a potential Swanton Bomb after being hit by the Twist of Fate.
After several dramatic near-falls, Hardy connected with his finisher, but Miz managed to cleverly reverse it and walk away with the win and a spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match.
We know Miz is on a collision course with Daniel Bryan and this was a way to keep him hot.