Alex Riley: The American Dream of 2011?

[CM Steel]

The evolution of Alex Riley has been "Awesome" as the Miz would say. From starting off from NXT to RAW as the Miz 's sidekick if not various roles as that for the Miz. To fueding with the Miz a former WWE champion. And being put over by the Miz in a match in Riley's hometown of Washington D.C. To going for his first title in the WWE in a fued with Dolph Ziggler for the U.S. championship. Promos and all!

The WWE hasn't push anyone like this up the WWE ladder in a very long time. But do you think that Alex Riley needs a new finisher or something else new? And he could be a great new breath of fresh air to the U.S. title, and the WWE title.

Now that the brand extention is now over with the supershows. Why not move Alex Riley just move back to Smackdown before he got draft back to RAW to start his fued with the Miz. But then again without the Miz fued, where would Alex Riley be on Smackdown? Getting RKO'd by Randy Orton each week??

So to explain, is Alex Riley on the level to this era's "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes? Someone who can climb the corprate ladder in wrestling. And can overcome? But I guess, only time will tell.

 

[Moose70nyc]

Well as much as i would like to believe that Riley is gunna be a big time player in 2012, the WWE always does something to set guys that they are going to push back. i am a big supporter of WWE and always have been. Its hard to tell though. Riley hasnt done anything groundbreaking on TV for a few weeks now, and has not gotten alot of time since they started their supershow period. All he got last week was a video vignette. WTF?? If you want a guy to be a main player you have to feature him every week in some capacity or the other in front of a live crowd.

Time will tell though as I will not get my hopes too high, but he has that look that you cant describe but see on a future star. i see that in him but Im not Vince so I cant say what he has in mind for A-Ry.

 

[Dusty Roids]

i was against Riley's MEGA push. Suddenly they start building him as some kind of superman who beats his mentor about 3 times clean! I am glad they have pushed him back a little bit cause in my eyes he still hasn;t got what it takes to go over a main eventer like the Miz. I am not saying he totallu sucks, but let him improve a little in some midcard feuds.

 

[Headman]

I am so lost on why the IWC is so impressed with Riley. Please direct me to a link of the deleted segments from RAW where he actually shows personality or any sign of charisma, because I'm dying to see what everyone else sees. I don't really see the comparison to Dusty Rhodes either.

 

[GameOver]

Yeah i never saw it either, though out of the bunch he was in during NXT he was the best but that's saying the rest were really really bad.

He has the look and is not useless in ring or "wasn't" bad on the mic but that's about it. He woulda been better served to stick with the Heel College Jock/Bully gimmick that suited him better, he didn't need to hang around the Miz and become a fool for aslong as they had him there and certainly not turn face anytime soon.

comparing him to a legend is an insult lol I just don't see him as the people's champ, he's as i said b4 either a bully or nothing.

Understand though that they were probably striving to get some more people in the main event whether they were ready or not and will try things out as they did with Morrison, Kofi and Swagger.

 

[Papa Zapatista]

To the 2 guys above me: it's not just the IWC. Watch the first time he beat up Miz. The crowd was going absolutely crazy, and he got a huge "Riley!" chant during the beatdown. His pops at every show since then have been decent, and he's a definite fan favorite. He's got a good look, great mic skills, and his charisma is above average. His only problem at the moment is he doesn't really have a gimmick (which is the problem that a LOT of WWE stars have.... like McGillicutty and Ziggler for instance). They need to repackage him a little and push him in the upper midcard. After Vicki and Dolph split, he should definitely get a good 1-2 month feud for the US title, and then take things from there.

 

[GameOver]

and you're lumping me in with the post above me why? i never criticized the IWC

I was just talking in general, and just cause the local crowd goes nuts, you realise likely the only reason that was the case was because they hate the Miz more, anyone coulda done the same thing and probably got a huge cheer. Hell if Santino had done it or Ryder had done it they woulda gotten even more of a pop. That doesn't mean shit, the crowd is a minute segment of who's watching.

I do agree though that he definately would be a good fit for the US/IC title run in the near future, he's not useless just as you said his gimmick atm is not very good, i might also add i said that anyway, he was a better fit as a Jock type Bully, maybe hooking up with Swagger as the All American American's.

God knows why they felt Swagger vs Dolph is gonna work. Dolph is far better overall then Swagger ( i said Overall) not in technical ability obviously, and Vicki is no use anymore.

Dolph shoulda got the face run and Riley just seperate from Miz and go on his own heel run

 

[Sin Jackal]

I hope I don't come off as a troll or anything here, but I seriously don't see the appeal of Alex Riley. He was The Miz's bag boy basically for months. . .who literally would be nothing without being put next to Miz. And Miz at the time was a guy getting overly pushed as it was. So that's doubly embarrassing for Riley.

Then Riley gets pushed down our throats too just because he got pop for turning on a hated wrestler. So what? Insert any random jobber in Riley's place, then have him turn on Miz in the same way he did. . .and he would've gotten cheered. Replace Riley with Duke "The Dumpster" Droese, and he would've gotten cheered until the roof blew off when he turned on Miz.


So ever since then, Riley has been riding the cheers from turning on Miz. . .with multiple matches against Miz. But guess what? As soon as he stopped facing The Miz, he wasn't getting cheered nearly as much. His mic skills are nothing to write home about at all, and he doesn't really inspire much in the ring either. Right now he should be little more than a jobber. Does not deserve getting pushed at all. I would be offended as a fan if he kept getting pushed just because of the cheers he got at the expense of The Miz (who was arguably the most hated wrestler at the time). Again. . .anyone would've gotten cheered in that situation. NOBODY liked Riley because he was with Miz, and they ONLY liked him because he turned on him. That's it.

 

[AGEOFPUNK]

Riley to me has picked up a bit with his mic and in ring work. Hes not @ the level a guy like rhodes is @. But he is getting their he is still young and we still need to give him time to develop. In the beginning of his wwe career i thought he was nothin more than a "frat boy" as people were calling him in the beginning. So my advice to you all is relax be patient with Riley he is still developing even if it is @ a turtle like pace.

 

[Oracular Spectacular]

One of the main things that made Dusty Rhodes the "American Dream" was that he looked like the average American.....Most of us American's don't have a glistening 6-pack like Riley. Dusty Rhodes "The Son of a Plumber" Alex Riley "The High School Jock"

If anyone has ever came close to being "The American Dream" Its Colt Cobana, average physic and humble upbringings, just as soon as he beats John Cena at WM 30 then it will be complete

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

Actually, I think Alex Riley's push has been the most natural we've seen in a VERY long time. He hasn't been propelled to the top, placed in undeserving matches, given wins he shouldn't have, or slapped with a title he can't credibly defend. He got his few shots on the Miz and the crowd went crazy. He was given an amazing entrance and the fans are buying into him. But what's he actually done in the last month? Where's he going in the month to come?

I'm not saying ARy isn't a big star for the future of the company, but I'm not saying he's the goldenboy Vince is looking for either. His push has been minimal, and has had average success. He's going to wait his turn in line, and I for one am glad we're not seeing another Sheamus who just happens to sprint up the ladder because he's the WWE's flavor of the month.

 

[Headman]

To the 2 guys above me: it's not just the IWC. Watch the first time he beat up Miz. The crowd was going absolutely crazy, and he got a huge "Riley!" chant during the beatdown. His pops at every show since then have been decent, and he's a definite fan favorite. He's got a good look, great mic skills, and his charisma is above average. His only problem at the moment is he doesn't really have a gimmick (which is the problem that a LOT of WWE stars have.... like McGillicutty and Ziggler for instance). They need to repackage him a little and push him in the upper midcard. After Vicki and Dolph split, he should definitely get a good 1-2 month feud for the US title, and then take things from there.

I think it says more about how hated Miz was than how over Riley is. The crowd reactions have cooled off since then and I'm not arguing with you, I just don't see the mic skill and charisma that you're talking about. I really don't get how people say he's got a good look either, because he's very vanilla. The other guy who originally posted below me said I criticized the IWC, but I'm part of the IWC. I just happen not to agree with other internet wrestling fans on a great number of issues. Including Riley.

Actually, I think Alex Riley's push has been the most natural we've seen in a VERY long time. He hasn't been propelled to the top, placed in undeserving matches, given wins he shouldn't have, or slapped with a title he can't credibly defend. He got his few shots on the Miz and the crowd went crazy. He was given an amazing entrance and the fans are buying into him. But what's he actually done in the last month? Where's he going in the month to come?

I'm not saying ARy isn't a big star for the future of the company, but I'm not saying he's the goldenboy Vince is looking for either. His push has been minimal, and has had average success. He's going to wait his turn in line, and I for one am glad we're not seeing another Sheamus who just happens to sprint up the ladder because he's the WWE's flavor of the month.

I agree with that, but at the same time I think people are overreacting about Riley. I'm not claiming to be this great judge of talent, but if I were a scout looking for the next big star I'm sure I would have passed right over Riley.

 

[wushady]

I definitely wouldn't compare him to Dusty Rhodes. Rhodes was the common man that the average fan could relate to. Riley has the wrestler physic and didn't have to struggle in the territories like Rhodes did. I do think he'll be a big star in the future. Yes he was the Miz's bitch boy but Orton and Batista were HHH's bitches at one point too. Batista was even Devon's bitch boy before that they turned out fine. I'm not saying he's as talented as them only time will tell. I'm just saying to the posters that said they don't see him as a star because he started as a bitch boy. I really doubt back when Orton started out many people thought he would be where he is now.

 

[#SAWFT]

I didn't really see much of Dusty Rhodes' work, so I can't really compare them.
But I do like Alex Riley. He resembles Brock Lesnar (in my opinion), just because of his in ring style.
But I do believe that he should change his finisher to the consequence (Samoa Joe's finisher). It just seems more impactful than his finisher now.

 

[OwenHart100%legend]

I am so lost on why the IWC is so impressed with Riley. Please direct me to a link of the deleted segments from RAW where he actually shows personality or any sign of charisma, because I'm dying to see what everyone else sees. I don't really see the comparison to Dusty Rhodes either.

Iv got to agree with Headman, I really am at a loss to try figure this out, what is so great about A-Ry, I mean he is not bad and has talent but the next Dusty? Im sorry I cant see that in a month on Sundays.

He actually reminds me of John Cena but with a lot less personality, he just seems like your generic WWE wrestler, a guy with a good build, short hair cut a bit of intensity nothing out of the ordinary.

On a totally different point is it just me or is riley going grey early? He looks to me as if he is, because that would be a better look, the George Clooney silver fox look

 

[Wade's Public Transit Bomb]

Err.. Isn't Riley's backstory that his Dad was rich and his mom is a former beauty queen? On NXT, he made it very clear that he was just another privileged douchebag. Honestly, as of right now, I think Riley is a flash in the pan. Sure, he had that one great segment on Raw; But that hasn't carried to anything else he has done since then. To be fair, I think it is waayyyyy too early for him.