10 Terrible Wrestling Debuts (That Led To Awesome Careers)
9. The Miz
The Debut:
WWE initially imagined Miz as a whacky prankster - and you know it smelled like sh*t, godd*mn. He hucked water balloons off Titan Towers, "cooked with the cooks" and scared people in their cubicles. It was like the live action adaptation of the Poochie episode. You've heard the expression "Let's get busy?" Well, this is a WWE Superstar who gets biz-ay. Consistently and thoroughly. Miz was a guy who infuriated everybody in that office with his unwanted, forced charisma, and helpfully, this was true of crowds, too, as a result of his infamous temple-presser of a 'HOO-RA!' catchphrase. He was basically Ryan Lochte, only not a good athlete.
Jeah!
The Career:
Over time, Miz learned how to channel that detestable show-off persona into one congruous with professional wrestling as a breakthrough midcard heel. Refining his 24/7 over-the-top schtick into an immaculate set of catchphrases, Miz developed in the ring, too, in a manner not too dissimilar to John Cena: he mastered not technique but match layouts and intangibles to connect with crowds. His lack of elegance and precision helped him, if anything. Accidentally, perhaps, he was never too good to get cheered - but he was good enough to earn profound respect among fans and peers.