10 Shining Lights In WWE’s Darkest Hours
Hope Against Hope
God bless The Miz.
A survivor from the most barren talent development period in company history, Mike Mizanin's 'A-List' alter-ego has made a success of his life and career as a WWE Superstar in spite of countless hurdles that tripped nearly all of the colleagues he progressed alongside.
Loathed by a locker room that deemed him undeserving and hated by a fanbase that weren't asked to take him seriously, the metamorphosis from reality TV wannabe to vital main roster component has been rocky but rewarding. Along the way, Miz enhanced his in-ring repertoire in a manner that made sense for his sh*thouse gimmick, grew exponentially in confidence and charisma without forcing fans to swallow anymore of his sub-MTV nonsense and even worked through a horrendously handled babyface turn the organisation could do a substantially better job of second time around.
He'll likely never be the golden boy in WWE, but he is at long last the vital cog he knew he always had the potential to be. The company has always required performers like The Miz, with the ever-maniacal Vince McMahon even showing glimmers of consistency in how he treats those he knows he can rely on for quality in the ring if not always quantity at the box office. Often undervalued or overlooked, it's these performers that have McMahon's head - if not always his heart.
10. Samoa Joe (2018)
The best all-rounder on a show so often going nowhere, Samoa Joe has been the verbally dextrous guidepost of all things good since WWE's post-WrestleMania slump hit with such frightening force.
Robbed of a 'Show Of Shows' rival for the second year running thanks to poor timing, Joe's return the following night drew one of the loudest responses of the year so far even if his eventual Backlash clash with Roman Reigns ultimately sent fans scarpering for the exits early.
Far from being his fault, Joe could have been a victim of the protest had he not been so utterly fantastic in the month leading up to it. Seamlessly meshing the upcoming scrap with Roman's other conflict with Brock Lesnar AND his own move from red to blue in the Superstar Shake-up, Joe had the hardest job every week and never once stumbled under such promo pressure. He's remained in scintillating form ever since, and should (if he's not already) be in Vince McMahon's near-term plans for WWE Championship supremacy.