The Miz Must Be in Universal Championship Picture After Moving to WWE Raw

The Miz must remain in line for the throne after changing kingdoms.

If WWE tells The Miz's story in 2017 without him being in the hunt for the Universal Championship, it will be doing it wrong. The newest member of the WWE Raw roster is one of the company's top heel performers—a man who delivers headliner-level work on the mic and has noticeably stepped up his game in the ring.

Raw will be a more engaging show with The Miz near the top of the card, scheming and cheating his way to contender status.

The Miz spent the last eight months serving as one of SmackDown's cornerstones. While reigning as intercontinental champion, he thrived as a narcissistic, delusional jerk. He generated major buzz for Talking Smack and restored some of the IC title's prestige.

On Monday's Raw, he found himself in a new environment thanks to the Superstar Shake-up. The Miz, with Maryse at his side, showed up to the red brand where they mocked John Cena and battled with Sami Zayn.

Before the move, it seemed The Miz was poised to move into the WWE Championship picture.

He had just come off feuding with Cena. He had already conquered the IC title level. And night in and night out, he looked like a marquee star.

It's not as clear where he's headed now that he's on Raw, though. He's part of a whole new food chain. The folks at the New Age Insiders podcast pointed out the uncertainty surrounding The Miz's position in his new home:

The Miz crossed paths with fellow fresh addition to the red brand and current IC champ Dean Ambrose on his first night on Raw. The Lunatic Fringe interrupted The Miz and laid him out with Dirty Deeds.

If that's an indication of those two feuding once again, WWE is making a mistake.

The self-proclaimed A-lister has proved he's deserving of occupying a higher tier. He's already won the IC title six times, too.

When he traded verbal jabs with Cena ahead of WrestleMania 33, The Miz was a revelation. 

Those promos would help build a high-profile match for any pay-per-view. These were collisions of two titans of charisma. It didn't matter that their mixed tag match was low on the list of priorities for WrestleMania; the stars made it feel like one of the event's biggest bouts.

This was nothing new for The Miz.

He and Dolph Ziggler had a hell of a feud last fall, one that included a thriller at the No Mercy PPV. The bout was one of many The Miz flourished in, as he had the best stretch of his career from an in-ring perspective.

The Miz was consistently the star of Talking Smack, erupting in reality-tinged tirades that often went viral.

Plus, he's been killing it in terms of his persona. Few have embodied and mastered their roles like him. He exudes sleaze, is a convincing villain and an artful orator.

Kris Zellner of the Between the Sheets podcast believes The Miz's character work is second to none:

After spending 2016 and the early part of 2017 proving he's one of WWE's premier talents, it's time for The Miz to start reaping the rewards of what's he done. It's time for him to be a keystone of the red brand.

The Miz tangling with Finn Balor over the right to move up the ladder has major potential. A Reigns-Miz feud could be red-hot with the egotist tearing into The Big Dog's very being with low-blow insults. 

Size difference be damned, The Miz vs. Brock Lesnar is an intriguing option, too. He could outsmart and outmaneuver The Beast Incarnate much like Ric Flair did with Vader in 1993.

Messing around in the midcard makes little sense for The Miz. He's a top-tier talent who needs to be in line for top-line opportunities. 

Let some wrestler still searching for momentum go after the IC strap. The Miz is a better fit for the marquee, the Universal Championship and the upper echelon on the Raw brand. He is a king awaiting his coronation, and WWE has to recognize that.