The Miz vs. Darren Young: Winner and Reaction from WWE Battleground 2016

The Miz extended his 100-plus-day WWE Intercontinental Championship reign when his match against Darren Young at Battleground on Sunday ended in a double disqualification.

It was a confusing finish, with the bell ringing as both men attacked each other outside the ring, but as WWE Universe noted, The Miz is still the champion:

Ultimately, WWE ruled the match a double disqualification, certainly a disappointing ending to a solid match. 

Mike Killam of WrestleZone.com broke down the confusing ending: 

"

I guess the ref just...threw that one out? No contest? Which doesn't make sense because nobody touched Miz or Darren but...whatever?

— The 1-2-3 Killam (@MikeKillam) July 25, 2016"

One of the highlights of the match was the performance of Young's coach, WWE Hall of Famer Bob Backlund, as Scott Fishman of the Miami Herald noted:

After several months of being used sparingly, Young inserted himself into the IC title picture by winning a Battle Royal to become the No. 1 contender under the tutelage of Backlund.

Following that victory, Young's confidence was at an all-time high:

In the weeks leading up to the Battle Royal triumph, several segments involving Young and Backlund aired on WWE programming, with Backlund serving as the former tag team champion's life coach in an attempt to make him a relevant player within the company.

The Make Darren Young Great Again movement worked in terms of landing him a title match, and Backlund's presence was key since he acted as an equalizer to Maryse.

Backlund asserted himself in the weeks leading up to Battleground, putting The Miz in his famous Crossface Chicken Wing during an installment of Miz TV on SmackDown.

Despite the threat Young and Backlund posed, the five-time intercontinental champion and former WWE champion seemed unconcerned about his Battleground match:

The Miz's confidence was understandable, as The A-Lister racked up several impressive wins and title defenses en route to Sunday's encounter.

He defeated Zack Ryder for the WWE Intercontinental Championship the night after WrestleMania, retained against Cesaro at Payback and beat the trio of Cesaro, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens in a Fatal 4-Way match at Extreme Rules that emerged as a Match of the Year candidate.

In between title defenses, The Miz reprised his starring role in The Marine, bolstering his status as a multiplatform star and giving the Superstar more reason to gloat.

Battleground was about the WWE Intercontinental Championship rather than the glitz and glamour of Tinseltown, however, which resulted in The Miz and Young going to war in a competitive match.

While Young turned in a valiant effort, The Miz managed to come out on top and retain his title while also cementing his spot as one of the best and most entertaining heels in the company.

With the brand split shaking things up, it is possible that the match between The Miz and Young was a one-off encounter, especially since the champ came out on top.

Young losing in his first big singles match since changing gimmicks may not be ideal in terms of maintaining his momentum, but The Miz has done such an excellent job as a villainous titleholder that it's difficult to blame the creative team for going in that direction.

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