The Miz Admits WWE Releases Still Weigh on Him and Explains Why Dolph Ziggler’s Exit Hit Closest
After nearly two decades with WWE, The Miz has seen the company go through countless roster shakeups. Annual waves of talent releases have become an uncomfortable constant in modern WWE, and longevity alone does not shield anyone from that reality. Even for someone as decorated and dependable as The Miz, the uncertainty never fully disappears.
Speaking candidly on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, the former two-time WWE Champion acknowledged that he still feels the same anxiety many wrestlers do when release season arrives. At the same time, Miz made it clear that confidence in his own value has helped him process that fear.
“For me, this is going to sound very cocky and arrogant. I know how valuable I am,” Miz explained. “I know how good I am, and whether the audience sees it or not, I know people know. If you’ve wrestled me, you know.” That self-belief, he said, helps balance the lingering doubt that inevitably creeps in. “So yes, there’s always in the back of your mind, ‘Oh, is it me? Is it me? Is it me?’ But then there’s also that other part that goes, ‘I’ve done a lot in this business, and I still got more.’”
While roster cuts have impacted countless colleagues over the years, Miz singled out one departure that struck a deeper emotional chord. The release of Dolph Ziggler, now competing as Nic Nemeth, was particularly difficult to process. On screen, the two built a memorable rivalry centered on the WWE Intercontinental Championship, delivering matches that helped reestablish the belt as a meaningful prize. Off screen, their bond extended far beyond storylines.
“That was a tough one for me to see him go, because it was kind of like the last of my really core group of friends,” Miz shared. “I have friends, obviously, in the locker room, but that was my core group of friends.” The history they shared made the loss sting even more. “I was like, man, I’ve had such great matches with Dolph too. Him putting his career up and me the IC Title. That whole IC title reign, he was a big part of elevating that title as well.”
Miz’s reflections highlight a side of roster turnover that rarely shows up on television. Releases are not just business decisions or contract expirations; they dismantle long-standing relationships and erase shared histories built through years of travel, matches, and creative collaboration. For veterans, each departure subtly reshapes the locker room culture they helped grow.
As WWE continues to evolve under shifting corporate priorities, performers like The Miz remain in a constant balancing act between professional confidence and personal vulnerability. His comments suggest that while job security in wrestling is never guaranteed, experience, adaptability, and belief in one’s own worth remain the most reliable anchors in an unpredictable industry.
