Does The Miz Come Off As A Poor Man's The Rock To Anyone Else?

[WrestlingFan97]

It seems to me as if The Miz is desperately trying to emulate The Rock. It also seems that WWE are marketing him as such. The way he delivers his catch-phrase, "Because I'm The Miz...And I'm...Awesome!" Just as The Rock did, "If Ya Smell...What The Rock...Is Cookin'!" As well as other aspects of his character seem "Rock-ish". As for WWE marketing him, I have seen some promo shots of him, and they look tailor made for The Rock. If I can find some comparison shots I'll post them here later. Now, it's well known that Rock is Miz's favorite wrestler, which makes it all the more obvious. These are just my observations. Thanks for reading.

 

[Ballin247]

Not really, no. Miz is boring. I thought he would improve more but he hasn't. He's okay, just didn't become the main eventer I thought he would. Not nearly as bad a Jack Swagger or Alberto Del Rio. Damn, WWE has had some awful world champions these past few years. lol.

 

[mlp420]

Here's the thing.....quite a few guys are or have been modeled after The Rock. The biggest example is guess who?


The 5 Knuckle Shuffle is a People's Elbow Knockoff

"You want some, come get some" = "Just Bring It"

The way he ridiculed announcers backstage during his 06-07 title reign of terror is similar to how The Rock used to do it.

The way he used to cut promos was similar too.

 

[AwesomeRko]

Anyways moving onto the topic, I agree to an extent they are similar in the fact that they are both greta on the mic and in invoking an emotional response from the audience. I think your right that the Miz, probably one of the superstars who makes greatest use of catchphrases has taken that from the Rock. I think in the whole smarmy ass-kisser kind of way Miz and corporate Rock are pretty similar with the main difference being that Rock pretty much always came across as dominant and as the alpha-male whilst Miz is built as more of a cowardly heel talking with mock bravado.

 

[Mantis]

He's more like a poor man's Jericho.

Similar physique? Check

Wears a suit? Check

Speaks in a serious monotone voice? Check

Jericho even used a version of the Skull Crushing Finale (called Breakdown) a decade ago.

 

[JBK2008]

Much like Cena, Miz has done a lot of things that The Rock has done. Miz just hasn't panned out as the main eventer we all hoped he would be. He's not believable. You know why? He hasn't cleanly beaten Orton, Punk, or Cena. Those 3, well at least Cena, need to lose cleanly to Miz and some of these other heels if they are to ever be taken seriously.

I like Miz, but I think he's settling in now and the drive and hunger is gone now that he's reached the top of the WWE. He knows he'll never get to beat Cena cleanly, at least that's how it seems, so he's just settling now. It's a shame because after Mania, some Cena losses would be nice to help put the young heels over.

 

[GI Cake]

How on earth do you find how The Rock can be compared to The Miz? They use catch-phrases? So what, is Kurt Angle a Rock wannabe, is Triple H a Rock wannabe, is Hulk Hogan a Rock wannabe, or is even Ric Flair a Rock wannabe? Wrestlers have been using catch-phrases since the dawn of time, it helps make wrestlers easier to connect with the crowd. Remember when DX started the phrase. "If you got a problem with that, I got two words for yeah?" and the crowd would finish the rest of the chant. It is fun, and a easy way to get over. I don't see any crosses between Rock and Miz. You can make a case that Miz has a ton of parallels between him and Jericho. But with obviously less in-ring ability. But between him and Rock? Complete, and utter non-sense.

 

[trashboy]

He's more like a poor man's Jericho.

Similar physique? Check

Wears a suit? Check

Speaks in a serious monotone voice? Check

Jericho even used a version of the Skull Crushing Finale (called Breakdown) a decade ago.

Maybe they're both Jeff Jarrett wannabe's, since he was doing the move before the both of them, The Stroke.

And for the guy that said.. "You want some, come get some" = "Just Bring It"
Wasn't Scott Hall saying that first as well, remember this line? "Don't sing it, bring it."

Anyway, no, I don't see the comparison. Miz is just boring and has always been boring. Besides, everyone is always gonna compare new wrestlers to wrestlers of the past. Like Mr. Anderson = Stone Cold, John Cena = Hulk Hogan, etc. And I'm sure in 20 years, whatever new wrestlers that show up will probably be called a poor man's John Cena.

 

[WRESTLING_GENIUS]

I take it that you did not watch the Miz in Real World, his character he played in that was based off the rock as this is the time The Rock was just rising and getting his popurlarity, but nway Yes tThe Miz is a poor mans Rock has always been from the jump and The Miz will be the first to tell you that he got the idea of THe Miz Character from The Rock.... Im surprised it took somebody so long to make a post bout this on the Real.... And just to confirm the beginning of my statement i wasnt bashing you in anyway or form..... Just telling it how it is...

 

[mrfantastic111]

I thought of him being a weird cross-over between Rock and Jericho.

Miz, however; has completely lost steam. I think what got him over before was that lots of people thought he was a funny jock character, kind of like Rock but overall could relate to Jericho. He was funny when he was US Champ and had MITB. Not so much now. I'm not sure what creative is doing to him, but I think he's in some serious trouble if he wants to keep on being relevant.

 

[Cats Pajamas]

Buenos dias from the blue collar Northeast, friends. You know, they claim that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery... The Miz is definitely a student of the some of the greats. He has, at least in my estimation, ousted himself as a wrestling fan since childhood as you can make numerous references to several other performers while watching him.

Sometimes listening to Mike I do get that subtle feeling that a Jericho Am-Trak collided head on with The Rock's Union Pacific. One could argue that's not necessarily a bad thing, either. Following the patterns of a variety of tip notch guys is a successful curriculum for any wrestler who has no shortage of passion but has yet to find their path. Although the former reality star has already scored big as a former WWE Champion, you can tell he's always trying to plant his boots firmer like any great performer would.

Do I think the Miz is a watered down version of the most electrifying man in sports entertainment? I would hope not, for water and electricity don't mix well. If I had to find similarities, I'd say the Miz & the Rock are both fond of speaking in the third person, they both have an exaggerated dislike of "the John Cena", and both of them can sell opponents moves like a Realtor/U-Haul hybrid... that euphemism means "good".

I'd suggest fans keep their eyes on the Miz. His less pronounced characteristics are among his finest. People say he's been getting some backstage heat; if true maybe that'll be the motivation he needs. Sometimes a wrestler needs to learn the importance of going for broke so they don't wind up getting stuck in the giant shadow cast by a guy like Dwayne Johnson.

He makes a pretty good Frankenstein comparison, too; scrap pieces from other legacies but still missing just one thing for his very own... Until next time be awesome, be a star, be the next big thing and as always, best regards, wrestling fans.

You found the secret message! "We had to say 'dickety' because the Kaiser had stolen our word 'twenty'." - Abraham Simpson, from TV's The Simpsons

 

[IT Factor]

This topic is simply ridiculous. Every great wrestler has guys they emulate or try to pattern themselves after. Shawn Michaels has said Ric Flair was his inspiration. Triple H is obviously a big Harley Race fan[stealing some of the moves and even the old Race muttonchops , oh yeah, the whole King thing]. Jericho also claimed Shawn Michaels was his inspiration back in the day. And on and on it goes.

While The Miz has been disappointing and not become the main eventer he should be, it's not entirely his fault. WWE has a track record of pushing someone and then de-pushing them for no good reason. Jack Swagger & Sheamus can attest to that. The Miz is in the same category now. And why? Because he missed catching R-Truth in the match? Really? WWE are fucking idiots. Didn't John Cena give the Miz a concussion at last year's Mania? Did you see Cena being de-pushed as punishment? Hell no. Again, that is WWE's fault. It's their stupid political hierarchy crap and not based on merit or skill.

While you can see that The Miz is patterning himself after Rock or Jericho, he's also alot of himself too. Which I appreciate as a longtime fan of wrestling[whether WWE wants to call it that or not, I still do ]. If WWE gave Miz the ball like they did with Rock, Austin,HHH, and countless others, then we'd truly see whether Miz sucked or if it's just a happenstance attributed to the WWE machine at work.......

 

[DirtyD79]

This topic is simply ridiculous. Every great wrestler has guys they emulate or try to pattern themselves after. Shawn Michaels has said Ric Flair was his inspiration. Triple H is obviously a big Harley Race fan[stealing some of the moves and even the old Race muttonchops , oh yeah, the whole King thing]. Jericho also claimed Shawn Michaels was his inspiration back in the day. And on and on it goes.

One could also argue The Rock is a wrestling version of Muhammad Ali with his braggadocio and swagger. As for Miz the smug pompous ass heel is one of the oldest gimmicks in wrestling. Hell it's one of the oldest villains in enetertainment period. People always want to see some guy who runs around with an "I'm better than you" attitude get knocked down a peg. Even more so if he cheapshots a beloved babyface and then runs away like a coward.

 

[IT Factor]

One could also argue The Rock is a wrestling version of Muhammad Ali with his braggadocio and swagger. As for Miz the smug pompous ass heel is one of the oldest gimmicks in wrestling. Hell it's one of the oldest villains in enetertainment period. People always want to see some guy who runs around with an "I'm better than you" attitude get knocked down a peg. Even more so if he cheapshots a beloved babyface and then runs away like a coward.

Exactly my point. Everyone that has ever been a major sucess in wrestling/entertainment has emulated their favorite wrestlers. It shows in their work and it's one of the things that makes certain superstars stand out. I actually am a Miz fan and have been ever since his earliest interactions with Bret Hart before he won the US Title. The guy is one of the very best of the newer generation WWE talents and he's a very dedicated worker who does alot of media work and promotion for the company. To sum it all up, The Miz deserves to be alot higher up in the company than he currently is. Like I said earlier, it's all about politics with WWE and their stupid hierarchy structure. WWE always runs down WCW for keeping the same guys on top and playing politics but now they've basically turned into the very thing they always rundown. Irony in its finest form, no?

 

[bknight786]

It doesn't matter if he comes off as a "poor man's Rock". What majority of wrestling fans don't realize, at least the ones under the age of say 21, is that the attitude/NWO era will NEVER be replicated in the future. The superstars and story lines which were created during that period have spoiled us and raise expectations for current "superstars." Guess what, it's NOT going to happen! Today's stars just aren't that charismatic, or popular enough to generate the type of buzz The Rock, Stone Cold, or Triple H have or will. You can also blame some of the pathetic and predictable story lines that writers continue to generate, but regardless, you can't blame the Miz for at least trying to get over. Hopefully one day the next superstar will come around, which is why WWE seems to hold tryouts every week seemingly. Just don't expect it anytime in the near future!

 

[WrestlingFan97]

I'm not trying to compare Miz & Rock, I'm just simply stating that in my opinion, Miz trys with all of his might to be like Rock in terms of character. So, sorry for any misunderstanding.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Yes, Miz is a LOT like Rock.

Miz and Rock were both initially booed for pretty superficial reasons (some of you still don't think Miz has talent, which, that's your opinion but it's probably rooted in the fact that he was a reality star).

Miz and Rock are both so so in the ring, but do a GREAT job at selling and telling an in ring story, so if anything their simplicity is a tool to make the story and selling more apparent.

Miz and Rock both rely on changing the dynamics of their promo and leading one part of the promo into the other with catchphrases.

Rock just did a better job at it. Not a bad thing though. Kobe Bryant does a damn good Michael Jordan impression.

Also, for fuck's sake, stop with the "today's stars just aren't as charismatic". the main event in the tude era was awesome. However, the undercard sucked balls. I dare you to go back and watch 1997-2001 Raw and review it. If Val Venis wasn't a porn star, Godfather wasn't a pimp, and whatever the fuck else was going on, they wouldn't be over. Not only that, but without flipping the bird and drinking beer, Austin wouldn't have been AS entertaining. His charisma and skill were off the charts obviously. However, without the cheap pops of blood, boobs, and beer they wouldn't have been as over. Really think about that. When I say "Rock" or "Austin" the first image/thought/scene that comes into your mind is probably something that most guys wouldn't be allowed to do today.

saying the tude era guys "were just more charismatic" is like saying that an article who only has black and white isn't as good as someone who has ever color. Before you say "well give them more colors" realize they can't. Trash TV isn't sustainable. I know I sound like a broken record with this attitude era stuff. I don't hate the attitude era, it's just that some of you REALLY overrate it. I get it, you were at your peak fandom then. Just like I was in 1996/1997 with Sting/nWo (I still have a bias to that and think it's the greatest story ever told in wrestling).

 

[Galvatron]

I agree that miz is a poor man's Jericho. He talks monotone like Jericho, wears a suit like Jericho and like the person a couple posts back said the skullcrushing finale is Jericho's old breakdown (watch Jericho use it to defeat The Rock for his first world championship at No Mercy 2001 on youtube). The main difference is Miz has like 1 really good match I can think of (vs John Morrison on the first raw of 2011), Jericho has too many to mention. The other difference is Miz is only as good as who he is having a match with, I have never seen him make somebody else look better fighting him like HBK or Jericho. I just don't see him as a main eventer. And finally "the most must see wwe champion" is a very empty statement....still can't figure out why I needed to see his horrible wwe title run.

 

[Shotaro]

It think the Miz is doing what ever he can to get himself over. He takes liberally from Jericho and the Rock, and why not they're two of the best. I'd say he's not trying too hard, or at least not in an impersonation of anyone, he like the rest of the roster is making use of the skills he has. Miz is one of the better talkers in WWE right now, it's a big factor with regard to why he'll be in the main event again and again and again. Maybe not in 2012, but expect Miz to be in title picture again in the not so distant future.

 

[theBec2101]

Maybe they're both Jeff Jarrett wannabe's, since he was doing the move before the both of them, The Stroke.

And for the guy that said.. "You want some, come get some" = "Just Bring It"
Wasn't Scott Hall saying that first as well, remember this line? "Don't sing it, bring it."

Anyway, no, I don't see the comparison. Miz is just boring and has always been boring. Besides, everyone is always gonna compare new wrestlers to wrestlers of the past. Like Mr. Anderson = Stone Cold, John Cena = Hulk Hogan, etc. And I'm sure in 20 years, whatever new wrestlers that show up will probably be called a poor man's John Cena.

Again with the comparisons people. There alot of wrestlers and not enough gimmicks. But no, he is nothing like the Rock. not close infact ur not not even a true fan of wrestling for that. Maybe a hint of Jericho like the others said.

Trust me no one is coping Jeff Jarrett. He was useless and irrelevant he's whole career. Even that shoot/ promo he tried when he came back to the wwe was garbage. Im sorry. talking about mimicking people, boy did he rip Flair.