Miro Fires Back at Ex-WWE Stars Being Labeled ‘WWE Guys’ in AEW

All Elite Wrestling has signed its fair share of former WWE stars since the company first launched back in 2019. In 2021 alone the company has brought in the likes of Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, Ruby Soho, Paul Wight, Mark Henry and Christian Cage. However the label of “WWE Guy” has often been tossed around by some of AEW’s critics, something Miro (formerly known as Rusev) is not a fan of. 

“CM Punk, Bryan Danielson and me and Moxley, none of us are ‘WWE guys’ that everybody calls it,” Miro said on The Zaslow Show (h/t Wrestling Inc.). “These people have been around the world way before WWE so when somebody says this guy is WWE, absolutely incorrect. God made me, not Vince McMahon. It was just a place to do professional wrestling because there was no other option but now there’s plenty of other options, exciting options.

“AEW is the best wrestling company in the world and we prove that day in and day out,” he continued. “As far as the young guys, they have to step it up because yes big names have come and they’re having amazing matches and having a great impact but it’s up to the young guys to step up, to ask questions to see what they can do better, that’s what it’s all about.”

Miro first arrived in AEW in the Summer of 2020, and while he got off to a slow start by teaming with Kip Sabian the former United States Champion managed to completely reinvent himself as “God’s Favorite Champion” and “The Redeemer.” He beat Darby Allin for the TNT Championship back in May and held the title for 140 days before losing it to current champion Sammy Guevara. Recently he was added into the AEW World Championship Eliminator Tournament as a replacement for Jon Moxley and made it to the finals before falling to Danielson at Full Gear this past Saturday. 

“First of all, if I was in my full health I would’ve destroyed Bryan Danielson in about eight minutes,” Miro noted. “Unfortunately I wasn’t and I had to be in labor through this whole match, but I went through otherwise I would’ve won 100%. Unfortunately God had a different opinion, it is what it is.”