WWE: The Brilliance of The Miz's MITB Victory

There are few wrestlers on the WWE roster that have more potential of being superstars than The Miz. And I don’t mean “superstar” in the way WWE refers to all of its contracted talent. I’m talking about superstar in the capacity that the performer can draw crowds, viewers, bring in money, and elevate the company.

It wasn’t that long ago that The Miz changed the minds of many when he gave his passionate promo, starting in the back and walking to the ring. He ran down the WWE locker room, calling out JBL for disrespecting him, saying he never had a chance and that he should go home. He stood in the ring and delivered his catchphrase, leaving the crowd in awe.

They had just seen one of the best promos of the year, perhaps in recent history, and it came from the mouth of a former Real World star that just a few years ago drew X-Pac heat worse than Sean Waltman himself.

The Miz is an example of what we want out of our wrestlers. We want somebody that loves the business and is dedicated to making a name for oneself. He is by all accounts a tireless worker that has been willing to pay his dues, take pointers wherever they are offered, and improve each day he is on the road.

It wasn’t that long ago that I, just as many others, pegged John Morrison to be the breakout star of the Dirt Sheet duo. He was putting on great matches each week on Smackdown and his showdown with Evan Bourne from earlier this year still may be the TV Match of the Year, but glittery abs and twisting showy finishing maneuvers do not a champion make.

When I logged onto Bleacher Report to write my diatribe against Tommy Dreamer, I noticed a column decrying the idiocy of WWE Creative’s decision to put The Miz over in the Money in the Bank ladder match. I didn’t read the column, because I knew I would disagree with every word. I didn’t want to comment, because the character limit would surely cap out before I could deliver my point. So instead, I’m here, putting together a column that will hopefully be more coherent and well written than my berating of TNA and its ECW storyline. Whether it will draw the same readership, we’ll have to wait and see.

The MITB match from Raw was deep. The talent pool was rich and it seemed logical that one of the established names would pull down the briefcase, most likely Randy Orton.

He was on fire and the crowd has been dying to see him get another shot at the title. Instead, WWE played it as best as they could. Knowing that the MITB match was a place where it could put somebody over without doing any damage to the reputation of the more established stars, this was the spot to strap a rocket to The Miz’s back. When he pulled down the briefcase, it was a symbolic moment that will hopefully be pointed to as Miz’s big break.

The next night, Orton got his heat back. He earned a title shot by defeating Edge and Jericho. Edge and Jericho are indefinitely over with the crowd, so they could eat that loss and still move on, especially with the strong performances given by both involving the Nexus immediately after the match’s conclusion.

The MITB briefcase has become one of the best booking tools WWE has developed in the last decade. Much like the Hardcore Title did in the Attitude Era, it has given a tremendous prop to whatever performer holds it, and in the right hands, it can truly improve storytelling.

I’m expecting The Miz to give us the MITB reign we all hoped for out of Mr. Kennedy. Until he injured his shoulder and quickly hot-shotted the briefcase Edge, Kennedy was booked to receive a long run with the briefcase, which would include some defenses of said briefcase, some mid-card feuds, and finally culminate in a championship reign.

The briefcase would serve in this regard as a placeholder championship belt, one that would allow the wrestler to really develop his character, catch on with the fans, and prove his ability to carry a belt. Miz tried to do this with the US Title, but the longtime burial of the US Championship ruined that before he even got his hands on it.

The belt means nothing anymore, but MITB does. There is an inherent importance to the briefcase that the US Title doesn’t possess. Rather than being a prop, it’s a motive, it’s a way to the top, it has purpose.

In the coming months, R-Truth will likely challenge Miz for the briefcase. With a victory, the briefcase gains prestige and the Miz gains credibility. Perhaps there will be a storyline where Dibiase tries to buy it off The Miz, who turns it down because “the WWE title is worth more than any paycheck.” We could have a feud between former tag partner John Morrison and The Miz with the briefcase on the line.

All of these matches would not only improve Miz’s reputation, but also develop the importance of the briefcase and ultimately the WWE Title, because it will demonstrate the belt’s value, which some would say has suffered recently with that Sheamus fella trotting around with it in his hand.

Finally, at the end of this potentially glorious mid-card feud, we will have an established heel with a number of victories under his belt drawing significant heat as he cuts witty promos and spits catchphrases. The Miz can cash in the briefcase, whether it’s straight up or by nefarious means and legitimately win the championship.

Miz isn’t the best in-ring technician, but he’s good enough to tell a story. He has developed a finisher, a few other signature moves, and he has been reportedly safe to work with. As long as he keeps cutting strong promos, drawing in the crowd while on the mic, and improves in the ring, we may be seeing the development of WWE’s next megastar.

Discounting Sheamus, WWE hasn’t developed a true main event draw other than Jeff Hardy since Randy Orton kicked Vince McMahon in the head, leaving behind his sidekick role with Rated RKO and launching into a vicious run as The Viper.

As long as WWE doesn’t get cold feet with The Miz, as they did with CM Punk and Jack Swagger, this could be the transformation of one of the company's next headliners.