Mike Mizanin broke on to television screens as part of the Real World cast back in 2004. That wouldn’t be the end of Miz’s career in front of a camera, however. He would eventually make his way to WWE, taking part in the fourth season of Tough Enough. He didn’t win the competition, but he made an impression with WWE higher-ups, and he was offered a developmental deal.
Speaking recently to Brian Baumgartner on his Off The Beat with Brian Baumgartner podcast, The Miz opened up about how a non-wrestling role might have been the original plan for him. You can read highlights of his appearance below. He said,
“They brought me up to Connecticut to commentate. So Joey Styles brought me up with Todd Grisham and Michael Cole. They all brought me up and I had to do a take of commentating and they told me, ‘Hey, we’re thinking we might bring you in as a commentator or an interviewer.'”
Miz had to fight to get himself slotted in as in-ring performer, insisting that he would be bigger than The Rock and Hulk Hogan. Eventually, he was assigned to Deep South Wrestling in 2005. Miz would go on to become the promotion’s inaugural heavyweight champion. In 2006, he was promoted to Ohio Valley Wrestling, which was WWE’s developmental promotion at the time. Miz would go on to be the first host of the “Divas Search,” and from there, the first host of SmackDown. From there, Miz’s career as an in-ring talent would blossom, and he would go on to become WWE’s first and only two-time Grand Slam champion.
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