The Miz vs. Kaval - WWE 07.06.2010
The year, 2007. The ECW Championship was circling through young hands in the aftermath of Chris Benoit's double murder-suicide and the bizarre circumstances of several individuals being suspended for exposed steroid / substance usage. In the mix, John Morrison and The Miz. During one backstage segment, The Miz slapped JoMo and walked off. I was extremely annoyed. A strange reaction, perhaps founded in the enjoyment I received from John Morrison then. But it also tapped into a now embarassing elitist feeling concerning The Miz. How could WWE's writers possibly think of pushing this green hack - obviously stealing air-time due to so-called 'celebrity' status - to the potential detriment of someone who had blatant talent and potential in John Morrison?! The guy, that being Miz, had evidence of charisma but his in-ring efforts were underwhelming.
The year, 2010. Morrison has become bland, flashy athletics sometimes engaging (usually when deployed against heavyweights) but mostly producing a big, bad dose of 'meh'. The Miz, conversely, is RAW's best prospect. His mic-work and character development has been superb, his in-ring performances improved a great deal. Miz has emerged into a solidly entertaining act, exemplified through his prominent role on NXT.
This match here proves as such. A neat little match, its tale depicting Kaval (Low Ki to 'Net legions) test The Miz before succumbing to his 'veteran' opponent. To most viewers, and probably the writers, Kaval's comeback sequence is the most important part. But the excitement it generated is as much a testament to The Miz as it is Kaval. The heel's job during their control segment(s) is to slow down proceedings whilst beating down the fan favourite, a performance mechanism designed to rally the live crowd behind the face hoping to restore the faster, thrilling pace. In the past Miz' offense was sluggish, telegraphed and awkward. It wasn't very engaging. Here, however, The Miz displays vast improvement in the crispness and confidence of his motions. His rest-holds don't look like RESTholds, Miz plays around portraying them as another punishing attack. His strikes appear strong and intentional. Not filler-fluff or weak. He can afford to drag down the match's flow because his offense is interesting enough to bridge the opening and closing excitement. The awkwardness is gone, allowing him to focus on his material and read the crowd.
Kaval does well in not letting himself feel the need to 'steal the show'. The simplicity of his comeback, comparatively speaking, is all the better for it. At this point the NXT rookies should have 'tough' showings against the WWE Pros, but not to such an extent that they seem superior in defeat. Yet. That's the point of the whole show after all, these rookies progressing to the point where one or more are promoted to the main roster. Promoted into being equals. Kaval's restraint in offense and sustained fatigue selling hints at a humble maturity that'll see him flourish in the WWE. Hopefully he keeps this up.
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