CLEVELAND, Ohio - Countless great athletes have walked the halls of the 18 schools in the Northeast Ohio Conference.
But only one has become the WWE world heavyweight champion.
Normandy graduate Mike “The Miz” Mizanin played baseball and basketball, ran cross country, and swam at the prep level before embarking on an ultra-successful career in sports entertainment.
“Yes, I was an Invader,” Mizanin told SportsInk.com. “Actually, I still am. I’ll always be proud to be one, just like I’ll always be proud to represent Cleveland.”
Mizanin also was the president of Normandy’s student government, served as the senior editor of its yearbook, and earned a spot in the school’s academic honor society.
“I’ve always loved when people tell me I can’t do something because I’ll go right out and prove them wrong, just to spite them,” said Mizanin, who also lived in Brunswick for 2 1/2 years as a youth. “That’s been the case whether I was on (MTV’s) ‘The Real World’ or when I came to WWE and everyone treated me like I didn’t belong here.
“It might not look like it, being on TV and everything, but I’ve had to work hard for everything I’ve accomplished.”
Though WWE fans know the 30-year-old superstar as a cocky villain, the man behind the character is actually an inherently likeable guy.
Those qualities were on display when he recently threw out the first pitch at a Cleveland Indians game and received a warm ovation as a classic “local boy makes good” story.
Mizanin also recalled his high school hardball career when he walked onto the diamond at Progressive Field.
“My baseball coach at Normandy, Marty Kane, taught me to throw right through the plate,” he said, smiling broadly. “That was my goal here, to show everyone that I can still bring it on the mound.”
And that Mizanin did, just as he will tonight as part of the WWE television taping at Quicken Loans Arena. The company’s flagship program — “Monday Night Raw” — will be beamed worldwide from downtown Cleveland beginning at 9 p.m.
It will mark Mizanin’s first appearance at “The Q” since winning the WWE championship, which he did last Nov. 22 in Orlando by defeating Randy Orton. In addition to becoming just the 40th person ever to hold that prize, he retained it in the main event of “WrestleMania 27” on April 3 in front of 71,617 fans in Atlanta.
And though he lost the title late in the spring, Mizanin figures to be the most popular performer tonight in his hometown.
“I hope that’s the case, but I’m kind of wondering how it’s going to happen,” he said. “Maybe when I’m introduced it will be like ‘From Cleveland, Ohio’ — yay — ‘The Miz’ — boo.
CREDIT THEMIZ.NET
