Once again, The Miz stole the show last week after SmackDown Live. Although he dropped the Intercontinental Title to Dean Ambrose in Jacksonville (which is a bit of a head scratcher), he continues to win many over with his over-the-top persona that keeps getting better.
The segment on Talking Smack between him, Renee Young and Daniel Bryan proves just how good the “A-Lister” is – not only in the ring, but in promos and interviews. The Miz is essentially bringing the art of the sell back, much like Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair did in their prime.
WWE doesn’t have many performers who are absolute heels. In today’s wrestling, being a bad guy is “cool” and fans tend to like seeing babyfaces get the hell beaten out of them. Alberto Del Rio was a true heel. So was Mark Henry and his “Hall of Pain” character. Seth Rollins drew heat as the leader of the Authority, but fans still loved watching him in action. AJ Styles is solid in the ring and getting better on the mic, but because he is a beloved superstar worldwide, fans eat up his heel persona – especially when he is beating up John Cena.
See what I did there?
The business needs more characters like The Miz. I know it’s a bit of a broken record, having talked about this for some time, but the power couple that he and his real-life wife Maryse have become is exactly what WWE needs right now. The company tried to make Rusev and Lana that type of dynamic duo. Obviously, they did not think there was gold in that combination or the Bulgarian Brute would not be involved in an angle with Enzo and Cass where Lana plays the love kitten of Enzo’s desires.
You have to wonder as well, if WWE will include Young in more storylines concerning Ambrose since the storyline of their dating has become part of the Miz-Ambrose angle. I don’t see the Lunatic Fringe becoming affectionate on screen though, because if potentially losing some of his machismo and helter-skelter persona.
The greatest love story ever told in WWF/E history is the one of Savage and Miss Elizabeth. While Elizabeth was the perfect complement to Savage’s fragile mental state and his in-ring dominance, she also became a distraction where The Macho Man had to protect her outside the ring. Tully Blanchard and Baby Doll were another great pairing. While the blonde bombshell wasn’t a wrestler, she certainly interfered enough in matches involving Dusty Rhodes and Magnum TA and had a direct effect on the feud with the Four Horsemen.
Maryse offers something a bit different than those two examples. She is ring-savvy and has been a champion in her own right. Will she get in the ring at some point? Will that fracture the magic these two have created?
WWE should capitalize on The Miz’s heat and momentum. Losing the Intercontinental Title may not be a bad thing, as he should be a favorite to win the Royal Rumble. I had not thought of him as a contender, but now it makes sense. Losing the belt to Ambrose allows WWE to book him as a main event challenger. It may also mean he faces AJ Styles as the company looks to push the current WWE World Champion back toward a babyface role. How John Cena would fit in this kind of an angle is anyone’s guess. Fans would hate seeing another angle with the 15-time champion and Miz, but the promos would certainly be entertaining.
WWE should stick to the storyline. Let Miz run the show for a bit. His work has been stellar and a potential run at the World Title might be the best thing for the blue brand as well as the wrestler. It’s a risk worth taking.
Hopefully, it’s a risk that will pay off handsomely.
David Levin
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