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Is It Cedric Alexander’s Time Now In WWE?

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WWE Cedric Alexander

During his time in Ring of Honor, Cedric Alexander first began to earn a name for himself as one half of the tag team the C and C Wrestling Factory, alongside Caprice Coleman. He was the younger member of the team, and fans could tell right away that the pair was something very special. He impressed in the ring, but it wasn’t until he completely abandoned the character he initially portrayed that he got to demonstrate to fans the character depth of which he is capable. Fans may have forgotten that in one fateful match, he defeated Moose by using a wrench and, after aligning with Veda Scott, Cedric the face was gone and Cedric the heel came to life. With Veda Scott as his mouthpiece, his character became someone that would do everything and anything he could to make sure he won. You can be liked, or you can win; now, Alexander wanted to win. After this complete about-face, the highly competitive Alexander showcased something very different. Gone was the overly cheerful persona that fans had come to know, replaced with someone that was tired of losing and being passed over, and had snapped. It was a change that was needed, and a long time coming.

Once he left Ring of Honor, Alexander had little opportunity to be seen by a broader audience since he wasn’t in a promotion that is featured on broadcast television, though he had some success in Evolve and other independent promotions. The next time fans got a chance to see Alexander on a widely available platform, it was during the WWE Cruiserweight Classic tournament in the summer of 2016.

Alexander was much leaner and appeared even more mobile than before. He had shed about 20 pounds and his body had become much more defined. He had tremendous matches during the tournament, but one match, in particular, made everyone stand up and take notice. When Alexander and Kota Ibushi squared off against one another, it was a hard-hitting affair full of risks and nearfalls. Despite losing the match, Alexander left to the cheers from the fans, and as he began to walk back to the dressing room, Triple H came out and embraced him with a congratulatory hug that showcased his appreciation for Alexander’s performance not only in that match but throughout the tournament.

When the tournament drew to a close, TJ Perkins was crowned the inaugural Cruiserweight Champion. Alexander was announced as being part of the Cruiserweight division that would soon officially debut as part of the roster for Raw. Upon his debut, Alexander was paired up with Alicia Fox, and while the pairing didn’t showcase how good of a wrestler he was because he was caught in a ‘love triangle’ with Noam Dar, it did give him a vehicle to be seen on television. Eventually, his character affirmed that he didn’t want to fight for Fox and instead said ‘you deserve each other’. It was an awkward angle because the duo of Fox and Dar persisted in pursuing Alexander when Cedric couldn’t have cared less. The angle appeared to be more like punishment and wasn’t the least bit engaging. That wasn’t the worst of it, though, because Alexander also suffered an injury that had him sidelined for months towards the end of February, taking him out of action for nearly a quarter of 2017. An injury often can halt momentum, and after his return, Alexander wasn’t granted a meaningful storyline or feud that he could sink his teeth into.

Which leads us to today. He was embroiled in a feud, alongside Rich Swann, against The Brian Kendrick and Gentleman Jack Gallagher. While we should be excited about the feud and that Alexander is being used, it feels like it is still doing him a bit of a disservice. It all came about at Alexander’s expense, when Gallagher assaulted him and turned heel, in the process befriending The Brian Kendrick. Once again, Alexander is in the role of a vulnerable and unsuspecting face, making him look naïve and mistreated. During his time in Ring of Honor, fans witnessed a character that progressed, someone that took all he was going to take and he would no longer take it anymore. Now over a year after joining the Raw roster, where has Alexander character truly gone? When we remove the injury, we are left to wonder will we see the character that emerged in Ring of Honor. Really, Jack Gallagher has been given the character that Alexander had so fully embraced in ROH.

It could very well be that the ultimate plan for Cedric is that he will take all the disappointment he can, and unleash the inner angst that fans know he is capable of showcasing. How long will it be? What more will it take? Will it even happen at all? Right now, Alexander is booked to showcase how talented he is in the ring, but other than that, why should fans in the WWE care about him? The sad truth is he hasn’t been granted the depth that others in the division have and he has not had the opportunity to sink his teeth into something compelling and meaningful.

 

When Neville was the Cruiserweight Champion, he had feuds with the likes of TJ Perkins, Jack Gallagher, Rich Swann and Austin Aries, and yet during that time, Alexander wasn’t among those to contend. Now, maybe he originally was and then those plans were scrapped after his injury. Some may argue that he is a relatively big fish in a small pond; his value in the ring has long been seen by many around the industry, including Triple H. In 2015, Alexander was ranked #85 on Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s top 500 of the year, and he was #116 the following year. However, his ranking dropped to #206 this past year, and how much of that has to do with his on-screen character development or lack thereof? Much like the other cruiserweights, he is forced to work in 5 to 10-minute matches. It is difficult to tell a story in that little time or give the audience reason to care.

Recently Alexander’s role alongside Swann took another embarrassing turn when in reference to being called a ‘clown’ by Kendrick and Gallagher, Alexander and Swann came down the ring both dressed in clown attire and sporting painted clown faces. On one hand, we can look at that decision as Alexander having fun with his character, and that he is unselfish and doing what is asked, of him. It is more important to carry out the storyline rather than simply sitting idly by and not be used.

Alexander has come such a long way since his days as the younger protégé led by Caprice Coleman. Many wrestlers will say that their ultimate aspiration is to be brought into WWE. It as though competing for them is a bucket list item, leading to a level of notoriety that will always remain on their professional resumes. Fans can see that Alexander is a talented in-ring performer capable of delivering compelling and exciting matches like he did in the Cruiserweight classic. However, now those that see him compete on 205 Live are seeing something far removed from what he can do, except for very brief moments. Fans do get hints that he has an incredible array of skills, and is capable of performing moves in the ring that leave others double his size in complete awe. His commitment to lose 20 lbs and get himself in the best shape of his life suggests that Cedric is dedicated to making the most of this opportunity. He has the capability to do things that will incite a reaction from the audience and make them want to see more. However, much like the other cruiserweights, they aren’t allotted the same time to develop their character both inside and out of the ring.

For over a year, Cedric has been presented as someone who is always excited and there to entertain. It is almost as if his character is too happy about where he is. Could a heel turn be all that far-off from happening? Time will tell, but all that we can see is what is presented before us: a talented wrestler that isn’t given nearly enough amount of time to develop, having just a few minutes to showcase that he is capable of doing some incredible things. A program with Neville would have been terrific, an opportunity to see his in-ring prowess and how intense he could be the self-proclaimed king of the cruiserweights. However, that was not to be.

So here we sit waiting for Cedric. We wait to see what exactly the long-term plans for his character and time with 205 Live will be. There hasn’t been any indication why he doesn’t hold a more prominent role with the company, other than the injury that stalled his momentum. For fans like of Alexander like myself, we are tired of waiting to see him elevated.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @TheMarcMadison and Instagram @themarcmadison

Feel Free to like my Facebook page Pro Wrestling Post

Feel Free to check out my blog The Wrestling News Hub Magazine include interviews with ROH top prospect tournament entrant, Curt Stallion, Sebastian Suave, Ring of Honor’s Frankie Kazarian, “All Good” Anthony Greene, ‘The Green Machine’ Mike Orlando, Josh Briggs, ROH top prospect finalist John Skyler and current rising Ring of Honor star Flip Gordon with interviews with Tyson Dux, Ivelisse and Madman Fulton (former WWE NXT superstar Sawyer Fulton) and former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas still to come.

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Opinion

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS: WWE Bash In Berlin Immediate Reactions

Join DJ and Tunney for their immediate reactions to WWE Bash in Berlin. For the latest, greatest and up to datest, ALWAYS #UseYourHead and visit THECHAIRSHOT.COM

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Join DJ and Tunney for their immediate reactions to WWE Bash in Berlin. For the latest, greatest and up to datest, ALWAYS #UseYourHead and visit THECHAIRSHOT.COM

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@TheMindlessPod @PCTunney @ChairshotMedia

prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot – TONS of Great designs…MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

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Opinion

AJ’s Top 3 Favorite SummerSlams

AJ is back with his annual opinion article, and this time the SummerSlam buzz got him wondering about his personal Top 3.

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It’s been a while since I have done any form of writing and SummerSlam is this Saturday. Of all the SummerSlams I’ve seen over the years; which ones are my favorites? While it’s not a revolutionary idea, I figured everyone loves to debate favorites of well, anything. Don’t worry though because this isn’t just going to be pure recency bias. I’ve watched the majority of them so with the ones I put on the list, it hit me more in some way shape or form whether it was story, a really good match or it just felt like a solid event.

At least this proves WWE is trending in a good direction for me, when it gets the ol’ brain juices flowing just because a show is around the corner!

#3: 2022 (Ol’ Brock Lesnar Has A Farm)

r/Wrasslin - when did Brock lesner begin his farmer and cowboy gimmick and when did he stop doing the gimmick ? is it worth watching I believe it was 2021 but not sure when he stopped the gimmick
Starting off the show, we get Bianca looking for a rematch against Becky from last years SummerSlam and it was better than the 21 second affair that everyone claims was a squash. This time Bianca holds her own and beats the Man in a fairly decent match, good way to get the event started. Next up is the heat seeking missile, Logan Paul against the former heat seeking missile because, well he wasn’t cut out for it and wasn’t a guy in everyone’s eyes, The Miz. After they had their blow off at Mania with Logan coming out on top which… isn’t awful, I just don’t like Logan Paul because he has that dude bro aura and swagger to make him more hateable than any other person on the card. Which I suppose is his gimmick…so…kudos?

First Championship match is for the US Championship and it’s as expected that in Theory, he should never beat someone to the caliber of Bobby Lashley which is no surprise. Dominik and Rey still back when Dom wanted the good fight against the Judgement Day before joining them later. The former Colts players, which they hammered it dahn in this match up showed that the canal swimming, trash talkin’, podcastin’, current RAW Color Commentatin’ goofball we all love, Pat McAfee came out on top again Bum Ass Corbin.

Usos putting the Street Profits on lockdown in the penitentiary since I believe this was peak Bloodline with the belt collecting and running all of WWE. Liv beat Ronda Rousey which isn’t astonishing but it’s not something people had on their bingo cards for anything with WWE so it was a nice little shock factor. The most memorable part of the night is obviously the Main Event, Lesnar brings the tractor, Roman catching the Microphone and Brock stands on top of the vehicle. Damn good match that showed off what they do in the ring since Roman caught his stride as the main bad guy and Brock… liked people after all of this? That is still a weird statement in my head. Brock being a good guy people person. If Liv wasn’t on bingo cards for wrestling, that is not on bingo cards in any aspect of life really.

That is more of the event that had solid matches and story going for it. No weird double count out, multiple people involved, 5 tag matches on the card. Things made sense and weren’t convoluted, had shocking moments that were great to see like Liv actually getting a title defense and there were the results we all expected at the time like Theory losing in 4 minutes to Bobby Lashley.

#2: 2009 (Are You Ready for The Return?)

10 Greatest Summerslam Entrances in WWE History - GameSpot
This event wasn’t that strong. It was strong with the star power involved in 2009 with guys like Rey Mysterio as Intercontinental Champion, Orton and Cena for the WWE Championship as it was becoming as stale as month old chips and CM Punk was facing Jeff Hardy before he ultimately returned to TNA at the beginning of 2010 after this PPV. For me, it’s not so much of the show itself, it was more of the memories because the Balai as our friends Chris Platt and Rey Cash like to call my brother and I, we were just coming back into wrestling and we were TNA Fans. We didn’t watch WWE that much really, it was just what came on after another channel had old ROH shows before they moved to three hours and swallowed the 8pm Eastern Slot. No, the reason why this has so many memories for me is three main reasons. First, Orton and Cena. They have had their rivalry since the beginning it seems, being each others foils like Hogan and Piper before them and there had to be a stipulation where if Randy was Counted Out or DQ’d, he’d lose the championship regardless. This was prime Viper Randy and the obvious joke we had of Super Cena where he very rarely lost, unless it was SummerSlam surprisingly enough.

Number two reason was CM Punk and Jeff Hardy. Hardys known for the Ladder and TLC matches in the past and this being the penultimate match for this feud and it was a banger of a match. If you didn’t know Punk before, it was a great introduction to his wrestling. I used to like Punk a lot because of this match because he could talk, wrestle… and not insanely personal with things in wrestling. In all seriousness, this was a great match. Ultimate risks, high reward for Punk grabbing the World Heavyweight Championship and he was given his next feud because of the final boss of SmackDown at that time. Thanks, Teddy Long.

The main and final reason though why this match gave me the memories flowing back is more of the fact that one of my closest and longest termed friends of 23 years, also loves wrestling. Back when we were younger, he’d do MoCap videos on YouTube with his figures. We’d have friends come over for parties at his house and we’d do the one thing WWE always told us not to do and that was try it at home. He was always stronger than me, I was always more charismatic. He had the power aspect and did things with brute force, I could talk my way out of trouble with parents if we did something wrong. There was always one thing that our respective mother’s always called us though… it’s on the tip of my tongue… oh right, ‘Degenerates’.

As soon as we were called that, we kind of parodied the DX line. I was limber enough to do the HBK pose and do a Superkick before it became the new DDT and he would just Spinebuster people and knew how to do the water spit. So what do you think was the main reason we even ordered this PPV for his 13th Birthday? I think the two guys we were pretending to be were set to return on a tank and toss out some glow sticks. The return of DX, Shawn Michaels coming back after Mania with Triple H to deal with the Legacy problem was an amazing return for them and made everything so much fun.

So we have the solid card and this one has a personal story… what’s my number one SummerSlam? Is it personal? Well yes but not going into that. Is it a good card? To me, it was a phenomenal card! Is it memorable? Seeing how wrestling fans still mention at least three matches to this day.

#1: 2005 (Octopus in the Washer, Lover’s Quarrel and Where the F%#$ is Vickie?)

Vickie Guerrero on Rey vs. Dominik Mysterio: 'I wish I was part of it' -  Cageside Seats
Quite possibly some of the best matches I’ve seen and one that was just the most hilarious moments of overselling in wrestling history, I know why I love this SummerSlam but it’s also a really good card at the same time. Redacted beats Orlando Jordan in 25 seconds for the US Title and they made jokes about it like, he can make a coffee faster than he beat Orlando and stuff like that, it’s pretty funny. Angle getting sick of Eugene’s antics for his Gold Medal was also a great bit they had play up, the Year long feud of Randy Orton and Undertaker was still going on where Orton comes out on top this time around to get the win back from Mania, Jericho returning for the match with Cena in a whole promotional thing for each other’s groups, Fozzy for Jericho and the Chain Gang doing Bad, Bad Man for Cena leading up to a match for the WWE Championship. JBL won a 20 man battle royal on SmackDown to win the Championship…… Opportunity to face the newest member of SmackDown, Batista but the three main matches that a lot of people talk about to this day; Edge vs Matt Hardy, Rey vs Eddie for Dominik and Hogan vs HBK in the Main Event.

I have reasons to enjoy the Hardy/Edge match but it looked like a real fight, it really made us believe that Matt Hardy was going to kill Edge because real names were dropped during this tirade from Hardy. It wasn’t Edge and Lita, it was Adam and Amy. Matt was so dead set on beating the hell out of Edge that they made a situation into gold and it was a great moment for this match to happen, I believe it was also an Unsanctioned Match too which added the intensity until matt got concussed and knocked senseless that it looked like he couldn’t fight for anything but the build up was what made it seem like a marque match. It made it feel real, it made it feel awesome and it made it feel personal.

Eddie kept tormenting Rey Mysterio about Dominik not being Rey’s but Eddie’s for the summer. That’s all you heard from Eddie being the weasel he was is hanging out with Dominik, making the world believe it’s his son and what not (Let’s not do a fast forward to today where he has the mullet, mustache and everything like Eddie) but they settle this in a Ladder Match where the top of it is a document for the custody of Dominik and my god, this match is better than it should have been. I expect nothing else from Eddie because the man hated having a bad match, Dom got involved and stopped Eddie, Vickie was late and stopped Eddie. The whole match was good it was just very weird with the premise but was a great match. I wonder if Rey regrets his decision to win the match now…

Octopus in a Washing Machine… those five words have resonated with Shawn Michaels’ performance in this match, forever. It was supposed to be an amazing match up between Hogan and Michaels, Icon vs Icon it said and suddenly Hogan’s back gives out, can’t do a trilogy of matches so we can only do the one and then pull out of everything after. This match was set up to be a classic and instead turned into the most unbelievable sell fest ever. A Hogan big boot caused Shawn to tumble 3 or 4 times, getting crotched on the ropes had HBK bouncing higher than he should have, being tossed out of the ring made it look like Shawn never broke his back in 1998 from how much he flopped and flipped around like crazy. It’s bad… or maybe even good that a lot of current wrestlers watched this match that went, “I can sell like that, I want to be a wrestler” and did. So good or bad, I don’t know but for some reason this PPV has always had a place in my heart for how memorable it was.

Those are my top three SummerSlams so far but who knows, 2024 has potential to maybe bump something or at least get me to consider a shift. Should be fun to see how the show plays out! What are some of your favorite SummerSlams?

About Chairshot Radio Network

Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!

 MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling) 

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast 

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR


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All Shows On Demand


Powered by RedCircle


Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
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