The Miz Recounts the Infamous Locker Room Ban: A Chicken Crumbs Controversy
The story of the Miz being banished from the WWE locker room early in his career has become a legendary tale within wrestling circles. Recently, the A-Lister provided a more detailed account of the “ridiculous” situation during an interview with Chris Van Vliet on Insight with Chris Van Vliet. This incident, occurring in the mid-2000s, saw Miz allegedly kicked out for six months for accidentally getting fried chicken crumbs on a veteran wrestler’s bag – widely believed to be Chris Benoit’s – forcing him to change in hallways and utilize public restrooms. The punishment was eventually mitigated by The undertaker.
The Origin of the Ban: A Game of Telephone
miz explained that the incident was considerably exaggerated through a classic case of backstage miscommunication, frequently enough referred to as a “telephone game.” He recounted being informed of his expulsion without a clear understanding of the severity or duration. “I had no idea [when I’d be allowed back]. I knew the person that told me that, hey, you’re kicked out of the locker room. he said you’re not coming in until I say so,” Miz stated.
Initially banned for six months, miz found himself in a precarious position. He eventually sought a resolution with The undertaker after the individual who initially levied the ban departed from the company. “No, that person went away. So then when that person went away,I was like,oh boy,how am I gonna get back in the locker room? So I had to wait another three months.I asked taker. I was like, ‘Man, I’ve been out of the locker room for a long time.’ He goes, ‘Oh, you have?’ Yeah, I’ve been out like six months. ‘What’d you do?’ I ate a piece of chicken in the locker room, and it got all over. I still believe it did not, but other people will tell you differently, and they can have their opinions. That is fine. I was under a microscope of, let’s get this guy.”
The Escalation of the Story
Miz detailed how a minor incident spiraled out of control due to repeated retelling. “A lot of times in a locker room, someone could say he ate a piece of chicken over my thing. And, [someone else says] ‘Oh, man, what are you doing? Why are you doing this?’ And then another guy walks in. ‘Oh, you ate chicken over his his bag?’ Another guy walks in. ‘He did what?!’ Then another guy is outside the locker room. And then he heard he ate chicken and he got it all over the place. Then by the time the telephone game was played, I was throwing chicken all over the locker room, I was smearing it on stuff, that’s what it felt like.”
He emphasized his conversation with The Undertaker, confirming the core of the issue: “so yeah, I went to Taker and I said, I ate chicken over a bag. Yeah, it’s real.” This admission, while seemingly straightforward, was the culmination of a dramatically inflated narrative.
The Undertaker’s Intervention and Lasting impact
The Undertaker’s willingness to listen and understand the situation ultimately led to Miz being reinstated into the locker room. While the exact details of their conversation remain private, it’s clear that The Undertaker recognized the disproportionate nature of the punishment and helped to resolve the issue. This incident serves as a reminder of the complex dynamics within a professional wrestling locker room and the potential for misunderstandings to escalate quickly.
The Miz’s recounting of this story provides valuable insight into the challenges faced by up-and-coming wrestlers and the importance of navigating the established hierarchy within the industry. It also highlights the power of perception and how a simple mistake can be magnified into a notable obstacle.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit insight with Chris Van Vliet with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can find the full interview on Chris Van Vliet’s youtube channel or podcast feed.