411 Interviews: The Miz and Eve

The Miz and Eve have two things in common as WWE Superstars; they both came to professional wrestling via reality TV (him from The Real World to Tough Enough and her through a WWE Diva Search) and both are-or-have been World Champions.

The Miz: Hi Al Norton. This is WWE Champion – notice how I said WWE Champion – The Miz.

Al Norton: You’re not the only one on the phone, though.

The Miz: Right, but she’s not WWE Champion. I’m the WWE Champion.

Al Norton: You’re taking away my chance to say congratulations on winning the belt.

The Miz: Thank you.

Al Norton: How has your life changed in the last few weeks?

The Miz: I don’t get any more days off; there’s no days off for the WWE Champion and I’m loving every second of it. I’m getting out there more and more. I was just on TMZ, I’ve got two full weeks of media right now. Look at me, I’m WWE Champion. I’m living the dream. I’m traveling everywhere do everything I ever wanted to do and I’m el numero uno.

Al Norton: Eve, you’ve held a championship belt before; any advice for him?

Eve: Any advice for Miz? Make sure and do your laundry.

The Miz: Laundry? Laundry’s done. Great advice, Eve, thank you very much. That’s what makes a champion; doing your own laundry. I’ve got people for that.

Eve: You’re on the road and you lose track of things and then you don’t have time to do laundry. It’s important.

Al Norton: The WWE has a long history of performing for the troops and when you watch the shows it’s clear how much it means to them but I’m curious about how much it means to you.

Eve: It means the world to us. I know for a lot of the superstars it’s our favorite show of the year. It’s not like any other show. We’re there to show our gratitude to those who sacrifice so much for our freedom, for us being able to live our lives the way that we do. It’s pure entertainment, having fun and reminding them to smile and enjoy the holidays, no matter where they are in the world.

The Miz: Exactly. It’s incredible how much they sacrifice. They don’t get to spend holidays with family, they miss birthdays, the miss the birth of children. The little things that we take for granted, they don’t get to have. I’ve been to Iraq the last two years with Tribute to the Troops and I’ve gotten to witness what they do for their day-to-day routine. They wake up, they eat, they work, maybe they’ll work out, maybe they’ll get to skype for a couple of minutes with their families – those minutes that we take for granted, and that’s the day. They put their lives on the line each and every day for my freedom, for my family’s freedom, for my friend’s freedom, and for that we give them a little thanks with Tribute to the Troops and hopefully help them escape from their daily routine for a moment or two and put a smile on their face.

Al Norton: Not that you don’t give your all every time you go out there but is there a little bit more energy for a show like this?

Eve: We always feed off the energy of the WWE universe, so we these shows the energy is just through the roof. Actually, there isn’t even a roof (laughing), so it’s even higher. The troops are excited, they’re amped up; they’re seeing the Divas in Santa suits, they’re seeing some incredible matches being put on. They’re so excited and we’re feeding off of them. You’ll see a level of entertainment you don’t see from a normal show.

The Miz: This is a mini-Wrestlemania for us. We’re expecting 80-to-100 thousand people. We’ve got celebrities coming like Ditty Dirty Money, Cedric the Entertainer, Trace Adkins, Miss USA, Sherri Sheppard, Ariel Winter from Modern Family will be singing the National Anthem, and you’ve got the Raw Superstars and Divas and the Smackdown Superstars and Divas. It’s going to be incredible.

Al Norton: Miz, were you at all surprised at how much Jerry Lawler could still go in the ring?

The Miz: Jerry Lawler is the King. He may be 61 but he took it to the limit in that TLC match on Raw. However, I did come out on top. Why? Because I’m a winner and I’m a champion.

Al Norton: You both came to the WWE through non-traditional routes; does that mean you had to work extra hard to get respect in the locker room?

The Miz: Yes, nobody likes me because I was on a reality show. Nobody’s ever liked me because I was on a reality show.

Eve: I think there’s other reasons why people don’t like you.

The Miz: No, not true, it’s because I was on a reality show. I’m not annoying. I’m the perfect candidate to be a WWE Superstar, however it took me a long long time to get respect from the WWE Universe as well as the people in the locker room and I’m still trying to gain even more respect as WWE Champion. There are still naysayers, negative people, but those are the ones that drive me to do better, to be better, to be the champion I know I can be.

Eve: Coming from a non-traditional way to get into the WWE, you have no idea how much hard work it takes, how much travel there is, how much you really have to put in to become a champion. We’re always striving to do more and earn that respect.

Al Norton: Was there a moment for each of you when you knew you had made it?

Eve: I’m hoping my moment is still to come, honestly. The moment that stands out in my mind is obviously when I won the Divas Championship in London this past April. It was indescribable. You know what, I feel like that was the beginning to me and there are so many more of those moments to come.

The Miz: I’ve already had a million moments. I don’t mean to brag but Eve’s still waiting for her moment and just this year alone I’m a grand slam winner: I won the United States, Unified Tag Team, and WWE Championship belts. Everything I ever said I was going to do I’ve done, so now when people listen to me talk they might start actually believing the things that I’m saying because what I say comes true.

Al Norton: Who were the biggest influences on you, both in-ring and how you carry yourselves as professionals outside the ring?

The Miz: Besides me, myself, influencing myself? Back in the day I used to love the Ultimate Warrior, I loved The Rockers and how fast paced they were, and I loved The Rock. The Rock was a huge influence on me because you always wanted to see what he was going to do and say next and that’s the kind of Superstar I want to be. I want to be the Superstar that everyone tunes in to see ever Monday night on Raw, saying “I have no idea what this guy is going to do or say but I want to watch him.” That’s the way The Rock was and that’s the way I carry myself. I’d never say I am The Rock or I want to be the Rock because I am the first Miz, the only Miz, and that’s just who I am.

Eve: I was a huge fan of the Rock growing up for the same reasons Miz said – he was the ultimate entertainer – but as far as the Divas, I’ve always loved Trish Stratus and her ability to entertain, be an amazing athlete, and still be glamorous. You never want to compare yourself to others, you want to take different qualities from those you admire and incorporate them into yourself.

Al Norton: If you could step into the ring with any superstar from Wrestling history, who would it be?

The Miz: I would have to go with The Rock. I would want to see The Miz versus The Rock, not only on the microphone but in the ring, just to show I’m better than him. I’m better than Stone Cold Steve Austin, I’m better than Hulk Hogan, I’m better than every champion that’s ever been. I will be the longest running WWE Champion in history.

Al Norton: Eve, are you going to say Chyna?

Eve: No, I am not going to say Chyna (laughing). You know who I would love to face? Beth Phoenix. I’ve not yet worked with her but I’d really love to. She’s an incredible challenge that I’d love to take on.

Al Norton: Obviously WWE fans will tune into the special on Saturday night but why might someone who doesn’t consider themselves a wrestling fan want to watch?

Eve: This isn’t about the WWE, it’s about being an American and showing support for the troops. Even the troops who don’t watch the WWE still love the show. It’s a piece of America coming to the troops to entertain them. Whether you’re a WWE fan or not, it’s going to be very entertaining and there is something for everyone.

Don’t miss WWE Tribute to the Troops, Saturday at 9pm on NBC