WWE Star The Miz Details Six-Month Locker Room Exile Over Chicken Incident
STAMFORD, CT – WWE Superstar The Miz revealed he was ostracized from the company locker room for six months early in his career following a dispute over spilled chicken, during a recent appearance on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast. The incident, stemming from accusations of messiness, compounded the challenges he faced entering the wrestling world with a background in reality television.
The Miz, whose real name is Mike Mizanin, explained that his arrival after appearing on MTV’s The Real World was met with hostility from established WWE performers. He was viewed as a “no-talent hack” due to his reality TV origins,a perception he actively fought against.
The breaking point came when a fellow wrestler confronted him about allegedly leaving chicken debris in the locker room. “I was eating chicken in a locker room, and a guy came in and was like, ‘You got chicken all over the place,'” The Miz recounted. “I still to this day,do not believe that I got chicken all over the place,because I was so on eggshells… but than got kicked out of the locker room.”
Despite maintaining his innocence, The Miz was banished from the locker room for approximately six months before regaining access. This experience was part of a larger struggle to be accepted and ultimately redefine his role within WWE. Initially, company chairman Vince McMahon envisioned the Miz as a personality akin to Ryan Seacrest, a host and interviewer rather than an in-ring competitor.
“I remember sitting down with Vince… he’s like, ‘We want you to be the ryan Seacrest of the WWE,'” the Miz said. ”When you want to be the big star in WWE, being the Ryan Seacrest of WWE is not what you want to hear.” He proactively demonstrated his ability to connect with audiences, believing he could generate interest even as a villain. “I knew that if they gave me a microphone, I could get the crowd to want to see me get beat up in the ring.”
The Miz’s story highlights the often-difficult transition for talent entering the professional wrestling industry and the resilience required to overcome internal obstacles and achieve success. He has since become a multi-time WWE Champion and a prominent figure in the company.
