CLEVELAND–He’s known for being “awesome” and for his skull-crushing finale.
Yet, WWE superstar Mike “The Miz” Mizanin wants kids to know that violence and name-calling does not solve anything.
“It’s tough being a kid,” he said. “The conflicts that the children go through are in real life and they’re real world”
The Parma native visited 350 children at William Cullen Bryant Elementary. He talked to them about bullying and what to do when they see one.
“If you’re called names, if you’re ever told you’re a nerd, you’re a dork, you’re a dweeb, you’re stupid,” he said.” I want you to go to your friends. I want you to go to your teachers. I want you to go to your families.”
He admits it can be tough for children to know the distinction from what he portrays on screen versus what they see in person.
Now, The Miz is making visits to hundreds of schools as a part of an anti-bullying initiative with the STAR Alliance.
The program was co-founded by the WWE and The Creative Coalition to teach children “Don’t be a bully, be a STAR: Show Tolerance and Respect.”
“I’m a fan of The Miz and have been of wrestling for years,” said eight grader Matt MacGuire. “He just encouraged everyone to be a star instead of bullying people. I think it hit home with a lot of people. You wouldn’t expect this from a pro wrestler.”
For a guy who was in their shoes not that long ago–he wants them to find their own way to shine–without hurting others along the way.
“I’m standing before you a person that was told you can’t become a WWE superstar because you’re not big enough, you’re not talented enough, you’re not athletic enough,” He said. “But I did it. And not only did I do it, I became one of the main eventers in WWE.”