The Miz 's journey from MTV reality show star to being one of WWE's stars was a long one, one that has made him an unpopular person in the WWE locker room when he first joined.
In an interview with Bleacher Report, The Miz said when he first joined WWE, he had heat backstage because he didn't take the traditional route to becoming a WWE wrestler.
"I wasn't liked," Miz said. "I think of WWE as a fraternity. You have the fans involved. You have the WWE Superstars involved. And you have me wanting to be a part of the fraternity and no one accepting me."
The Miz recounted his experiences being a part of MTV's The Real World: Back to New York, where he gained notoriety for his outlandish personality and portraying a wrestling character. The Miz said he felt like an outcast and the character of The Miz was a way for him to express himself.
"I'm 20 years old. I move to New York City, the biggest melting pot in the world," Miz said. "You go in there. You have these cameras on you. You have roommates you've never met before, people from all different walks of life. Right from the start, it felt like I was the outcast, the person that nobody was going to like. The Miz is a character I created. He's basically a wrestling star. And he's ready for the big leagues. The Miz came in as a way to say exactly what I was feeling and not have any repercussions for it because it was a character I was playing. That character became very popular, not only with fans but with castmates."
The Miz, a former WWE and Intercontinental Champion, has a chance to reclaim his Intercontinental Title at Extreme Rules on June 4th in a match against Dean Ambrose where the belt can change hands on a DQ.
