Giving Alex Riley something to do.

[CATCH_US IS the Conversation]

This could be a great idea. Or something you can put in the "Worst Ideas Thread."

Alex Riley and The Miz are seen in backstage segments together, as they have become friends again. In the case of Miz, this is the beginning of a slow burn face turn.

Later on, Alex Riley, Zack Ryder, and John Cena in a backstage segment. Cena and Ryder are questioning Riley's friendship with The Miz (with obligatory "Are you Serious Bro?") Riley explains that Miz "is actually a pretty cool guy once you get to know him." Miz walks by and gives a friendly "Hi, guys." Riley waves hi, while Ryder and Cena give Miz dirty looks. Cena has a staredown with Miz and says, "If you hurt my friend in any way, I'm gonna take you down." This pattern continues with Riley being shown in segments with R-Truth, Big Show, and Not-Fully-Heel-Yet-Daniel Bryan (who tells Riley to stay away from Miz in a self righteous douchebaggy way).

Riley faces Ryder in a match to determine the #1 Contender for the U.S. Title. Kane comes out, and Riley can only watch in stunned silence as Kane gets him disqualified by chokeslamming Ryder. Kane looks at Riley as if to say, "What are you gonna do about it?" Kane shakes his head in disappointment and walks away, having expected Riley to react the way he did when he initially turned on The Miz.

Miz is randomly booked in matches against faces. Whenever he beats them down, Riley runs out and makes the save by begging Miz to stop hurting his friends and appealing to Miz's better nature. Miz only stops his attacks for Riley's sake

Eventually Miz & R-Truth face off against each other in a lumberjack match. For some reason, the lumberjacks come into the ring, beat down both Miz and Truth and a brawl ensues. Suddenly Kane's pyro goes off, and he comes walking out to the ring, and starts laying out everyone. The last person standing is Zack Ryder, who is cowering in the corner as Kane approaches him menacingly. Riley jumps into the ring and attacks Kane to protect Ryder, only to get overpowered. Kane chloroforms Riley, and yells at him, "You had it in your hands, and you threw it all away!" (A reference to Riley's previous hate for The Miz). Miz comes to Riley's aid, but gets chokeslammed, and the two former friends look at each other, each hoping the other is OK. Kane switches his focus to Miz and Riley, pissed off that they HAD the hate and let it go.

EDIT: Miz & R-Truth face off again in a Falls Count Anywhere Match, with Riley at ringside. Kane appears on the titantron, and cuts a promo. In the midst of the confusion, Riley accidentally gets knocked out with R-Truth's Water Bottle of Doom, and the match stops. Miz & Truth are both distraught over Riley being hurt, each of them blaming the other for it.

[Magic knows Black Lives Matter]

So...roughly the same idea as the current Cena/Kane storyline except have Riley be in Cena's spot and Miz in Ryder's?

[Essential1]

He could walk up to people backstage and go "SAY IT TO MY FACE!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Just attacking random workers,sound guys, Television monitors.

[BorneAgain]

Not completely without merit, but I think a Miz face turn can't happen for a little while as with Del Rio injured, R-Truth as a babyface, Raw needs some upper-mid card heels. Plus I when it does occur it should have a strong punch to it, more so than just getting friendly with Riley.

Honestly Riley just needs either a personality or a gimmick to get people interesting in him again.

[ThankGodForSidJustice]

I don't get why they don't push him more. According to house show reports he's still pretty over which is amazing considering he hasn't been on one of the main shows since October. They should just send him to Smackdown, a show that really needs bodies right now as pretty much it's whole roster is injured. As far as midcarders and main eventer go, the only guys on the show that are healthy are Sheamus, Bryan, Big Show, Cody Rhodes, Barrett, Hunico, and Justin Gabriel. Just seven guys on the whole roster. Yeah there's also Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal, but they've both been presented as lower card enhancement talent so you really can't count them.

I think someone like a Alex Riley could help. I'm not saying they need give him some big mega push or anything, but he could at least be a solid midcard face they could use to at least help fill out the card. It's not like they're doing anything with him on Raw anyways.

[femmejomo]

I like how the OP did a slow turn. I think Miz has been a heel so long that a slow turn is the only thing most of the audience will buy.

I really want these two back together, either as a tag team or with Riley as Miz's second - whether they are faces or heels is irrelevant.

I will this - I thought Riley was a great heel. I liked the Varsity Villian gimmick myself. I thought he played a great loud-mouthed heel.

[rnrk supports BLM]

Being enhancement talent IS something to do.