The Miz recently shared new insights into the infamous The Miz WWE locker room incident, which saw him banned from the WWE locker room in 2006 following a clash with Chris Benoit. This ordeal unfolded soon after The Miz began his full-time career with WWE, casting a shadow over his early days in the company and revealing the pressures new wrestlers often endure behind the scenes.
How The Incident Unfolded and Its Impact on The Miz’s Early WWE Career
After joining WWE through the reality show Tough Enough in 2004, The Miz transitioned to the SmackDown roster, but his initiation was far from smooth. In 2006, rumors swirled that Chris Benoit had kicked The Miz out of the locker room because of what was deemed unprofessional conduct—specifically, eating chicken over someone else’s bag. Despite feeling the punishment was disproportionate, The Miz spent months ostracized, uncertain when, or even if, he would be accepted again by his peers.
The stress of being isolated took a toll. While The Miz has previously talked about the incident, including on his WWE 24 documentary, he has routinely avoided naming Benoit. However, during a recent discussion with Chris Van Vliet, he shed new light on the situation, expressing his complete lack of knowledge about when the ordeal would end.
The Miz Recounts Uncertainty and How The Ban Came to an End
The Miz recounted how the ban came to be enforced by “that person,” whom many believe to be Benoit, stating explicitly that it was not The Undertaker who initiated the punishment. Instead, The Undertaker played a key role in ending The Miz’s ban, a change that came only after Benoit was no longer with WWE. Benoit’s WWE career ended tragically in 2007 after he murdered his family and died by suicide, marking a dark chapter in wrestling history.
“I knew the person that told me that, hey, you’re kicked out of the locker room. He said you’re not coming in until I say so,”
The Miz recalled. He highlighted how lost he felt not knowing when he might be welcomed back, adding new context to this oft-repeated locker room story. Miz also stressed the confusion around the length of his ban and the uncertainty about when it would end.
“No, [it wasn’t The Undertaker who banned me]. [T]hat person went away. So then when that person went away, I was like, oh boy, how am I gonna get back in the locker room? So I had to wait another three months. I asked Taker. I was like, ‘Man, I’ve been out of the locker room for a long time.’ He goes, ‘Oh, you have?’ Yeah, I’ve been out like six months. ‘What’d you do?’ I ate a piece of chicken in the locker room, and it got all over. I still believe it did not, but other people will tell you differently, and they can have their opinions. That is fine.”
— The Miz, WWE Superstar
The Story of the Chicken Incident and Locker Room Hazing
The Miz explained that the story behind his ban began with an accusation of eating chicken over someone’s bag, but quickly escalated out of proportion. As rumors circulated backstage, the narrative morphed into stories of him supposedly tossing or smearing chicken throughout the locker room, which The Miz argued never happened. For him, this episode became about surviving rituals of hazing often endured by newcomers in WWE.
“Then by the time the telephone game was played, I was throwing chicken all over the locker room. I was smearing it on stuff, that’s what it felt like,”
The Miz recalled.
“So yeah, I went to Taker and I said, I ate chicken over a bag. Yeah, it’s real.”
— The Miz, WWE Superstar
Why The Miz Didn’t Retaliate and Lessons Learned
The ordeal left The Miz frustrated but resolute. He reasoned that resisting or fighting back against the punishment might have ended his WWE dream for good, or at least cost him invaluable opportunities to learn from wrestling veterans. Instead, he chose to endure, absorbing lessons from main event stars and using the difficult experience to improve his craft.
“So I knew I needed reps with stars, with main eventers so I could wrestle like a main eventer. I can watch all the footage I want of it. But there’s a difference between watching it and actually doing it. Everyone can watch it, not everyone can do it.”
— The Miz, WWE Superstar
The Miz’s reflection on the WWE locker room incident brings into focus the harsh realities that can shape a wrestler’s journey, as well as the enduring influence of figures like The Undertaker and Chris Benoit within the company. The episode serves as a cautionary tale and a testament to The Miz’s perseverance under pressure, illustrating the challenges behind the spectacle of professional wrestling and reminding fans of the intense environment rookies must navigate to achieve lasting success.
The Miz talks about the time he was kicked out of the locker room for six months, until The Undertaker let him back in
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