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The Miz Speaks About the Ups and Downs of His WWE Career: "I'm Completely Indestructible"
The Miz has had one of the best careers of any WWE Superstar, but what are his own candid thoughts on things so far?
It's easy to hate The Miz. But it's impossible not to respect him.
As one of the most accomplished WWE Superstars of all time, Mike "The Miz" Mizanin could teach a master class in climbing the ranks of professional wrestling one match – and one interview segment – at a time. Even the most jaded wrestling fan must give credit where credit is due: The Miz had to scratch and claw for every opportunity, and nobody can deny that he's made the most of every opportunity he's captured. He's an incredibly well-rounded Superstar with in-ring skills that arguably can only be overshadowed by his skill with the microphone. In fact, The Miz possesses such world-class microphone skills that WWE frequently features his "greatest hits" in social media videos like this, an accolade usually reserved for the likes of The Rock and John Cena:
The Miz has shown no signs of slowing down in 2023, and to say he's well on his way to a future WWE Hall of Fame nod is an understatement.
How Does The Miz View Himself as a WWE Superstar in 2023?
During a recent appearance on Unbreakable with Jay Glazer, The Miz touched on various topics, from who he credits to stepping up his game in WWE to how he views himself in the hierarchy of current Superstars. Interestingly, when asked about his unimpressive in-ring win-loss record in the past year, The Miz blew off any notion that he is on the downside of his career. In his eyes, his win-loss record doesn't matter because he's ascended to a position where he is, well, completely indestructible.
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"I can lose every match in WWE and it will not matter because I am Teflon," he argued. "I'm indestructible in WWE. Now, that's my mindset. I'm completely indestructible. I will make you believe whatever I want you to believe, when I want you to believe it, and I'm good enough to have five-star matches each and every time – five-star segments each and every time. You can revolve an entire show around me or give me one minute, but you better believe you're going to have moments that the fans will have for the rest of their lives."
Throughout his career, what's been so impressive about The Miz is his constant shattering of expectations. When he debuted in WWE in 2006, the WWE Universe thought next to nothing about the reality TV star-turned-wrestler. Back then, The Miz was nothing more than a brash rookie with a decidedly mid-2000s haircut. But to Miz's credit, he worked his tail off inside the ring and outside of it, molding himself into the prototypical WWE Superstar that graces television screens nearly 20 years later. The Miz has captured the Intercontinental Championship an astonishing eight times and held the illustrious WWE Championship on two occasions. By all measures, The Miz shouldn't have been as successful as he has been – but he accomplished all he has through sheer force of will.
Who Does The Miz Credit For Pushing Him to New Heights in WWE?
Interestingly, The Miz credits a specific WWE Superstar for motivating him to become an even better all-around performer: AJ Styles, who debuted in 2016. By that time, Miz's first WWE Title reign (and shocking WrestleMania victory over John Cena) was five years removed – but nevertheless, Miz credits Styles for pushing him on a professional level, calling that period in 2016 a turning point:
"It wasn't until a guy named AJ Styles came in [when things changed]," The Miz confessed. "He was brand new to WWE – he was a huge star everywhere else. In WWE, it's just different. When he came in, we started having a program together, and it elevated him, and our job was to elevate him because he is now a huge star. He was back then – but in WWE, he was brand new. We elevated each other. Everyone in the back saw that, and everyone was like, 'We need to start stepping up on The Miz.'"
Dedication to his craft led The Miz to win the WWE Championship in 2021, nearly ten years after he did it the first time. The Miz is quick to point out that his love of professional wrestling has catapulted him into his current position – as gatekeeper of sorts on Monday Night Raw.
He wouldn't have it any other way.
How Did The Miz Struggle With Confidence Early in His Career?
"That's where I'm at today," he acknowledged. "Was I there when I got done with the WWE Championship in 2011? Hell no. It took a long time to develop that confidence and get that confidence back. When I was on the rise, and I had the title, I was, 'I'm the man, I'm great.' Once you start going downhill, it's that slippery slope. I had that glass break. It took a long time to find all the pieces and get it back together and make it now a nice shiny glass and you see right through and there are no scratches. Those scratches were all learning moments."
In 2023, The Miz barely resembled the cocky reality TV star that burst onto the scene nearly 20 years ago. He's arguably the MVP of WWE, as he's shown there is nothing he can't do in the ring – or outside of it. His struggles to climb to the top of WWE will always stay with him – as reminders to never become complacent.
"I want to keep those scars and little pieces because they taught me what I need to do and how I need to be and how I need to conduct myself in order to be where I am today – which is a proud father, a proud husband, and doing what I love in my job and even outside, doing what I love," The Miz stated. "I feel I'm very happy, in a great spot, and I'm enjoying life."
For years, The Miz has constantly reminded the world that he is awesome.
Today, it feels like he no longer has to remind us.
You can tune in to Peacock to watch WWE's Fastlane on October 7. In the meantime, catch up on all things WWE Universe on Peacock.
