Push One, Fire One, Job One

[#BabyFace]

Ted Dibiase Jr. - Alex Riley - Jack Swagger​

3 WWE superstars who have certain things they all do well. So let's play a game. With these three, which one would you Push into a good role (main event), which one would you fire, and which one would you make a jobber? You can't say neither. Please explain why also.

Depending on the success of this thread, I may do more of these...


What would you guys do?

 

[haning13]

Ted Dibiase Jr.-Push
-Had a decent run as a heel during and post-Legacy, His face run wasn't really given much of a chance. He's a legacy and he's had some history with other superstars himself so he can always utilize the past in his character and future storylines if he was pushed more.

Alex Riley-Job
- Liked him originally with the Miz fued but WWE didn't capitilize soon enough on its popularity in order to benefit Riley. He has decent wrestling ability and I love his use of classic wrestling moves (ex. a really good spinebuster) but he really has no character or direction and is far from even being looked at. Keep him as a face? He wouldn't even have a chance to get to Ryder's diminished level as of late (Pre-Battle Royal win) Make him a heel again? Bottom line he'll end up like Drew McIntyre.

Jack Swagger-Fire
-Now I know I will probably get a lot of criticism for this but by firing him it gives him the opportunity to be repackaged. His character has been stale years ago even though his wrestling ability is still of the elite.

 

[TeamExtream97]

Push - Ted dibiase. he a great wrestler. he not plain and over with the fans.
Job - Jack swagger. he boring and plain but i would not fire him cause he has good mic skills
Fire - Alex riley . he not going no where, i dont know what pepole see in him. i like him, but no as good guy.

 

[thesquaredcircle]

I'd say push ted dibiase. I hope he follows in his dad's footsteps in being a rich heel with a stable.
I'd say fire Riley. He just hasn't shown me anything and I think he's very boring.
I'd say job swagger. At least swagger is somewhat good in the ring.

 

[Jake Khaotic]

Push- I think the obvious choice is Dibiase. The guy has competed with the likes of Triple H and HBK. He even had a match with Randy Orton at WRESTLEMANIA! He's got potential. He just needs a chance.

Job- Alex Riley. He's had a history with some big names in the WWE, so there would be at least a small amount of reasoning behind why he is getting his ass handed to him by the likes of Randy Orton and The Miz.

Fire- Jack Swagger. Creative won't use him. Take him to TNA, let him shine there. Otherwise he's stuck in Riley's spot.

 

[OutsiderDX]

Push/ Swagger- He has the size and wrestling skill to take on the main event roster. He has had a taste of gold, so people can view him as legitimite contender

Job / Dibiasi - He has become really good at it. No reason to take that away from him. He still has name and size and a good look. He just needs to become more aggressive. His background gives him ample supply for future angles. They can play off his dad more, his alliance with Orton and Rhodes, he can still do something with 2nd gen men.

Riley / Fire- He didn't grow up loving wrestling. The WWE can find 20 other guys that look the very same. He has nothing that makes him stand out. Swagger and Ted do.

 

[OG Mark]

PUSH - Ted Dibiase A bad string of injuries and creative put him in a pinch. I think the time off will do well for a bit of a character change and a push to the IC title and beyond.

JOB - Jack Swagger I would almost be tempted to say push him, but he's got to get back to jobber-plus status before that. He was always backseat during the run with Ziggler, and he's done little on his own since losing the WHC. He's got potential, but needs more time.

FIRE - Alex Riley When the highlight of your wrestling career is being Miz's tag-along, you've got problems. Want to stay in the company? Take a page out of Zack Ryder's book - DO SOMETHING!

 

[Skinsley]

PUSH - Swagger.
Swagger has the ability to become a good Mid -Main event guy, his Title run was garbage, but remember he was given BigShow to work with and creative screwed him more than he screwed himself.

JOB - DiBiase
The man still has potential, but Swagger tipped him for the push. DiBiase for some strange reason has done very little in his career since his split from Legacy. He has a square head and a generic look, but he has the herriatage and the ring skills to be in the Mid Card titles circle on a regular basis (if the WWE ever start focusing a little more on Mid-Card title feuds).

FIRE - Riley
Honestly all three should get a bit of a push, I like Rileys look and I like some of his moves. I dont know why he has not returned to his 'varsity bad boy' Gimmick, because I liked it and saying "you'r dismissed" before his signature move got my attention.
I wish I knew what he may have done backstage to get almost completely removed from T.V. last year, but ever since he has been Jobbing all over the place.
He has potential but out of the three he deserves his spot on the roster the least.

P.S. Nice thread.

 

[Rampage Bentley]

Push - Swagger All Swagger needs is a make-over and some faith from creative... have him get real aggressive, grow a five o'clock shadow, buzz his head and stop smiling like a doofus. Will it make him more "Kurt Angle like" yes, but no point in fixing what isn't broken.

Job - DiBiase I've heard for so long about the potential DiBiase has.... I just don't see it. He has the charisma of a middle turnbuckle and hasn't gotten over as a face or a heel... honestly, if Riley wasn't the third option I'd say fire.

Fire - Alex Riley It boggles my mind as to why anyone has ever liked him... he's the most cookie cutter and generic product in an era where everyone is cookie cutter and generic... which I guess is an accomplishment... He'll never get over.

 

[Paria]

Push Riley as a heel, he has good ring work, and back when he attacked the Miz, he showed that he can have a very aggressive side.

Job Dibiase for a while when he comes back until he can be inserted into a decent storyline.

Fire Swagger- He's not good on the mic at all....he can't sell anything for anything, nothing he does has any resemblance anywhere close to being realistic....and my peeve with him is that stupid looking stomp he does coming down the ramp.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I would PUSH Ted Dibiase. He has been close to that big push more than once and he would do well as a face further up the card. His Dibiase Posse tailgates shows he cares about his fans, which will only fuel his support at events. If they had gone that route immediately after Legacy split instead of the failed Million Dollar Belt angle, Dibiase would have done much better and could be as far along as Rhodes by now.

I would JOB Jack Swagger. He has the skill, but has been ruined by bad booking. Everyone claims he had the worst World Heavyweight Championship reign, although that was due to how he was booked and there were some (looking at YOU, Khali!) who were far worse. Then there was that period of time where he did absolutely NOTHING until he showed up again as the trainer for an annoying announcer's Wrestlemania match. Not only could Swagger have represented Cole there by competing for him, but he could have turned on him and become a face in the process after that angle ended. Bad booking ruined him, then that awful haircut made him look like even more of a joke. He should still be kept around to help others obtain strong victories.

I would FIRE Alex Riley. I hate to say it, but out of these three I had to pick one. Riley doesn't bring anything to the table that Swagger or Ted cannot do better. He was massively over for a month or so last year, but he beat up The Miz. Any wrestler on the WWE roster who beat up The Miz would have received an identical reaction. As soon as their angle ended, so did Riley's usefulness. His promos and matches have been nothing to write home about, so unfortunately if I had to fire one of the three he is the unlucky recipent of the future endeavour memo. What a waste of an amazing entrance theme.

 

[ForzaItalia]

Push Alex Riley
I actually like Alex Riley and for the people saying he isn't over, he is pretty over with the crowd from not being featured on TV weekly. Riley could have been huge coming off his feud with The Miz, but this is yet another case of pushing someone too soon when they were not ready. He was too green in the ring at the time and this was the very reason why he was taken off TV. Since then, he has actually gotten much better in the ring and is still very over with the crowd. He could be a top babyface. All he needs is another chance to show everyone what he is made of. One good feud could put him back as a solid babyface. And this feud has to be with The Miz.

Job Ted DiBiase
This guy can be a real solid babyface for the company if he is pushed right on his return. He already is over with the crowd and has something unique about him with the DiBiase Posse. All he needs is a legit feud with a good, solid heel. He hasn't had the one big feud yet as a babyface, while Riley has. I like Ted Dibiase also, but for the sake of this thread, I think Riley should be given one more shot to show what he can do and either sink or swim and I guarantee he will swim.

Fire Jack Swagger
Let's be honest here, Jack Swagger is never going to go anywhere further than he is at this point. He just lost way too much momentum since he won his first World Title and I don't see him getting it back anytime soon. I would honestly just release him as there is no need for him. There are enough heels at the moment that are better than Swagger.

I would honestly push both Riley and DiBiase as two solid babyfaces, but for the sake of this thread I think Riley could go further with the push over DiBiase, since we already have seen what Riley can do when given a big time feud. All he needs to do is work a bit more on his ring work and he'll be fine.

 

[My Couch Pulls Out But I Don't]

I may be one of the very few that think this way but...

PUSH - Alex Riley - He has shown flashes when he was in the main event picture with the Miz. Time to see what the kid is all about.

JOB - Jack Swagger - Angle 2.0 isn't going anywhere. Former world champ could still give a little rub to an up and comer.

FIRE - Dibiase Jr. - This guy doesn't do it for me. He just isn't very good at anything. They tried him as a tag team and everyone said he would be the one to be successful, didn't work. Tried him with Maryse and still couldn't go over. Can only go so far on the coat tails of the Million Dollar Man.

 

[Hardinhoff]

Big fan of this thread BTW.

PUSH- DIBIASE: He's the only one that hasn't been given a chance. I refuse to include Legacy as his shot at the top. Legacy was created to get Orton more heat by having 2 lackeys to use as puppets. IMO WWE already missed out on a big DiBiase push after disbanding Legacy (anyone remember the pop he got when he seemingly turning face on Orton?) Give Teddy a mouthpiece or have him beef up his mic skills and push him to the moon.

JOB- SWAGGER (for just a bit longer): Swagger has already been to the top (kind of) and is still quite young. He has entirely too much potential to be released.

FIRE- RILEY: This ship sailed LONG ago.

 

[lil bitch Kid]

PUSH: Dibiase- The whole fortunate sons thing would be the best way to get him over at this point. He needs to be surrounded by people. When he was with Legacy, everyone thought he'd be the break out of the group after Randy moved on.

JOB: Swagger- Essentially, I'm saying change nothing. hahaReally, I think the only way to eventually push Swagger is to do the losing streak gimmick. He would benefit from a repackage, certainly, but they need to job him to rock bottom first.

FIRE: Riley - This is tough since he's got talent. If he's not fired, he needs to be tagged up with someone and given a shot like that.

 

[sXeB34ST]

Typical internet marks make me giggle. Ted DiBiase's been on TV for years and he's hardly improved at all. He's little marketability other than his name, and lacks charisma. However, there's money to be made with him and he's got the potential to become a star, though seems to be struggling to put the pieces together. Alex Riley gets bigger pops during live shows where he doesn't even enter on TV than DiBiase gets on average. Alex Riley has the look, charisma, and enough ability to not only be a main eventer, but be a top 5 money-maker for the WWE. Swagger has all the same negatives as DiBiase, and lacks the positives.

I'll say:

Push Alex Riley
Job Ted DiBiase (Until he can realize his potential)
Fire Jack Swagger

 

[Dashingly Grotesque]

First of all, great idea for a thread. I hope to see more of these.

Push Alex Riley, he has the look of a future John Cena type character when it is time for the actual John Cena to hang it up. Bright future if built correctly.
Job Ted DiBiase, just for a little longer. They tested the waters of him being a face with the Cody Rhodes feud, no reaction. Let him get on his feet first then push him, maybe try the Fortunate Sons stable with him, Brett DiBiase, and Michael McGillicutty.
Fire Jack Swagger, I cannot take him seriously. He has GREAT in ring skills, but he is like a giant oaf, I just don't know. Even after winning a MITB he has failed to get over. There are just a lot of things about him I do not like. End of the line.

 

[PlayTheGame]

This is a good thread idea. Mind you, my choices are based on personal preference.

I'd PUSH Alex Riley because I like him and I think he's a bit underrated. I'd like to see what he can do with a little creative steam behind him. I thought he was gonna get a little bigger post-Miz, but he hasn't done much in the past year or two without being at the Miz's side. Not saying give him a huge push, but just something to work with, then see if he sinks or swims in terms of connecting with fans.

I'd JOB Jack Swagger. Don't see much left for him. However, since he's won a World Title, he has some name value, so some guys rising up to the top could get a few competitive wins over him to enhance them.

I'd FIRE Ted DiBiase. His pushes haven't worked. He hasn't connected with the fans. He hasn't shown he has "it" when it comes to personality, and he doesn't really blow anyone away in the ring. I'd keep him around due to name value alone as a jobber (which is pretty much where he's at now), but if I had to fire one of the three, he'd be out the door. He's pretty much been a bust so far in the WWE. They say that usually only one guy seems to "make it" later on in a tag team, and it seems as though Cody Rhodes is on the favorable side of Legacy, with Ted being Marty Janettey'd threw the window.

 

[BigThunder]

A tough one, as I like all three.

Push Swagger. Excellent wrestler, and the All-American American gimmick is the strongest of the three.

Job Riley. He's still pretty green, and heels need people to win over on the way to the top.

Fire DiBiase. His gimmick is the weakest of the three, and as others have said, people just aren't invested in him yet. Mind you, if I fired him, I'd then fire Khali and promptly rehire him.

 

[Raiden46]

PUSH - Dibiase. The only reason he hasn't been given the big push everyone is expecting is because of his recent string of injuries. The time off will do him good in order to come back with a repackaged look.

JOB - Swagger. The man has incredible in-ring talent and with time could get himself back into the midcard level with serious consideration. Unfortunately his promo skills are just terrible and preventing any kind of a push whatsoever.

FIRE - Riley. No-brainer. No need to comment on this.

*note to OP*
I would like to see this thread survive longer than just the original post. What you might consider doing is having the next person to reply answer the thread and then offer up three more people to push, job, and fire. Just a thought.

 

[smizzy]

Push Swagger: No mic skills and just an awkward character in my opinion. Ain't that a career killer! Well, actually, it's not. I've said it before, Swagger needs Heyman. Paul could get him over. Help him cut promos. Let Heyman take care of the enterainment side of Swagger while Jack takes care of the ass kicking. Although, I do think for Swagger to be pushed, he needs a little retooling. I don't like the singlet; go back to his debut look of the black tights. And most importantly, he should use his real name, Jake Hager, because Swagger does not fit his personality. Regardless, I see so much in Swagger and believe we haven't seen the last of him in the main event scene.

Job Dibiase: He doesn't exactly excel at any aspect of his game. But he does a viable job at them.

Fire Riley: Someone described him perfectly as a cookie cutter. I mean, he definitely isn't a terrible wrestler. He can put on a match, has some personality, but if he just disappeared from all WWE events to never return, his absence would not be missed or noticed.

 

[Brisingr]

Push Ted DiBiase - He has been the sidekick since he made his debut and showed promise when he split away from Rhodes last year. Has been booked poorly since and should be pushed when he comes back from injury. Could have done better with the Million Dollar Man gimmick had they not brought back Virgil. Would like to see him pushed with the Million Dollar belt again, defending it against midcard opponents to test whether he is ready for a main event push.

Job Jack Swagger - While this guy has a decent wrestling style, he doesn't have too much mic skills. Sounds like a jobber, right? He got his chance, had one crappy feud with Big Show and then thrown down the ladder which does sound unfair. Maybe a few close losses to main eventers could restore some credibility, if not victories. I wouldn't pay to see Swagger even as US champion for what he is now, honestly.

Fire Alex Riley - He has had just one feud with Miz to boast in 2 years, and even in that he was lacklustre. Tyler Reks has more personality than Riley, and that's saying something.

 

[Manof1,004Holds]

Push - Jack Swagger, the guy is great in the ring, he just needs to find his niche. Make him be more aggresive.

Job - Ted Dibiase, he hasn't really been doing anything since his little stint with Cody on Smackdown.

Fire - Alex Riley, he has the look, but creative really have nothing for him besides Superstars and NXT.

 

[HBsam31]

Going to do this one just one personal preference

Push- Jack Swagger. He has had the gold before, and I think if they gave him a bit of a make over and a strong heel persona he could go far.

Job- Ted Dibiase. He seems to be ok in the ring, but hasn't been able to get there with the pushes he has been given. Let him job while he improves.

Fire- Alex Riley. He showed some aggressiveness in his feud with the Miz, but has barely been used lately. I had to pick one so out of the three it's Riley.

 

[TempestH]

PUSH: Jack Swagger. He's held the World Heavyweight Championship before, and needs to be pushed back to that elite level. He has the size and look of a star. He could easily be the WWE's version of Mike Tyson, a guy who talks funny but can be dominant in the ring.

JOB: Alex Riley. To be honest, Alex Riley deserves to be in a better spot than he is currently in. He should not be getting fed to debuting or repackaged Superstars in short squash matches. So while Riley would remain a jobber, he would instead be a regularly featured jobber to the stars on RAW or SmackDown, jobbing in 7-10 minute competitive showings against the likes of Kane, Alberto Del Rio, Daniel Bryan, The Big Show and other top level heels.

FIRE: Ted DiBiase. I like Ted DiBiase. I'd rather see all three of these men be pushed to various levels. The reason I chose to fire Ted DiBiase is because in the event of a release, Ted would be the one who would be affected least negatively. It would be easy for Ted to find work simply based on his name alone. Ted DiBiase will be "Ted DiBiase" no matter where he goes. "Alex Riley" & "Jack Swagger" would be no more; they'd have to start over from scratch with new names, which would stall the progress in their careers.