8 Times WWE Dropped The Ball With Alex Riley
4. Chasing The United States Championship
Once Alex Riley's feud with The Miz fizzled out over the summer of 2011, there was an opening for him to become a mainstay in the midcard on Monday nights by chasing the United States Championship. Around August, Dolph Ziggler hadn't been doing anything worthwhile with the star-spangled prize, so Riley would have been the perfect candidate to take it off of him and boost his own momentum.
Although the seeds had been planted for a Riley vs. Ziggler feud prior to SummerSlam, nothing ever came of it, and tension was teased between Ziggler and Jack Swagger instead. Riley remained in contention for the championship, but he was far from the focus. He, John Morrison and Swagger all vied for the title in a Fatal 4-Way match at Night of Champions, and despite making a strong impression, Riley fell short of victory.
That was the last fans saw of Riley in a regular role on WWE TV. He could have benefited huge from holding that championship, but officials saw it fit to keep him in the doghouse and off programming instead.