Working on-screen as a henchman to The Miz, Alex Riley was the perfect foil for the arrogant WWE Champion of late-2010 and early-2011. During feuds against the likes of John Cena, Riley could take most of the physical abuse, enabling Miz to sneak away from matches with his title still intact. Eventually, Riley would break away from The Miz, turning babyface and getting some surprisingly decent reactions from live crowds. Even WWE's announcers seemed relatively surprised with how the guy was catching on with fans, but it sadly wouldn't last. Regardless of any aspirations to be a top babyface, Riley reportedly didn't really get along with Cena, meaning his days were numbered as a fresh attraction on the roster. Transitioning into a colour commentator role, Riley has been successful playing the part in NXT, but it looks like the proverbial glass ceiling was something he hit hard on the main roster, and it's difficult to imagine he's going to get another chance to show what he can do.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.