The Miz returned to the ring on the Raw 25th Anniversary special with a bang, defeating Roman Reigns in a thrilling match to capture his eighth Intercontinental Championship.

With the victory, Reigns' 63-day championship run came to an end - which began when he defeated Miz on the Nov. 20 episode of Monday Night Raw. It's The Miz's third championship reign since Nov. 15, 2016.

In what was a thrilling back-and-forth match, Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas were kicked out by the referee for trying to interfere. The Miz prevailed after hitting his second Skull-Crushing Finale - and received plenty of cheers from the New York crowd.

With his eighth Intercontinental Championship victory, Miz only trails Chris Jericho by one reign for the title belt's record. But Jericho only held the title for a combined 319 days, whereas Miz is at 524 days and counting.

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When Reigns defeated Miz, he became a Grand Slam Champion - having one every eligible championship at least once. That ensured that he, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose (all members of The Shield), held championship gold together. Miz was off of WWE programming for nearly two months while filming The Marine 6: Close Quarters. It was his fourth appearance in the film series.

With the Royal Rumble now just six days away, Reigns' odds of winning the event only go up from here. It was very unlikely for him to win it as the Intercontinental Champion, but it's now more realistic for him to win his second Royal Rumble and headline WrestleMania for a fourth-straight year.

As for The Miz, it's likely that he begins a feud with a different superstar. His rivalry with Reigns lasted a while, and the latter is sure to re-enter the main event picture as WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans nears.

Congrats to The Miz on his eighth Intercontinental Championship reign. Two more reigns and he'll break Jericho's record.

NEXT: THE MIZ NEEDS TO WIN THE UNIVERSAL TITLE NOT INTERCONTINENTAL