WWE: Alex Riley and the Miz, from Bros to Foes

Alex Riley is a conceited, arrogant little stain whose smug demeanor nauseates fans every time they see him.

Then again, he’s a heel. He’s supposed to.

As the sidekick of The Miz, Riley has been a virtual clone of the former WWE Champion since September 2010. After supposedly being signed to a “personal services contract” with Miz, Riley quickly became his mentor’s shadow.

Everywhere Miz went, Riley went. Every time Miz spoke, Riley agreed with him. The two shared a bromance the likes of which had not been seen since the original days of DX with Triple H and Shawn Michaels.

Because of his direct association with Miz, Alex Riley became hated, his actions as reprehensible as the man he supposedly worked for. The Miz and Alex Riley were definitely two of a kind.

Emphasis on the word “were.”

On the May 23rd edition of Monday Night RAW, The Miz verbally berated Riley, blaming him for the fact the was unable to win back the WWE Title from John Cena. Riley was “fired,” from his contract with Miz, and the two men began to brawl.

Actually, Riley mopped the floor with Miz.

I have to say, while I could see the how and why of the situation, I was a little surprised. After all, Miz was WWE Champion like 10 minutes ago and was pinning nearly every Superstar he worked since winning the belt. The fact that Riley was not stomped into submission was a big deal. Riley taking the fight right to Miz was an even bigger deal.

The crowd popped like crazy for Alex Riley. And, why wouldn’t they? WWE spent a lot of time and effort into putting Miz over as a top heel in the company, for anyone to lay him out like that would have instant love from the fans. Riley is no different.

It is a testament to just how much Miz is over as a heel, for Riley to be received the way he was these past two weeks. I dare say that while he may have had his supporters before his alliance with Miz, that number is likely nowhere near what it is now.

I wonder if WWE realized just how big of a reaction Riley would get when the spot happened two weeks ago, or the arguably bigger reaction from this past week on RAW. The fact that the fans have responded this strongly to him, may suggest that big things lie ahead for Alex Riley in WWE.

RAW, like any other pro wrestling program, needs to be shook up at times. Whether it is because of a lack of talent or available talent that is perhaps not being used in the right places at the right times, there are moments when the product can begin to feel very stale.

The constant pairing of Miz and Alex Riley worked for a while. Some would say each man helped the other in a lot of ways. It was a good idea.

But, this idea is even better. What made them work as a team, is now making them work as enemies. I for one cannot wait to see how Alex Riley will be used from this point on.

It is hard to say what this will lead to in the future for Alex Riley and his potential growth in WWE. But, if the past two weeks are any indication, he is on the right track. Hopefully he will be allowed to continue there.