WWE: Clean Finish in Ryback vs. Miz Match on WWE Raw Hurts Both Superstars

When Ryback was appointed the special guest during the debut episode of Miz T.V. last week, it appeared as if finally the beast was going to be partaking in his first meaningful feud.

Disrespecting The Miz during his newly created signature segment was an excellent way to get heat between the two, setting the table for further confrontations between both superstars.

Unfortunately on WWE Raw tonight, the only thing exciting about the match was the fan who briefly made it into the ring. 

The WWE has once again dropped the ball, and here are the top reasons the clean finish hurts both superstars. 

It Makes the Miz Look Weak

Since The Miz has returned from shooting the third installment of the Marine franchise, he has enjoyed a nice little push from the WWE creative department.

His attitude changed, even his catchphrase changed to a slower, more methodical "awesome." 

All of that progress and slight character progress has been stalled due to the clean win on WWE Raw. 

With exception to a burst of head-kicks and a Snap DDT, The Miz had no offense during the match and looked extremely weak in the loss.

Not only was it a clean victory for Ryback, it was a quick victory, and The Miz seemed more jobber than Intercontinental Champion. 

Leading to the next point...

Clean Victory Devalues the Intercontinental Championship

Cody Rhodes did a lot to help reclaim some of the prestige lost surrounding the Intercontinental Championship.

The Rhodes/Christian feud went an extremely long way into helping draw positive attention to the belt. Christian, being a former Heavyweight Champion, and Rhodes, being a future WWE star, was an excellent decision by the WWE to help the secondary championship.

When The Miz beat Christian for the belt on the 1,000th episode of WWE Raw, it was surprising, but it was executed in an entertaining fashion. 

Defending the Intercontinental title in a fatal four-way match at Night of Champions was another step forward in reestablishing the Intercontinental title as the premier midcard championship.

All that progress seems to be lost now that The Miz was simply another jobber fed to the undefeated Ryback.

The champion was demolished, and it was as if he meant nothing.

While this isn't likely to be the end of the two, having the first match between the two stars end like this does nothing to create tension or suspense in the storyline.

How is the WWE Universe supposed to believe that The Miz actually stands a chance when he was dominated on WWE Raw and pinned cleanly in the centre of the ring? 

Ryback Fails to Grow as a Character

Instead of getting screwed out of a victory in his first match against the Intercontinental Champion, Ryback steamrolled his way to a victory and failed to capitalize on a good opportunity to grow as a character.

Other than a few glimpses of what could have been a decent program with Jinder Mahal, Ryback hasn't been involved in any substantial storyline.

The Miz is good in the ring and more importantly on the microphone, and he could have more than carried the two in that department. 

A decent match against The Miz could have made Ryback look a bit vulnerable and shown fans that he was more than a wrecking-ball, and perhaps it would have helped curb the Goldberg chants.

This drubbing will only continue to add fuel to that fire, as Ryback continues to look like an unbeatable beast. 

Nowhere to Go Next

While it's almost guaranteed that the WWE will come back to this feud, the question remains as to whether or not there is anything left in this angle or anywhere to go next.

Ryback has cleanly pinned the Intercontinental Champion, so the next logical step would be for him to receive a title shot, but after the match on WWE Raw, there is little to no intrigue surrounding the rematch.

It will be hard to make The Miz look like a capable opponent or champion now that he has been man-handled by Ryback, so if there were to be a title match, it would almost certainly end in a Ryback victory and the awarding of a new champion.

Perhaps that's always been the plan.

Perhaps he does become the next Intercontinental Champion and does so without really having to participate in a meaningful feud. 

Thus returning the Intercontinental Championship and The Miz into further obscurity. 

A no-contest disqualification for The Miz, a count-out, anything would have been better than this performance.