[thelegendkiller]

It started with CM Punk .. He cashed in his second MITB and developed a great character with the straight edge saviour gimmick .. Punk has pretty much established himself now .. That was the first time someone else won the title apart from the usual title rotation policy between Cena, Orton, Triple H, Edge, Batista and Taker .. Then, they pushed Sheamus to the moon and now Barrett is their current pet project .. I guess all these 3 pushes have worked pretty well .. I really like all 3 of them, they are really entertaining ..

By the looks of things, it seems that the next big pushes are going to Alberto Del Rio and The Miz .. I think Alex Riley should really get a move on .. This guy is really talented .. I won't say he is wasted because he gets mic time every week on Raw and he is still young .. They should keep him in the mid card for sometime and after The Miz and ADR , he should be the next one to be pushed .. He's the complete package .. Outstanding on the mic, these days you don't have many rookies within the WWE with such natural and fluent mic skills .. He's surely got the look , the charisma , the presence and is pretty damn good in the ring too .. I think he really messed up with the Percy Watson tragedy (lol), but will eventually have his time to shine .. If it's anyone who can sustain a big push to the top, it's Alex Riley ..

 

[Kratosx23]

I agree with you, completely. He won't get pushed to the moon, though. He'll be pushed out the door, to TNA, but he won't be pushed to the moon. WWE has made it crystal clear they don't see anything in him. For what reason, I cannot imagine, but this is the way Vince just is with some guys. Christian, Regal, Tarver, etc.

 

[HoMiCiDaL26]

Nah. Turn him face, then maybe push him to the moon. There are too many heels as is, and Riley would most likely get lost in the shuffle like many of the young heels are now.

Sure, he's better as a heel, but most wrestlers are. Heels are given more freedom, but without faces there is no sports entertainment, there is nobody to believe in.

 

[thelegendkiller]

I agree with you, completely. He won't get pushed to the moon, though. He'll be pushed out the door, to TNA, but he won't be pushed to the moon. WWE has made it crystal clear they don't see anything in him. For what reason, I cannot imagine, but this is the way Vince just is with some guys. Christian, Regal, Tarver, etc.

Christian is old and went to TNA and doesn't have the look ..
Regal doesn't have the look too I guess
Tarver is black (not trying to be racist) but there are only so many black people who are pushed at one time .. Also, he isn't that young

Riley has everything going for him, I don't think they have given any indications that they don't see anything in him .. He was in the top 3 in NXT .. McGillicutty came 2nd because that's the only way to push him since he has no charisma or mic skills and needs a lot of character development .. Kaval was the fan favourite and they may be didn't want the voting to look totally rigged .. They must be having enough faith in Riley to make it to the top even without winning the televised developmental show .. He is getting mic time every week on Raw, he is in a decent position .. I think they are not pushing him now because they are focussed on The Miz and they don't want too many Miz type characters being pushed at the same time ..

Punk, Sheamus, Barrett, Miz, Alberto Del Rio ..
After these 5 are done, the next in line would surely be Jack Swagger and Alex Riley and probably Drew McIntyre ..

 

[Yeah1993]

I don't like his mic work. Maybe it would be better as a face, he kinda looks like a friendly-to-everyone kind of guy instead of the jock crap they put on him. Sucking up to THE MIZ doesn't help at all either.

 

[NoGimmicksNeeded]

A year ago people were apoplectic that they'd push Sheamus so fast. There were endless threads about how he hadn't paid his dues or how certain veterans deserved it more. Now, if someone doesn't win the WHC or WWE Title in their first year, it's almost like some perceive them as on the scrapheap. It's complete nonsense and don't let anyone convince you otherwise.

The answer is in OP. Right now they're pushing Miz, Barrett and Del Rio to the main event. There are also Cena, Orton, Sheamus, Edge, Swagger, Undertaker, Kane, Mysterio, Punk, Big Show who have either recently been involved in the main event scene or could be seamlessly slotted in. Two questions, where does Riley fit into there now, and how does he look credible walking into that picture?

He's not in a bad position right now. They've attached his star to a guy that's undoubtedly going places, he's on Raw every week, he's gradually getting his mic time increased more and more. He's a talent, sure, but he's certainly one that would benefit from a long period of build. He wouldn't be accompanying the Miz if they didn't want to get him over, so maybe just exercise a bit of patience?

 

[Kratosx23]

Christian is old and went to TNA and doesn't have the look ..

TNA has nothing to do with it. Vince wouldn't give him the title in 2005 when he was one of the hottest wrestlers in the world. And he wasn't old then either, and guys have got their first world titles being older than him. As for the look, Benoit didn't have the look, JBL didn't have the look, other world champions didn't have the look. Besides, a certain look is no excuse when you're as good as Christian.

Regal doesn't have the look too I guess

See Christian regarding Regal's look.

Tarver is black (not trying to be racist) but there are only so many black people who are pushed at one time .. Also, he isn't that young

I agree with you that black people don't get pushed, but that's on WWE. It's no excuse. Tarver is the same age as Del Rio, so the age argument is no excuse.

Riley has everything going for him,

True, but that obviously doesn't matter to WWE.

I don't think they have given any indications that they don't see anything in him ..

You mean other than the fact that he NEVER looks good?

He was in the top 3 in NXT ..

So was Otunga...

McGillicutty came 2nd because that's the only way to push him since he has no charisma or mic skills and needs a lot of character development .. Kaval was the fan favourite and they may be didn't want the voting to look totally rigged ..

Right. So they let Riley lose and turn into a jobber just so the voting would look real...

They must be having enough faith in Riley to make it to the top even without winning the televised developmental show ..

I can't figure out how you've come to this conclusion based on the evidence that's currently out there every week.

He is getting mic time every week on Raw, he is in a decent position ..

His position is lower than Zach Ryder's, he doesn't even have a wrestling contract, and is the only guy in the top 4 of NXT season 2 to not have one. How you can make that a positive is beyond me.

Getting mic time every week is hardly anything positive, if you don't have a push sustaining it. He needs a contract and some WINS. Besides, what mic time does he even have? He says 2 sentences and that's it.

I think they are not pushing him now because they are focussed on The Miz and they don't want too many Miz type characters being pushed at the same time ..

What kind of an excuse is that? His character isn't even the same as Miz. That's no excuse. They just don't like him.

 

[Virgil_85]

He's on TV every week, it isn't as if he's not being used. Not everyone can fill a spot when they come in. Give him time to step out of The Miz's shadow and let him show what he can do.

 

[Htial]

I agree with you, completely. He won't get pushed to the moon, though. He'll be pushed out the door, to TNA, but he won't be pushed to the moon. WWE has made it crystal clear they don't see anything in him. For what reason, I cannot imagine, but this is the way Vince just is with some guys. Christian, Regal, Tarver, etc.

Don't see anything in him? He is the only rookie who didn't win season 2 but stuck around without being made into another one of Barrets lackeys. He is the right hand man to the biggest up and coming heel on raw at the moment, who is quite possibly a future main event champion. He is out there every week and he gets mic time. Just give it time. He is obviously of some importance.

 

[DarthSimian]

Alex Riley should be pushed to the moon !

Really? Really? Riley? Really? Really?

 

[leglock]

There is a reason that he is not wrestling. The guy gave himself a concussion by bumping on steel railing...

 

[The+King_of_Kings]

He'll break out soon enough, he is just doing The Miz lackey thing while they push others. Not everyone who appears on TV is either a jobber or a future World Champion. Let him find his feet, get comfortable on television every week and wait till a spot opens.

Some people just need to wait their turn, not everyone can be Sheamus or Barrett.

 

[Kratosx23]

Don't see anything in him? He is the only rookie who didn't win season 2 but stuck around without being made into another one of Barrets lackeys.

Exactly, that only proves my point. I wish he HAD become one of Barrett's lackeys because at least that would give him SOME direction. Instead he's Miz's lackey. A lot of good that's done him. Being in Nexus > washing Miz's car...or whatever the fuck we're made to believe he's doing.

He is the right hand man to the biggest up and coming heel on raw at the moment, who is quite possibly a future main event champion.

Actually, no, he isn't, since Barrett is the fastest rising heel on Raw, not Miz...

He is out there every week and he gets mic time. Just give it time. He is obviously of some importance.

Like I said, getting mic time is useless without a contract and some wins. And even then, he gets virtually no mic time at all. People really exagerate the importance of the mic time he's getting. He's not cutting 5 minute promos. He says 2 sentences and then he gets his ass kicked, and they repeat that every week.

 

[checkmate69]

There is a reason that he is not wrestling. The guy gave himself a concussion by bumping on steel railing...

Hasnt he got sevreal sicthes in the back of his head after kaval bocthed a drop kick and he hit his head on the steel railing was in FCW

 

[just1988]

Although Riley is blatantly talented I wouldn't say they should push him too the moon. However they should steadily progress his character where he can win a few singles matches, grow a pair and break away from Miz. Letting the fans slowly get behind him and turning him into a credible contender for a main title (with Miz chasing in the MITB around the same time that Riley would turn against him).

 

[Fire at Heart]

The biggest disgrace no disrespect to the miz but his so called lackey riley has twice the talent he has! I'd give anything for miz and riley to swap roles won't ever happen!

 

[Lindhard]

WWE has to push Alex Riley at some point, anything else would just be brain dead x)

The guy is pretty much a complete package, he has a great look, great in ring skills and he's insanely good on the mic

Hopefully he is just paying his dues right now, while at the same time helping the Miz become a credible main eventer... After that is done he should start getting his much deserved push

 

[Dice Darwin]

He's got to prove he won't screw up like in that NXT finale. That whole thing was a mess and everybody involved has been brought along extremely slow (if at all) because of it. Harris and McGuilicutty may be in Nexus, but they get no mic time ever. Kaval is jobbing to jobbers. They could all get run over by Del Rio and nobody would care.

Riley is only 29. Guys 30+ usually get the mega pushes, so give it a year or two. If he can keep doing great on the mic and avoid any major botches, he'll be fine.

 

[11Shareef]

Alex Riley will have a decent mid card run. He's where he needs to be. He should wrestle more, but he is getting good tv time, because the miz does. No one in nexus besides Barrett and Gabriel are gonna get a push. Him and Bryan did god but not going or staying in nexus.

 

[ABrown]

A year ago people were apoplectic that they'd push Sheamus so fast. There were endless threads about how he hadn't paid his dues or how certain veterans deserved it more. Now, if someone doesn't win the WHC or WWE Title in their first year, it's almost like some perceive them as on the scrapheap. It's complete nonsense and don't let anyone convince you otherwise.

The answer is in OP. Right now they're pushing Miz, Barrett and Del Rio to the main event. There are also Cena, Orton, Sheamus, Edge, Swagger, Undertaker, Kane, Mysterio, Punk, Big Show who have either recently been involved in the main event scene or could be seamlessly slotted in. Two questions, where does Riley fit into there now, and how does he look credible walking into that picture?

He's not in a bad position right now. They've attached his star to a guy that's undoubtedly going places, he's on Raw every week, he's gradually getting his mic time increased more and more. He's a talent, sure, but he's certainly one that would benefit from a long period of build. He wouldn't be accompanying the Miz if they didn't want to get him over, so maybe just exercise a bit of patience?

This. Riley hasn't even been here for 6 months yet, so what's the rush. I'm one of those that believes that that someone shouldn't receive a mega push too soon, and there's obviously proof of that (see Sheamus). Is Riley talented? Absoultely. Like OP said, he's got the look, the mic skill, etc. but right now just isn't his time.