The on-screen rivalry between John Cena and Alex Riley was very forgettable. Most fans don't even remember that Riley was a part of WWE's roster from 2007 to 2016. During this period, he worked as a tag team wrestler, and at one point, he was even positioned for a push as a singles competitor. But a real-life heat with Cena was said to have stripped Riley of these opportunities.
Many people may not even know that Cena and Riley weren't on best terms since day one, as revealed by the latter in multiple interviews. But what happened exactly between these two that led to Riley's doomed fate in WWE?
John Cena & Alex Riley's Backstage Story
It's been a long time since Riley and Cena worked together in WWE. Nobody really knows what caused the heat between them. All the fans know is that this was a case of a backstage altercation that went wrong.
Rumors had it that once The Cenation Leader was making jokes about Riley backstage with his friends, and the latter took it wrongly. His reaction was said to have rubbed Cena the wrong way. This was believed to be the beginning of their real-life feud by many people. However, Cena never really commented on the subject publicly ever.
John Cena Wasn't The Only Reason For Alex Riley Failing
At one point, Alex Riley was supposed to receive a huge push in WWE. He was getting loud reactions from the fans after turning face and separating himself from The Miz. WWE even involved him in matches with Cena for a short time. Even though people like to blame Cena for his burial, it might not be completely true. Those who don't know, Riley was supposed to eliminate John from the Royal Rumble match in 2011. But he botched his spot, and Cena was eliminated in a different way.
In August 2011, Riley began a program with US Champion at that time Dolph Ziggler. Some fans thought that WWE might have him win the title and push him. But he didn't win the title and even disappeared from WWE for some time after Night of Champions PPV. Riley was injured with a hip injury and following his return, WWE didn't use him much and he became an afterthought.
Over the years, WWE fans have seen a similar pattern with many other wrestlers who were once deemed to become huge in wrestling. Not only did Riley forced WWE to change their plans at Royal Rumble, but he also got injured at the wrong time. These things have ended the pushes of multiple wrestlers in the past as well.
This is why it's probably unfair to pawn off the blame for Riley's burial to Cena completely. The 16-time WWE Champion has been known to have heat with many young talents and he has allegedly even buried quite a few of them. But eventually, it's Vince McMahon's decision whether or not he wants someone to be taken off the television. And the WWE boss might have been turned off after seeing Riley's work in the ring.
Wrestling fans who know about this real-life rivalry support Riley because they think he deserved a chance to shine. In an interview, Tyler Reks revealed that even the entire locker room also took Alex's side on this matter. But nobody ever pointed a finger at Cena because he was the company's top guy and nobody wants to mess with him.
John Cena Is Now Committed To Putting Over Young Talents
Just like real life, it's every man for himself in WWE as well. When Cena was still a full-time performer, he tried his best to retain his position as the company's top babyface. Sometimes, when a "threat" came in his way, he simply used his powers to turn things in his favor. But over the years, Cena has proved to the fans that he's changed. He no longer feels insecure about his position in WWE and whenever he returns, he puts over someone else. Just like Triple H, Kevin Nash, and many other top superstars, Cena did everything to protect his career. But the top superstar status doesn't interest him anymore, he just wants to help young guys in the business.
If this was still 2011, Cena could've probably even asked WWE to put him in a program with Riley. He was a good talent and someone the fans genuinely liked. Recently, Riley even challenged Cena to a "Sports Entertainment Union Match". Now it's up to John if he wants to accept the challenge or not.