The Miz may be one of the most polarizing WWE superstars on the roster today. The former WWE champion certainly has his haters and they are out in full force now that he is a movie star. Yet the star of The Marine 3 finds motivation, not frustration in those critics.

I’ll be the first to admit I am not a fan of The Miz. That doesn’t mean I don’t respect what he has accomplished. As crazy as it is to comprehend, the dude is not on a former WWE champion, but he has headlined WrestleMania. That is why it is no surprise that the WWE offered him his first starring role in a movie in The Marine 3.

The Miz was once a road warrior when it came to media interviews and that is what the WWE loved about him. He loved the talk and the media loved to interview him. However, in recent years The Miz has stayed on the down low and really hasn’t done many interviews. That is why I thought it was noteworthy to mention a lengthy interview he did with Cave.com.

You can read the entire interview on Cave’s website but two highlights that stuck out to me were when The Miz talked about his critics (who can be very loud at times on the Internet) and past influences.

The Miz was asked about not only the hate he receives from critics outside the WWE locker room but about the resentment he has felt from his peers inside the locker room. The Miz is not bothered in the least and feels he deserved everything he has accomplished.

“I don’t care how good a movie is, how a good of a WWE superstar you are, or how good you are on the mic – you’re always going to have critics and haters. That’s why my t-shirt says Haters Love Me.

Whether it’s on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, or to your face – you’re always going to deal with those people. But it’s your job to rise above them, have thick skin and let it bounce off of you. Or, let it motivate you.

The haters have always motivated me. Someone told me I couldn’t be on the Real World. I said “I’m going to do it”. People told me I wasn’t big enough to be a WWE superstar. I went and did it. Now, when people say the same thing about movies, I’m going to go out and do it. I always give my best, and I can truly say that I am proud of Marine 3: Homefront. I really worked hard for it.

With the WWE, people say I didn’t work hard for it, and that I just got offered a contract. That wasn’t the case. No one asked me. I wasn’t given anything. I went to independent wrestling school and worked with Ultimate Pro Wrestling for three years. WWE did not call me. They wanted nothing to do with me because I was on The Real World.

Then, I tried out for Tough Enough and I made it. That’s when they realized “wow, this Real World guy is actually good”.
When I was on The Real World, I would go to colleges and speak to thousands of students. Then, I’d go back to LA to my wrestling school and perform in front of 25 people for free.

I imagine with this movie, there will always be critics, regardless of how good or bad it is. The Marine and The Marine 2 have both been successful, and I hope to exceed any related expectations.”

The Miz was also asked about who he thinks was the greatest wrestler of all-time. This answer is certainly not going to help him win over his critics.

“Right on top is the Ultimate Warrior. I used to run around with streamers and paint on my face. There’s also The Rock. He’s one of the reasons I wanted to be a WWE superstar. And of course, there’s Ric Flair.”

Talk about comparing apples and oranges. I am not quite sure how someone can call Ric Flair the greatest of all time and with that same criteria throw in the Ultimate Warrior. That answer probably isn’t going to win him any friends in the office either.

One thing I do respect here is his honesty. He’s obviously not afraid of WWE politics or more backlash from his fellow WWE superstars. For that, I have to give the guy some respect. Check out the interview where he talks more Marine 3, his friends on the roster, schedule, and more.

For The Marine 3, well I’ll leave that up to you.

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