The Miz
Last night at WWE's Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, The Miz cashed in his Money in The Bank contract on Drew McIntyre and became the new WWE Champion.
Miz's championship victory took place after the main event match, wherein Drew McIntyre successfully defended his title. Afterwards, former United States Champion Bobby Lashley brutally assaulted McIntyre, and Miz took the opportunity to finish the job. Now The MIz is a two-time WWE Champion.
The Miz — AKA Mike Mizanin — wasn't supposed to succeed in World Wrestling Entertainment. His role as the obnoxious pro wrestling fan on season 10 of the MTV reality series The Real World made him a laughing stock from his first day in the business. Fans and wrestlers alike felt the Cleveland, Ohio native's aspirations to be a WWE Superstar were nothing more than an attempt to extend his 15 minutes of fame post-MTV.
Despite the doubts and the criticism, The Miz will go down in history as one of the greatest superstars of all time. Not only is he one of the WWE's most decorated superstars, but he's arguably one of the most dependable talents on Vince McMahon's current roster.
Miz's character work as a heel will be what he's best remembered for. However, his work ethic, charisma, and dedication to the business make him a fan favorite and a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
In honor of the most must-see WWE Champion in history, let's reflect on what makes The Miz awesome.
Paid the Cost to Be the Boss
No one went through more ridicule than The Miz as a WWE rookie. He had a hard time as a contestant in WWE's Tough Enough, and it didn't get any easier when he made it to the main roster in 2006. The veterans in the locker room perceived his place in the company as an insult to the men and women who got into the business the hard way, not because they were on a reality TV show.
Miz was the subject of constant bullying backstage. He was once kicked out of the locker room for accidentally getting chicken crumbs in a wrestler's bag and had to dress in hallways and closets until he was allowed back. But instead of cracking from the taunts of his peers, he worked hard and thus earned their respect and eventually their friendship.
Built to Last
The Miz is what many consider to be an average in-ring performer. He isn't terrible and has improved tremendously during his 15-year career, but he isn't the first name that comes to mind when you think of the best technical wrestler. He's also accused of playing it too safe and not taking any real risks, like some of the other more exciting wrestlers.
Miz's supposedly safe in-ring style may be the reason why he's never been seriously injured during his WWE career. Aside from a few bumps and bruises, The Miz has never been out of action due to a severe injury. What some have called safe is the key to Miz's amazing longevity.
Easy to Hate
The Miz's face is very punchable. His smug expressions, along with his condescending tone, make him one of the most hatable characters in modern professional wrestling. Those who know The Miz outside of the ring know he's far from a pretentious Hollywood jerk, but his believability is a little too convincing at times.
As a character, The Miz thinks he's better than everyone. His arrogance is fueled by his hunger for fame and victory and by hatred from the WWE Universe. He loves rubbing his successes in the face of his detractors, making him all the more detestable with each accomplishment.
The Star Maker
The Miz's career is undeniably Hall of Fame worthy. But he doesn't receive enough credit for the impact he's played in the careers of other wrestlers in WWE. Be it friend or foe, Miz helped elevate a few superstars at one point or another.
For example, Miz was instrumental in providing Daniel Bryan with his first high-profile feud and title victory in the company. Bryan and Miz's storied rivalry began on NXT when Miz played Bryan's kayfabe mentor who Miz didn't believe had what it took to be a WWE superstar.
Miz's star power also brought notoriety to superstars like Alex Riley, who had a stint as Miz's next NXT protege and bodyguard, and a floundering Damien Sandow, who saw peak success as Miz's "stunt double," Damien Mizdow. Except for Bryan, these superstars' career-high moments were shared with The Miz.
Highly Decorated
Before last night, it had been a decade since the Miz held the WWE Championship. He's held multiple titles on various occasions in between, though, and accomplished a great deal before his initial run with the top title, as well. The Miz has held every active title on the main roster except the WWE Universal Title.
Miz is a former United States Champion, a multiple-time tag-team champion, and is one win away from tying Chris Jericho's record of nine reigns as the Intercontinental Champion. Miz is also a two-time Money in the Bank winner, which led to both of his WWE Championship victories.
Crossover Appeal
The Miz's time on The Real World prepared him for being on camera in front of millions of viewers weekly. He may not have had 5,000 people booing him in real-time before, but the jeers from a viewing audience weren't unfamiliar when he got to WWE. Although it was the reason a majority of the wrestlers didn't like him, Miz's tenure on the popular reality show aided in his success in the company.
Casual WWE fans recognized The Miz from The Real World and were intrigued that the annoying roommate from the New York season had achieved his dream. This Miz's ascension as a bonafide star over the last decade and a half resulted in various movie and TV roles, including a starring role in WWE'sThe Marine movie franchise and his reality series with his wife and WWE Superstar, Maryse, called Miz and Mrs.
Living the Gimmick
Though he has fame, fortune, and one of the most beautiful women in the world as his wife, The Miz is still Mike Mizanin deep down inside. While The Miz flaunts his blessings like an elitist snob, Mike Mizanin remains humble, despite his overwhelming amount of prosperity. You can tell he's still a kid from Cleveland from his relationship with his dad, George.
On WWE TV, The Miz exaggerates his standings as a Hollywood leading man. He puts himself in the same league as DiCaprio and Clooney, but The Marine films aren't even national theater releases. Still, a movie role is a movie role, and someone will watch The Marine movies if WWE Studios keeps making them.
OG Status
With The Undertaker's retirement and John Cena's new gig as an actor/host, WWE's active roster is lacking tenured veterans. Some former superstars are still involved in the company in an administrative capacity, but there aren't many superstars with 10 or more years with WWE in the locker room.
The Miz is now in the position of mentoring the upcoming generation of WWE Superstars. His years of experience working for Vince McMahon are beneficial to any newcomers looking to have a fruitful career in the business. The Miz shows no signs of slowing down, but a post-retirement role as a producer or writer would fit him perfectly.
Master of the Mic
Television viewers got their introduction to The Miz on The Real World via his terrible impersonation of his favorite superstar, The Rock. He kept the name upon arriving in WWE, but the character went through various iterations before landing on its current Hollywood A-lister shtick. But one quality remained the same through every version of the character: his incredible work on the mic.
The Miz has traded promos with some of the greatest talkers in WWE history, including his idol The Rock upon his 2011 return. His ability to captivate a crowd with his words makes him one of the best talkers in the WWE, past or present. His most infamous promo is the Talking Smack segment where he became infuriated with Daniel Bryan's labeling of him as a wrestler who doesn't take risks.
A Company Man
John Cena is often credited with being the perfect ambassador for WWE. His popularity with children and his squeaky clean boy scout demeanor are the attributes that WWE looks for when sending superstars to represent on the company's behalf. If it wasn't for his career work as a bad guy, The Miz would be runner-up for the face of the company.
Whether he's participating in a storyline that doesn't make any sense, losing to a new superstar to give their stock a boost, or making public appearances, The Miz is always doing what the company asks of him. He's never been involved in any scandals outside of the ring and is a master at handling the media when it comes to tough questions about WWE and its business practices and treatment of employees. Miz's dependability and professionalism, in and out of the ring, make him a model WWE Superstar.
Did we/I leave out anything on The Miz's awesome resume?
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