For the past decade-plus, The Miz has consistently been one of best all-around heels WWE has had in some time. Oftentimes, he doesn't receive the credit he deserves from fans for being as skilled of a performer as he is.
Of course, the Miz we see now every Tuesday night on SmackDown Live is far from the same person we watched on Tough Enough back in 2004 and in the early days of his WWE tenure. He has since captured every active championship in the company, but he had his handful of ruthless rivals along the way.
Miz may not be remembered for being an exceptional wrestler like AJ Styles and CM Punk, but he has more than held his own against an array of opponents. Although his recent rivalry with Dean Ambrose has been one to watch, it pales in comparison to these five fantastic feuds Miz has had over the course of his career.
#5 Cesaro
Before they battled over the Intercontinental Championship, The Miz and Cesaro first fought for the United States Championship at the onset of 2013. At that time, however, Cesaro was the heel and Miz was in chase mode as the babyface.
Their initial clash on the Royal Rumble Kickoff show was quite enjoyable, and although their match the following month at Elimination Chamber was less-than-stellar, they finished off their feud in a fun 2-out-of-3 Falls match on an episode of SmackDown in early March.
Three years later, they rekindled their rivalry when Cesaro was in hot pursuit of Miz's Intercontinental Championship. Their various matches on Raw, SmackDown, and at Payback were all entertaining, though Miz reigned supreme with his title intact on every occasion.
#4 Kofi Kingston
The Miz and Kofi Kingston have practically been at odds almost since Kingston initially arrived on WWE's ECW brand in 2008, but it wasn't until Miz set his sights on Kingston's United States Championship the following year, that their rivalry really heated up.
After failing to beat Kingston for the belt at Breaking Point and Hell in a Cell, he finally captured the star-spangled prize following an excellent match on Raw that October. They then met for the Intercontinental Championship in late 2012, once again contesting a stellar series of matches.
On the third ever episode of WWE Main Event, Kingston returned the favour from three years earlier by knocking off Miz to become Intercontinental Champion. Miz turned face shortly thereafter, only to turn on Kingston a little over a year later and jumpstart their long-time feud yet again.
#3 John Morrison
It was evident from The Miz's early days on The Real World and Tough Enough that he had the tools necessary to be a big star for WWE down the line, but he largely floundered on his own until he joined forces with John Morrison in 2007.
In fact, it didn't take them long at all to win the WWE Tag Team Championship and embark on a lengthy reign with the twin titles.
However, all good things must come to an end, and nearly two years later, the best friends turned bitter enemies when Miz severed ties with Morrison at the 2009 WWE draft. From there, an unforgettable feud ensued between the two when they met at several events such as Bragging Rights, Survivor Series, and WrestleMania 26.
After spending some time away from each other, they returned to their roots as rivals in the first WWE match of 2011: a Falls Count Anywhere encounter for the WWE Championship, which was won by Miz.
It was an awesome way to kick off the year, and interestingly enough, Morrison's WWE stint later came to an end at the hands of his former friend in a storyline that November.
#2 Dolph Ziggler
After spending so many years on the same side of the ring, The Miz and Dolph Ziggler finally went one-on-one on an episode of WWE Main Event in November 2012. Once that encounter exceeded all expectations, it was apparent they would become amazing enemies down the line.
Their first full-fledged feud came in the summer of 2014 when they went to war over the Intercontinental Championship. Although the title was traded back and forth between the two several times, each of their matches were nothing short of spectacular.
Fans weren't all that enthralled when they rekindled their rivalry in the fall of 2016, but it wound up being one of the best feuds all year. They told a tremendous story with Ziggler putting everything on the line at No Mercy in a classic contest, but in the end, it was Miz who was in possession of the prestigious prize.
You know a rivalry is a success when it brings back meaning to a title that lacked importance for almost a decade.
#1 Daniel Bryan
The internet was outraged by the decision to put The Miz with Daniel Bryan as his “pro” on the inaugural season of NXT, but little did fans know at the time that their pairing would lead to the greatest rivalry either of them had in their respective WWE careers.
Miz did his protege no favours throughout Season 1, so much so that Bryan was the first one eliminated from the competition. Instead of that serving as the culmination of their story, Bryan returned to exact revenge on Miz in the summer of 2010 and eventually beat him in a superb match for the United States Championship at Night of Champions.
Those matches alone would have made this a memorable feud for both men, but they remain rivals to this day with Miz constantly a thorn in the side of the current SmackDown Live general manager. They had chemistry the instant they crossed paths on NXT, and even seven years later, they are always involved in the best segments on SmackDown.
Bryan undoubtedly brings the best out of Miz, and without him, who knows if Miz would have amounted to the success that he has in WWE.
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