Alex Riley Feuds With Dolph Ziggler

I am not much of a fan of Daniel Bryan or Zack Ryder, but there is one guy getting some attention recently who I do like. Alex Riley reminds me a little of a younger Randy Orton. Randy Orton has gone in so many different directions over the years, but that is another topic.

Dolph Ziggler, the United States Champion, comes out to cut a promo. Alex Riley comes out to start the development of the feud. I like that. I take it as a good sign that they may actually make this feud something good and that they do care about Riley. How hard would it have been to start the feud by having Riley pin Ziggler in a tag match? Riley could have then won a #1 contenders match, get attacked by Ziggler after, and things continue on from there. Some diva feuds follow some kind of variation of this, especially when the feud may lack a centerpiece. If you are not getting the mic and time to show your character, the WWE may not care that much about you.

To me, Alex Riley is still fresh. He turned face a few months ago, feuded with Miz, looked very impressive, and did not get buried when he eventually did lose to Miz on Raw. He may not be competing for the right to face one of the WWE Champions or teaming with John Cena, but getting good attention in the midcard may be worth more than being overshadowed against main-eventers. I was thinking the WWE would downplay him like they did Kofi Kingston after his feud with Randy Orton many years ago. After Kofi lost to Orton at TLC in 2009, Kofi started to be pushed back down to the midcard. People can say that the whole "Stupid! Stupid!" thing with Orton and Kofi is what cost him the push, but Orton was already booked to go into a feud with Sheamus over the title before that incident, John Cena was still around, and then toss in Triple H and Shawn Michaels still being around at that time. Where could Kofi had possibly have gone? He went on to win multiple midcard titles. And what has happened with Riley is not too different. Although he beat Miz, Miz is the one in matches against Rey Mysterio and the one getting upper-midcard hype. Alex Riley is the one feuding over a midcard title. Pretty much the same as Kofi back then. Major difference is, Riley is still pretty new. This would be his first title in the WWE. That is, if and when he wins it. That is why giving him the title would be something fresh rather than handing Kofi more and more midcard titles. Kofi simply was not really being pushed to break into the main event in 2009. And Alex Riley was not being given that same push a few months ago with Miz. Develop him in the midcard. I like that.