For all The Miz’s righteous indignation following Shane McMahon’s betrayal a few months back, The A-Lister has been short on victories against his former partner, to say nothing of Shane’s various henchmen and goons. That changed in a major way on Raw, as the former WWE Champion defeated Elias not once but twice in a 2-out-of-3-Falls Match that gave Miz some hard-earned vindication after months of coming up heartbreakingly short.
The A-Lister came out swinging, dispatching Elias with a Skull-Crushing Finale for the early first fall. The Living Truth answered with Drift Away quickly thereafter, but it became clear in Fall No. 3 that Elias suffered by not having Shane at ringside this time around. With the bout on an even keel, Miz’s heart kept him in the fight, and when Elias’ knee collided with the ring post after an errant charge on the apron, Miz quickly forced The Living Truth to tap out to the Figure-Four Leglock. And given everything he’s been through lately, you could perhaps give Miz some slack for applying the hold a little bit past the bell or for smiling as he strolled up the ramp with Elias writhing in his wake. After all, it’s been months of tough nights. It’s about time he had himself an awesome one.