There's a great argument to be made that 99% of the reason why The Miz became WWE Champion and was a WrestleMania headliner was due to the fact that he was a breakout reality TV superstar with MTV exposure. Mix that with him catching on as an in-ring performer at the right time with the WWE Universe, and you get Vince McMahon being able to justify his main event presence. WWE's always been a company that's enjoyed being able to use a performer's existing mainstream exposure to bolster their brand. Did Vince McMahon somehow believe that The Miz could possibly be similar to a "fresh from appearing as Thunderlips in Rocky" Hulk Hogan in 1983? That's entirely possible.
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.