The Miz... a face?

[SullivanSmith]

This is just something that's been tugging at my brain for the last day or two (which is weird because, let's face it, I have a lot of other things that SHOULD be taking up my brain-space - such as "how am I going to pay this electric bill?"). I personally think The Miz has kind of proven himself to be a pretty decent heel champion and not just a place-holder until Cena can get the belt back (I didn't like how the WM main event ENDED, but I DID like the result).

And while I do respect a wrestler who can spend his whole career as a heel (Ravishing Rick Rude, for example, was AWESOME and I can't think of a single time he was ever a true face), I think the true sign of a true "legend" is not just ring ability but also the ability to not only make the fans hate you intensely, but make them cheer for you like no other. It's sort of like a movie star who is convincing as both a hero and a villain.

Which brings me to The Miz. He's invested a LOT in his heel character and it's paid off dividends for him. He's the WWE champion and he's become... well, I don't want to say a "media sensation"... let's just say he's taken this chance and ran with it.

But like Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Hulk Hogan, Randy Orton, Edge and others, do you think The Miz has the ability to move past being a heel and find success as a face? I'm not saying I predict it's going to happen anytime soon but... do you think he can do it?

 

[Decarow]

I think he can be a good face when the time comes, but it's not time. I would like to see his current gimmick play out. He needs to learn a lesson. Some people are just meant to play heels for life though, and he's definitely one of them.

The thing with HHH, HBK, Orton, and Edge though is they are so respected by the fans that they were all turned faces. Any of them could right now do something extremely heelish and get cheered for it. Miz doesn't have that yet.

 

[BigLuther]

Of course he can do it. And he will someday. Like Decarow said, sometimes crowds turn people face when you least expect it. It happened somewhat suddenly with Orton last year, and now he's grown into a monster face. Miz is charismatic enough to be a face, and could easily get a crowd on his side if he wanted to. To me, he's very much like Chris Jericho where he's best suited as a heel, but can be a terrific face if called upon. Of course, only time will tell.

 

[RkoMachine]

Can he pull it off? Yes

Will or should it happen anytime soon? NO!

I know alot of you readers on here dont like the Miz but i LOVE this guy! he is one of my favorite superstars on RAW and he just keeps getting better as a heel! his heel persona needs to play out for at least the rest of 2011

 

[s3mach]

He incorporates a lot of arrogance into his persona which is more fit for a heel IMO..not to mention how condescending he is when he speaks.. definitely a better heel than a face me thinks.

 

[DarkLordFett]

Miz is one of those rare wrestlers that I can just never, ever get behind as a face. I just can't stomach him. His in-ring ability is above-average, but he has such bad habit of not selling moves the way he should.

I kinda wonder if Cena's somewhat lackluster performance through the first half of the Mania match was him being upset with Miz for under-performing as usual. Either that or he's tired of wrestling the exact same match for the past 2-3 years. Not sure why they do that to him.

But as for Miz and a face turn, I doubt it will happen any time soon. Especially since there's no push right now for furthering the Cena/Miz feud. At least not as of the RAW after Mania. Maybe they'll keep it up, but honestly, I'd rather see Orton/Miz because that would absolutely showcase Miz's lack of main event status. Hell, even a Triple H/Miz match or two would prove that he's not ready for the prime time status he's been given.

 

[SomeAreSet]

It'll be hard for him to turn face because his gimmick involves him bragging and antagonizing people.He's getting cheers because Cena's getting booed out of every arena he's in.He's the antithesis of Cena and therefore he gets the opposite reaction that Cena gets.That's not to say that his heat is based solely off of Cena.He can get reactions from the crowd on his own.

Anyway,it's much easier to be heel in the WWE than it is to be face,unless you're a face that is a bit heelish,like Edge or Orton.Heels are a throwback to the Attitude Era,where everyone has a personality and an attitude.Faces in the WWE are usually along the lines of the goody-two-shoes who takes his vitamins and says his prayers,stays humble and works hard.I think there are only 2 people in the WWE now who are faces because their gimmicks are cool.John Morrison and Edge.

 

[nerd4life]

miz is terrible vice is jamming him down our throats so he can ue him for media exosure after hes done with that and rockys filled his pocket the belt will be back where it belongs on a real main eventer like cena orton or punk is a beter heel then miz.

Miz title reign has been weaker then..well i just dont know something really weak

 

[jccool420]

It's really almost like 1996 again... Right before the Attitude era... When the heels were just cooler and more entertaining then the boring "Good Guys" and older wrestling fans will always cheer for the most entertaining guys on the show...

The Miz almost has the "Boyhood Dream" thing working for him (that Shawn Micheals had going in 96 just different situations) and he's earned the respect of a lot of people now...

I would love to see him turn face... He has great mic skills and I really think he could be a cool face much like Y2J was...

 

[hayyan11]

We can see Miz as a face he has the potential..And WWE obviously has big things for him..He gave Cena his first one-on-one loss at WM for God's sake...
Yeah I'm new here

 

[hollowpoint]

I don't think Miz is ready to be a face just yet. He hasn't show that he can win a match cleanly or even carry a match. All his tactics now are heel-ish and I think he's got a lot of in ring work to improve on before they make him a face. It's probably coming, but I don't think they need to waste him being put over as a credible main eventer by turning him face.

 

[jellmoo]

I have two long running theories. The first is: Before you can be a great face, you must be a good heel.

Since The Miz has yet to develop as a good heel, no, he simply isn't ready to be a main event face. He's been too one dimensional, and has yet not grabbed the credibility of a main eventer.

The second theory is: There are three qualities relevant to a main event face. Look. Promo skill. In ring ability. A main event face needs to have two out of the three.

The Miz has *some* promo skills. However, he has a shitty look, insomuch as he looks like a one legged grandmother could be beat him up. And his in ring abilities are mediocre at best (a very telling sign is when John Cena has to carry a match).

So no, The Miz certainly isn't ready for a main event face push. Remember Randy Orton's first run with the title? Yeah, it would go something like that.

 

[morrisonfan]

I didn't see a thread on this already, but if I happened to not see a thread on this, you can feel free to delete.

Not that this should be taken seriously, but I just read on a dirt sheet site that WWE has plans in the long term to turn the Miz face. Now this could be false, or just a rumor, but you never know. What I read on it isnt much at all but if you want proof, here it is.

- WWE's long-term direction for WWE Champion The Miz is to have him turn babyface eventually.

That's the source I got it from, and I hope I am not breaking a rule by saying where I got that from, just wanted everyone to know I had a reliable source.

So if this is true...

Do you think a Miz face run could work?

How would he turn face?

Do you like the idea?

Discuss.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

I'm not sure about this one (Miz turning face).

I think his character would be too generic if they turn him face. Right now, The Miz is all about being obnoxious and in your face. What would his face gimmick be exactly?

I could maybe see him as a tweener but a full blown babyface seems too unrealistic unless they totally repackage the character. The problem with that, is that they risk destroying the character they've built up. The Miz is over as a heel now, I just don't know how over he could get as a face.

As a tweener, I think he'd stay over.

 

[TheKingHustla]

i absolutly hate the idea. Right now, The Miz is exactly what he should be. a heel. i like the miz as a heel, but i think the problem is that they dont have too many faces in the wwe right now and the miz got cheers against cena, so maybe they'll turn him because he 'can' be cheered, but its a bad idea imo.

 

[midgensa]

They cannot turn him face right now without turning someone else heel ... outside of Del Rio and Punk there just are not enough strong heels right now to keep up if Miz goes face.

I think in the long run he will definitely be face at some point. While it is easy for someone to be a face for a long, long time ... it is very difficult to be a GOOD heel and not eventually get cheered into a face (think Orton, The Rock, etc.).

So, whether the WWE plans it or not, logic dictates that eventually The Miz will be a face for at least some length of time. Right now though, they definitely need him in the heel role, because it is what is working.

 

[X]

He's practically a babyface as it is currently. Just like Randy Orton, they've made the mistake of having him feud (and get the better of) John Cena, which is an instant way to get fan support in the WWE considering the massive hate that a large portion of the fanbase has for Cena. He's been getting all of the face reactions in his feud with Cena, and throwing in The Rock to feud with Cena as well kind of just put him over the top to where he's getting some of the best pops in the company right now, which isn't what you want from your main event HEEL. Just like with Orton though, the smarks have spoken, so it's only a matter of time before they have to turn Miz face. I don't think it happens for probably another year, but I definitely see it as being inevitable at this point. And who knows, he could be a great face. He's great on the mic, has a ton of charisma, and he's already over huge. We'll just have to wait and see.

 

[Mac Attack]

He is a face until he does something heel like once again. The Orton syndrome has attached itself to Miz perfectly and through his feud with Cena made him the face he is right now. I however do not believe this will stay because he is a very very good heel. Not saying he can't eventually turn face but I want him heel for a while.

Originally posted by xfearbefore
Just like with Orton though, the smarks have spoken, so it's only a matter of time before they have to turn Miz face.

I don't believe this is true. If they want Orton to be a heel all they have to do is have him attack a face and he is still the heel that really never left him. Miz for example just need to feud with a guy like Morrison, to turn back to his true hell character. It just is in both scenarios the people had the choice of what side of each character they wanted to see. Neither man has at all changed up his move set one bit so in a way they have never left their gimmick. I personally wosh both Orton and Miz remained heel and they turned Punk face.

I think Miz could easily worl as a face but for the time being I would want him to remain heel. Although.....the day I hear the fans cheer for him and say he is Awesome, is the day I totally mark out.

 

[123 Kid]

Allegedly, McMahon has said that the Miz IS the future of the WWE. When CENA came out, he wasn't a Face right away. In fact, Undertaker had a feud with Cena at WM, where Taker
"taught" Cena about respect.

I could almost see his happen in the next year or so, with Miz turning face by WM next year.

 

[ibo-cool]

i can see him as a face because he can move the fans (cheer or boo) by what he says. and i think the best way he can turn face is by attacking by michael cole for sure!

 

[berlinbrawler]

I'm sure he will become a face down the line. It may very well be a case where the WWE won't have much of a choice in doing so because the fans cheer Miz no matter what. In fact, he's already getting a decent pop.

When he does turn face, he will obviously stop winning by luck or cheating and suddenly start dominating his matches (to hell with logic, right?) and I predict great success for him then.

This won't happen for a good long time, though. If cena turned heel (maybe it's wishful thinking, but I got a nagging feeling that this might be the year it finally happens) it could force the issue, but for the time being I see way too much potential for Miz's heel run to spoil it by a prmature face turn.

 

[TeamJoMo]

LMAO!!!!!!! u think that the miz should b face??? ROFL!!!!

Miz won't agree f wwe told him 2 do that. why? because the miz is ONLY good in mic which make him ONLY entertaining in mic, why did u think wwe made him a champ? because he's good in ring? NO. because wwe is looking 4 entertainers & not athletes. Anyways he'll say no because he won't do well in mic when he's face which will make him boring and back 2 mid or low card.

 

[MachoMadness8894]

He is one of the few guys that can really take whatever is thrown at him and run with it, and that's what I like about the Miz. You think something will happen, then he does something else bigger and better than what you thought he would do. He will be the face of the company in a few years time(not heel-face but the start guy).

 

[berlinbrawler]

LMAO!!!!!!! u think that the miz should b face??? ROFL!!!!

Miz won't agree f wwe told him 2 do that. why? because the miz is ONLY good in mic which make him ONLY entertaining in mic, why did u think wwe made him a champ? because he's good in ring? NO. because wwe is looking 4 entertainers & not athletes. Anyways he'll say no because he won't do well in mic when he's face which will make him boring and back 2 mid or low card.

Others managed to do it. The Rock and Austin come to mind. They didn't stop being a$$holes, but they were cool a§§holes and the fans cheered their anti heroes. I'm not saying the Miz is in the same league as those two, but if he ever turned face, he would have to try to do the same thing. Don't change the cocky attitude, just be less of a coward or a cheater. A cocky babyface is the most difficult role to play (or so I've heard), but anyhting else wouldn't work for the Miz.

Alas, the time is definitely not right for that yet. Right now he couldn't pull it off and it would be a waste of a phenomenal heel. And yeah, he almost certainly wouldn't agree to do it.

 

[Melina]

I have been to a couple Live Events in the last 6 months where Miz performed Live. In the first one he got a mixed reaction, but in the second one it was definitely a Face Pop.

IMO he is in that gray area and he should stay there. He will act heelish but get tons of cheers. Fans love him even though they are not "supposed" to.

He has to be booked carefully going forward, or else he may be forced into becoming a face, which would be unfortunate.

He will have a solid Face Run at some point, but it will happen because WWE is not comfortable with his crowd reaction anymore. So he will be a Face for a Year or so then have a Heel turn and the heat that comes with it.