The Miz is a busy man. That isn't going to change anytime soon.
From his week-to-week wrestling obligations to shooting movies to moving halfway across the country to hosting The Challenge on MTV to making countless public appearances to having cameras following him all around for his new docu-series on USA ("Miz & Mrs."), there doesn't seem to be a free moment for one of the biggest superstars in WWE.
With everything going on, there are really only two things that are on his mind, but really only one that truly matters.
"I'm so excited to be a father," Miz said to ESPN. "I'm excited, nervous, happy, scared. It's every emotion you could possibly think of, I'm going through it."
While he and Maryse are still a few months away from meeting their daughter, the planning continues. Being on the wrestling circuit can be a logistical nightmare.
"It's a WrestleMania baby," Miz said. "The only thing my wife asked me was that [she wanted me to be there].
"I literally have a private jet on call at all times. I will spend whatever amount of money to get there, to be there and support her and witness my first child being born because I am ecstatic. I don't want to be the dad that's not there. I don't want the kid to ever think that I wasn't there. I want her to be the one that says you were there, you guided me, you supported me in the best way you knew how."
Mike Mizanin will anxiously wait for that life-changing moment, but in The Miz's other life, the show goes on.
The #ItBaby is a GIRL! If she gets half the brains, beauty, and strength of her mother @marysemizanin then she's gonna be a powerful woman. pic.twitter.com/giLrj2ha5o
- The Miz (@mikethemiz) October 21, 2017
On Monday night at Raw 25, Miz will face Roman Reigns in an attempt to recapture the Intercontinental title that he has elevated since he entered the title's picture. While he does mention that fact repeatedly in front of the cameras, that statement isn't just storyline rhetoric. Miz has truly become the catalyst for the biggest moments on Raw, and with or without the belt, he should continue to own that place. That said, if Miz does get what he wants -- a win Monday -- he'll be one step closer to solidifying his place in WWE history.
"Ultimate Warrior, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Mr. Perfect, Rick Rude -- you name it. Every superstar that was my hero growing up as a kid has held that title," Miz said. "It's a title I always loved as a kid. When I got it for the first time, you're ecstatic, you're happy, but you watch the title become a second-place kind of title.
"The last time I got it, I literally said I [was] sick of people looking at this as just a placeholder, as like a whatever title. I want people to understand that when you hold that title, it is prestigious, it is relevant, it has a rich history and that's what I set out to do. I think I've been doing a pretty good job of it, but I'm not done until I'm main-eventing WrestleMania with the Intercontinential championship."
According to WWE records, The Miz has held the Intercontinental title for 523 days over his seven reigns, the third-longest span in WWE history behind Pedro Morales and Don Muraco, who each held the title twice. Morales held the title for 619 days.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this championship is that it has become the most visible title on Raw given the lack of consistent appearances from Universal champion Brock Lesnar. That exposure has let The Miz grow as a performer and, as mentioned above, become the focal point week in and week out. It's that growth that has resulted in a larger overall appreciation for his efforts and a surprising reaction each and every time he comes through the curtain.
"When I came back two weeks ago to Monday Night Raw, I was gone for six episodes, six weeks," he said. "And literally I came back and there were 'welcome back' chants. I thought wait a second. Brock Lesnar was gone longer than I am and he doesn't get welcome back chants, but I am? Usually you guys hate me and boo me and tell me I suck, but now you're welcoming me back? It made me feel that I was a piece of this puzzle and the main piece was missing."
This week's Raw will be something else as the company celebrates the 25th anniversary of its top show. While legends will fill the broadcasts with smiles and speeches, The Miz will take center stage in the presumed main event on this unique night, a spot that is familiar to him. In fact, Miz's first Intercontinental title reign started on the 1,000th episode of Monday Night Raw when he defeated Christian. He also defeated Zack Ryder the night after WrestleMania 32 to begin his fifth Intercontinental championship reign.
From being a kid and watching Raw with his friends to stealing the show week after week, Miz knows the significance of this week and what he's tasked to do, win or lose.
"Raw is always about putting a smile on people's faces and [creating] memories that will last a lifetime. I remember as a kid growing up, [my friends and I would be] cutting promos like our heroes. And now I get to be that guy on Raw and hopefully a kid will be growing up and cutting promos like The Miz."