The Miz hit 20 years since his official WWE in-ring debut this Tuesday, and one of his biggest rivals, John Cena, marked the occasion with a public tribute.
The A-Lister’s run began on the January 9, 2006 episode of SmackDown, when he faced Tatanka and picked up his first win in the company. To celebrate the milestone, The Miz posted on social media that many believed his career wouldn’t last, but said he still has no plans to stop.
Cena responded to the post and said Miz has become one of the go-to examples he brings up to young WWE talent when talking about effort and the ability to turn any opportunity into entertainment.
“Respect is earned. You earned mine a long time ago. Each sunset makes it far more difficult for most anyone else to deny theirs. Congratulations on an incredible 20 years! You ARE the example I consistently bring up to young talent of effort & turning anything into entertaining!”
John Cena @JohnCena Follow 
The Miz @mikethemiz 20 years ago today, I made my WWE in-ring debut.Most said I wouldn’t last.
That aged well.
And the best part? I’m not done yet.
Still here. Still must-see. Still AWESOME.
Show me your favorite Miz moment. Tag me and I may repost.
Consider that your assignment.
Class
11:30 AM · Sep 2, 2026The Miz and Cena main-evented WrestleMania 27 in 2011, where Miz retained the WWE Championship after interference from The Rock.
Years later, the two crossed paths again at WrestleMania 33. Cena and Nikki Bella defeated The Miz and Maryse in a Mixed Tag Team Match.
Even after Cena retired from in-ring competition in December 2025, the two interacted again on WWE programming at WrestleMania 42.