10 Great Wrestlers Who Totally Reinvented Themselves

When Matt Hardy jobbed to The Miz on SmackDown in '06, it was considered the ultimate burial.

Far from the polished, funny upper midcard star he is today, The Miz in '06 was a poorly handled undercard goof whose promos and matches were more botch-laden than an especially clumsy episode of AEW Dark. JBL and The Undertaker were among the many who despised The Miz's work backstage. On commentary, 'The Wrestling God' would go out of his way to utterly demolish Mike Mizanin.

The hatred stemmed from two issues. One was The Miz's generally low-quality work. The other was his reality TV background, which some believed had given him an easier path into the WWE. Where many would've quit in the face of constant hazing and getting banned from the locker room, The Miz persevered.

Pushing himself hard in the weights room, Mizanin gradually found his voice as a comedic heel and worked extensively on his ring craft. While he's never become Zack Sabre Jr., his storytelling and general in-ring safety make him an effective wrestler for the often cowardly, vainglorious character he portrays.

By '09, he was a hot prospect, cutting superlative promos and connecting with audiences as a bratty, colourful villain. In late 2010, JBL and The Undertaker were forced to eat their words when The Miz won the WWE Title.

While he's never been a consistent main eventer, he remains one of the biggest over-achievers in WWE history and a well-regarded act by peers and fans alike.