Wednesday, March 7, 2012

The Miz is... not as awesome

It's hard to be awesome all the time, we all eventually have our downfall. Sometimes you awkwardly stick your leg out at the Academy Awards, sometimes you lose a lot of wrestling matches, being awesome is a gift and a curse.

The Miz has already accomplished far more in WWE than anyone ever thought he would before the draft in 2009. When Miz & Morrison split up, it was because Morrison was going to become a singles star and Miz was going to be the guy that Big Show knocks out in one punch. Okay, bad example, but the fact is, no one expected this meteoric rise from The Miz and he did it by overcoming all the doubters. The doubts may be back, but this is just another bump in the road for the Awesome One.

Yes, he's on a losing streak, yes he got crushed by Big Show and no, he doesn't have a WrestleMania match, but let's just look back one year. This time last year, Sheamus got destroyed by a returning Triple H, got bumped off the WrestleMania card and only had two PPV appearances between Elimination Chamber and SummerSlam. Do you remember anything significant Sheamus did in that period last year besides almost murdering Sin Cara?

But a quick face turn later, Sheamus is one of the most beloved figures in the company, won the Royal Rumble and is poised to win the World Title at WrestleMania. He's not quite at that level of MEGA star, but that's the same problem Miz is facing right now, they're both in a place where they can be bumped down the card. In fact, that's pretty much a problem any main eventer they've created since 2006 is facing, they're not at that level.

What is that level? Remember last week when Punk told Jericho, "you've never really been the man, the way that I'm the man, have you?" It's kinda like that. Punk is arguably the first guy since Edge to get to that level and it happened three years after his first World Title reign. That's a problem for WWE, but it's because they still have their safety net.

I'm not faulting WWE, but every year at WrestleMania time, they find a way to not have to make someone a true blue, top tier guy. WM24 was a solidifying performance for Edge, he got to headline a WrestleMania in the real main event match and it could no longer be argued that he wasn't a top guy, even if he'd already been a multiple-time World Champ. Orton was a bust in that role the following year, but it's okay because he was mostly established and everyone remembers that show solely for HBK vs. The Undertaker. The next year, they knew not to take the risk and let those two guys headline. Last year, it could've been a star making performance for The Miz, but just to be safe, they threw The Rock in there too. And just like WM26, they know to play it safe this year and just let Cena and Rock headline, the title matches are secondary... hell, they're even behind Triple H vs. Taker.

Making new main eventers is easy, but it's incredibly difficult to get guys on that level. Whether it's Miz, Sheamus, Punk, Bryan, Del Rio, Ziggler, Swagger, Henry or anyone else that's captured their first World/WWE Title in the last four years, they've all hit (or will hit in Bryan's case) that rough patch because they're not on that level. It's not their fault, they can fill roles down the card because WWE can fall back on Cena, Orton, Undertaker, Triple H, Kane, Mysterio, Jericho, Big Show, and now even The Rock for main events, especially around WrestleMania. Until those guys cease to be viable options for big match situations, which is going to be soon for a many of them, the younger stars can't climb up to that level.

Bringing it back to The Miz, he's just the latest in a long line. I remember Sheamus was buried last year when Triple H Pedigreed him through the announce table and Kevin Dunn supposedly "didn't like his look." Punk was buried in 09 when he was demoted to IC Title range and teaming with Kofi Kingston. Bryan was buried on NXT, then done when he got fired, then buried when he never got to defend the US Title, then buried with the Bellas, you get the point.

Guys hit slumps, sometimes they bounce back (Sheamus, Punk), sometimes they don't (Kennedy, Morrison), but it's too early to make the call on The Miz either way. WWE obviously sees value in him, otherwise he wouldn't be one of the five people they allow to talk to the mainstream media on a regular basis. He has a presence that you can't learn in a ring or in any acting class, and that carries serious weight with WWE. I'm quite confident he'll bounce back after WrestleMania, but don't be surprised if he drops down again next year in favor of Stone Cold's triumphant return.

What? A guy can dream, can't he?


  1. This editorial is... AAAWWEEEESSOOOMMMEEEEE

  2. Completely agree with you. I became a big fan of The Miz (mostly thanks to you) during his Wrestlemania feud with Cena. He seemed to be the forgotten man even though he was the Most Awesome WWE Champion in Miz-tory. However, he did some entertaining things such as when he pretended to be The Rock. Recently, there've been rumours about him being wished well on his future endeavors. I don't get why because he is featured every week and not on Supestars. Plus he debuted a new shirt (which is awesome) this week.

  3. Personally, i've never liked the Miz. To me, it seems sometimes he forgets where he is in the ring and gets lazy. And his gimmick is too old... almost Cena old. Time to reinvent yourself Miz

  4. I still don't understand why the chose to close WrestleMania 27 with Miz/Cena instead of HHH/Undertaker. Miz's career has been all downhill since that. It was the worst WrestleMania main event since WrestleMania 11. Damn.

  5. I think this current run of losses is actually quite realistic. One of the problems I've always had with wrestling is over exposure. If Randy Orton, John Cena, or Triple H headlines every show, than I'm going to be bored of Randy Orton, John Cena, and Triple H. I think that is one of the reasons when a superstar returns from an injury there is always that surge of excitement at their return, and why can't the WWE artificially manufacture that excitement. Let the Miz continue his loosing streak, maybe even give the guy a couple month vacation. It will just make his return next summer even more . . . . Awesome.