Alex Riley Discusses Returning To The Ring, Kevin Owens, More

WWE.com recently interviewed Alex Riley on his in-ring return. Below are some highlights.

On returning to the ring against Kevin Owens: “I have said this from the start: All I can ever say to Kevin Owens is thank you. I had been looking for a reason to break free from the desk. I loved doing commentary for WWE, but at times I felt like a caged animal. Kevin Owens unlocked the door. He unchained me and now I will not be held responsible for my actions.”

On if he foresaw things going down the way they did: “In all honesty, no. I was unsure about everything, including the fact that I may never step foot inside a WWE ring again. You need to understand that I bleed WWE and when my time here is done, I will never put on another pair of boots again. I did not want it to end the way it did two years ago and I never want it to end now. If it was up to me, WWE would be the last thing I ever do with my life. Not knowing if you will ever regain your purpose in life is something that is extremely scary and it changed me forever.”

Riley on why he had such a long hiatus from the ring: “The company asked me to play a role for them behind the desk as a commentator, which I was more than happy to fill. For me, it was an incredible opportunity. When WWE Network went live for the first Raw Pre-Show, I was a part of it and I was honored.”

Riley on looking back at his experiences from coming in to WWE as an NXT rookie: “Growth. The Miz was great but I am not The Miz. For whatever reason, people thought we were similar years ago and I never understood why. It was frustrating. I believed I was something that the company did not. This time there will be no grey area. There will be no doubt or confusion on who Alex Riley is.”

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