The Miz On How WWE Prepared Him For Cannonball, Advice Billy Kidman Gave Him

WWE Superstar The Miz was recently on The Hall of Fame podcast with Booker T & Brad Gilmore, where he talked about his new show "Cannonball". He also talked about his persistence on becoming a WWE Superstar back in the day.

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"I think I'm very goal-oriented and I make my goals so far away from grasp, like, these are goals that you never even met," The Miz described. "When I was on The Real World, I remember going home and trying to figure out what I wanted to do. When I said I wanted to be a WWE Superstar, I said 'Okay, what tools do I need to become a WWE Superstar?' because it's not just wrestling, you are everything. The reason we call ourselves WWE Superstars, I feel like we are the ultimate performers.

"People are like, with Cannonball, they're like, 'What prepared you most?' I go, 'Are you kidding?' WWE prepares you for everything, every scenario you could possibly be in entertainment and as a performer. So, when I went into Cannonball, they're like, 'you're gonna host, you're gonna commentate'. I go, 'this is a cakewalk'. This is no problem because WWE got me to a level to where I'm comfortable on a headset talking all day every day to anybody."

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The Miz continued by talking about the other skills he sought to gain other than wrestling. The Miz had thought before that his size was what had prevented him from winning another WWE Championship, but he told Booker T and Brad Gilmore that he has made efforts to keep himself fit and in shape.

"So when I moved and set my sights on being a WWE Superstar, I tried to get as many tools as possible," The Miz explained. "I didn't just go to wrestling school, I went to Acting School, I went to Improv Classes. I would do speeches for colleges, motivating them because people would hire us when you're off The Real World. They would hire you to go to schools and speak, and I would speak in front of thousands of people, so it taught me how to speak in front of a large audience.

"So I was trying to get everything possible. I got a nutritionist, I got a trainer to try to get me bigger and more fit, because, back then, people were as big as you book. Now it's not like that; everyone doesn't have to be 6'5, 250 pounds of pure solid muscle."

The Miz revealed that former WWE/WCW wrestler Billy Kidman gave him advice that helped him stick to his dream of becoming a WWE Superstar. It was a simple piece of advice, but The Miz talked about why it was so profound to him.

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"Billy Kidman gave me the best advice I ever had. It was before I was a WWE Superstar," The Miz recalled. "It was when I was on The Real World. I met him at the Playboy Mansion of all places, because Torrie Wilson's cover was coming out and Billy was there. So, I saw Billy. I was like, 'Oh man, WWE Superstar. I got to go up to him!' I asked him, I go, 'What's your best advice?' he goes, 'Honestly, I can tell you all these different things, but stick with it', and it was the best advice.

"The reason it was the best advice – it sounds so simple but so many people find different excuses on why they never made it. Family, friends – you have to sacrifice everything to get there, and you got to find all the tools and pieces that you need to get there, and you got to figure out the way to get there. So sticking with it was very like small, but it meant the most to me, especially at that time."

The Miz also revealed that he wanted to team back up with John Morrison upon his return to WWE. He talked about their close bond and how they push each other to be better.

"It's what I wanted. Anytime I have an opportunity to be around John Morrison, I'll take it," The Miz stated. "He's my best friend, and honestly, like, we talk every day. He just makes me better.

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"He has an out of the box type of mind. It's very artsy, and he just knows how to put together a match, but then he'll go in these way out of weird things. And I'm like, 'that's not going to work' It's great, but he just takes me out of my comfort zone. And sometimes, you need that in WWE."

The Miz talked about his satisfaction with WWE right now. He also talked about being involved with "Cannonball" and "Miz and Mrs."

"I'll tell you what, I really enjoy what I'm doing now," The Miz said. "I love being a WWE Superstar. There's nothing better than hearing whether you're getting booed, or cheered, or having a great match. I mean, those are what really drives me. But being able to have a show like Cannonball to host, I have fun with Rocsi Diaz, who is my co-host. I have fun with Simon Gibson, who is my sideline reporter. They're the ultimate professionals and they're so witty and fun.

"So, I'm just having a good time. Whatever is fun, I'm going to keep doing, not to mention Miz and Mrs. along with my family. As much drama as it is and as much hell as I go through, it's still so much fun, and I've never seen my dad so much because the cameras are around and he wants to be famous."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Hall of Fame with Booker T & Brad Gilmore with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

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Mehdy Labriny contributed to this article.

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