A Case for the Miz to Win WWE Money in the Bank 2016

All of the people in the comments section have penciled in Kevin Owens to win WWE Money in the Bank.

And why not? Owens is a top-flight heel with strong momentum whom the WWE has mostly protected since his debut. Already a two-time Intercontinental champion, the next logical move for WWE's rookie-veteran is to grow as a performer by carrying around the elusive briefcase.

But the WWE has always been unpredictable in its selection of Money in the Bank winners. CM Punk in 2009, Jack Swagger in 2010, Damien Sandow and Randy Orton in 2013 and Sheamus in 2015 are all examples of past surprises who were not overwhelming favorites to win Money in the Bank.

Both Orton's and Sandow's wins in 2013 were considered the biggest surprises of the night by Nathan Kyght of ProWrestlingTorch.

With one spot still available on WWE.com as of this writing, The Miz can serve as a dark horse to leave Money in the Bank as a winner.  

The Miz already lost a Money in the Bank qualifying match to Cesaro on a recent episode of Raw. But as one of the few pure heels in the promotion, backing his way into a second opportunity would fit his slimy character. As a delusional and entitled Hollywood star, who better to demand another opportunity to become a two-time Money in the Bank winner?

WWE has been quite silent as to how it intends to fill the final spot. A Battle Royal featuring second-chance hopefuls remains a likely possibility. This method has been used in the past, most recently in 2014 for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Ladder Match that main evented that year's Money in the Bank pay-per-view.  

Miz has been known to use underhanded tactics in Battle Royals, which is how he won the Intercontinental Championship at WWE Battleground 2014.

Now with Maryse by his side, the Miz has a new lease on life. The only thing that makes Miz more unlikeable as a heel is an unattainably beautiful wife who helps him cheat to win. Adding a Money in the Bank briefcase to that equation would make Miz unstoppable as a villain.  

The Miz is once again on assignment as he films Marine 5. A Money in the Bank win would be good press for the forthcoming WWE film as Miz would receive much more television time to promote it, albeit as a heel.

The Miz's ship may have sailed in terms of being a perennial WWE World Heavyweight Championship contender, but as the brand split looms, so does the possibility of a new world championship. With the briefcase in tow, the Miz could set his sights on a potential secondary world championship that will allow him to rise to the top of the SmackDown roster.

While I am not on board with WWE bringing back a second world championship, having a pure heel like Miz would create intriguing chasing scenarios for a would-be roster of Old and New Era stars such as Sami Zayn, Cesaro and even John Cena.  

The Miz adds a fresh layer of legitimate heat to the Money in the Bank equation. And if this match is simply going to be a rehash of the critically acclaimed Fatal 4-Way at Extreme Rules, then why not add the man who won that match?

Alfred Konuwa is a featured columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report and Forbes. Like him on Facebook.