Is The Miz Losing Ground Due to Bad Booking by WWE?

The Miz is a WWE Superstar who seems to have all the tools necessary to be a success in the industry.  He can talk, he can work and he has charisma.  

He has had opportunities in front of the WWE audience that some of the other talent have not had and since his recent face turn, his career now has a second wind.  He appears to be poised to really do something in WWE.

So why am I not feeling it?

It’s not as if Miz has been standing still for the majority of his time in WWE.  The guy was WWE Champion after all, and did work the main event of WrestleMania 27 against John Cena, a match that he won.

Not too shabby, right?

But for me, something’s just not right with Miz.  And it starts with his status as a babyface.

Anytime a worker who has spent most of his time as a heel suddenly makes the turn, there is always a danger of him regressing.

He has some spark at the beginning, with the crowd fully behind him, but then after a few promos and a handful of matches, he actually begins to take a step backward.  

His words aren’t as sharp, his delivery not as crisp.  He has a tough time getting support during a match and when he’s not on TV there seems to be no real desire from fans to see him.

If this does not describe the Miz, I don’t know what does.

Perhaps it’s an unwillingness on the fans part to accept Miz as anything other than a heel.  Again, we have seen him in that role for so long now that to imagine him otherwise seems impossible.  

But, Miz is making the effort, and no matter what he does, he’s just not getting over.  Which means we’re either not willing to give him a chance, or it’s just not working.

Which answer do you think makes the most sense?

The frustrating part of this for me is the fact that I believe Miz is fully capable making an impact in whatever role he’s in.  The talent is there, the ability is there.  There is no question in my mind that he can rise to the occasion.  

But he has to have ample opportunity to do so.  Has he really been given that so far?

It all comes down to who bears the responsibility of his success.  Yes, it’s up to Miz to shine every time he’s given the spotlight.  When that camera is on him, he must truly be “must see TV,” so much that fans cannot get enough of him despite what he’s doing or why.

But when the booking is not right, or he’s not given what he needs to get over, then it’s out of his hands.

Before Survivor Series, Miz had made the face turn and rode into the pay-per-view on Team Foley in the traditional tag match.  He had a lot of attention, a good pop and was definitely the unknown in the match.  To be the lone survivor would have been a feather in his cap, a nudge in the right direction for his character.

However, that night belonged to Dolph Ziggler, another Superstar that WWE can’t seem to decide if he deserves the main event or not.  Dolph had earned the spot and needed the win.  There is no doubting that.

But for me, it seemed to take some of the steam out of the Miz’s sails.  He lost a little ground that thus far he has not yet recovered.  Perhaps the face turn was ill advised, a move that WWE could have saved for after the pay-per-view, when more time could be devoted to it.

On the Dec. 3 edition of Monday Night Raw, Miz was paired up with WWE Champion CM Punk in a segment involving the champ taking a lie detector test. 

Though Punk is such a natural on the microphone and is not easily matched by any other talent, I for one expected Miz to match him shot for shot.  He was a very good heel, and got there more often than not by relying on his ability to talk.

But he was overpowered in the spot.  He could not seem to keep up and though it was not a dismal failure, it was also not a smashing success.  By this point, Miz should be quicker on his feet, able to stand toe to toe with the best of them.  For me, it was a disappointing moment.

Now comes WWE TLC, the last pay-per-view event of the year for the company.  And where is Miz booked?

He’s not.  That’s not to say we won’t see him at some point, but as far as him competing in the ring, unless there is a last-minute addition, it’s not happening.

So how should WWE use the Miz?  What place should he inhabit on Raw?  Should Miz TV be used as much as possible on WWE programming, in an attempt to get him over, or can he handle that much air time in the first place?

WWE has a talented guy on their hands with the Miz.  There is no question about that.  The issue of whose responsibility it is to get him where he needs to be is not as clear, however.  

Perhaps there is a plan in place to get Miz back to that championship level.  Or perhaps WWE is just figuring it out as they go.

Maybe it’s just too soon to know.