WWE Initially Had Non-Wrestling Role In Mind For The Miz

Following his first run on MTV reality television, Mike "The Miz" Mizanin entered a different type of television competition. In 2004, the 24-year-old Mizanin officially began his journey to becoming a WWE Superstar, taking part in the company's fourth season of "Tough Enough." Though he didn't win the competition, Mizanin highly impressed the officials and was subsequently offered a developmental contract with WWE.

Mizanin's road to the main roster started with a bit of a detour. In a recent appearance on "Off The Beat with Brian Baumgartner," the two-time WWE Champion revealed WWE originally crafted a different non-wrestling role for the young hopeful. "They brought me up to Connecticut to commentate...So Joey Styles brought me up with Todd Grisham and Michael Cole. They all brought me up and I had to do a take of commentating and they told me, 'Hey, we're thinking we might bring you in as a commentator or an interviewer.'"

"The Miz" would then go back and forth, pitching his case to be an in-ring performer, yet continued to be told they viewed him "as a personality" instead. Mizanin, however, maintained persistence, pleading his vision to be "bigger than 'The Rock'" and "bigger than [Hulk] Hogan.'" Ultimately, WWE granted his wishes, and Mizanin reported to Deep South Wrestling in 2005.

There, Mizanin set himself on the path to success, "selling out" the DSW territory after becoming their inaugural heavyweight champion. The following year, "The A-Lister" moved up the developmental ladder to Ohio Valley Wrestling, now one rung away from the main roster. After finding his groove as a heel in that territory, Mizanin made his way to "SmackDown" as the show's host, and later as the host of the annual "Diva Search" competition. In the years that followed, "The Miz" successfully transitioned to in-ring competition in WWE, cementing himself as the first and only two-time Grand Slam Champion.