After the end of the "Diva Search" competition, The Miz began wrestling as a villain, making his in-ring debut with a win over Tatanka on the September 1 episode of "SmackDown!". Over the next three months, The Miz remained undefeated, defeating such wrestlers as Matt Hardy, Funaki and Scotty 2 Hotty. At the same time he began a feud with Diva Search winner Layla El, who spurned his advances on more than one occasion, leading to Miz helping Kristal defeat her in various competitions. However, Miz and Kristal soon found themselves being stalked by The Boogeyman. This began a feud in which the Boogeyman ended The Miz's winning streak at December's Armageddon event.