The future dumped star: Alex Riley

[mojmass]

Many of you may know this WWE superstar and like most of the other young stars of WWE he turned into a jobber.
I was (and am) a big fan of him. When he turned on his master the Miz I said to myself that he is going to be a huge star but it didn't happened.
I don't know why. I mean he has a good body ,somehow very charismatic, his gestures are a lot like the Rock I don't see what was his problem that they put him aside and assigned him as the company #1 jobber.
Would you think he can make it to the top and become a great star? or do you like him at all? what are your reasons? and more importantly what was WWE reasons to put him aside?

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

Alex Riley pissed off someone in the WWE... so his days are more than likely numbered as a WWE Superstar. I think he'll be a good hand in somewhere like RoH or maybe even TNA... but he's burned some bridges in the WWE... going from being with the WWE champion on a regular basis, to not being on TV at all. And on every house show, he gets jobbed or squashed.

So he's not long for the WWE. And no, he won't be a top star.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

I don't know if it was his DUI or his "reported" rolleyes riff with Cena or something else, but Riley had to have burned some bridge backstage that has apparently kept him off TV forever practically. He was getting some decent pops when he began his feud with the Miz and it ended abruptly. It's sad to say because he is going nowhere except to the "future edeavored" list it seems and I would've liked to at least seen what he could do.

 

[The Butcher]

Cena was mad because he couldn't beat Miz and Riley could. And if that or one of the other stories about Riley isn't true, then it still probably is true that he's rubbed somebody the wrong way backstage. Could have very well been Cena. Where there's smoke there's fire, and enough people have heat with Cena that it's probable he's a big timing douchenugget.

 

[ChicagoMade Punk]

Personally I am a huge fan of Alex Riley. He's got it all in the WWE, but unfortunately he pissed someone off with some pull, and if it is Cena that's just another reason to hate the guy. WWE has a future champion in A-Ry but if they listen to a guy that's probably gonna be out the door in a few years anyway, they wont be able to keep the roster up when Cena is gone. Let these future world champions have a chance without the backstage politics. On the same note, where is Bo Dallas? He showed up, beat Barrett, and hasn't been seen on screen since. Does anyone know where he landed?

 

[Papa Pillman]

I hope I don't offend anybody with this, but...

I never got the love for Riley.

To me he was very green in the ring, and gave the impression that he might not be able to improve much.

His look was fine. He's a decent looking guy with a solid build, but I thought even his look was a little generic.

Basically nothing about him seems to stand out. His mic work was similar to most of the other guys who came through the developmental system around the same time- meaning he could deliver from the script pretty well, but I couldn't imagine him doing much more, as he seemed quite bland with a noticeable lack of charisma IMO.

To make some comparisons; as far a guy outside of WWE, I would put him on a similar playing field to Garret Bischoff, and I really only found Riley to be slightly better overall than Garret(which definitely isn't a compliment). And as far as a WWE worker, I thought he was maybe a lesser version of Ted DiBiase Jr. Too bad for A-Ry he doesn't the nepotism factor that has helped those two get opportunities in spite of their lack of talent.

 

[S.J. Maximus]

Anyone who doesn't think Alex Riley is talented simply needs to watch NXT season 2. I can't even remember who won that year but I think it was quite clear that Riley was the star. He flourished in every segment he had to give a promo, and showed his ring ability especially when matched with a pro. Riley has the look, charisma, and talent (his finisher is pretty cool too) to be a top star in this business, and if you had asked me in 2010 where I thought Riley would be now I would've said mixing it up with the best in the business as a top heel.

I was (and am) a pretty big fan of Riley and his awesome theme song but according to dirt sheets his beef with Cena was able to outweigh the obvious talent and gifts this man has to offer. I'd love for them to give him something, anything to do but it looks like his fate has already been sealed.

 

[SaveUsCMPunk]

Not likely he'll ever become a top star. I imagine WWE is holding off on their spring cleaning and will release some guys after Mania. Riley could be one of them. There is a rumor that he did something to piss Cena off. Whether it's true or not is anyone's guess. It wouldn't surprise me since some former superstars have publicly stated having problems with Cena. Anyway....

It is a shame though what happened with Riley. He could've been a midcard title holder. It's also a shame that he never got to do his "Varsity Villain" gimmick in front of a much larger audience. I think he stopped doing that even before NXT season 2 was over with. I wouldn't call Riley WWE's #1 jobber though. (Though he is down there.) Yoshi Tatsu seems to have a firm grip on that title.

 

[info62]

Personally I am a huge fan of Alex Riley. He's got it all in the WWE, but unfortunately he pissed someone off with some pull, and if it is Cena that's just another reason to hate the guy. WWE has a future champion in A-Ry but if they listen to a guy that's probably gonna be out the door in a few years anyway, they wont be able to keep the roster up when Cena is gone. Let these future world champions have a chance without the backstage politics. On the same note, where is Bo Dallas? He showed up, beat Barrett, and hasn't been seen on screen since. Does anyone know where he landed?

I agree with your post. & I really like Riley and I hate that he isn't used at all. If the 'he pissed people off backstage' rumor is true then I just hate the situation even more.

I don't even buy the DUI as a reason to not push him anymore. I did at first since I thought he was an idiot for driving drunk but since Swagger has gotten no flack for it then it shouldn't hold Riley back either. I mean it isn't like Swagger is leagues above him in any area at all.

I don't think he's getting to get a push anytime soon. He'll probably do nothing for months, then randomly come back on tv and job for a couple weeks before getting released similar to Kenny Dykstra in 2008. That's my prediction though I dread it

 

[THTRobtaylor]

He did get hurt a lot, don't forget that but as many have fired off on Cena after they leave, from what I understand Riley did it while he was still employed. If it's true that he stood up to Cena and that sealed his fate it's a sad state of affairs, but it shows that guys like Taker aren't around to deal with this sort of stuff like in the past.

When Jericho fought Goldberg, many thought Y2J would be in the shit, but he wasn't - indeed he was praised for it but he had some pull and seniority by then. If a rookie is gonna go toe to toe with a main eventer it is almost never gonna end well, even if the main eventer is totally in the wrong (Meanie and JBL)

Do they even still do the "Wrestler's Court" stuff without Taker there?

 

[vampirek]

Riley is exactly what is wrong with WWE at the moment. You have a wrestler who can pretty much keep his own in the midcard being forced to very little whilst we have to deal with movie clips, repeated things we just seen and throw away tag team matches. The midcard is simply not there.
I don't think its a problem with Riley backstage but a creative one, how many have we seen come and go purely on the basis WWE having no direction on midcarders anymore.

I mean the chances are he'll be the first one eliminated in a random battle royal to determine a challenger to Cesaro's US title with the fans picking some boring stipulation because this is the best creative have the entire midcard.... nevermind just throwing in Jericho/Fandango to make up the numbers.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

I never saw the appeal in Alex Riley, never. I remember when he turned on Miz, a lot of people on here started creaming themselves over this guy for some odd reason. And after he beat Miz at Capitol Punishment (I think?), Riley was seemingly on the fast track to super stardom. But he fizzled pretty quickly.

Riley has a good look, but as far as personality goes, he's dry as a dog turd left out in the sun for a few days. I vividly remember going to a Smackdown/ECW taping a few years ago. Riley VS MVP was the dark match, and Riley came out to crickets. He only got a response, when he showed off Tiffany in the ring. At the time, I think Riley was supposed to be some douchebag jock/high school quarterback or something like that.

Can't remember any impressive promos, and his turn on Miz only received a significant amount of attention, because Miz was coming off a reign as WWE Champion, and a main event spot at Wrestlemania.

More recently, I remember reading some story about Riley flipping out on Cena during some hazing backstage, and supposedly, that's the main reason for his dropping into a black hole status. But WWE could release Riley tomorrow, and none of us would really care.

 

[raygoldsmith2]

I saw a lot of potential in him. I remember an episode of Raw where he came out to a huge pop, only to read about the story of him pissing off Cena and basically vanishing..damn shame too. Like it has been said, the no diva/midcard/tag stories are really hurting wwe, and releasing the ones who can make it work is just baffling.

 

[MWRedskins]

i don't know what happened with Alex Riley. he either 1) angered someone backstage who had pull (like Cena) or he 2) Got hurt too much and was kept off tv to rehab then had nothing for him or 3) WWE has no creative use for him or his character. I personally think he has the personality to work with and the in ring skills are ok. I don't know if he will ever be a world champion or a champion in the WWE, but if WWE were to say release him and then TNA signed him, I think he could then be a star as he would be a young talent that TNA could groom up. I think his character was a better heel then face.

 

[Aquaman6686]

Alex Riley was absolutely horrible in the ring, had zero mic skills, and zero charisma. He had cool music. That was all he had going for him. WWE quickly realized that he was a nobody and was going to stay that way, he'd never even make it to upper-midcard. After months of shoving him down the fans' throats, the PTB thankfaully came to their senses and pulled the plug on Riley.

 

[Dirk]

Cena was mad because he couldn't beat Miz and Riley could.

I'm not even surprised by this bonehead move by Cena (if it's true, which I belive). Wrestlers are a bunch of prima donnas and most of them could do with a real-life ass-kicking. Thank you Yoshi, for getting the ball rolling on that one.

During their whole feud, Cena was made to look like a boss and Miz was booked incredibly weak. Did John forget that at that no-DQ match in 2010 (I think), that he beat BOTH Miz and Riley after taking a shit-kicking for at least twenty minutes? These damn wrestlers, man!

Having said that (and that the midcard could use another guy), I always found Riley to be generic as shit and I never cared for him in the ring. I just wanted somebody to shut that brat Miz up. I think Riley's pop during that feud was less about him and more about Miz, which is a good piece of booking, by the way.

 

[DX Mols]

Alex Riley initially impressed me on NXT and I felt he had a future as a cocky heel who was good on the mic. When he turned on Miz and became a face with his trendy new entrance music and what not, I was willing to give him a chance.

Now all he does is backstage segments where Big Slow knocks him out or someone throws him around. It's guys like this you wonder "Why are they still on the roster?"

WWE needs to clean house. I cannot remember a mass FE'ing spree in a few years now. It's time to pull the plug on A-Ry, Khali, the Usos, Hunico (if he's still around), Ted Jr, and even Zack Ryder.

 

[Ziiro]

At one point, I truly believed Alex Riley was a future top star in the company. We're talking CM Punk/John Cena/Randy Orton level. However, due to his political heat backstage, he's jobbing at house shows. This is unfortunate. He has the in-ring caliber of a top star, he was pretty over during his feud with Miz, and his theme music, which IS important, is fantastic. He had all the important things in place, and then he gets locked at JTG status except with heat. However, I still hold hope for him. HHH was in the doghouse for a while, and he turned out to be a legend and future HOF'er.

#SaveARye!

 

[Judah's Lion]

Alex Riley is a not-so-unique superstar. that's no knock on him. i totally liked him while hanging with Miz, feuding with John Cena, then turning on and feuding with Miz. i thought he had a chance at winning MITB that year. he had the momentum.

unfortunately, it definitely seems like he has nuclear heat backstage. if rumors are to be believed, it all started with Riley standing up to Cena.

there are so many guys that were brought up to the main roster at about the same time-ish, and they all seemed to be so similar. just going by WWE-made generic names, basic ring attire, basic move set, finishing move with no name/gimmick/story to go with it, etc.

i wish WWE would give him a real chance to show us what he's got. if he sucks, let him go. but find out if he sucks or not first.

still...

WWE tends to do some "spring cleaning" right after Mania, so maybe we won't have to wait long to see if he sticks around or is wished the best of luck in his future endeavors.

 

[ThePrawnCurry]

he had such momentum when his feud with the Miz made him 2nd tier main event

but

had a wellness issue
and apparently showed up intoxicated at shows
and missed a couple of events in that period

one does not p*ss on Vince's leg,

made him jobber for the rest of his contract

 

[willross]

I like A-Ry. I think he was over by association because once he exited his feud with Miz his pops kinda died out, not completely, but were not nearly as strong after their PPV match.

I think Cena was one who spoke up for the locker room more so than it being just Cena's beef. He was getting into trouble at the worst possible times, when the company was starting to highlight him more. Also he got injured and well there really isn't a spot for him now. Thats the breaks sometimes especially when you aren't an established star.

Guys like Punk, Cena, Orton, Sheamus can afford to get an injury that keeps them out 6 months and still have their spot but for guys like Riley, he hadn't cemented his spot so when you go down its easy to fill a spot that he really never had.

Still got one of the best entrance songs in the biz though.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

I remember when Riley first broke away from Miz, and being interested. He had a good intensity about him (although with that particular angle, it would have been harder for a guy not to come across as intense). Then he started wrestling, and I remember first wondering why anyone thought this guy should work as a face, because literally everything about him, from his ring work, to the way he carried himself, screamed heel. I also remember the guy being pretty green in the ring... and that's where I really lost interest in him.

Sometime after that, they had that 8 man WWE title tourney on RAW (the one where Rey Mysterio won, then lost to Cena the same night), and seeing that Alex Riley was one of the 8 guys in the mix for the WWE title... and all I remember thinking was "damn, they are REALLY low on top end talent if they're using that guy in a tournament for their most important title.

I know the Internet loves this guy... but I've never understood it. Maybe down the road he can be something, but he needs work. I've said this about many guys in his position, and I'll say it again. He needs to give the WWE his notice, and go out and start working different promotions. Work on his gimmick. Work on his ring work. Just get to work. A year in Japan would probably change his life for the better.

I'm sure he's making a decent living as the house show job guy in the WWE, and maybe that's good enough for him. If he wants more though, then he needs to take his career into his own hands, step away, improve, and come back as someone that they won't let just be the house show job guy.

 

[boywithbluehanger]

I think at least one of the "big wigs" in the company is extremely petty and puts personal feelings before what's good for business. The same people who put Daniel Bryan in the tag team division and had him change his battlecry to "NO! NO! NO!" when "YES! YES! YES!" was the most over thing about the WWE at the time. The same people who kept Randy Orton on Smackdown despite his ability to garner RAW-like crowd responses. The same people who fed Ryder to Kane when he was the most over midcarder.

As long as the guys in charge kill their own assets, people like Riley will have to walk on eggshells in order to make it to the big-time. And unfortunately, that's ONLY if those same petty suits have the imagination to envision it.

 

[TempestH]

Alex Riley initially impressed me on NXT and I felt he had a future as a cocky heel who was good on the mic. When he turned on Miz and became a face with his trendy new entrance music and what not, I was willing to give him a chance.

Now all he does is backstage segments where Big Slow knocks him out or someone throws him around. It's guys like this you wonder "Why are they still on the roster?"

WWE needs to clean house. I cannot remember a mass FE'ing spree in a few years now. It's time to pull the plug on A-Ry, Khali, the Usos, Hunico (if he's still around), Ted Jr, and even Zack Ryder.

Why does WWE need to get rid of all those guys? Just because they aren't future main eventers? WWE needs enhancement guys just as much as they need the big time stars. If WWE got rid of all those guys, then people a little higher up will end up losing matches more often.