Alex Riley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alex Riley |
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Riley in 2012
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| Birth name | Kevin Robert Kiley Jr. |
| Born | April 28, 1981 Fairfax Station, Virginia, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Boston College |
| Family | Kevin Kiley (father) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Alex Riley Carson Oakley Kevin Kiley Jr. |
| Billed height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
| Billed weight | 236 lb (107 kg) |
| Billed from | Washington, D.C. |
| Trained by | Florida Championship Wrestling |
| Debut | October 30, 2007 |
| Retired | 2023 |
Kevin Robert Kiley Jr. (born April 28, 1981) is an American former professional wrestler and commentator. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he used the ring name Alex Riley. He was also a participant in the second season of NXT.
Contents
Alex Riley's Wrestling Journey
Starting in WWE
Training in Florida (2007–2010)
In 2007, Kevin Kiley Jr. signed a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He was sent to their training ground, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). On October 30, 2007, he had his first match, losing to Shawn Osbourne. He wrestled under his real name at first.
In September 2008, he changed his ring name to Carson Oakley. He teamed up with Scotty Goldman. They tried to win the Florida Tag Team Championship but didn't succeed. In December, he changed his name again to Alex Riley. He started using a character of a university jock. He even wore a letterman's jacket. Beverly Mullins became his manager, acting like a prom queen.
In 2009, Alex Riley joined the FCW General Manager's group. He was called the "top draft pick." This made him the top challenger for the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship in July. He lost in a three-way match in August. Riley also wrestled in some matches before Raw and SmackDown shows. On August 30, he stopped working with Beverly Mullins.
On March 18, 2010, Riley won the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship. He defeated Justin Gabriel and Wade Barrett in a three-way match. He lost the title to Mason Ryan in July. This was also a three-way match that included Johnny Curtis.
Joining NXT and The Miz (2010–2011)
On June 1, 2010, The Miz announced he would be Alex Riley's mentor for the second season of NXT. Riley made his NXT debut on June 8. He had his first match on NXT a week later, defeating Kaval. Kaval later pinned Riley in a six-man tag team match. In the first fan poll, Riley was ranked fourth. He moved up to third place in the second poll.
On August 9, Riley teamed with Husky Harris and Michael McGillicutty on Raw. They won a six-man tag team match. The next night, Riley's team lost a rematch. He then dropped to fifth place in the poll, almost getting eliminated. Riley was eliminated from NXT on August 31, finishing in third place. After Kaval won, Riley and the other eliminated rookies attacked him.
Riley continued to appear on Raw with The Miz. The Miz signed Riley to a "personal services contract." This allowed Riley to be at ringside with The Miz. Riley often interfered in The Miz's matches. He tried to help The Miz win at the Bragging Rights event. The Miz also used Riley to wrestle in his place sometimes. Riley lost to John Cena and Ezekiel Jackson in these matches.
Riley helped The Miz keep his WWE Championship at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs. During this match, Randy Orton put Riley through a table.
On February 28, John Cena challenged Riley to a match. If Cena won, Riley would no longer be The Miz's helper. Riley lost the match, even with The Miz's help. This was meant to send Riley back to FCW for a new character. However, Riley returned to Raw on March 14. He interfered in The Miz's match. The next week, Riley announced The Miz had rehired him as his "VP of Corporate Communications." He helped The Miz at WrestleMania XXVII against Cena.
Solo Career (2011–2013)
In April 2011, Riley was moved to the SmackDown brand. This separated him from The Miz. Riley appeared on SmackDown on April 29. He tried to interrupt Randy Orton but was attacked. Even though he was drafted, Riley still appeared on Raw with The Miz. The Miz blamed Riley for losing the WWE Championship. On May 23, Riley attacked The Miz. This made Riley a fan favorite. He was then rehired by the Anonymous Raw General Manager. Riley attacked Michael Cole and chased away The Miz.
On June 6, Riley teamed with John Cena on Raw. They faced R-Truth and The Miz. Steve Austin was the special referee. Riley's team lost because Cena didn't trust him. Riley then faced The Miz at Capitol Punishment and won. The next night, Riley was eliminated first in a six-man tag team match. His team still won. At Money in the Bank, Riley competed in a ladder match. Alberto Del Rio won that match. Riley lost to The Miz in a tournament for the WWE Championship, ending their rivalry.
In August, Riley started a rivalry with United States Champion Dolph Ziggler. Riley won a match against Ziggler by disqualification. This happened after Ziggler's manager, Vickie Guerrero, slapped Riley. Riley later defeated Jack Swagger in a rematch. At Night of Champions, Riley competed for the United States Championship. Ziggler kept his title in that four-way match. Riley had a hip injury in October. After he returned, he mostly wrestled on Superstars.
In 2012, Riley had a long losing streak. He lost 14 matches in a row. He entered the 2012 Royal Rumble as the second wrestler. The Miz eliminated him first. Riley got a rare win on NXT in May. He teamed with Tyson Kidd to beat JTG and Johnny Curtis. He returned to SmackDown in July. He lost a qualifying match for the World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank match. Riley ended his losing streak on Raw in August. He defeated Dolph Ziggler with a quick pin. In September, Riley had elbow and knee surgery. In January 2013, Riley teamed with Derrick Bateman in the NXT Tag Team Championship Tournament. They lost in the first round. Riley appeared on Raw and Main Event in 2013.
Becoming a Commentator (2013–2015)
Because he wasn't winning many matches, Riley started working as a commentator. In June 2013, he became a commentator for Superstars. He also became a regular commentator for NXT and Main Event.
When the WWE Network launched, Riley became known as "The Analyst" Alex Riley. He acted like a sports commentator. He was often on the expert panel for the Raw and SmackDown pre-shows. He also appeared on pay-per-view events in this role.
In 2013 and 2014, Riley still wrestled sometimes at WWE live events. He won matches against wrestlers like Tyson Kidd and Heath Slater.
Returning to the Ring and Leaving WWE (2015–2016)
In late 2014 and early 2015, Riley started a social media campaign. He used the Twitter hashtag #FreeRiley. He wanted to wrestle again on TV. His last televised match was in 2013. After a story where NXT Champion Kevin Owens bothered him on commentary, Riley returned to wrestling on NXT on March 11. He defeated CJ Parker. After the match, Owens attacked Riley during an NXT taping. Owens caused a fake knee injury to Riley. On May 1, it was announced Riley would have surgery for a real knee problem.
Riley returned from his injury on January 27, 2016, after eight months. He had longer hair and a beard. He won his match against Bull Dempsey. He also started acting like a "bad guy" (heel) again. In the next few weeks, he lost to Tye Dillinger and Apollo Crews. On May 11, Riley had his last WWE match, losing to Shinsuke Nakamura.
WWE released Alex Riley from his contract on May 6, 2016.
Wrestling Outside WWE (2022–2023)
After six years away, Kevin Kiley Jr. returned to wrestling in December 2022. He used his Alex Riley name. He teamed with Tyrus at a Create A Pro Wrestling event. In February 2023, he wrestled for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He lost to EC3 at their Nuff Said event.
Other Appearances
Alex Riley is a character you can play in the video game WWE '12. He also appears in the mobile game WWE SuperCard.
Movies and TV Shows
Alex Riley has also appeared in some movies and TV shows.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Glass Jaw | Mike Mathews | |
| 2019 | Bennett's War | Dixon |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | GLOW | Steel Horse | 1 Episode |
Personal Life and Background
Alex Riley's father, Kevin Kiley Sr., is a sports reporter. His mother, Lauren, was a former Miss Virginia.
Riley went to Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia. He played both football and basketball there. He then went to Boston College. He studied communications. He played for the Boston College Eagles football team. He started as a quarterback and later became a linebacker. He also tried out for a Canadian Football League team.
Riley has a tattoo of a Celtic cross on his back. He is Catholic.
Wrestling Achievements
- Florida Championship Wrestling
- FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked No. 106 of the top 500 wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2011
