The Miz Says He and Daniel Bryan Were Set To Feud For WWE Title Years Ago, Talks Getting Another Chance, Thinking He Would Lose His Cash-In and more

WWE champion The Miz recently spoke with TalkSport to talk about a number of different topics, including how he expected his cash-in attempt to fail and how he was at one point set to feud with Daniel Bryan for the world title. Highlights from the interview can be found below.

Says there was a time where he and Daniel Bryan were set to feud over the WWE championship:

Honestly, I think there was a time where I was going to go for it [with Daniel Bryan] and things change in WWE like that [snaps fingers]. I could be sitting her right now a three or four time WWE champion. I look back at my career at how many times I felt like I was in the mix and I was ready and people are in my ear going ‘ah, it’s probably going to happen’ and it just doesn’t. So you never know.

Didn’t think another WWE title run would happen:

I wasn’t sure this was going to happen [points to WWE title]. Me being WWE champion; as much as I can be egotistical, arrogant – basically The Miz – in all honesty when you have the Money in the Bank contract, there’s a little something inside of you that goes ‘I’m going to be the one that cashes in and loses. It’s gonna happen. Especially when you have Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns as your champions. These guys are unstoppable, they’re an unstoppable force. They go through these incredible matches. I mean, I saw Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens’ match and I’m like ‘oh my goodness!’ They’re just tearing each other apart. And Roman is still left standing in the end and it’s like how am I supposed to cash-in if this guy is still standing after this kind of match!? Then you look at Drew McIntyre going through everything in the Elimination Chamber and still standing. Bobby Lashley had to come out and beat him up again and he still kicked out of my DDT! Then I had to Skull Crush Finale him! You just don’t know. So to sit here with the WWE championship, it’s incredible or me. It really is.

On the negative feedback he gets from fans and how he was told over the last few years that he would get another chance:

I have been told many times – 2016, 2017, 2018 – there was a bunch of times where it’s like ‘oh, we’re almost there’ and then I get drafted or something else would happen. Certain things happen and the juggling is always happening. Sometimes you’re there and it’s like ‘ah, it actually happened!’ and other times it’s like [sighs]… I have work harder. I have to be better, do better, keep elevating myself to get to that moment. And here we sit; that moment took a little while but it’s kind of incredible. In 2010, it was 100 percent negativity. From the critics, from Twitter, from all the fans, 100 percent negativity. ‘You shouldn’t have it, you suck, you’re the worst. 10 years later, it was half and half. It was you suck, but we respect you. Or it was like he deserves it, he should have gotten it two years ago, he deserves it and others were like this is the weakest champion we’ve ever had. To be honest, I look at it all as fuel for my fire, to prove these people wrong. To showcase the talent that I have that maybe they don’t see. That maybe I can enlighten them. If you look at interviews with ‘Angry Miz Girl’, who was my biggest hater, could not stand me, 10 years later I saw an interview with her and she said she loves seeing me with the title. She enjoys it and there’s no bigger fan than her. So I was able to change that person’s mind and that’s what I plan on doing with this title reign.