Alex Riley's Potential Is Being Wasted

[TempestH]

I've really enjoyed how far Alex Riley has come last year when he broke up with The Miz.

He's got decent size, big but not too big, All-American good looks, he's decent on the mic. His look and in-ring style are a cross of that of John Cena and the Rock, the very two men who main evented Wrestlemania 28. The guy manages to get huge pops from the live crowds. The guy is over, even with minimal TV appearances. And he didn't even have to resort to the methods that we've seen with Zack Ryder and his YouTube show, Ted DiBiase and his tailgate parties, Curt Hawkins/Tyler Reks with their short lived Midcard Mafia cartoon, or Jack Swagger and his Topless Q&A. The guy was crap in the ring and worked really hard to get better.

Yet what do they do? They bring him back to TV just to have him job to Albert.

Don't get me wrong, Albert/A-Train is one of my all time faves, but unfortunately his return was ruined for me by the fact that they picked Alex Riley of all people for him to steamroll over. I understand that Tensai needed to look like a monster, but it should've been anyone but Riley.

It's not even the fact that Riley lost, but that they couldn't make him look a bit more competitive doing so. At least with Brodus Clay, he got to show that he can entertain a crowd. This is a guy who beat a former WWE Champion, and in kayfabe, he had the collective numbers of two former World Heavyweight Champions over and over to the point where they had to form a tag team to beat him. I don't mind Riley jobbing, but he shouldn't be booked like a total chump. He should be losing in valiant efforts, not being tossed around for two minutes. He deserves better than that. When are they going to open their eyes and realize how talented the poor guy is?

 

[Diet Soda]

I wouldn't get too upset about it. Riley was the logical choice to feed to Albert.

The guy manages to get huge pops from the live crowds. The guy is over, even with minimal TV appearances.

Taking out a popular mid-carder ensures that the audience doesn't need to think about which way Lord Tensai will align himself, he's set himself up instantly as a monster heel.
Moreover, the majority of the jobbers that get fed to Brodus are heels, and it wouldn't make sense to have a heel vs. heel match, especially on his (re)debut.

He should be losing in valiant efforts, not being tossed around for two minutes. He deserves better than that. When are they going to open their eyes and realize how talented the poor guy is?

It's only too boost Tensai. We've just seen Brodus walk through all the entry-level jobbers, and he hasn't exactly gone anyway. It's more effective booking if Tensai takes out someone who has established talent rather than a leftover from NXT.

Fear not, Tempest, Riley's time will come.

 

[dotty_84]

With Riley getting a DUI i doubt top brass were happy, hasn't he had a few other misdemeanors also? anyway i think he's got potential thing is there are so many young up and coming talents, excluding Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose so when they come in it's going to be pretty hard to seperate yourself from others, luck could become a factor on if he gets a push, but atleast he got tv time...never a bad thing.

 

[Dolph Ziggler]

Why???

Riley cant wrestle and he's a joke

Drew mcintyre is the definition of wasted potential.

He's much bigger and a much much much better wrestler in the ring
He's decent on the mic
He's more good looking then riley

So why would you push someone who is inferior to another one?

 

[MrMojoRisin]

I liked the credibility it gave Tensai. Think about it. Just last summer (mere months ago), Riley was one of the guys entered in the WWE title tournament on RAW, and Tensai beat him up so badly that not only was the match stopped, but the WWE title contender from a few months ago couldn't even get in one bit of offense.

Now I know that's not what they were going for, but if you look at it like that, it really puts Tensai over huge... or shows just how monumentally bad that tournament really was.

 

[Merkin353]

Thank you Ziggler for saying it... If that is your real name... Anyway, I cannot stand Riley & cannot believe you think Spray Tan washing off half way through every match is "All-American Good Looks" Get an HDTV or something... Oh yeah quick question does saying All-American Good Looks mean if he had a slightly different maybe a hint of a Spanish look with the American look he wouldn't be as good looking to you?

 

[a7xfan93]

Why???

Riley cant wrestle and he's a joke

Drew mcintyre is the definition of wasted potential.

He's much bigger and a much much much better wrestler in the ring
He's decent on the mic
He's more good looking then riley

So why would you push someone who is inferior to another one?

you really need to get over yourself and over your boycrush on Drew. Newsflash: DREW SUCKS! He isn't bigger and much much much better wrestler in the ring, he sucks on the mike, and if you're gonna judge on looks, Mcintyre is ugly as hell.

Riley does need to be pushed a little though, he really isn't bad in the ring and on the mic, he is better than several people who are getting pushed.

 

[Ithil]

Riley had his chance, they gave him a push after the Miz break0up, and he blew it with awful in-ring performances and no charisma.

Him being so green at this stage is unacceptable, he's been wrestling for several years now and had a long time to prepare in FCW before this.

Sometimes a lot of training and experience just isn't enough, sometimes they just aren't talented in the ring.

That's NOT to say not to push lowr card guys, but there are a number of others at Riley's level that are much more talented and interesting than him, who need elevation more. He was right to be used as a jobber for A-Train/Tensai.

 

[The Eighties]

He's a guy that would benefit from a fully active tag team division. Put him with a partner like himself who is looking to get a break and see if they can come up with something that catches on.

 

[JaylisJayP]

I knew we'd get a thread like this after they used Riley against Tensai. Riley has an average look, average skill-set and slightly above average mic skills. Unless they repackage him, he should be glad they're using him on Raw as a jobber at all. Seriously, not everyone who had a half-decent intro into the business needs to be kept at mid-card or higher level all the time.

 

[Aidg]

altough im not a big fan of riley i do agree that he was wasted back then when he was major over withe the crowd after spliting with the miz. i dont think the wwe expected that to happen and they were just hoping to sweep him under the rug as punishment for his dui and i dont think they could or want to get him back to that level he was once on. anyone agree or disagree feel free to leave a reply.

 

[D-Man]

Wow... what a surprise... another "[Random Wrestler X] Needs a Push" thread.

Guys, when will it sink in...

There is only four total hours of top-billing WWE television programming per week. They have 54 male wrestlers on the roster. Now, if two wrestlers were showcased at a time and we did the math, that means that we need 26 segments to happen in four hours which gives 6 1/2 minutes for each segment to happen every week in order to showcase every superstar.

Now, add time in for commercials, WWE advertisements and Diva segments (since they're on the roster, too.)

See, the point is that there just isn't enough time to "push" and "showcase" every single piece of talent that the WWE has. Some guys need to start at the rock bottom and work their way up once top stars have had their time and they are moved out of the way. Quite honestly, I'd rather see guys like John Cena, Del Rio, Big Show, Randy Orton, etc. get more on-air time than Alex fucking Riley. So one random poster's personal preference is never going to fly because it doesn't make the WWE machine any money, regardless of how much potential YOU think they have. So I don't think Riley is being "wasted". I just don't think he's good enough to make the cut at this time.

I honestly hope everyone reads this. These dumb threads need to stop.

 

[BaconBits]

One has to have potential for that potential to be wasted.

And Alex Riley has little to no potential.

He's just some dude in a business where, to be successful, you have to be larger than life. His look is average, his mic skills are average, his wrasslin' skills are workmanlike at their absolute best.

Get a grip people.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

First of all, if your entire complaint is based upon last night's ass whippin' at the hands of Albert, you're in a state of simplicity. Seriously.

But, I agree. I think Alex Riley has every tool a successful wrestler needs. He's big, quick, charismatic and has a nice physique. Him not being recognized has a lot more to do with there being no room for him as opposed to him just sucking. He doesn't. There's no room right now.

He's young, his time will (probably) come.

 

[Ithil]

First of all, if your entire complaint is based upon last night's ass whippin' at the hands of Albert, you're in a state of simplicity. Seriously.

But, I agree. I think Alex Riley has every tool a successful wrestler needs. He's big, quick, charismatic and has a nice physique. Him not being recognized has a lot more to do with there being no room for him as opposed to him just sucking. He doesn't. There's no room right now.

He's young, his time will (probably) come.

You didn't mention "wrestling skills" in there. I think that's kind of important for a average sized wrestler to have, and Riley is devoid of it.

I also can't agree with any assessment of him as "charismatic". When has he ever shown that?

 

[The_Sharpshooter]

People need to stop coming to threads with negative attitudes just because the post is not to their liking. You can disagree without calling people names. Let me show you how to do this son:

OP is wrong, you IDIOT! Whoops, my bad, thats backwards. Lets try again.

I'm more inclined to agree with the 2nd post. 1st, when you think of jobbing faces Sans Santino, you draw a blank. Only person that could've taken A Ry's spot was Justin Gabriel, & he's hurt. 2nd, A Ry is someone the crowd rallies behind. I was at the show in ATL before Wrestlemania & he got a pop that made me think "Riley? Really? Riley? Randy? Riley? JIMMY!" Which makes Tensai look even more evil by destroying him. 3rd, the man has talent, but a year ago is a decade in WWE Universe time. I bet some people forgot he even beat Miz.

Fact is, he hasn't done much recently to make you think he can't get squashed. Daniel Bryan has been the best heel for the past 5 months, & he lost his title at WRESTLEMANIA in under a minute. No one's safe from embarassment.

Main question I took from that match was "How UNIMPRESSIVE did Tensai look"? No impact moves, no crazy gestures that really stood out. Only thing I took from the segment is "He doesn't know that we pin people in America" & "He should leave Great Muta tactics in the 80s where they're cool"

 

[TheWrestlo]

your definatly right i hate the fact that WWE is just using Riley as a jobber, hes come a long way from almost winning NXT to being miz's lapdog, to BETTING miz ( a former WWE champ) to almost becoming U.S. champion, and now hes just a jobber, but like everyone else i believe theres a reason he was brutilized yesterday, last week there was a report on WZ that said riley got injured at a house show, so mayb this is a way to write him off TV and when he returns he needs to be pushed to the mid-card level once again

 

[TempestH]

The match could've been a back and forth 5 minute big man, little man match, with Riley managing to keep up with athleticism and quickness. Riley gets Tensai up on his shoulders for his finisher, but Tensai just beasts his way out of it and destroys him. There's no reason why Riley couldn't have gotten a little bit of offense. I'm not pissed that he lost, I'm pissed that he was squashed.

Riley could be best served as the face counterpart of Ziggler: a guy who almost always loses, but at least looks like a threat.

 

[TempestH]

Wow... what a surprise... another "[Random Wrestler X] Needs a Push" thread.

Guys, when will it sink in...

There is only four total hours of top-billing WWE television programming per week. They have 54 male wrestlers on the roster. Now, if two wrestlers were showcased at a time and we did the math, that means that we need 26 segments to happen in four hours which gives 6 1/2 minutes for each segment to happen every week in order to showcase every superstar.

Now, add time in for commercials, WWE advertisements and Diva segments (since they're on the roster, too.)

See, the point is that there just isn't enough time to "push" and "showcase" every single piece of talent that the WWE has. Some guys need to start at the rock bottom and work their way up once top stars have had their time and they are moved out of the way. Quite honestly, I'd rather see guys like John Cena, Del Rio, Big Show, Randy Orton, etc. get more on-air time than Alex fucking Riley. So one random poster's personal preference is never going to fly because it doesn't make the WWE machine any money, regardless of how much potential YOU think they have. So I don't think Riley is being "wasted". I just don't think he's good enough to make the cut at this time.

I honestly hope everyone reads this. These dumb threads need to stop.

There isn't enough time for everyone to appear every week, but I'd like for Riley as well as many others to at least be treated like they mattered rather than being made to feel like failures in spite of improvement.

 

[JakeAdams]

The wwd has a knack for giving guys who have gotten to over too quickly the fuck you treatment. Why even hire you talent or new talent if you just de-push them to see if their characters can handle it. Why not just build them up slowly. It's may seem like a fucked up logic but somehow wrestling survived for years doing it.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

His potential isnt' being wasted if he hasn't realized it. He's still incredibly green. HHH lost to Ultimate Warrior in like 8 seconds. If losing to Tensai in a match few will remember in a year really hurts his career, he's not that good.

I agree that riley has a lot of POTENTIAL but he still looks like a guy trying to remember what to do. He's great on the mic, great look, but doesn't fully embody his character yet.

 

[TempestH]

His potential isnt' being wasted if he hasn't realized it. He's still incredibly green. HHH lost to Ultimate Warrior in like 8 seconds. If losing to Tensai in a match few will remember in a year really hurts his career, he's not that good.

I agree that riley has a lot of POTENTIAL but he still looks like a guy trying to remember what to do. He's great on the mic, great look, but doesn't fully embody his character yet.

There's a difference between getting squashed by a legend in the business (HHH actually got to hit his finisher, even if it was no-sold, Riley didn't even get any offense for Tensai to no-sell) and getting destroyed by someone who didn't do much the last time he was in the WWE.

Riley is only going to get better with experience. If he's green, minimizing his in ring experience by having him do very little isn't going to help at all.

How are these guys supposed to prove themselves when they aren't even given the chance? They put these guys on the lower shows but can't be bothered to promote or hype them. I'm not hoping for Riley to be a champion (although it would be nice), just to be treated a little better, along with the rest of the low card.

 

[D-Man]

There isn't enough time for everyone to appear every week, but I'd like for Riley as well as many others to at least be treated like they mattered rather than being made to feel like failures in spite of improvement.

But here's the thing... while Riley was getting pummeled in that match, he was also putting over a new superstar on the roster.

Professional wrestling is not always about winning matches. Losing them plays just as big of a part. You have to be just as capable of putting others over when you gain a win over a high-profile opponent as when you lose to a newcomer. You guys are all blinded by that because you are so busy being fans of your favorites that you don't take the time to understand the business side of things.

 

[Ithil]

There's a difference between getting squashed by a legend in the business (HHH actually got to hit his finisher, even if it was no-sold, Riley didn't even get any offense for Tensai to no-sell) and getting destroyed by someone who didn't do much the last time he was in the WWE.

Riley is only going to get better with experience. If he's green, minimizing his in ring experience by having him do very little isn't going to help at all.

How are these guys supposed to prove themselves when they aren't even given the chance? They put these guys on the lower shows but can't be bothered to promote or hype them. I'm not hoping for Riley to be a champion (although it would be nice), just to be treated a little better, along with the rest of the low card.

But there's dozens of green jobbers on the roster, many of which have far more talent than Riley.

Why should Riley get special treatment? He's had a LOT of developmental time, but he's still crap in the ring. There are better prospects to push right now. Giving a push to a green jobber just wastes TV time.

A-Train/Tensai is a new talent to the WWE's current roster, a proven and experienced one (given his many successful years in Japan), and putting him over is more important than one of many jobbers getting a push for no reason.

 

[Maximus9000]

Riley's ok. They could do a whole lot more with him, but I agree with the poster who mentioned that the tag division is the way to start.

How about a tag team with Riley & Ryder? Ryder's charisma would help get Riley over and he'd get the chance to de-green.