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The Miz is a member of Monday Night RAW following the 2023 WWE Draft. The A-Lister closed out the third round of the Draft's first night on Friday, April 28, 2023. During the second half of the draft, on May 1, wrestling fans discovered the name of The Miz's next rival.
Mike "The Miz" Mizanin is one of the most decorated Superstars on the WWE roster today. While wrestling critics may take shots at The A-Lister online, there's no denying his accomplishments. While being one of the most entertaining and reliable wrestlers in the business, The Miz won title after title, main evented WrestleMania, and most recently hosted The Show of Shows alongside Snoop Dogg.
The Miz has seemingly done it all; winning the WWE Championship twice, becoming a two-time Grand Slam Champion, a Money In The Bank winner, a Triple Crown Champion, a leading man in multiple movies, a multi-time tag team champion, a two-time Slammy Award winner, a two-time US Champion, and an eight-time Intercontinental Champion. And he isn't done yet!
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What's next for the Ohio-born star? Without further ado, let's look at five directions for The Miz following the 2023 WWE Draft.
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#5. WWE RAW Superstar The Miz vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura, much like The Miz, was drafted to RAW during the first night of the WWE Draft. While he won't officially become a member of the red brand until the night after Backlash, The King of Strong Style still appeared on the May 1 episode of RAW. During the show, Shinsuke appeared on Miz TV and seemingly kicked off a feud with The A-Lister.
The Miz was angered by Nakamura's mockery and attempted to physically retaliate, but he was dropped by the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion. The Miz could potentially seek revenge by costing Nakamura his match against Karrion Kross on this Friday's episode of SmackDown.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. The Miz could end up being added to the card for Backlash this Saturday. If not, wrestling fans will likely see this bout happen on Monday Night RAW or a different premium live event sometime in the future. The last major match between Nakamura and Miz happened at 2019's Clash of Champions when Shinsuke successfully defended the Intercontinental Championship against The A-Lister.
#4. The A-Lister goes after the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
The Miz apparently thinks that Triple H was talking about him in regards to a wrestler worthy of carrying the World Heavyweight Championship. The Game is looking for a "workhorse champion" to regularly defend the red brand's top prize. While there's a good chance The Miz won't win that prize at the 2023 Night of Champions event in Saudi Arabia, that doesn't mean he won't put up a fierce fight.
As of this writing, WWE is planning to hold a tournament that will reach its climax at Night of Champions on Saturday, May 27, 2023. The participants of the tournament are yet to be announced, but it wouldn't be surprising to see The Miz taking part. Even if he loses, The Miz could still end up becoming a top contender for the World Heavyweight Championship sometime in 2023 and beyond.
#3. The Miz acquires a new henchman in Riddick Moss
During the most recent segment of Miz TV, The Miz offered to make Nakamura his "number two," meaning The A-Lister was looking for a partner. Shinsuke wasn't willing to be The A-Lister's lackey, but there are likely plenty of superstars who wouldn't mind the added exposure of being associated with a WrestleMania headliner.
Newly drafted RAW Superstar Riddick Moss would be a great fit for The Miz's number two. Moss recently turned heel and lost to Shinsuke on SmackDown during Nakamura's return match on April 14, 2023. The last time Moss was relevant was when he played a sidekick to Happy Corbin. Becoming the henchman of The Miz could be just what Moss needs to take his career to the next level.
Riddick was drafted from the blue brand to the red brand during the supplemental draft following the May 1st episode of RAW. Only time will tell if Moss has The Miz's best interests at heart on Monday nights. If they end up joining forces, The Miz and Moss can go after the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship currently held by Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, two wrestlers who were also drafted to RAW. Moss could also prove useful in The Miz's feud with The King of Strong Style.
The A-Lister has acquired the helping hand of henchmen in the past. Bronson Reed, Tommaso Ciampa, Damien Mizdow, and The B-Team's Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas have all played the role of The Miz's goons at one point in their careers. In 2023, Riddick Moss could become The Miz's number two, officially becoming The A-Lister's right-hand man.
#2. The Miz wrestles for the WWE Intercontinental Title
The Miz is a decorated mid-card competitor, becoming an eight-time Intercontinental Champion over the course of his illustrious WWE career. In 2023, The Hollywood A-Lister could attempt to tie Chris Jericho's record and become a nine-time IC Champ. Currently, Y2J holds the record for most reigns with the Intercontinental Championship.
However, if The Miz were to step up to Gunther for IC gold, the Austrian would likely brutalize his challenger. The Miz would likely have no problem putting over The Ring General, and he'd make Gunther look like a million bucks in doing so.
There's also a slight possibility that The Miz will end up being the one to dethrone Gunther's history-making reign. The A-Lister's chances would only increase with a henchman like Riddick Moss by his side. Gunther is the longest-reigning IC Champion of the twenty-first century, but maybe The Miz can find a sneaky and underhanded way of ending that reign.
#1. Stone Cold Steve Austin comes out of retirement to fight The Miz
WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin recently stated that "if the stars align, anything can happen" regarding an in-ring return. If Austin likes the story pitched to him and he feels up for one more match, wrestling fans may be in for another Stone Cold classic.
The A-Lister could provoke The Texas Rattlesnake into a match by inviting him on Miz TV. Austin will likely attack The Miz regardless of what he says, but Mizanin will really need to push Stone Cold's buttons to get him to agree to another full-length wrestling match.
Perhaps he could bring up how Austin left WWE high and dry in 2002 and say that's something The Miz would never do because he cares too much about the company and the fans. This is in reference to Stone Cold walking out on WWE after reportedly refusing to take part in a King of the Ring qualifying match against Brock Lesnar.
The Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, is scheduled to host the July 31, 2023, episode of RAW. This would be a great venue to host the match between Austin and The Miz. In front of a home-state crowd, Stone Cold could wrestle his first match on Monday Night RAW in 20 years.
If this match is booked, Austin will more than likely end up defeating The Miz before following it up with a beer-drenched celebration. WWE can then provide a shocking swerve by having Brock Lesnar give Austin an F5 out of nowhere to end the show.
