The Awesome Rebirth?

After taking out R-Truth last week, Miz follows up with taking out John Morrison this week. I already talked about Morrison, so this is going to be about Miz this time around.

They are selling this idea that Miz is taking out people who have held him back. The next man on his list will obviously be Alex Riley, who was shown backstage with John Morrison this week. Riley was Miz's sidekick for a few months. Back earlier this year, they had mistakes by Riley be the reason for Miz failing to regain the WWE title. This led to problems in the team, and Riley eventually turning face. Riley looked very impressive against Miz in some of their matches. I'm talking "Kofi Kingston Beating Randy Orton" impressive here. Remember where that one went? Absolutely nowhere for Kofi. He remained in the midcard. Following looking so good, the WWE also demoted Riley back down as well. Up to this point, he has done nothing too interesting. He now finds himself possibly once again in the path of his former mentor.

I like that Alex Riley is going to get used again. Some people can say that R-Truth turning face was meant to replace John Morrison, but you could have easily have just promoted Riley back up again and left Awesome Truth as a heel tag team. You can also have Mason Ryan who can be pushed even more as a face, if need be. Send over DiBiase from Smackdown to Raw more often. The WWE seems eager to get him over. Before I get too lost from what I'm talking about, let me pull it back in to Riley. If it had to take Awesome Truth splitting up and John Morrison leaving for Alex Riley to get used again, I can live with that. Point is, he will still be getting a chance to go out there. Obviously, when R-Truth returns, the WWE will pretty much have to have him feud with Miz. That will most likely make Riley's push just filler. Nevertheless, I hope it does not end up being Miz killing Riley on the stage next week in the same way he took out Morrison and R-Truth. Make it a real feud. Take it to TLC. That is what I am expecting. I doubt the WWE will push Miz against Big Show right now. Big Show was one of Miz's former partners, as well.

Miz seems to be getting a new character. He still thinks he's awesome, but his promo on Raw had less of that cockiness and energy to it. This Miz is colder. I like it. Do I think the regular fans will? No. That is why his actions will have to speak louder than his words. Having him be violent like this is good. Depending on how the WWE works this, Miz can be bringing something interesting in the midcard in the coming weeks.

Alex Riley To Zack Ryder To Mason Ryan

Mason Ryan, who recently turned face a few weeks ago, looks to be heading into a feud with U.S. Champion Dolph Ziggler. A few weeks before tonight, it looked like Zack Ryder was getting some kind of push against Ziggler. Before that, Alex Riley was the face who stood up against Ziggler.

Just looking at the last two challengers, I don't feel the WWE followed through with either feud well enough. Both Riley and Ryder are over guys. My pick out of the two is Riley. I like him more. He also was showing some good promise in being the kind of star the WWE would like to have. I can understand that the WWE does not like pushing goofy gimmicks like what Ryder has. But it really would be better if they pushed Riley instead of Mason Ryan.

Mason Ryan is the new Batista. That has been said many times and you can see it yourself. That being said, this guy will not get properly over unless they give him the kind of push they gave Batista. Without that, Mason Ryan will become Raw's Zeke. What has Zeke been doing on Smackdown since losing the Intercontinental Championship? Not a thing. Should Mason Ryan win the United States title, I can only see the same end for him, unless that monster push does come. If it never comes, I think the WWE wasted a shot with Riley.

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.

Alex Riley Walks On His Own

Last week, Alex Riley attacked Miz. This week, he got some of Miz again, as well as Michael Cole himself. More importantly, he got a good reaction. He also did his beatings better than Layla did against Michelle McCool a few weeks ago.

It is no surprise that I am loving this. I love seeing new, fresh wrestlers getting pushed. I don't have anything against Alex Riley. I rolled my eyes a little when the WWE was blatantly using him as an extension of Miz to make him look like a stronger heel and more of a threat to overcome, but that is more of a criticism for the WWE, not Riley.

The only question now is whether Riley is just being built up so Miz has something to do, or is this thing the start of something great for Riley? If Riley was not getting that reaction he was getting, I would say that he was just being built up to feed to Miz. But there are a whole lot of spots for someone like Alex Riley to be pushed, unlike the divas. I am not predicting he will be beating John Cena for the WWE title in a few months. I doubt he will get the kind of big push Eddie Guerrero got. But the WWE can really freshen up the midcard with how they use Alex Riley.