6 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE Raw (6 Nov - Results & Review)
3. ‘Let’s Go Miz!’
Far be it for one fan/critic to call out other fans, but are people really chanting for Miz as a babyface in 2023?
The near-parody act who comes out and reads his Wikipedia page of accomplishments every week – to the point where Adam Pearce mocked that fact recently – is suddenly “serious” and wants to be treated as a legit threat to the Intercontinental Championship. In 2023.
Miz won the fatal four-way (more on that later) to become number one contender to Gunther’s title, pinning Bronson Reed after he missed a Tsunami. Yes, Miz pinned a guy who has been booked as a monster heel after Reed simply missed a top-rope splash. But he hit a springboard crossbody and a satellite DDT, so he clearly is a babyface worth cheering.
Longtime fans have seen this before: Miz busts out a small arsenal of higher-risk moves that surprise fans because of his generic and repetitive offense, and crowds react like he’s suddenly moved into a workrate zone. The sheen wears off after a bit and he’s back to diminishing reactions until he turns heel again and reads his list of accomplishments weekly.
Miz as a midcard title challenger-of-the-month isn’t a bad idea. But he shouldn’t be anything more than a speedbump, not someone built up as the guy, no matter what his CV says.