The Miz- What Happened?

[Hardinhoff]

I've been a part of the IWC for about three years now and I have yet to see meteoric rise in credibility the likes of which The Miz has achieved.

If I'm not mistaken, one year ago The Miz was a Santino-like character. The Dirt Sheet helped he and Morrison in terms of promo skill, but Morrison was the one who was looked at as the "new Shawn Micheals". JoMo was to be the chosen one.

Now, it seems that the IWC has adopted The Miz as one of their own (myself included). What has caused this change? (If you dislike The Miz, feel free to explain why)

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

He's legitimately improved his work all round. His promo skills improved during his 'feud' with cena, his in-ring ability improved over the summer until he won the US Championship and overall he's been rewarded with more T.V. time and a push. He's gotten better by leaps and bounds whilst Morrison, though still very impressive, has only improved slightly. And, of course, He's Awsome!

 

[The Doctor]

What happened? Easy: He improved.

The Miz has pushed himself to improve in mic and ring skills. You can tell how hard he's working by looking at his matches throughout the years. You can tell he has a ton of passion for the business and WANTS to work to improve himself. He doesn't seem to have a big head, and he seems to want to just get better and better.

I for one find that commendable. Too many wrestlers seem to hit a plateau where they just stop trying. I'm not saying that's happening to Morrison, but his mic skills have not improved much since the days of the Dirt Sheet, unlike Miz's. Sure, Morrison can produce some good promos, but they're spotty. Sometimes they're quite average. The Miz on the other hand is consistently excellent.

It all comes down to drive, something The Miz seems to have a lot of.

 

[CH David]

Once he started his little feud with Cena, a lot of people opened their eyes to his mic skills. Some I recall even likened him pretty close to Rock status on the mic. Now he isn't that good on the mic, but he is one of the better stars in the WWE on the mic. After the feud, where Cena beat him in like 5 minutes, everyone thought "ZOMG, they are burrying teh MIZ cuz he lost to CEna WHO ONLI KNOES 5 MOOOVES!!!!!" But then he came back a few weeks later with a new look, and an even more aggressive attitude. And that was just his personality.

His ringwork since he moved to Raw has improved tremendously as well. That was one of the downsides to his all around character, is that he was decent in the ring, but nothing more. Every time he has gotten into the ring, he has shown definite signs of improvement, from week to week. He has been getting a steady push up the ranks, which has been done excellently. The reason why I enjoy having him on my tv is because of how hard he had to work, and how much he has improved over the years and in his time on Raw.

 

[Hardinhoff]

What I can't get over is after the new ring attire and the new theme (which I think is one of the best in the past 10 years next to Orton), Miz seemed to turn into "The Man".

The way he has developed cutting his promos is EXCELLENT. I wasn't a fan of his catchphrases at first, but they've grown on me. I'm just in disbelief on how much he's improved and feel that the other young wrestlers (especially Kofi, Shelton, Sheamus, Swagger) should have pages of notes from this guy.

 

[cena4eva]

Hs worked his @$$ off for his spot and I think hes doing a great job in following Jericho's footsteps. I still think he needs to his wrrestling ability a lil more, but overall he has proven hes awesome

 

[Ferbian]

I completely agree with you Doc, it's clear that he has improved in pretty much any way you could imagine.
And to top it off (something that made him more interesting for me at least) he got himself a catchphrase that he builds around, having someone make fun of it, and thereby made the crowd a part of it (the crowd usually going "awful" but it's still a part of it)

Besides, coming out of the tag team with Morrison, to me, he came off as the boring personality of the two, the underdog, or the ever so popular "Marty Jannetty".
At first I must admit I found his minor feud with a person who was barely there (Cena) anything but entertaining, but as time progressed, it got interesting, seeing as Miz Basically ran a "feud" by himself, and it got him some fairly well heat, and the constant attempt to win over Maryse was brilliant, only to become the person to turn her down (when he got that awesome new music theme)

And of course, his current program as both United States champion, and Unified tag team champion with Big Show only makes him a little greater, because while I think Big Show makes Miz more relevant, we can't deny that having Big Show in tag team action makes him more relevant too, and The Miz provides that too, making a nice team, not as nice as JeriShow, but enough for me to like watching them.

 

[KaosTheori]

I remember watching Mike Mizanin on MTV(Road Rules and such) and when he first started talking about The Miz this, the Miz that. And he's gonna we day be a wrestler in the then WWF, I said to myself(as a life long wrestling fan) this guy is nuts. Ballsy. But nuts. I guess he proved me wrong. He took a character he created and didn't stop until he got where he is now. And the best thing about it? He's still young. He has a long career left so he can only get better. Way to go Miz.He showed that no matter what people say or think about this business. He you really want it, you can get it.

 

[Lazerball]

The Miz is easily oneof the best things the E has goin for it, hes is good in the ring now, his promos are head above jus about everyone, he gets tons of TV time being on RAW NXT and SMackdown, he gets to walk around with 3 title belts and team with the largetst athlete in the world. he is the future of the company, def seems like he is being groomed to be the next Jericho, and i really do think that they could get him over as a face if they needed to, but he is such a good heel, he has a long career left, and i look forward to every bit of it, it jus goes to show that when u want something real bad u can work ur ass off to achieve it, hes the best example of that. I love the Miz and he is AWESOME!!

 

[codatious99]

- He got new ring attire

- New music

- same moveset with a much improved finisher

- note the crowd reaction in june compare to recent promo's.... "awesome" is bigger than "ballin" no question listening to a live audience.

- multiple titles, people care more for guys with belts i guess.... big show with out a title = who cares...?

- actully having matches on the ppv's. its like 1 out of 7 midcarders get a match at a regular ppv, miz has wrestled and or had promos in all the ppvs i can remember for a while.

- guys like cm punk and miz give the wwe hope for big time heels. def the best on each brand with a mic, jericho too . word yo

 

[thedriffter50]

Where were you the past year ? Miz has improved so much and got into great mic skills and is only still young...and once i remember this guy was getting punked out by Undertaker a few years ago...only now WWE needs to stop trying to make the FACES he faces not look better then him...so basically he is the best thing in WWE right now...Well done Miz you've proved everyone wrong including myself...

 

[MizMark]

The simple answer is that he has, and still does work damn hard. HHH recently did an interview saying Sheamus, Kofi and Miz impressed him in terms of how they want to better themselves and put so much work in.
His promos are awesome.
He has the legit look now with his new ring attire.
His music is awesome.
He has just turned into one of the hottest things in wrestling right now, helped with having 3 titles.

 

[axl626]

This is a guy that a lot of people thought was just cashing in on his fame when what he did was constantly and consistently improve both in ring and on the mic. This is a weird comparison but he's kind of like a male Trish Stratus. She came in as eye candy and was in a few magazines and is now considered one of the top female wrestlers in WWE's history.

As for why I specifically like him; I'm not really sure. If John Morrison is HBK, which he hasn't proven that to me, then Miz is Y2J. He's great in the ring and he has a great finisher for a guy his size as he can use it against anyone. Miz could be the new cocky face a la Y2J or the cocky heel to take Jericho's vacant place seeing as he's dropped all that made him Y2J. Also, the shorts were goofy but now that he's got a more conventional wardrobe I feel like he moves better. I don't dig his new jacket for some reason but that's not a big deal. I normally root for the underdog so I would much rather see Miz go farther in a better way than Morrison, who uses cool moves but doesn't show a consistent logic in the ring, if that makes sense.

 

[un1earn]

I'm sorry, I still can't take him as a credible champion. I think the initial idea was to give John Morrison the push when the break up occurred, however the Miz shines on the mic vs Morrison...well kinda sucks. I also believe as a heel you get more credibility cause you sliver your way into the hearts of fans if you can pull it off and I believe Miz did a great job at making the fans dislike him...in turn making him appear like a he belongs. Has he improved? Yes...is he the future...i'm sorry I find that hard to believe. At the end of the day, I just can't take him seriously. It's not even a matter of hating on the guy, i just think there are better wrestlers out there that can get over with the right push and be more credible like R Truth...He's got the look, the fans as a face which is hard when you job as much as he does, he just needs a new finisher and a good story to help push him along. I think he needs a big time heel turn to get serious.

 

[johnnyblaze3:16]

well for me first off, he's improved and for me it was at the elimination chamber and his match with mvp. at the end of that match (you tube it) he has a cut and the cut guy runs into the ring to clean him up and ive never seen someone brake kayfab and act like a face in saying hell yea clean up my battle wound, he totally broke charachter and was proud of his battle wounds watch the clip cause it won me over and i really disliked him up till that point

 

[XgringolocoX]

I fucking HATED this guy!!! Now he's AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the poster boy for earning your spot. He was terrible even just 2 years ago. I started to like him a bit when he teamed with Morrison and now I'm a full fledged fan.
Miz has obviously worked his ass off to improve his game in every aspect. From mic, to ring, to his look. No young wrestler in the WWE today has made the leaps and bounds this guy has.
Miz has earned his spot and he's earned respect, at least from me.

Side note. I love his teaming with Show. The cocky up and comer with the wise old vet is a good pairing. Look at the match with the Hart Dynasty. Miz was trying to be the man got lumps and the Big Show pulled him out and started to chastize him for not listening. Sets up a great relatonship to elevate miz...then blow it up so Miz can go higher. Miz is on the best run right now in WWE.

 

[Travaje]

I'm also a loyal Real World/Road Rules watcher and have been for 10 years or so. The Miz was one of the most popular guys on that show, universally liked by everybody. He's always had the personality, athleticism, the charisma, the ability to be interesting in front of a camera. He's not just another guy off the street who thought they could give wrestling a try. Like Shawn Michaels, he's a lifelong fan that's been developing himself and his character for years. I'd say that 10% of what he's become has to do with the office and 90% has to do with himself.

Anyone who thinks that anybody in 6 months can become instant legend needs to temper their expectations. When the Miz came in, he was green, but like HBK, he's always had "it" from the very first match and has progressed faster than most because he's always had a very solid foundation. He just needed to get some experience, and now he's arrived, right on cue.

Make no mistake, the Miz is a future World Champion and already is and will be for a long time one of the biggest stars in the company. He really is awesome, which is why he can say something like that and people are totally going to buy what he's selling.

Fun quiz for fellow Real World/Road Rules fans: Who's the "Mini-Miz"?

 

[cbhitman1]

The problem with Morrison is that upon breaking up with the Miz, he was immediately pushed as a generic face ala Cena. It takes really good mic skills in the PG era for that to work, especially for a guy who hasn't been around that many years. They should have used Morrison as a tweener--sort of the way he was on the Dirt Sheet--all conceited and full of himself who made fun of other wrestlers and thought the world of himself. That would have resonated with fans the way it did with The Rock, old school HBK and Jericho. Those guys were either extremely loved or hated. Miz has had a very direct approach in improving his mic skills while Morrison hasn't really been given much direction.

 

[Captain-Gamer]

i disklike miz because i just disklike him, nuff said.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

As others have said, what's happenes it that The Miz has not only improved dramatically in the ring and on the mic, but people take him seriously now because he takes wrestling seriously.

The Miz himself has made comments in various interviews that he wasn't overly welcome in the WWE locker room because he was an outsider. Not only was he an outsider, but many viewed his presence in the WWE as something he thought he could do to make some easy money and continue his 15 minutes of reality tv fame. It took time and it took effort, but The Miz earned the respect of the WWE locker room and even many of the most callous and hardened members of the IWC.

The Miz has shown himself to be one of the most charismatic and best young heels in wrestling today. He's achieved success and respect because he's actually earned it.

 

[DaBadGuy]

I'll say I started to like The Miz when he was on ECW and in his tag team with John Morrison. Although I liked JoMo better than Miz he kind of earn my respect as I could see he was slowly improving in the ring, also lets not forget the dirtsheet. When he got drafted to Raw though I didn't really like it to much because I felt he was going to be lost in the shuffle and JoMo would be main eventing with in 2 years time also they were my favorite team. But when he had his fued with Cena I think thats when I started to like The Miz, he mic skills had improved and I found it hilarious how he would call Cena out, and when Cena would show up he would chalk up a victory for himself. And after he got a new attire and finisher I wanted him to go after the U.S title after which he did and now here he is as the U.S champ.

 

[ColleenK]

Miz has excellent mic skills and pushes himself, he is probably one of the hardest working wrestlers in the business. He is one of the people that you tune into watch because you want to know what happens next with him. One of the ones that you love to hate....

 

[#hamler]

AWESOME! do i need to explain more...When the Miz debuted into the WWE, he received mostly hate. He was awful in the ring, his mic skills were mediocre, but his character was annoying, and mostly awful. Honestly, nothing was really likable about him. He was even hated, on some report's in the locker room(just ask JBL). Basically, he did not have many believers in him, or his future.

Today, the Miz is, in my opinion, a huge part of the show, THE FLAGSHIP SHOW! and an amazing mid card/ upper mid card wrestler. Here is a guy who is so into his character, that his promo's are generally, for the better part, flawless. A lot of people still are irked by his promo's and catch phrase, which is a good thing, considering that is it's desired effect. The Miz has become one of the most reliable and consistent talker's in the entire WWE. So much so, that the debut of NXT was largely riding on his composure and performance. Which honestly, was amazingly good. Miz's ring work, which started off below average, has become very very strong. Honestly, the Miz is far more consistant in TV match's than Morrison, better than Ziggler though who is also very talented, and could overtake Truth, morrison, hell, better than Mcintyre. He has proven how good a tag wrestler he can be, but his singles wrestling has come along mile's lately. His matches with MVP, though not great, or even good to some, were basically carried by Miz. He has become a strong enough worker to make a match work. Honestly, I think this guy deserves some massive prop's. Here's a guy who came from nothing to a solid, strong, reliable at worst, and great at best, worker and performer. I use to hate him, but put him in nice trunks with matching kick pads, give him kick ass music, great finisher and the cockiest attitude since the rock and you get awesome... which reminds me, his "I'm Awesome" catchphrase, is great because it is simple and makes a lot of people hate him (not me), which is what heels are supposed to be all about.

 

[CH David]

i disklike miz because i just disklike him, nuff said.

What is it about him that you dislike about him? It is difficult to find anything really bad about the guy. He had to overcome the locker room thinking he was only in it for the fame, and has really improved into a solid wrestler with some very good mic skills. If you dislike him because he is a heel, that is one thing, but it just seems like you don't like him for any good reason.

 

[Captain-Gamer]

What is it about him that you dislike about him? It is difficult to find anything really bad about the guy. He had to overcome the locker room thinking he was only in it for the fame, and has really improved into a solid wrestler with some very good mic skills. If you dislike him because he is a heel, that is one thing, but it just seems like you don't like him for any good reason.

just because he is great on the mic doesnt mean that i have to like his over rated ass