By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

Monday night on Raw, one of WWE's potential future stars was given a big test working against Randy Orton in the TV main event.

How did The Miz fare? He didn't pass. He didn't fail, as he had a better second-half performance during the match, but his overall performance can be classified as "needs improvement."

Whether he was nervous performing on a big stage in the ring (rather than on the mic) or working with Randy Orton, Miz didn't show the same fire we've been accustomed to during his ascension from Smackdown scrub to noise-maker on ECW to a rising star on Raw.

One of the knocks against Miz during his rise has been the lack of big-time, stand-out in-ring performances against notable opponents. The match against Orton was clearly a litmus test to see where he stands.

In the first part of the match, Miz didn't look like he belonged in a TV main event with Orton. And it wasn't just because the story was for Orton to look strong heading into Summerslam.

It wasn't the same Miz in the ring. The swagger wasn't there. The cockiness wasn't there. The mean streak in-between offensive moves wasn't there. The trash-talking was non-existent. He played it safe rather than trying to be aggressive. He seamed fearful of hurting Orton rather than trying to continue earning his respect. The same "it factor" that makes Miz stand out on the mic when he takes chances wasn't there in the ring.

Miz should be taking the same mentality he has working with an NXT Rookie to a match-up with a main-event star like Orton, Jericho, Cena, Edge, Triple H, or The Undertaker. Against Orton, he didn't come across like he was in control of the situation, which should be the case for a top-level heel.

One of the tests on Raw was whether Miz could get over his character - even though the focus was on Orton - the same way he can working with an undercard wrestler. He didn't accomplish that despite some flashes here and there.

Despite the setback on Raw, Miz should receive more opportunities to work with top stars as he continues to "grow into his big boy boots." He's valuable on the mic, there's so little depth on the roster, and he has tremendous upside.

Miz has a high ceiling because there's plenty of room for development in the ring to go with strong intangibles. But, the story on Monday's Raw was clear. He didn't meet the challenge in his first major in-ring test since working with John Cena last year.

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