WWE 2K19 released back in October, and alongside the new game, 2K announced a Million Dollar Challenge. The rules were simple enough, beat the Million Dollar Challenge game mode, submit a video, and if picked, defeat AJ Styles himself in a game of WWE 2K19. Do all that, and you win $1 million.
Anyone familiar with Xavier Woods’ YouTube channel UpUpDownDown knows that AJ Styles is not only an avid gamer, he’s almost as competitive in the ring as he is with a controller. To give the competition a leg up, WWE Superstars have been assigned to the semi-finalists as coaches, including the A-Lister himself, The Miz.
Player.One caught up with The Miz ahead of WrestleMania weekend to talk about his coaching strategies, his match against Shane McMahon on the Grandest Stage of them All, and why he thinks he should be in the race for this year’s Emmy Awards.
While The Miz enjoys video games, he knows AJ Styles has great skill. In fact, The Miz will freely admit he isn’t as skilled as Styles at WWE 2K19. “Look, I can play 2K19 with the best of them. Can I beat AJ Styles? No,” he told Player.One. “He’s very good at it. He plays all the time, it’s all he does. Me? I have a lot more things on my plate. I’m the executive producer and star on Miz and Mrs. I have a lot of media I’ve been doing to promote the new season. I’ve been filming 14 episodes, I don’t think you understand how hard that really is. All while being a full-time WWE Superstar and dad. AJ has a lot more time on his hands to play games and hone his craft.”
This means the advice on offer will be more mental than game-related. “I can only teach a person so much,” The Miz said. “I plan on teaching them how to get into AJ Styles’ head. I plan on teaching them all the odds and ends I know about the game. But the main focus for me will be to get AJ out of his focus, so the person I’m coaching can do what they need to do to win $1 million.”
Of course, an A-Lister has other advice to give to someone in such a high-profile position. “I also need to prepare this person for the limelight. They will be at Barclays Center in front of the NXT Takeover audience, they will be on FOX Sports Digital as well as WWE.com and WWE Network,” said The Miz. “There are a lot of things happening for this person, but one thing is for sure: this will be life changing if this person wins. That’s the one thing I want to happen.”
The Miz has plenty of preparation ahead for himself as well, as the Superstar is going head-to-head with former tag partner Shane McMahon in a Falls Count Anywhere match at WrestleMania. “When you have WrestleMania coming up, you’re always preparing. You need to be at your mental and physical peak,” he said. “You need to set yourself up for success with everything you’ve worked for the entire year. I’m getting my body prepared for this type of match. I’m bringing more fire than you’ve seen from The Miz.”
This fight is more than just tough competition, it’s personal. McMahon attacked The Miz’s father at WWE Fastlane, immediately causing The Best Tag Team in the World to split up. This moment is ingrained in The Miz’s mind, and he can’t forget it. “It’s one thing to put your hands on me, it’s another to put your hands on my family,” he said. “I’m going to go full throttle and take it to Shane at WrestleMania, and make people remember this match.”
If coaching a WWE 2K19 Million Dollar Challenge contestant and having a marquee match at WrestleMania wasn’t enough, The Miz is preparing for the release of the second season of Miz and Mrs., his hit reality show he stars in alongside his wife Maryse. “Maryse and I spent a long time doing these 14 episodes. We put our heart and everything we have into them,” he said. “There’s a lot of heart and comedy. I think people will be highly entertained, and will find a show they can sit down with the whole family to watch and enjoy.”
This second season might even lead to a red carpet in the future. “I think this is my ‘For Your Consideration’ nod for an Emmy nomination. It sounds like a joke, but it’s not,” said The Miz. “We put tons of heart and dedication and story and character to really get recognized by Hollywood. This show is something different and something better than what’s on TV. It’s a hybrid show where it’s a reality show, but feels like The Office or Modern Family. It has all these elements to it that make it something different than what you’re used to.”
While the fate of The Miz at WrestleMania is up in the air, the Superstar knows whoever he is coaching is ready for victory. “There’s no better coach than me,” he said. “Having me as your coach is the best bet to win. I make everything must-see. If this person trains hard enough, I will be able to lead them to victory.”
The Million Dollar Challenge takes place this weekend, with the semi-final round taking place at WWE Axxess. The Million Dollar Challenge final against AJ Styles goes down during the NXT: Takeover pre-show on Friday, April 5 at approximately 6:30 p.m. EDT.
So what do you think? Do you believe that The Miz can coach a player into winning $1 million? Do you think AJ Styles will sweep the floor with the competition? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
