WWE Finally Explains Why Dexter Lumis Has Been Targeting The Miz

After three months of Dexter Lumis tormenting The Miz on WWE TV, we finally have some answers as to why Lumis has been targeting the A-Lister since his return. 

During "WWE Raw" this week, Johnny Gargano accused The Miz of paying Lumis to "stage a series of attacks" on him, just so he could draw the attention of the paparazzi. Introduced as "a whistle-blower with an inside scoop" by Byron Saxton in a 60-minute style interview titled, "The True Story of Dexter Lumis & The Miz," Gargano would provide the backstory to the ongoing WWE storyline. 

"I've known Dexter for years," Gargano said. "He has his quirks, but he's just trying to earn a living like the rest of us. He married into my NXT family [by marrying Indi Hartwell], so I had to accept him like a son-in-law or a pet raccoon. But our family fell apart when Lumis lost his job [released by WWE in April 2022]. He fell on hard times. It took a toll on Dexter's psyche, and in typical Miz fashion, he took advantage of the situation."

Gargano then revealed he overheard a conversation between them which he recorded. Johnny Wrestling played an audio clip from his phone, which seemed to imply that The Miz had paid Lumis to choke him out and drag him away from the ring during their initial interaction. 

As he further explained The Miz's decision to exploit Lumis, Gargano suggested that The Miz willingly asked Lumis to cost him the U.S. Title against former champion Bobby Lashley in September, just so he could gain more sympathy for having a "celebrity stalker."

The interview segment ended with Gargano suggesting that the staged attacks turned into real ones when The Miz crossed Lumis. Shortly before Gargano spilled the beans on The Miz – Lumis storyline, Lumis cost The Miz a match against Mustafa Ali by jumping the barricade.