It’s interesting that when news broke that the former AEW wrestler Miro might have resigned with WWE, it happened to coincide with Rusev Day. What are the odds? We can speculate on when Miro could re-debut. My guess is it will be on Rusev Day. No word yet on if his wife, CJ Perry, aka Lana, will be joining him. However, they did recently renew their vows on- have you guessed it?- Rusev Day!
Are you sick of that joke? It’s one that in many ways encapsulates various dimensions of Miro’s pro wrestling career. It reveals a lot about some fans’ historiography of the former Alexander Rusev. Rusev Day ended long before Miro’s April 15th, 2020, release. Yet both the joke and the hope of a Rusev push seemed dead by then.
It’s remembered and celebrated because it demonstrated a fundamental issue with WWE creative of the past. Another instance of a WWE wrestler getting themselves over organically, only for creative to spoil it. Another example of Vince McMahon, who dismissed fans’ engagement as a rib on Miro, deciding he knew better.
The Pendulum
Miro was another victim of a systematic issue of McMahonism. McMahon was the sole issue. Many believed that if you replaced McMahon, the problem would go away.
Regardless, there are two big problems with this assumption. First, oversimplification. It ignores other existing or subsequent factors once the “barrier” is removed. Second, it asserts that the wrestler has little to no agency in their creative endeavors, which was accurate at the time. Options were limited.
However, AEW arrived, and things changed.
Wrestlers and fans were attracted to AEW because it seemed like a promised land, offering something different. Creative freedom. The pendulum of public perception favoured AEW. Yet pendulums don’t stay still. When McMahon left, AEW struggled with an identity crisis.
The pendulum swung back. This binary mindset and oversimplified approach to problem-solving. Similar to McMahon, some fans continue to call for the removal of Tony Khan to address AEW’s problems. Now, WWE creative can’t do wrong. This optimism and pessimism are persistent in jokes about each company. Crowds at NXT shows chanting “Tony fumbled” reflect an assumption that AEW can’t book anyone right.
The default in this humour is WWE makes you more than a star. I saw a joking comment suggesting that WWE is so magical and restorative because it helped fix Miro and Perry’s marriage. It’s a joke, but one that carries high and potentially unrealistic expectations.
Expectations and Reality
Realistically, if Miro joins AEW, will he receive the “push” some think he deserves?
The reality of war shows former AEW wrestlers are generally finding success in WWE. Yet that success isn’t universal. Championship success is skewed towards NXT, and many former AEW wrestlers retain the same gimmicks and character presentations from their time in AEW. Obviously, Cody Rhodes and CM Punk are exceptions, not the norm.
A fairer comparison for Miro would be his last AEW opponent, Andrade. Andrade returned during the 2024 Royal Rumble. Andrade’s most notable accomplishments are holding the Speed Championship and feuding with Carmelo Hayes. Reading social media, Andrade isn’t satisfied with his infrequent bookings and lack of meaningful creative work.
The notion that a former Triple H NXT guy equals success is flawed, for each Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins is a Ricochet and Shinsuke Nakamura. Plenty like DIY and Catch Republic fill roles or become pillars of the tag division. Plenty don’t main event, and some don’t get consistent or significant storylines.
Some returns fail, but with time, they rebound, like Karrion Kross. Like those who join AEW, a transition period helps. Miro has always been an exceptional talent, so what happens if WWE’s magic touch makes Miro (again) another cog in the machine?
God’s Favourite Champion
The notion that Miro’s AEW run underwhelmed or was booked poorly feels like a whitewash. If anything, Miro’s best run, better than his WWE US Championship reign, was in AEW. After a lacklustre start as the vague “Best Man” to Kip Sabian, Miro redefined the monster archetype.
As God’s favourite champion, Miro’s cerebral and poetic verbiage made him a Kingpin-level supervillain. Miro’s in-ring storytelling, often centred around his weakened neck, was more than a cheat code for a babyface pop. It brought contrast and dimensions to a wrestler best known for playing a stereotypical foreign baddy.
For 140 days, Miro’s TNT Championship reign delivered more than was promised. It showed us Miro’s capabilities and main event potential. But that didn’t happen. Wider issues impacting the creative and backstage environment, as well as allegations of Miro’s own choices, halted progress.
Miro joined AEW when the pendulum made AEW the place to be and remained there when the pendulum shifted back again. The problem with positivity is that it sometimes blinds us to other factors. Aspects of war reality, such as transition, AEW’s style, and various other external and internal factors.
Rumours, Patterns and Responsibility
Miro wasn’t buried, nor booked as the butt of a joke. Miro’s wife was not booked to cheat on him. In fact, Miro barely lost, took a pin, or submitted after losing the TNT Championship. After reaching the finals of the 2021 Eliminator Tournament, Miro would fight and claim three out of four victories on PPV. After Forbidden Door, Miro went undefeated until he left.
Miro was kept strong with frequent promo videos, even threatening God! The problem was holding pattern booking. The words were empty and unsubstantiated. Matches were repetitive. Miro became boring due to its lack of storyline, character growth, and no reason to invest emotionally.
AEW deserves its share of criticism. However, rumours suggested Miro turned down creative pitches. Further rumours circulated repeatedly, both during and after Miro left, of former WWE wrestlers refusing to lose to wrestlers who hadn’t been in WWE. MJF alluded to this in his piece on The Players Tribune.
The Redeemer won 89% of his AEW matches. Each loss was booked to protect Miro: referee stoppage, the tag partner was pinned, the neck of sand as kryptonite. Five losses, but unfulfilled potential. We never got the main event push. Yet even boring, Miro’s character remained consistent and strong compared to his collective Rusev runs in WWE.
If the rumours hold some truth, then the wrestlers also share the responsibility. The number of former WWE wrestlers who have transitioned to AEW and found success, or in many cases, even greater success, is numerous.
Moving The Pendulum
If Miro does rejoin WWE, his booking and treatment will impact the momentum of the pendulum. If Miro, like Andrade, and other returnees languish in the midcard, failing to meet expectations and becoming a waste of potential will create an obvious, undeniable pattern. Trust in the process will change again.
Already, fans are wondering if Andrade will be the first to return to AEW. It’s made some think the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. If Rusev Day becomes just another Groundhog Day, the effects will be more than just a reevaluation of Miro’s AEW run. Looking beyond tribalism, we should be able to see that various factors impact wrestlers’ careers, alongside good booking.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
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