Athletes - Mike Mizanin

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	Athletes - Mike Mizanin

Mike "The Miz" Mizanin (born October 8, 1980 in Parma, Ohio) is an American professional wrestler, currently employed by World Wrestling Entertainment and training in Ohio Valley Wrestling, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Television career

Mizanin attended Miami University, where he was a member of the Theta Chi Fraternity, and studied business at the Richard T. Farmer School of Business. He remained at Miami University for eighteen months before dropping out in order to appear on the tenth series of MTV's reality television program The Real World in 2001. He went on to appear in multiple spin-offs, including several seasons of The Real World/Road Rules Challenge with contestants from MTV's Road Rules. On one episode of The Real World, Mizanin first displayed an alter ego known as The Miz. In contrast to Mizanin's usually placid demeanour, The Miz was angry, confrontational and headstrong. Mizanin later realised that "The Miz" would make an excellent professional wrestling gimmick.

During two Challenge seasons, "The Gauntlet" and "Inferno", he dated Trishelle Cannatella of Real World Las Vegas.

Mizanin later relocated to Southern California in order to attend acting classes. He also visited high schools and colleges, delivering motivational speeches.

Wrestling career

Pursuing the goal of becoming a professional wrestler which he had harbored from an early age, Mizanin joined Ultimate Pro Wrestling, where he trained in the Ultimate University. He made his in-ring debut in 2003.

Tough Enough and Deep South Wrestling

In October 2004, Mizanin entered the fourth season of Tough Enough, a televised competition which would award the winner a World Wrestling Entertainment contract and the sum of $1,000,000. Despite coming last in an arm wrestling tournament on November 25, Mizanin outlasted six other wrestlers. On December 12, 2004, at the WWE pay-per-view Armageddon 2004, Mizanin faced the other remaining entrant, Daniel Puder, in a three round "Dixie Dogfight" (boxing match). Neither man achieved a knockout, and the contest was awarded to Puder on the basis of crowd reaction. On the December 16 episode of SmackDown!, Puder was announced as the winner of Tough Enough by head trainer Al Snow.

Despite losing the contest, Mizanin had piqued the interest of WWE, and he was eventually offered a developmental contract. Mizanin was sent to Deep South Wrestling to train under Bill DeMott, relocating to McDonough, Georgia in the process, and in July 2005 he wrestled two dark matches for WWE, teaming with former Tough Enough champion Matt Cappotelli to face The Highlanders. On December 1, 2005, Mizanin defeated Mike Knox in the finals of a tournament to crown the first Deep South Heavyweight Champion.

He continued to tag with Matt Cappotelli throughout the second half of 2005 in WWE dark matches and house shows until Cappotelli, nominally of Ohio Valley Wrestling, was diagnosed with a brain tumor after an injury at a taping in December 2005.

Ohio Valley Wrestling

On January 3, 2006, it was reported that Mizanin was transferred to Ohio Valley Wrestling. On the January 18, 2006, OVW TV show, Mizanin made his debut as "The Miz", with a "Miz TV" segment, where he was shown talking backstage. He talked with Chris Cage, who was supposed to be his tag team partner in OVW, but Cage said he was quitting the business after someone had cut off Johnny Jeter's hair and wished Mizanin good luck with his wrestling career. On the January 28, 2006, OVW TV show, The Miz wrestled his first match against Rene Dupree. Chet the Jet and Seth Skyfire came to ringside during the match and acted as a diversion to allow Rene Dupree to gain the upper hand on The Miz. As The Miz was about to finish Rene Dupree, Chris Cage came out and attacked Seth Skyfire. The Miz then left the ring to try to control Chris Cage, thus giving The Miz a count out.

At the February 8, 2006 TV taping, The Miz and Chris Cage captured the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship, defeating Chet the Jett and Seth Skyfire.

On March 8, 2006, WWE.com uploaded a video of The Miz stating that he is headed to WWE Friday Night Smackdown!.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Mike Mizanin ]

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