The Miz Says You Can't Fight Locker Room For Respect, Shares How He Earned His

The Miz always knew he wanted to be a WWE superstar, but convincing the rest of the locker room he belonged there was famously one of the biggest hurdles in the former reality television star's career.

In a new story by "The Athletic" about his WWE legacy and becoming a veteran in the very same locker room he was once banned from, "The Miz" passed on some advice to younger wrestlers who might one day find themselves in the same uncomfortable position he once did.

"A lot of people would tell me, 'How come you didn't just fight the dude who kicked you out?'" he said. "Locker rooms are about respect from your peers. If you don't have that, fighting the locker room is not going to get it. It's taking a slice of humble pie, figuring out what you did wrong, and making it right."

The Miz said that he has always followed what fans said about him online, but nowadays the criticism doesn't bother him as much -– just like how he moved past certain members of the WWE locker room kicking him out earlier in his career.

"It's taken a long, long time," the former WWE Champion said. "But now when I hear the audience, there's some cheers and boos, and the boos are because they're going along with it and it's more fun."

The Miz -– once a reviled character among the WWE Universe -– has regained favor with the audience in recent years. The two-time WWE Champion is set to host WrestleMania 39 this weekend and has found himself in the middle of Logan Paul's feud with Seth Rollins.