#FreeRiley

[The Mattitude Era]

From the main page: http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/533393-alex-riley-creates-freeriley

Alex Riley wants back in the ring, especially after Vince's "brass ring" comments.
What do you guys think?

I really like Riley, and I really enjoy him on the pre-shows. But if the guy wants back in the ring, I don't see why they wouldn't give him a shot. He was pretty damn over coming out of his feud with The Miz way back in 1982 or whenever that was. Then his push got derailed (if I remember correctly, rumor has it him and Cena got into a thing). But I'd like to see him given another shot.

 

[DCLXVI]

Saw his Twitter feed a few days ago and he is all about it. Apparently him and Tyson Kidd stole the show at a recent event. Will he go over or will they find a place for him? I don't know. I do know he is actively wrestling right now and is a smart dude.

 

[LuckyLouie]

I never liked him, he was generic in the ring besides his finisher. But I have not seen him wrestle for a while.
But I dont care for him so this isnt that important. But this could be cool if the younger guys are gonna try and step up.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

To be perfectly honest, I was never all that impressed with Alex Riley. Personally, I think he's better as a commentator. Riley's wrestling career peaked when he was ultimately being Miz's toady during his title run. Inside the ring, he was average. I thought he was pretty solid on the mic but, overall, he didn't show me anything particularly special. He's not bad, but he's not great. He's a passable pro wrestler all in all but there are a lot of guys on the main roster and in NXT that are just head & shoulders above Riley.

The problem with Vince's "brass ring" comment is that it ultimately came off to me as a means of trying to pass the buck on some issues with WWE from himself and onto the talent. It's no secret that Vince McMahon is THE decision maker on anything that goes on, which means he ultimately decides who gets pushed, who doesn't, how strong they're getting pushed, how much time they're given to ultimately impress him & prove that they should be pushed. Vince is the one who insists on scripted promos and, at times, restricted move sets and this sometimes leads to wrestlers who're not really able to fulfill their potential. How can you grab that "brass ring" when you may be told by the boss himself not to grab it? Vince's legendary for his mood swings, so it's little wonder that most wrestlers walk on egg shells around him as they're never gonna know what'll set him off or what kind of mood he might be in. Going up to him and telling him that you think you deserve a push and that all you want is a genuine, rock solid opportunity to prove yourself, which Vince alleges is what he ultimately wants, could wind up getting you in hot water if Vince is in a bad mood. Due in part to the mood, maybe he thinks you were using a disrespectful tone, maybe said bad mood gives him the notion that you're being disrespectful to guys who've been there & paid more dues, or whatever. Instead of getting your push, you might find yourself jobbing out to El Torrito for the next 6 months.

 

[HurriKane]

Dude had the most epic theme song, I would love to see him come back, and hopefully get a nice push in the mid-card. I don't know who he'll feud with, but he could be a nice wrestler to have on the card, doesn't have to be a top guy, but could be along the lines of a Jack Swagger.

 

[PeterSellersSTL]

he had wrestlemania headliner all over him, it'll be interesting to see if he gets his wish

 

[The Mattitude Era]

Does anyone have any ideas on how you would bring back to the ring? I was thinking they could have him somehow begin feuding with a wrestler while a pre-show analyst. Maybe have him get into with Cesaro while Cesaro is a guest host or something. Or maybe have him continuously/subtly take shots at a certain wrestler to the point where that wrestler eventually shows up and says blah blah blah. This could somehow snowball into an in-ring return. I'm not suggesting Cesaro, just the first guy that popped into my head.

 

[faltemer]

I just saw him at live event vs Tyson, and saying he stole the show is a hilarious stretch. To begin with it was a fairly weak show, and he still only managed to be the fourth best match on the card. Ambrose/wyatt, goldust/stardust vs usos, and swagger/rusev were all much better. Hell his match was only slightly better the diva matches.

 

[Navi]

I have no interest in seeing Alex Riley in the ring again. He is perfect at what he does on the pre-shows, so I would keep him there.

Now Booker T on the other hand. I'm still struggling to find a reason he still has a job. He and Lawler really need to go.

 

[Mustang Sally]

But if the guy wants back in the ring, I don't see why they wouldn't give him a shot. He was pretty damn over coming out of his feud with The Miz way back in 1982 or whenever that was. Then his push got derailed (if I remember correctly, rumor has it him and Cena got into a thing).

Yeah, and I thought his getting nailed with a DUI (subsequently dismissed) at the height of his program with Miz had something to do with his derailment, although I would note in cynical fashion that, unlike other performers who are cited for this offense, the company didn't take Riley off the active roster when it happened, apparently because they wanted to finish the program first. Once the plotline ran it's course, Riley found himself buried backstage. Hypocritical, no?

Personally, I think Riley is just another Average Joe. He looks good, but so do many others. Same thing with his ring repertoire. But if he's timing the "brass ring" message from Vince McMahon to assert himself, all the power to him.

You figure it can't hurt to ask, right?.....that is, unless Vince decides to see it as a diss.

Oh well, it worked for Zack Ryder....at least for a while.

 

[GeneralKarim]

Hmm..I'm pretty surprised by these comments. From seeing Riley on the main roster the dude was pretty good in the ring. He was aggressive, he's in tip top shape and has "the look", he's hella charismatic and, imo, a natural. Hell, he even had Roman Reigns' drop kick in his arsenal only an even cooler version that was done on the second rope while the wrestler was hanging.

For someone who was given little time to actually wrestle on the main roster he did pretty good in the ring, they really didnt give him a chance to evolva. After his feud with the Miz the dude was pretty damn over. He had a very good entrance song and people always popped for the beginning of it.

On the mic to me the dude could've been pure gold but WWE never gave him the chance or the material to work with it. He's naturally charismatic and good on the mic so improvements could've been made pretty easily if WWE invested in him. But then they started to fade him out cause of his DUI and that was that.

I dont care much about the dude so I'm not biased but that's what I see when I see him in action.

 

[Softcore Holly]

Don't remember much of his main roster time, his singles run was pretty short and he didn't have that much time to leave a impression on me. But he is a tall good looking guy in great shape that's comfortable on the mic, so that's usually a recipe for at least some success in the WWE. If he can put on good matches then sure get him in the ring and if they need to just have Regal take his spot on NXT.

 

[Mudlup50]

Does anyone have any ideas on how you would bring back to the ring?

Well the Austin/McMahon podcast was live on the WWE Network. Why not just state the facts. Riley comes out next week on Raw and says he was insulted by McMahons comments on the Podcast(play the audio for the fans to hear or quote it verbatim) then he says something along the lines of "the reason no one is reaching for the brass ring is because I haven't been competing on your show Vince! Give me one match tonight and I'll prove to you that I can be 'the guy'!" Cue Jericho's music, Y2J says something to the effect of "well I'm in charge tonight and you can have your chance to impress Vince with a match against...John Cena!"

During the match things will be going okay for Riley but as Cena hoists him up for an AA, Riley slides off his shoulders and out of the ring. Cena looks at A-Rye with that classic Cena "I'm confused" look. Then Lesnar jumps Cena from behind. Cena tries to get some offense in but then Alex Riley jumps in attacking Lesnar. Just as Lesnar is about to take Riley out Cena joins back in and the 2 on 1 attack pushes Brock out of the ring. The show ends with Cena and Riley in the ring staring Brock Lesnar out of the ring.


In this scenario you have Riley wrestle toe to toe with Cena, saves Cena(like a proper face), ignite a feud with Lesnar/Heyman. Does he deserve all of that, probably not but it's an idea. I do think some superstar should mention Vince's comment on Raw next week. Whether it be Ryback, Ziggler or maybe Ambrose? Whoever they book to win the Rumble

 

[kcprodigy]

I have been a long time Riley fan. Always pictured him being an IC champ.

The way I would bring him back is by entering the Rumble. He comes in and tears the house down. Making his presence known. Throws out several names. To only get screwed by what could be his next feud. A heel Sheamus or BNB. This feud carries into Fast Lane where he shows his singles stuff again. Wins.

 

[The Mattitude Era]

And then he wins the rumble and headlines Wrestlemania beating Lesnar in 8 seconds for the title. Call it.