Jeff Hardy on MIZ TV
With his sights set on his Intercontinental Championship Rematch against Raw’s Seth Rollins this Sunday night at WWE Backlash, The Miz first had to put on his interviewer hat and chat with United States Champion Jeff Hardy on SmackDown LIVE.

A frosty conversation ensued between The A-Lister and The Charismatic Enigma, and they were quickly joined by a surprise guest in Randy Orton. Miz implied that Hardy had disrespected The Viper by taking his place in a match against Shelton Benjamin during the Superstar Shake-up. Orton refuted Miz’s claim, saying that Jeff simply took hold of an opportunity and that he wasn’t upset.

Ever the antagonist though, The A-Lister seemed determined to cause a rift between Hardy and Orton. And, although it didn’t appear to be working, Randy did make it clear to Jeff that he intended to win back the U.S. Title at WWE Backlash after losing it at WrestleMania to Jinder Mahal, who was unseated as champion by Jeff.

Shelton Benjamin then hit the scene, with his ears red hot at the notion that The Viper would be in line for a title opportunity before him, considering he had defeated Orton in one-on-one competition last week. Not thrilled with what he was hearing, Randy then knocked Benjamin down as he attempted to enter the ring, and after The A-Lister tried to blindside Orton, The Charismatic Enigma jumped in and dropped The Miz with Whisper in the Wind in a raucous scene to kick things off on the blue brand.

Randy Orton & Jeff Hardy def. The Miz & Shelton Benjamin
After the flurry of activity that occurred on “Miz TV,” SmackDown LIVE General Manager Paige declared that Randy Orton would team up with Jeff Hardy to square off against The Miz & Shelton Benjamin right then and there.

Despite the slight bit of uneasiness between the two earlier in the night, Orton & Hardy gelled well, working in unison to overcome the offensive onslaught that Miz and Benjamin brought their way. In the match’s pivotal moment, Randy Orton went on an absolute tear, hitting both Shelton and Miz with everything in his arsenal (including a ring-rattling RKO to Shelton), leading to Jeff Hardy defeating Shelton with the Swanton Bomb.

However, the good vibes did not last long, as The Apex Predator dropped The Charismatic Enigma with an RKO after the contest, sending a message that he still had Jeff’s championship in his crosshairs.

Credit: WWE.com

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