10 Former FCW Standouts Who Flopped On The WWE Main Roster

Similar to how Wade Barrett was seen as the heavy favorite to win the inaugural season of NXT Season 1, officials had high hopes for FCW standout Alex Riley in the subsequent season. He and The Miz were the perfect pairing, and despite ranking third in the competition thanks to fan voting, that was what landed him a spot on the Raw roster once the show ended.

As Miz's lackey, he scored more television time than any of the other NXT Season 2 graduates combined, which is why the fans reacted so fondly to his face turn the following May when he finally split from Miz. Their feud could have served as a launching pad for Riley as a singles star, but it was short-lived and didn't live up to its full potential.

Once that concluded, Riley's TV time was greatly curtailed; he showed up on the flagship show only sporadically over the next few years. It became clear WWE had no intention of ever pushing him at that same level again, resulting in him being put on commentary for the next two years.

It wasn't until just earlier this year that he resumed his wrestling career, but his time has seemingly come and gone.