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After losing the Intercontinental Title, how can The Miz stay relevant in the WWE as one of the best organic heels on the roster?
The Miz is one of the most organic heels on the entire WWE roster. He can work the crowd and garner heat at the snap of a finger. The self-proclaimed Hollywood A-lister has tremendously improved his ring game as well. Miz would produce stellar matches throughout the year 2016. However, 2017 didn’t start the way he would have wanted.
This past week on SmackDown Live, Miz lost his most prized possession; the Intercontinental Title to Dean Ambrose. Predictably, the Miz would very well request for a reversal of the original decision claiming the match should have ended when Maryse interfered. Or, he could just ask for a rematch.
However, one cannot expect another extended program over the IC Title from the Miz. This is especially after his bit too long program with Ziggler a month back. On the flip side, being one of the best heels, he would need some angle to remain relevant. There has been too much investment in his character to stop now. Fans want to see what becomes of the obnoxious heel at the end of the day. Moreover, after having his greatest year in the WWE, the Miz would need something even better to carry the momentum onto 2017. Here are four ways to make sense of the situation.
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4. Further the Program with Daniel Bryan
As I stated before, this would be one of the ways to proceed with the Miz at the moment. I even expect him to come out and vent out his frustration about Bryan next week. However, all this build up and intrigue could lead to nowhere unless Bryan is cleared to compete.
The problem with the current angle between Miz and Bryan is a very serious one. The more trouble Bryan causes for the Miz, the worse he comes off as general manager. Obviously, at the end of the day, Miz’s accusations about Bryan all seem to make sense. Bashing out on Daniel Bryan who can only talk and not fight does get the Miz a lot of heat. But we are approaching the saturation point of that angle.
Sooner than later, their back and forth verbal war would get stale. Unless Bryan is cleared for at least one final match against the Miz in the future, all this is futile. This is the sole reason this point is so far down on this list. Bryan and Miz have a lot of animosities. However, not having any level of physicality to redirect towards is hurting the momentum it has built.
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3. Make His Case for the WWE Title
The Miz did his best to elevate the prestige of the Intercontinental title beyond anybody’s wildest expectations. Perhaps now that his fifth reign with the title is over, it could well be time to bring him back to the true main event scene. Yes, the WWE title should be of high priority on his wish list.
To be frank, AJ Styles does not have a plethora of challengers awaiting him. After an entertaining program with Dean Ambrose, creative has had to go back to Cena once more. We still don’t know whether Styles would drop the title at the Rumble. However, regardless of its Cena or Styles, Miz could attempt to enter the fray and reach for the top of the mountain. That being said, had Cena not returned last week, Styles wouldn’t have had any other challengers.
Above everything, Miz has worked a long stretch in the mid-card scene. Especially after considering how much he has improved in the ring, one has to agree that he deserves a shot at the WWE title. He remains as one of the best talkers on SmackDown, which is another reason. However, considering his issues with Daniel Bryan, it is hard to think that Miz would get a direct shot at the title. But creative could still work their magic and have him line up for a shot. The Hollywood A-lister has what it takes to hold the WWE title.
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2. Move to Raw, Feud with Roman Reigns for the US Title
One of the best things Miz has done over the past year was to make the IC title seem like a big deal. It was not only the great IC title matches that rekindled the prestige of the title. It was also the way the Miz held the title. He would often treat the title as his world and the whole point of his existence. Following his footsteps, other stars like Ziggler made their wish to hold the IC title a bigger deal.
Perhaps, he could pass on some of that oozing charisma to another mid-card title that has been suffering endlessly. Roman Reigns’ US title reign has been sad, to say the least. Not only is the title a background artifact in his case, it is hardly ever mentioned. However, things weren’t great for the title even before. Rusev held the title only to bash the American. That was why he wanted the title. When the Miz held the IC title, he made us feel that the title was all that he could ever want.
With the upcoming Royal Rumble, the seeds for this feud could be planted easily. We have reported rumors of Reigns potentially being in the Rumble. If that be the case, creative could use the match as a catalyst to kick off this feud. Miz could even request Bryan and Shane McMahon to trade him to Raw. That would allow someone like Sami Zayn or Cesaro to come to SmackDown where they would instantly be a main eventer.
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1. Enter the Royal Rumble and Win it All
This would be the ultimate way to put over the Miz. After losing the IC title that meant the world to him, Miz would face Dean Ambrose in a rematch perhaps. But only to lose once more. The irate Hollywood A-lister could either stay on SmackDown and fight for a shot at the WWE title. Bryan would continue to play up his issues with Miz.
He could request a trade to Raw but even that would seem improbable considering Bryan has made it clear that he wants to make things miserable for the Miz. Hence, this would the ultimate way for Miz to get back at Bryan without physically assaulting him. Being the sneaky heel he is, Miz could use whatever tricks from his hat to hang until the very end. After winning the Rumble though, he could announce he wants a shot at the Universal title on Raw and not SmackDown’s WWE title.
That would be the biggest blow to Bryan and team blue who has made Miz’s stay there an uneasy affair. Not only does such a move make Miz look like a snarky opportunistic heel, it also gives leaves something in the way of the Miz-Bryan Saga, should Bryan ever get cleared to compete. The seemingly improbable nature of this happening is the biggest reason why this could happen when the dust settles after the Royal Rumble.
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