My latest column for upgruv.com, a site full of trending news and entertainment, is all about The Miz and how he’s the Tom Brady of WWE. Here’s an excerpt:
The Miz is the Tom Brady of WWE.
Brady, the NFL’s record-setting and polarizing quarterback, is the best casual-fan comparison for what The Miz has become in pro wrestling’s greatest company. As it’s been with Brady in football, for The Miz it’s all based on depths and heights, detractors and distinguishing characteristics, a whiff of arrogance, a dose of penance and success at the highest level.
That’s right, The Miz is more like Brady than any WWE superstar.
It’s not a lack of appreciation for the worldwide grind by Daniel Bryan before making it to WWE and becoming a mega-star.
It’s not a lack of respect for The Rock, who helped take the business to a whole new level before expanding out and becoming Hollywood’s leading man.
It’s not a lack of recognition for the long hours and years John Cena has put in with WWE, marking him as someone to pay attention to with the phrase “Ruthless Aggression.”
Bryan circled the globe wrestling anywhere there was a wrestling ring. In doing that, he created his own hype. When signed with WWE, there was an underground buzz about him.
When The Miz signed with WWE, the buzz was laced more with a comical stigma of him being a reality-show regular. First, it was being best known for walking around a house on “The Real World” on MTV with a replica toy wrestling belt. Next it was him being on “WWE Tough Enough,” where he finished as a runner up.
The Rock didn’t immediately take off with the fans as Rocky Maivia, but he had the “Hey, look over here” being done for him. His debut in Madison Square Garden in 1996 had a spotlight on it as he was walking to the ring.
“Now there’s going to be the man right there, that blue chipper right there.”
– Jim Ross
Vince McMahon (then on commentary) responded that Maivia was the first-ever third-generation star. No such high praise was being given to Miz, who was placed in a “Dixie Dogfight” boxing match coming out of his “Tough Enough” reality show loss.
CLICK HERE to read more on The Miz’s rise and how he’s the guy you hate who has become really good.
