Red-Hot Miz Will Elevate WWE IC Championship Value with Dean Ambrose Raw Feud

The Miz is set to again apply his Midas touch to the Intercontinental Championship as he pursues the prize in Dean Ambrose's grasp.

The A-Lister emerged from Monday's WWE Raw as the No. 1 contender for the IC title. By outlasting Finn Balor and Seth Rollins in a Triple Threat match, The Miz earned the right to face Ambrose for the gold.

He became the lucky scavenger to happen upon a fresh kill free of the predators that brought it down.

Samoa Joe ambushed Rollins to take him out of the match. Bray Wyatt sent Balor crashing to the canvas to leave him vulnerable.

The Miz swooped in and snatched the No. 1 contender spot.

Some may have been hoping The Miz would move past that title and vault into the main event scene, but the heel will be a major boost for the IC crown.

His intense passion for the title, his overall excellence and commitment to invigorating it has elevated the IC championship in the past. With his return to the title picture, that strap is assured added value and prestige.

The thought of being him champ again is exciting to many. In fact, the folks at The New Age Insiders podcast are campaigning for him to have a lengthy, historic reign:

In recent years, the IC title has largely felt insignificant.

Wade Barrett, Curtis Axel and Ryback struggled to give the belt any momentum. It felt like a hollow prop at times and a forgettable trophy at others.

The Miz changed that in a big way in 2016.

He vehemently claimed it was the most relevant title on the roster. He held it with beaming pride. And when he lost it, it broke his very spirit. 

On SmackDown and Talking Smack, The Miz's presence created an electricity around the IC title.

The Miz won the championship for the fifth time the night after WrestleMania. For much of the year afterward, he helped spotlight it, made it something more people were talking about.

Ring Rust Radio host and Bleacher Report's Mike Chiari pointed out the effect The Awesome One has had on the title:

A part of that came about due to his improvement as an in-ring performer.

He had long been a hell of a talker, but something clicked with him between the ropes last year. With the IC crown up for grabs, The Miz thrilled against Dolph Ziggler, Cesaro and Ambrose.

Suddenly, that championship was the catalyst for a number of outstanding matches, harking back to its heyday in the process.

The rivalry with Ambrose and Miz may lack freshness as these two were fighting only a few months ago, but WWE can move forward with confidence that champion and challenger will flourish in the ring.

The Triple Threat encounter on Monday's Raw was a thrill ride. The Miz is sure to provide more of those either against Ambrose or opposite anyone who gets between him and the IC title.

And just him being involved in that championship picture again is a boost for it.

He's felt like a marquee star of late. He's earned a spot higher than the midcard title hunt. WWE keeping him there any way makes the IC title feel bigger and more important.

Onscreen, The Miz is choosing to go after this strap rather than the Universal Championship. Talk of facing Brock Lesnar for what is technically Raw's top title didn't draw him out Monday—Ambrose and his gold did.

The Miz being desperate to hold that prize again will be great for it. The A-lister will bring added attention to the title once more.

That's going to be crucial for the red brand in the coming months as Lesnar's sporadic schedule has the Universal Championship on the sidelines. The Miz, Ambrose and the IC title will have to reside on the marquee instead.