Black Widow
06-08-2009, 06:16 PM
Fans of professional wrestling have a lot of be excited about tonight: WWE's Monday Night Raw touches down at the Cajundome, bringing it with it some of the biggest names in professional wrestling.
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Among them is a name that's familiar to fans of another TV genre - reality TV.
The name? The Miz.
Mike "The Miz" Mizanin, that is.
The Miz was first introduced to TV audiences as one of the seven housemates on The Real World: Back to New York, the tenth season of MTV's popular reality show. Since that initial appearance on The Real World, The Miz made his rounds on the reality TV circuit, including four seasons of the Real World/Road Rules Challenge, Bravo's Battle of the Network Reality Stars and recently as a competitor on a special edition of Fear Factor.
And now, he's living the dream of being a professional wrestler.
"WWE has always been a dream of mine. As a kid, I used to dream of being Hulk Hogan," Mizanin said. "Watching in high school, I never thought I could be at that level. I've been working really hard to get there. It's incredible. Not very many people get to do what I'm doing."
While many think his stint as a reality TV star made the leap to professional wrestler easy, The Miz says the opposite is true.
"The reality is, it was really hard," Mizanin said. "The fact is while I was doing reality shows, I was working my way through professional wrestling. I worked my way up into the big leagues, building my name from there.
"I've gained the respect of the locker room and of the fans."
And Mizanin gently ribs one of WWE's giants, John Cena.
"And I call out John Cena," Mizanin said with a laugh. "I think Cena's afraid of me."
As a veteran of reality TV, The Miz addresses one of professional wrestling's most common questions: Is it real?
"The hazards that we go through are absolutely real," Mizanin said. "That's why we tell kids, don't try this at home."
As for what fans can expect from the WWE's Monday Night Raw event - which Mizanin proudly notes is the top cable show on television - The Miz promises one hell of a ride.
"It's the biggest thrill ride anyone can have," Mizanin said. "It's like a rock concert and improv show and athletic event, all combined in one. There's no experience like it."
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Among them is a name that's familiar to fans of another TV genre - reality TV.
The name? The Miz.
Mike "The Miz" Mizanin, that is.
The Miz was first introduced to TV audiences as one of the seven housemates on The Real World: Back to New York, the tenth season of MTV's popular reality show. Since that initial appearance on The Real World, The Miz made his rounds on the reality TV circuit, including four seasons of the Real World/Road Rules Challenge, Bravo's Battle of the Network Reality Stars and recently as a competitor on a special edition of Fear Factor.
And now, he's living the dream of being a professional wrestler.
"WWE has always been a dream of mine. As a kid, I used to dream of being Hulk Hogan," Mizanin said. "Watching in high school, I never thought I could be at that level. I've been working really hard to get there. It's incredible. Not very many people get to do what I'm doing."
While many think his stint as a reality TV star made the leap to professional wrestler easy, The Miz says the opposite is true.
"The reality is, it was really hard," Mizanin said. "The fact is while I was doing reality shows, I was working my way through professional wrestling. I worked my way up into the big leagues, building my name from there.
"I've gained the respect of the locker room and of the fans."
And Mizanin gently ribs one of WWE's giants, John Cena.
"And I call out John Cena," Mizanin said with a laugh. "I think Cena's afraid of me."
As a veteran of reality TV, The Miz addresses one of professional wrestling's most common questions: Is it real?
"The hazards that we go through are absolutely real," Mizanin said. "That's why we tell kids, don't try this at home."
As for what fans can expect from the WWE's Monday Night Raw event - which Mizanin proudly notes is the top cable show on television - The Miz promises one hell of a ride.
"It's the biggest thrill ride anyone can have," Mizanin said. "It's like a rock concert and improv show and athletic event, all combined in one. There's no experience like it."
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