10 Things We Learned From The Post-WrestleMania Smackdown Live!
9. Victory In Defeat
WrestleMania 33 was a huge night for The Miz.
It mattered not that he ate the easy pin in a pedestrian match that served as a backdrop to a marriage proposal. If anything, his position as an extra probably only helped.
After several years fine-tuning a gimmick that looked like it peaked too soon, he was showered with love from a WrestleMania crowd that simply refused to boo him over their perennial whipping boy John Cena.
It was more than just a response to his opponent though, with the message of respect loud and clear. Miz has worked tirelessly throughout his WWE run, and as evidenced in things such as the 'Hate Me Now' video package aired before his WrestleMania 27 Cena conflict, is arguably one of the best real life good guys the company has on the roster.
A workhorse and a professional, he's elevated his in-ring work exponentially in the past two years, and he admitted himself how the addition of real-life wife Maryse to his act has grossly inflated his already-high confidence.
Shortly before a debut of a brand new superstar ended his spiel (more on that later), the 'A list' pair took Cena and Nikki to task one final time, fronting their hilarious imitations to a live crowd for the very first time.
It was a fitting end to hugely gratifying weekend for Miz in particular, and it's hard to argue against his prompt return to the main event.