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The Miz Comments on Winning WWE Championship, Not Wanting to Be a Transitional Champion, Dealing with Haters, More

The Miz shocked the WWE Universe at Sunday’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view when he became WWE Champion for the second time in his career. The Miz took advantage of the situation as the Money in the Bank contract holder because the former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre had just wrestled 30 minutes in an Elimination Chamber match. After the match was over, McIntyre was attacked by Bobby Lashley and that’s when Miz took advantage with the Skull Crushing Finale on McIntyre to win the WWE Title.

Last night on Raw, we found out that Miz made a deal with Lashley and his Hurt Business buddy MVP where Miz agreed to give Lashley a title shot if Lashley beat up McIntyre. The Miz was reluctant to do the WWE Title match last night, so we’ll get Miz vs. Lashley for the WWE Title next week on Raw. That means that The Miz’s WWE Title reign may only last eight days.

Here are some interview highlights from The Miz talking to CBS Sports about his second WWE Title win at the age of 40.

The Miz commented on how confident he is as WWE Champion compared to his first WWE title run ten years ago.

“I had confidence 10 years ago, but the knowledge I’ve learned through my failures — I always say my failures taught me more than all of my successes. Through all my failures and successes, I’ve been able to learn and absorb what I needed to get back to where I am today. Now, I am happy, confident, ready and well-prepared. I just want to make sure that everybody knows that every time Raw comes on the air, it is the most must-see show and that things are happening and there are times you won’t know what is happening, but you want to see what happens next. That’s what makes a great show awesome.”

The Miz spoke about the reaction he received after winning the WWE Title:

“When I won, it wasn’t all positive, I’ll tell you. It felt like 10 years ago when I won it the first time. I don’t deserve it. I suck. I’m the worst person ever. How can they do this? They’re ruining Monday Night Raw. I take that and I listen to it because if people are talking … which they were and it blew up the internet as the most talked about thing out of Elimination Chamber. Nobody now knows what the Road to WrestleMania now is. That’s the greatness of WWE. You never know what’s going to happen. People can now assume and think about it, but this is what I love about this company and this is the reason I’ve been able to do what I’ve been able to do for so long. It’s because I love my job.”

The Miz talked about how much he loved being in WWE and how he’s a lot more likable on his reality show:

“I love being a WWE superstar. I love the fan interaction that we have and the connection. Whether it’s positive or negative, it’s their prerogative to do whatever they want to do. I love it, and I love everything about it. That’s what gets me going and wakes me up in the morning. I love the business of WWE and being a sports entertainer. I love proving we’re not just ‘rasslers anymore — we are the greatest entertainers out there. I’m out there to prove that with any show I’m doing, whether it’s Raw or it’s Miz & Mrs., which comes back, by the way, with new episodes the day after WrestleMania (April 12, USA Network). It’s always incredible to see the reaction to that, too, because I’m supposedly a bad guy on Raw, but then you watch Miz & Mrs. and can’t help but like me.”

There were also comments from The Miz in an interview he did with Sports Illustrated as well.

The Miz made it clear that he didn’t want to be a transitional champion, which means a short term champion that loses it to somebody else in the near future:

“I do not plan on being a transitional champion. That idea only fuels my fire, and hearing it is nothing new. It makes me think back to when I cashed in the Money in the Bank contract and won the belt in 2010. People thought I would lose, but I didn’t. Instead, I won the WWE Championship. When I won, I heard I was only going to be a transitional champion, but I went on to main-event WrestleMania and I won, as a bad guy, in the main event, which never happens. Ten years later, I heard the same thing: I’d never win the title. So this is another opportunity for me to prove people wrong, which is what I plan on doing.”

That WWE Championship win by Miz was at WrestleMania 27 in 2011 was against John Cena and I thought the match sucked. Miz is right, though, he did win thanks to The Rock helping him.

The Miz spoke about Vince McMahon trusting him over a decade ago and he also noted that he has never stopped learning:

“Vince trusted me when no one else did. He trusted me to go up against John Cena at WrestleMania 27 and to be in that story with the Rock, who had just come back to WWE. I got lost in that story. They were made men by then, and I still needed to make myself. Working live shows with Cena and Randy Orton, that taught me what it takes to be a main-eventer. And I’ve never stopped listening or learning.”

“Over the last five years, I’ve found a new gear. I remember facing AJ Styles when he came to WWE, and his style was so different than anything I was used to. That’s when I knew I needed to elevate my work. And my wife deserves a lot of credit, too. Working with her, she gave me confidence that brought me to a new level.”

TJR Thoughts: Good stuff from The Miz in these interviews. I don’t really have an issue with him as a performer and I think he’s great at what he does. I just think WWE booked him poorly since he only won one singles match in the last 12 months and that was when he beat Otis to win the Money in the Bank contract. I think WWE could have booked him stronger going into Elimination Chamber, but obviously, the company felt like booking him as a cheap heel was the way to go.