Ric Flair says current WWE Superstar struggled to gain acceptance in the locker room
Ric Flair recently recalled how The Miz initially had to overcome critics in the locker room when he joined WWE.
The Miz appeared on several reality television shows in the early 2000s, including MTV’s The Real World. Although he showed potential on WWE’s own reality series, Tough Enough, many superstars questioned whether he was serious about becoming a wrestler.
Flair still performed as an in-ring competitor when The Miz signed his first contract with WWE in 2005. Speaking on his Wooooo Nation Uncensored podcast, the 16-time world champion confirmed that many people disliked the rookie superstar:
“Yes [he struggled to gain acceptance], that’s exactly what it was. He wasn’t some super athlete with a super athletic background. He’s just a guy that wanted to be a wrestler, but he pulled it off. I’m telling you, when you work through the hand of your script, he will rehearse it from 2 o’clock in the afternoon until he goes on air,” said Flair.
The Miz won his first WWE Championship in 2010 and headlined WrestleMania 27 in 2011. The 41-year-old has been tipped by many people to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame one day.
Ric Flair prefers The Miz as a bad guy
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The Miz has worked as both a babyface and a heel during his 17 years in WWE. He currently performs as a bad guy alongside his wife Maryse on RAW.
Ric Flair believes the two-time WWE Champion is more suited to portraying a heel, even though he is a nice person in real life:
“He’s just a much better heel. I think it’s more acting because he’s not an arrogant guy in real life. I think it’s more that he’s learned to pull that character off. He’s not in any way, shape or form a pr**k, which to be a good heel you have to have some pr**k in you. I’m proud of him and, once again, I can’t say enough good about him.”
The Miz and Maryse will join forces to face another WWE married couple, Edge and Beth Phoenix, at the 2022 Royal Rumble on January 29.
Please credit Wooooo Nation Uncensored and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.