The Miz told Jim Varsallone of the Miami Herald that he received no respect when he first entered the WWE locker room. "WWE fans and the WWE locker room like people with wrestling backgrounds and people who they know,'' Miz said. "They don't like outsiders coming in. Me with a reality background, I just literally got no respect from anybody. A football player who is 6-5, 270 pounds; an MMA fighter; a 7-0 giant who can barely walk; they all get respect, but a reality person coming into WWE, `Oh boy,' everyone is going to hate this guy.'"

"I deal with it like I do everything," Miz said of criticism he received. "I ignore it," he said. "You've got to have thick skin in this business. You have to understand not everyone is going to like you, and that's fine because I have enough confidence in myself that I don't need people having to cheer me or like me.

"Fact is I'm going to do my best. All I want people to do is to watch what I'm going to do next. I want people to understand that I am the most entertaining and charismatic person on that brand." To read the full interview, visit MiamiHerald.com.

Powell's POV: Miz deserves a lot of credit for sticking with it. Most people in the company didn't think he was cut out to be a wrestler, but he worked his ass off and improved. He's become one of the most entertaining performers on the Raw brand and he's still getting better.

RECOMMEND THIS ARTICLE: