On paper, the Intercontinental title match between Dolph Ziggler and Sami Zayn at Survivor Series had the potential to be a show-stealer, living up, at least, to Ziggler's gimmick. Too bad Vince McMahon doesn't see it that way.
Ignorant, as usual, of common sense, you have to believe it was the chairman's call to put the IC title back on The Miz, even if it is just for 5 days, by making the former reality show veteran a 6-time IC champ on Smackdown's 900th show.
I'm here to say it was the wrong call, the latest in a string of bad calls by McMahon.
I didn't see the match itself---I was watching "The Flash"---but I did read about how Miz needed illegal help from wife Maryse--again--and a distraction from the Spirit Squad---again---to get the measure of Ziggler---again. Whatever credibility Michael Mizanin thinks he has as IC champ is only in his mind. Granted, Ziggler's earlier IC title runs were tainted, too, thanks to his association with a heat parasite like Vickie Guerrero, but now, any hope of a 5 star match between Zayn and Ziggler just went out the door. Unless some last minute creative changes are made.
Here's an idea that likely will be ignored. I think.
On the pre-show, Dolph takes it upon himself to speak to Smackdown GM Daniel Bryan. Both have had time to review the tape of the match, and D-Bry seems to know what Dolph wants, so it becomes a triple threat elimination match. If Maryse and/or the Spirit Squad interfere, Miz is disqualified on the spot and stripped of the IC title.
Once Miz learns of this, he's not a happy camper, but, then, this is his fault for taking too many shortcuts to get the belt back.
Come match time, it is announced that Maryse is banned from ringside, and security has to escort her from the arena. The perfume bottle is left at ringside, but Bryan, taking no chances, has that confiscated. To give the fans what they wanted to see all along, Miz is eliminated first, around the 10:00 mark, after a double superkick, with Zayn & Ziggler both pinning him. Zayn then goes on to win the title, bringing the belt back to Raw, since it's likely Kallisto will win the cruiser title from Brian Kendrick for a trade-off.
I hold McMahon responsible for what happened on Smackdown episode #900. With Maryse now on Total Divas, and likely appearances by Miz on the horizon there, that's one reason the undeserving Miz got the belt back, probably the only logical reason. A 1-on-1 with him and Zayn won't get fans out of their seats unless it ends with Zayn kicking Miz's face in and knocking him flat out. What might've been a 5 star match with Ziggler is downgraded to about 2-3 with Miz.
This is what happens when a heel who's lost any credibility he had weasels his way into the final major PPV of the year because the company is placating his ego. Rightfully, he could've replaced Shane McMahon on Team Smackdown in the men's singles elimination match, but Shane, at his age, is still a crowd favorite because he's a daredevil, and Miz is not. Simple as that.
Next time, we'll start looking at those elimination matches.
