The frequent comparisons between AEW’s MJF and WWE’s The Miz have been a recurring topic for years, but The Miz has now firmly dismissed the idea that MJF is aiming to be a copy of him.
While speaking with Peter Rosenberg, The Miz was asked about the comparisons. He explained that no performer wants to be a successor to another, but rather an innovator in their own right. The Miz noted that he had been likened to Chris Jericho and Ric Flair during his own career but always sought to forge his own path.
“I don’t think he wants to be The Miz. I don’t think any superstar, no matter what company you are in, wants to be the next this person — you want to be an original,” The Miz stated. “Now, of course there are comparisons. I’ve always been compared to Jericho for a while and Ric Flair for a while. I don’t wanna be compared, I wanna be an original.”
The commentary between the two performers intensified in late 2021 when CM Punk famously referred to MJF as a “less famous Miz” during a segment on AEW Dynamite, a line that was later referenced by Edge on WWE RAW.
The Miz elaborated that while younger talents often draw inspiration and pay homage to veterans, their ultimate goal is to create a unique identity. He praised MJF’s current progress, asserting that he is succeeding in establishing himself as a unique talent.
“Now you take things when learning and coming up through the business, you see things you like in certain superstars and you’re like, ‘Oh, I like that. I’m gonna use that, sprinkle a little of that,’ as an homage to those people. But in a sense you wanna be an original,” he explained. “So I don’t think he wants to be the next Miz, he wants to be the first him, and honestly he’s doing a great job at it.”
The Miz also provided perspective on their respective career timelines, giving credit to MJF for his accomplishments at a young age.
“I was still at developmental at Deep South Wrestling and learning the trade. I wasn’t learning on a national television and putting out promos that people are talking about,” The Miz added. “I wasn’t doing any of that, so applause to him.”