The Superstar Shake-Up sent The Miz to SmackDown Live without Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas, but he brought something far more important: a plan.
The 8-time Intercontinental Champion made it no secret that he wanted to elevate that title to its former glory. You’d be hard pressed to argue that he did anything but exactly that. He now plans to do the same for the WWE Championship. Despite being held by one of the top wrestlers in the world, the sport’s richest prize rarely headlines WWE pay-per-view events. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, The Miz declared,
“My goal is to make the WWE championship as relevant and prestigious as it should be.”
He was quick to clarify that he believes AJ Styles is doing a “terrific job” as WWE Champion. However, the WWE Championship match did not headline WrestleMania, Greatest Royal Rumble or Backlash. That fact bothers a lot of people – Miz included.
“That WWE championship should be in the main event of every single WWE pay per view,” said Miz. “It upsets me when I see that it is not.”
This past week on SmackDown Live, The Miz defeated United States Champion Jeff Hardy in a Money in the Bank qualifying match. He, along with Braun Strowman, Finn Balor, Rusev and 4 more opponents TBA, will battle at Money in the Bank (6/17) to earn the coveted MITB contract. The Miz sees this match as the perfect opportunity to advance his goal.
“My goal is to not only win the Money in the Bank contract, cash it in and become WWE champion,” he said. “I want to put that title back where it belongs: the main event.”
These comments from The Miz preview a full-feature article that’s set to publish at SI.com this Friday.
Do you think the perception of the WWE Championship is damaged by it now headlining pay-per-view events?
