The Miz has completed 20 years since making his official WWE in-ring debut. The veteran WWE Superstar marked the milestone with a confident message on social media. He reflected on the doubts surrounding his career and made it clear that he is not ready to stop.John Cena was among those who congratulated The Miz. The 17-time world champion praised his longtime rival for earning his respect through years of hard work and entertainment. Cena also revealed that he regularly uses The Miz as an example when speaking to younger WWE talent.
John Cena praises The Miz after 20 he completes 20 years in WWE
The Miz made his official WWE in-ring debut on September 1, 2006, on SmackDown. He defeated Tatanka in his first match. Before becoming a full-time WWE Superstar, Miz gained attention through MTV’s The Real World and WWE’s Tough Enough.Miz had earlier celebrated the milestone by acknowledging the people who doubted his ability to last in WWE.He wrote on X, “20 years ago today, I made my WWE in-ring debut. Most said I wouldn’t last. That aged well. And the best part? I’m not done yet. Still here. Still must-see. Still AWESOME. Show me your favorite Miz moment. Tag me and I may repost. Consider that your assignment. Class dismissed”.Responding to Miz’s 20-year WWE anniversary post, John Cena wrote, “Respect is earned. You earned mine a long time ago. Each sunset makes it far more difficult for most anyone else to deny theirs. Congratulations on an incredible 20 years! You ARE the example I consistently bring up to young talent of effort & turning anything into entertaining!”Two decades later, The Miz has established himself as one of WWE’s most accomplished performers. He has won the WWE Championship twice. He has also captured the Intercontinental Championship eight times and the United States Championship twice.The Miz has also enjoyed success in tag team competition. He has won multiple tag team titles during his WWE career.Another major achievement came when he became a WWE Grand Slam Champion. He has accomplished the feat twice. He also reached the top of WrestleMania when he main-evented WrestleMania 27 in 2011. Miz defeated Cena that night to retain the WWE Championship after The Rock’s interference.Cena and Miz have shared a long and memorable rivalry. They have faced each other in several major WWE matches.At The Bash in 2009, Cena defeated Miz by submission. Their rivalry continued into 2011. Miz defeated Cena at WrestleMania 27 in a WWE Championship match. Cena later defeated Miz in the Triple Threat Steel Cage Match at Extreme Rules and in an “I Quit” Match at Over the Limit.The two stars also teamed up briefly in 2011. Cena and Miz defeated Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. However, they immediately lost the titles back after failing to work together.Their rivalry continued years later. At WrestleMania 33 in 2017, Cena and Nikki Bella defeated Miz and Maryse in a mixed tag team match.Despite their competitive history, Cena has developed significant respect for Miz’s career.