When the mixed tag team match pitting John Cena and Nikki Bella against The Miz and Maryse was initially pitched for WWE WrestleMania 33, many fans were up-in-arms about what a waste it would be of everyone involved, not to mention that it reeked of being a glorified main event for SmackDown Live.
However, over the last month, they have surprised viewers with how enjoyable their feud has turned out to be. In fact, one might argue that these four, and specifically Miz and Maryse, have been producing the best segments on SmackDown for the last month.
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The WrestleMania match itself likely won't light the world on fire, but the build has been exceptional thus far, and here are five ways the feud has been better than anyone expected it to be.
#5 Subtle planting of the seeds
At this time two months ago, no one could have envisioned John Cena and The Miz crossing paths at WrestleMania 33. Cena had just won his 16th WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble and The Miz was still reeling from his loss of the Intercontinental Championship, so what reason would they have to rekindle their rivalry?
Well, it quickly became clear the rumored mixed tag team match was indeed the plan for WrestleMania when Cena eliminated Miz from the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match in mid-February. On that same show, Nikki Bella bumped into Maryse during her match with Natalya.
As random of a match as it is, you have to give credit where it's due: WWE has done a decent job of filling in the gaps between the Royal Rumble and right now. It didn't come together at the last minute as many 'Mania matches do; the bad blood has been brewing for some time.
#4 Something new for John Cena and Nikki Bella
Of the dozen matches John Cena has had at WrestleMania, all of them have either been one-on-one or Triple Threat matches. Additionally, each of them (with the exception of two have been contested for championships. This is the first tag team match he will have in 12 WrestleMania appearances.
As cool as Cena vs. The Undertaker would have been, it is somewhat refreshing to have Cena in a match at 'Mania that isn't anywhere near being the main event. It's a midcard match at best, and as a result, it's a refreshing change of pace for him.
Meanwhile, Nikki Bella has really rejuvenated her career since returning to the ring last summer, but having her go after (and likely win) the SmackDown Women's Championship at WrestleMania would have been way too predictable.
She and Cena have been dating for close to five years, so it's great they're finally able to come together for a televised program in time for WrestleMania.
#3 Legitimately funny comedy
Okay, so this selection in particular is entirely subjective, but the comedy The Miz and Maryse have been bringing to the table in their feud with John Cena and Nikki Bella has been a nice break from what we usually expect from WWE.
By that I mean, you have to assume Miz and Maryse played some sort of factor in the creation of their segments from SmackDown Live this past week, and that their sketches weren't written for them. They portrayed Cena and Nikki to perfection in their parody of Total Bellas on Tuesday night.
Most fans could have done without seeing Nikki Bella lock in the STF on Tyler Breeze while he was dressed up as Nikki, but at least the laughs provided by Miz and Maryse made up for it. The feud hasn't entirely consisted of comedy, but the little humor they have included in ithe mix has been enjoyable.
#2 Compelling promos every week
The Miz has proven time and time again over the last eight months since arriving on SmackDown Live that he is easily among the most talented talkers in WWE today. Of course, he has brought his A-game to his latest feud with John Cena and has drawn fans in with his words every Tuesday night.
The first face-off Miz and Cena had shortly after the feud began where Miz explained why he targeted Cena to begin with was fantastic, so fantastic that it caused fans to worry that the feud peaked early. Thankfully, that hasn't been the case, as each of their encounters have been nothing short of captivating.
The AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon feud has had its moments as of late, but everything involving Miz, Cena, Maryse and Nikki Bella have been the best segments on SmackDown for the last month. They continue to find new ways to keep fans engaged each week.
#1 Sense of realism
A huge reason as to why so many of the promos The Miz, John Cena, Maryse and Nikki Bella have cut throughout their program have been so sensational is because the animosity the two couples have for each other feels real. After all, there has been plenty of history between them.
Cena and Miz obviously have their history at WrestleMania from 2011, but Miz seemed to strike a chord with Cena when he criticized how he won't marry his “true love” Nikki, the complete opposite of Miz and Maryse.
This side of Cena had never been acknowledged on-air before, Miz isn't wrong in his accusations against his archenemy.
Not only that, Maryse added fuel to the fire when she recently brought up how The Bella Twins apparently blocked her and others from returning to WWE back in 2013, something that had been rumored for years. She and Miz have brilliantly blurred the line between fact and fiction, making this program must-see in the process.
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