The Main Event Hangover #1
Column by: Clinton Bowman of Wrestleview.com
Issue 1: Mike Mizanin…BABY-FACE?!
I would like to open up with a question.
Who thought that The Miz would fit in so effectively in a baby-face role?
That was a question that I was truly left with at the end of WWE’s Main Event this past Wednesday.
Hello! Welcome to the inaugural edition of the “Main Event Hangover.” I am your esteemed guide through the madness, Clinton Bowman. Before I get into the meat and potatoes of this column, I must beg your indulgence for the moment.
Did you find yourself asking the same question that I had asked myself after everything that went down on Wednesday night? If you did, then I can safely say that you are quite justified in making that quandary. After seeing the Miz as a heel for the better part of his career, it’s quite the refreshing change of pace for his character, as I have personally felt that he has done everything that he could have done as a bad guy.
Let’s not forget what the Miz has accomplished as a bad guy in the WWE. A 1x WWE Champion, 3x tag team champion, 2x WWE United States Champion, 1x WWE Intercontinental Champion (where he became the 25th Triple Crown Champion,) and Mr. Money In The Bank in 2010, along with being in the Main Event of Wrestlemania with John Cena. Throughout this time, he has never failed to disappoint, as he has been quite entertaining. Not forgetting all of that, we must get into the main topic of this column: Why was the Miz/Ziggler match up SO GOOD?
Some people may attribute that to “Ziggler and Miz being able to go out there and WRASTLE~.” But that’s not the reason why, no matter how you look at it. These guys told a story. They went out there, and they made you feel as if they both had everything to gain and nothing to lose. It was simply a battle of pride, and Ziggler eventually snaked his way out as the winner. Everything from the Pre-Survivor Series build up, and even the Survivor Series match itself, and even up to last Wednesday night, it was a tug-of-war battle between both men.
Let’s take a look at the opening promo of WWE Main Event. From the jump, you could see the sheer animosity between the both of them, the bitterness of failure, and the resolve of champions.
A thing you need to keep in mind, however, both of these men’s legacies lie on two men’s shoulders: John Cena and Randy Orton.
Now, why am I bringing up John Cena and Randy Orton? You listen to the opening promo and tell me why I shouldn’t bring up Cena and Orton. These are two men, who at the peak of their biggest runs (one of which is actually currently active,) John Cena and Randy Orton were in the central focus of their campaigns.
All of that aside, The Miz and Dolph Ziggler’s opening promo set up the rest of the night, with Dolph doing everything he could to, as he put it, “shut Miz the hell up,” and Miz trying to prove his affirmations about Ziggler being a monumental choke artist, akin to the New York Mets. And it completely looked as such with the Miz taking full control in the opening few minutes of this match. But is it the Miz’s arrogance that costs him not only control of the match, but the match itself? I’d like to think so, but that’s left to your interpretation of this match.
But back to the initial question. How is it that the Miz fits effectively in that baby-face role? There are many theories, but I can only provide my own hypothesis.
Simply put, the Miz’s heel shtick is translatable. And it’s all in the presentation of the promo. It’s very easy to make confidence look like arrogance, however, when juxtaposed with the right people, that arrogance can be portrayed as confidence. A good example is the Miz’s recent program with Kofi Kingston, where the Miz’s arrogance cost him the Intercontinental Championship.
Imagine if the roles had been reversed, simply for argument’s sake. Would that same “arrogance” have been perceived as confidence, and would the Miz still have the Intercontinental Championship? I have no answer to that, it’s just something to ponder while still looking at this question.
Is juxtaposing Miz with Dolph Ziggler a good idea? I believe so. Could you do it with anyone else? Theoretically, yes. The main reason that I leave that as a theoretical yes, is only because we haven’t seen it done yet. We can only rely on what we have seen, as opposed to full on fantasy booking. Ziggler is arrogant, but he’s also been on a losing streak as of late. His fortunes have changed over the last few weeks, and unfortunately for the WWE Universe, that means Ziggler wreaking havoc all over the WWE, if left to his own devices.
This week, the Miz was unsuccessful on two fronts to derail Ziggler’s “confidence.” That in itself says that things are NOT over. The question is, how long do we have to wait to see a completion to this, and when we do get this, will it be worth it? That’s a question best left answered when all things are said and done.
Bowman’s Bulletpoints
– John Cena vs. Damien Sandow is scheduled for next week!
Let’s see…John Cena’s in a program with Dolph Ziggler. Damien’s trying to go after John. Who’s going to be next?
In all honesty, going after John Cena during his 10th year run is the hot new thing right now, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Even in a loss to the Cenation Commander-In-Chief, Damien Sandow can come out smelling like roses, if he can do enough psychological damage, or even chip damage (fighting game reference,) to his knee before Cena makes it to Flatbush Avenue in Park Slope (the neighborhood in Brooklyn where the Barclays Center resides.) I fully expect this match to be competitive, and to show off how well Damien Sandow works with John Cena in the ring. Will the chemistry be there?
– John Cena vs. Dolph Ziggler, 1-all.
Dolph got the best of Cena on Monday night, but after Ziggler’s victory against ‘The Apex Predator’ Randy Orton, Cena locked Ziggler in the STF on the ramp to close out Friday Night SmackDown. What will we see on Monday? Most importantly, will this extend to Main Event? Is it possible that Ziggler will pad on to his advantage going into Park Slope for TLC, or will the Cenation leader take out both Sandow and Ziggler, making sure things stay in his favor?
– How will the Miz respond?
The better question is…will the Miz respond? It’s easy to gauge for most people, but for me, it’s impossibly hard. Is it in his best interest to team up with John Cena, in order to get his hands on Ziggler? What about just doing it on his own? Only time will tell.
That’s it for the first edition of the Main Event Hangover! Have a question? Want me to discuss something in a future column? Please feel free to contact me at:
clintonbowman@outlook.com!!
Also, feel free to add me on Xbox Live (Young Navigator). Games of choice?
-FIFA Soccer 13
-Final Fight Double Impact
-Forza Horizon
-NCAA Football 13
-Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition v. 2012
-WWE ’13
Feel free to hit me up, and we can play games and talk wrestling. Also, don’t forget to check out my weekly recap of WWE’s Main Event, every Wednesday Night/Thursday Early Morning.