10 Reasons Why You Need To Respect The Miz

1. His 2016 Intercontinental Title Run

the miz
WWE.com

Though initially looking nothing more than a a giant middle finger to the audience from Vince McMahon, The Miz dethroning Zack Ryder twenty-four hours into his Intercontinental Title reign the night after Wrestlemania set the table for a year in which 'The Awesome One' would reach his creative zenith.

Pairing up with real-life wife Maryse and amassing a string of impressive wins, Miz was drafted to Smackdown Live, in a decision General Manager Daniel Bryan admitted was more for the title than the wrestler carrying it.

Infuriated, Miz appeared unannounced on sister broadcast 'Talking Smack' and ripped into Bryan with a frantic tirade that made waves for it's gritty realism and near-the-knuckle emotion.

Calling 'Bryan' a coward for not being able to wrestle anymore, Miz also pledged to show exactly why he deserved much more respect from the 'Yes Man'.

In-ring, Miz backed it all up, engaging in one of the hottest feuds of the year with Dolph Ziggler, peaking in an October title switch at 'No Mercy' that was one of the best WWE matches of 2017.

Elevating the belt and himself, his latest acutely balanced character appears a microcosm of every great trick The Miz has learned throughout his main roster journey, and may even propel him back to WWE Title contention in 2017.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett