Examining The Miz's Direction, Upside and Long-Term Potential

The Miz is a man swinging a microphone in a battle where his foes are armed with steel chairs and thunderous kicks.

The former WWE champ staves off failure, fights off critics and hangs onto his job because of his greatest weapon—his mouth. After plateauing as a wrestler, Miz has reverted back to his reality-show self in a way, mining charm and confidence to keep himself on the air.

Miz has become WWE's Swiss army knife; he's recently served as a referee, commentator, host, presenter and spokesman.

He's proven people wrong in his journey from Real World cast member to WWE Superstar. Even if his career ended today, he would have achieved more than many predicted.

Now he faces a crossroads, stuck in the lower midcard, unable to climb back into the main event and often asked to put on a suit and talk rather than actually wrestle.

Miz is charming, handsome, athletic and a solid ring worker who is far better as a slimy heel than a face. The trouble is, he's so good at doing promotional work and making charity appearances that he's more valuable outside of the ring as a good guy.

His detractors may be ignoring his talents, but even Miz's most ardent supporters can't be confident about "The Awesome One” headlining another WrestleMania or climbing much higher than he stands right now.

Hard Work and Haters

Matt Hardy shared an opinion on Twitter that is shared by many.

As much as Kofi Kingston is best suited to be a good guy, Miz was destined to be bad. His current fan favorite persona is a suit that is too tight, and Miz seems to shift uncomfortably in it.

That criticism is welcomed compared to Miz's biggest haters. Dustin Rhodes (Goldust) apparently feels apathy for him.

Indy wrestler LuFisto tops that by showing off a spiteful shirt aimed at The Miz.

Those that praise Miz often point to the same trait—his diligence. Sean Waltman is among those who've grown to respect him.

Add Chavo Guerrero to that list.

The question becomes for Miz, how much is hard work worth? How much does it make up for a lack of elite physical ability, and how far can it take a Superstar?

The industry that Miz has shown seems to have taken him as far as it could. While not achieving as much as WWE's all-time greats, Miz can look back at his career highlights and best matches with pride.

A Soldier Not A General

The Miz can be a part of an entertaining match. His feuds with Randy Orton and John Cena showcased his ability to be someone's foil.

The difference between Miz and those men, though, is that they can be the centerpiece of a franchise and the foundation of a classic match.

A look at some of Miz's best in-ring work reveals a striking pattern.

• ECW, July 22, 2008: The Miz vs. John Morrison vs. Matt Hardy vs. Finlay
• Extreme Rules 2011: The Miz vs. John Cena vs. John Morrison
• TLC 2011: The Miz vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. CM Punk
• Hell in a Cell 2010: The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan vs. John Morrison

Miz's standout matches have come with multiple opponents. He has yet to have his one-on-one magnum opus, and that's partly because he's not the type of wrestler to command a wrestling ring.

He's a nice, athletic addition, but he hasn't proved to be the main attraction of a marquee match.

One can blame that partly on his inability to come off as dangerous. When Orton has his foes in his sights, he's a convincing threat, as are men like Sheamus, Mark Henry, CM Punk and Roman Reigns.

Ric Flair, in his prime, had that trait.

Even when he was outsized or outmatched physically, it felt like he could hurt his opponent with his wiliness, toughness and aggression. Maybe it's his good looks or maybe it's a lack of nastiness, but Miz doesn't have that same effect on the audience.

Miz's sloppiness also prevents him from being one of the top in-ring workers in the company.

Hitting a move like his corner clothesline shows off his physical ability, but he follows that up with a version of the figure-four that would have Buddy Rogers, Greg Valentine and Flair cringing.

He's certainly done that move better, but he hasn't been consistent with it. That statement holds true for his overall ring work.

In a world where "A+" ring workers surround him, Miz has to compensate for his non-elite ring skills with his personality.

The Ambassador

Of anyone on the WWE roster, Miz most looks like a movie star.

He has a beaming smile, is smooth on the microphone and full of energy. This is what makes him such a valuable commodity to WWE.

Even if he never wins another championship or takes part in a headlining feud again, Miz can continue to be the face of the WWE in another way. He can represent WWE on Jimmy Kimmel, host Be A Star rallies, do red-carpet events and be the star of a Comic-Con panel.

The above clip shows off Miz's magnetism and his comfort in front of a crowd, controlling everything around him with just his charm. It's this likeable side of him that has enticed WWE to keep him as a fan favorite and as ambassador for the company.

That talent translates to WWE programming as well.

In his promos, Miz is confident and compelling. He remains one of the best talkers in the company. After taking a stiff kick to the head courtesy of Kofi Kingston, Miz transformed that moment into a springboard for this powerful performance.

Is this enough to land him another pay-per-view main event or to take Orton's or Del Rio's spot? It more likely means that Miz's future lies in managing, commentating or his current public relations role.

As great of a story as Miz can tell before the bell rings, they are just too many who can tell better ones between the ropes to have him go much higher than he already is.

Ceiling

Before SummerSlam 2013, Miz hosted a segment where both John Cena and Daniel Bryan were his guests. He began as a key part of what was happening on screen but soon faded into the background as champion and challenger burned brightly in front of us.

That's symbolic for Miz's career.

These are the types of men ahead of him. These are the megastars outshining him.

His win over Cena at WrestleMania 27 will remain the highpoint of his career.

Newcomers and rising stars will take all the available marquee spots. Miz is going to struggle to outdo the likes of Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes or find room at the top once Sheamus and Cena return. His NXT mentee, Bryan, has already overtaken him, standing at the top of the card alongside Orton.

Miz's physical gifts and his microphone excellence will keep him around as long as he has the drive for the grind of a WWE schedule.

The upper midcard is his best hope in terms of position.

He may sneak into some multiple-man matches with a world title on the line, but he'll spend the majority of his time in midcard feuds like the one he is in now with Fandango or at his height in feuds like Rhodes and Damien Sandow just finished.

He'll be in future WrestleManias, just not the last man standing like he was in 2011.

Miz’s story is one of overcoming doubters and riding hard work and personality to unexpected territory. It’s a story, though, with the best chapters coming early in the book.