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JOSEPH HUDAK For The Times Leader

The WWE’s presence in the Wyoming Valley has come a long way since the days of matches in the Bishop O’Reilly High School gym, where local fans watched the likes of Randy “Macho Man” Savage flaunt and flex, and Tito Santana defend his Intercontinental belt against future Minnesota governor Jesse “The Body” Ventura.

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Mike Mizanin, ‘The Miz,’ will be one of many ‘superstars’ at Monday night’s WWE match at Wachovia Arena. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger also will be on hand as the night’s special guest host.

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‘We’re out to entertain the people. (A WWE event) is like a cross between a rock concert, a sporting event and an improv show. There’s just so much that goes into WWE that no other promotion has,’ says Mike ‘The Miz’ Mizanin. See Mizanin and other ‘superstars’ at Wachovia Arena’s Monday night WWE event.

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Tomorrow an audience far larger than those intimate 1980s gymnasium crowds will cheer on its heroes and boo the heels when the WWE stages its weekly “Raw” broadcast at the Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township in front of a live TV audience. (Tickets are still available.)

“There’s a lot more pressure at a live show,” says The Miz, one of the WWE’s “superstars,” as the organization calls its high-flying athletes, who will compete Monday night. “Anything can happen, and if it does, you have to deal with it right there, on live TV. It’s always fun to watch when a person doesn’t know what’s going on.”

John Cena, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton and the towering Big Show are among the other superstars joining the outrageously arrogant Miz (he refers to himself as a “chick magnet”) on the night’s card. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be the night’s special guest host.

“Most people don’t like me,” Miz admits. “And that’s fine with me, cause I am The Miz, and I am awesome no matter what. My ego is big enough to where I’m OK without fans cheering me.”

But outside of his Miz character, the 29-year-old born Mike Mizanin proves a gracious and educated interview — far removed from any meathead stereotypes the wrestling uninitiated may harbor.

No doubt some of that media savvy came from his previous experiences in the public eye: Mizanin starred in a number of MTV reality series, most famously in the 10th season of “The Real World.” It’s a pop-culture footnote for which Mizanin is still recognized.

“There’s still that handful (of fans) that say, ‘I remember you from The Real World!’ And I’m like, ‘Gee, thanks, that was nine years ago!’ I started on Real World when I was 20 years old!” says the three-year WWE veteran. “I did five years of reality shows, but now I’ve just been focusing on wrestling.”

A fan since he was a boy, Mizanin fondly recalls the days when the WWF, as it was previously called, was ruled by one blond-haired behemoth: Hulk Hogan. Now, with Hogan all but retired and known more for his family’s controversies, a fresh group of young wrestlers — the Miz included — is vying to be the next headliner.

“There’s a whole new locker room, a whole new crop of stars waiting to break into that main-event status,” enthuses Mizanin, who says the life of an always-on-the-road grappler is much improved over the hardscrabble existence depicted in last year’s Mickey Rourke film “The Wrestler.”

“I enjoyed (the movie), but it shows a different time in the wrestling era,” Mizanin says. “Nowadays, it’s not like that, especially in the WWE. We’re more corporate now. That was more old school, where if you didn’t save your money, that’s what happened. The WWE has people come in to talk to us about how to use our money correctly and wisely. We have money managers who really help us out so we don’t become that Mickey Rourke character.”

As for the nation’s own money woes, Mizanin says the recession has seemingly boosted attendance. “Ever since the economy went bad, I think our crowds have actually picked up, rather than dropped off. People want to do something that entertains them and makes them have fun, and forget about everything that is going wrong.”

And, he stresses, fans will never leave feeling bilked—as they might at a boxing match or MMA bout that ends with a first-round knockout or tap-out.

“Our main events aren’t three minutes long,” Mizanin says. “We’re out to entertain the people. (A WWE event) is like a cross between a rock concert, a sporting event and an improv show. There’s just so much that goes into WWE that no other promotion has.”

IF YOU GO

What: Monday Night Raw

Who: with WWE superstars The Miz, John Cena, the Legend Killer Randy Orton & the Legacy, Kofi Kingston, Mark Henry, Carlito, Santino Marella, WWE Diva Kelly Kelly and more.

Where: Wachovia Arena, 255 Highland Park Blvd., Wilkes-Barre Township

When: 8:15 p.m. tomorrow.

Ticket info: 970-7600