The Miz Defends 24-Time WWE Champion Against Backstage Bullying Accusations
The Miz says 24-time champion JBL is not a bully.
John Bradshaw Layfield has a long-standing reputation as one of the most notorious backstage bullies in WWE history. He is often linked to commentator Mauro Ranallo’s departure in 2017, as he was blamed for his exit.
The Miz recently appeared on the February 11, 2026, edition of the Six Feet Under podcast. During his conversation with The Undertaker and Michelle McCool, he revealed that JBL gets a lot of heat for being a backstage bully, but he is not. In fact, JBL was actually one of the few people who supported him during his early days in WWE.
“You know what’s weird? JBL gets a lot of flak for bullying or being an a**hole. He gets a lot of that. But it wasn’t really him. He was the person who took me aside and said, ‘Hey kid, you’re doing a good job. Keep doing this, this, and this. Keep it up.’”
“It was more the people around who weren’t in top spots. It was the ones who weren’t solidified trying to prove something, like, ‘Hey, watch me get this Real World kid. Watch me stiff him.’”
How The Undertaker Helped The Miz in WWE?
Speaking on the same podcast interview, The Miz also revealed a story of how The Undertaker helped him when he was a rookie. The A-lister revealed that Chris Benoit had banned him from the WWE locker room after he was caught eating a piece of chicken over a WWE veteran’s locker room bag.
After Benoit left WWE (he passed away), Miz was left stuck with the ban. Miz then went to The Undertaker to explain his situation, and The Undertaker was generous enough to step in and lift the ban, allowing Miz back into the locker room.
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