Alex Riley is one Superstar whose development we have witnessed throughout time. The former teammate of The Miz, who later became a commentator for WWE & NXT, made a comeback to the arena last year but was forced to withdraw due to a knee injury. In a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Alex Riley talked about how he thinks John Cena didn’t like him and how it affected his WWE career.
Riley claimed that Cena did not even like him and that the two were involved in some sort of incident that displeased Cena. Below are some highlights.
Personal Life
Alex Riley, a professional wrestler & commentator from the United States and a native of Virginia, was brought into the world by Kevin Robert Kiley Jr. on April 28, 1981. Alex Riley, whose real identity is Kevin Kiley, Jr., is most known for his time in the WWE. He was born to a mother who’d been Miss Virginia and a sports analyst for ESPN, but he has a young brother. Kiley played basketball and football at Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia. He majored in communications while attending Boston College. Before switching positions in the 2001 season, he was a quarterback for the Boston University Eagles.
Why Alex is the luckiest man in the wrestling profession
Before anyone assumes otherwise, let me clarify that this is not a piece on how Riley doesn’t deserve to just be where he has been. I believe Riley deserves all he has achieved thus far in his career. This article will concentrate on Riley’s incredible run, unheard of by anybody. Riley originally appeared on WWE TV as an arrogant rookie on season two of NXT, donning a sleeveless letterman’s coat to the ring. He was given the moniker “Varsity Villain” and Mike Mizanin, a loudmouthed supporter, as his sidekick.
These two connected right away. Riley is the larger of the two, yet they both share a similar appearance and sense of flair. After Riley barely avoided winning the second season of NXT, Riley had pulled into the fold or became Miz’s assistant. Riley stood out as the group’s prominent villain; during his tenure on NXT, he garnered the respect of several fans and professionals. He regularly interfered in Miz’s bouts to help his employer and mentor win by accompanying him to the ring.
While working with Miz, Riley has participated in some of the greatest feuds in WWE. He saw several matches in which Miz would compete against the WWE’s two best babyfaces, John Cena & Randy Orton. However, it is not why his profession has become a great success thus far. Riley’s relationship with so many of the invited WWE veterans, in my opinion, is what makes his tenure with the company unique.
Consider that for a moment. Anyone entering the industry at the same time as Riley would never have imagined having the opportunity to receive a Sharpshooter from Bret Hart, a Stunner from Stone Cold, a Rock Bottom as well as People’s Elbow from Rock, or even a People’s Elbow from The Rock. Riley must have found it thrilling to have had physical contact with some of the greatest wrestlers in WWE history. It must have been odd for the rookie grappler to have been in the ring with both the men who have been the reason they entered the sport in the first place.
His participation has aided Riley’s ascent to the top of WWE in all these notable feuds and events. Last night, he used a powerful DDT to get the better of ex-WWE Champion The Miz. The WWE fan is enthusiastically buying Riley’s newfound status as a babyface for a valid reason. Riley sided with The Miz, who is likely the most despised person in the WWE right now. Fans will immediately rally behind anyone who takes on The Miz and beats the heck out of the man everyone wants to knock the crap out of.
Although not physically, Alex Riley has interacted with men like Sgt. Slaughter & Roddy Piper. I believe Riley is headed for a potential championship run shortly since he was the outstanding rookie from his NXT season, has wrestled alongside several legends & Hall of Famers, and won a high-profile PPV bout. I hope to see him engage in a US Title match with Dolph Ziggler right now, but I wouldn’t be shocked since he and The Miz continued to spar for a few months.
In summary, Alex Riley has shown he had what it required to succeed in the WWE, and as a result, he has had such an incredible first year, and he has had the finest run in every first rookie aside from Sheamus, Brock Lesnar, and Undertaker.