WWE SmackDown Spoilers: Complete Results and Analysis for May 26

The Miz may have successfully retained his Intercontinental Championship at Extreme Rules, but one victory does not a week make, as he found out Tuesday night at the WWE SmackDown tapings in Norfolk, Virginia, where he defended against the Swiss Superman, Cesaro.

Courtesy of Sherrod Jones (via Marc Middleton at WrestlingInc), we know whether the Hollywood A-lister was able to retain one more time.

On the heels of a Monday Night Raw in which five Superstars earned a spot in the upcoming Money in the Bank Ladder match on June 19, two more competitors would vie for the opportunity to take their place in the bout. Who were they and which one advanced to the pay-per-view extravaganza?

Fans in attendance know the answer. Now you can too, with this look at the SmackDown spoilers for May 26.

Results

• Michael Cole kicked off the show with a special in-ring interview with Dean Ambrose. Kevin Owens cut in on the interview, followed by Sami Zayn. Alberto Del Rio was next, promising he will be the next two-time winner of the Money in the Bank. While on the ramp, Del Rio observed the other wrestlers get into a brawl.
• Del Rio earned the victory in a Money in the Bank ladder match against Zack Ryder.
• Enzo Amore and Big Cass received a huge pop on their arrival. The Dudley Boyz intruded before ultimately refusing a match.
• United States champion Rusev defeated Kalisto. Titus O'Neil entered the ring following the match and confronted Rusev. The Bulgarian Brute responded by backing down from the challenge.
• Natalya defeated Dana Brooke by disqualification when Charlotte interfered. The women's champion and Brooke left Natalya lying.
• AJ Styles cut a backstage promo.
• Fandango and Tyler Breeze won their match against Goldust and R-Truth.
• Seth Rollins cut a two-minute promo denouncing the fans' support.
• WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz defeated Cesaro with the Skull-Crushing Finale.

Analysis

Credit: WWE.com

SmackDown has become the show on which the Intercontinental Championship takes center stage. The Miz, the brand's biggest star, and his weekly exploits with Kevin Owens, Cesaro, Sami Zayn and others is the most consistent element of the broadcast.

That pattern continues Thursday night, with the Hollywood A-lister and current titleholder scoring a clean victory over Cesaro in what is described as an "excellent main event" in the WrestlingInc report. That should come as no surprise considering the quality of their previous bouts, including the show-stealing Fatal 4-Way from Extreme Rules.

Speaking of secondary championships, Rusev's victory over Kalisto was no upset, but what was a bit stunning was the segue from the masked luchador to Titus O'Neil, who appears poised to feud with The Bulgarian Brute going forward, at least based on the results coming out of Tuesday's tapings.

Considering the strength of the roster, it is somewhat interesting that WWE Creative opted to roll with O'Neil.

Credit: WWE.com

The only major curiosity is the use of Seth Rollins, who cuts what the report suggests is a very short promo. Why even bother adding him to the broadcast if he is used in a throwaway segment?