The biggest winners and losers of last night's SmackDown (March 19)

As usual, last night's SmackDown did a better job than Raw in advancing its WrestleMania angles, though these advancements weren't always for the good.

The night would be highlighted by a gauntlet match where Kofi Kingston would have his last chance in getting to WrestleMania. How successful was he? And who else had good or bad fortunes last night? How well did the night's events do in hyping up the Show of Shows?

Winner: The Miz

When this angle started, it was the worst of a good lot on SmackDown. Now, it might have stealthily made its way to the top of the blue brand's offerings. The Miz has always been one of the few men capable of authentically delivering one of WWE's scripted promos, but this one stands out as among his best.

He vowed he would give Shane McMahon what he deserved at WrestleMania and also did his best to hype up Kofi Kingston as well. Who would have known that Miz would have been such an effective babyface? It's a surprising role reversal, and proves that Miz has grown so much as a performer that he no longer needs to be typecast.

Miz's match already feels like one of the most personal on April 7th.

Winners: The IIconics

Yes, this was a major win for the IIconics. They've escaped battle royal hell and have found themselves in a title match with little resistance.

But why does WWE insist on booking its champions this way? All of these nontitle losses just devalue them, and it feels like Sasha and Bayley have done nothing but lose on TV since they won their titles in February.

This win guarantees the IIconics won't walk out of WrestleMania as champions, but we knew that already. They could have entered the match some other way.