John Cena vs. The Miz WWE SmackDown Feud Thriving Thanks to Infusion of Reality

Midcard mixed tag team matches aren't supposed to be teeming with buzz, but John Cena and The Miz are changing the rules on WWE SmackDown Live.

Their rivalry, also involving Cena's girlfriend, Nikki Bella, and The Miz's wife, Maryse, is one of the blue brand's best stories going, a clash of skilled orators taking truth-tinged jabs. Cena and The Miz's trash talk is lined with nods to the audience, allusions to rumors and verbal shots that feel like low blows.

This blurring of the lines between reality and fiction has helped the stars deliver compelling TV ahead of their expected clash at WrestleMania 33.

It's hard to disagree with Vaughn Johnson of Philly.com's take on the rivalry thus far:

The enemies' issues with each other are in part typical wrestling fare, as The Miz is angry about Cena ousting him from the Elimination Chamber in February. The heel responded soon after by eliminating Cena from a No. 1 Contender's Battle Royal. That beginning has led to a more worked-shoot narrative.

Reality permeates the foundation of the bad blood that has followed.

The Miz welcomed Cena to Miz TV on the Feb. 28 SmackDown and proceeded to reference Cena's backstage pull, a constant source of rumors and speculation for fans. He mocked the 16-time world champ for his recent absences to shoot movies or TV shows as well.

"Now we can't see you, John," he told Cena while doing the powerhouse's signature gesture.

Cena fired back with a shot about his place on the upcoming pay-per-view card: "If I were really this black-arts manipulator, pulling all the strings this close to WrestleMania, you really think I'd be standing in a ring toe-to-toe, face-to-face with you?"

Undertaker is his preferred opponent, Cena explained, making reference to a long-rumored match.

Cena then delivered an insult that cut close to the bone when he reduced The Miz to "a dude named Mike who shortened his last name on The Real World and tried to bootleg The Rock's electricity."

These kinds of digs aren't new, but Cena and The Miz are executing them especially well. They allude to topics that are commonplace between fans online and choose touchy subjects. On top of that, the rivals are delivering it all so genuinely that it feels like they truly hate each other.

That was especially true on the March 7 edition of Talking Smack, when The Miz went after Cena with no punches pulled.

He made fun of Cena's early gimmick, comparing him to Vanilla Ice and Marky Mark. He touched on his personal life, as well, when he claimed Cena "stole his girlfriend from Dolph Ziggler."

Throw in a reference to the controversy over Cena using an image a lot like the Pabst Blue Ribbon logo, and fans had plenty to talk about afterward. 

Cageside Seats writer Sean Rueter called the promo "the latest example of Talking Smack nailing the 'reality' era in a way nothing's done before."

Talking Smack has made its name off interviews like this, designed to feel like a place where wrestlers venture off the script. And The Miz has been front and center on that show, issuing buzz-creating insults on a regular basis.

That is continuing with this rivalry, as The Miz seems particularly inspired as he goes up against a top-tier talent in Cena. 

At this stage, Cena vs. The Miz is exceeding expectations. The brewing mixed-tag bout feels big, significant, worthy of anticipation. 

Credit: WWE.com

WWE can thank the talent and star power involved for that, but it has succeeded largely because of its inclusion of the real world, the non-fiction simmering under a layer of fiction. 

The smart move would be to keep charging in this direction en route to WrestleMania. The company should step aside, hand The Miz and Cena live mics and let them fire away. The Superstars have plenty more water-cooler talk to generate.