When former WWE Superstar's push ended because John Cena "didn't like" him

John Cena was one of the most well-known and respected wrestlers in WWE. However, he has also grown a negative reputation throughout the years. Some believe that due to his "influence," Cena could change the direction of someone's career.

Alex Riley was best known in WWE as The Miz's protege. In this role, the former superstar aided his mentor, and at times, fought his matches. At one point, he faced off against John Cena and began a feud. After some success as The A-Lister's partner, Riley's career never took off as a solo star.

It was then rumored that Riley's push ended was because he didn't have the best relationship with The Cenation Leader. It was believed that Cena made fun of Riley in front of other people. The latter got mad, and this action was "breaking the code of the locker room."

In an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Alex Riley revealed that he and John did not like each other. The former even added that their relationship may have played a factor in his career.

"I think it came down to, in the end, two men just not liking each other. As sad as that is, it had an impact on my career because (Cena) is who he is. I just happened to be in a situation where, right from the start, it was just… he didn't like me.”

Alex Riley became a color commentator and briefly returned to in-ring competition. He was released on May 6, 2016.

What did John Cena say about the belief that he "buries" talent in WWE?

Claims about the 16-time World Champion burying talent became rampant after he would regularly win matches against up-and-coming stars. Now that he is no longer a regular in the ring, his wins are less frequent. However, this is still something he addressed recently.

While on Busted Open Radio this month, John Cena commented the matter. He said:

"The reputation I had in the sauce while I was in it was that I buried talent because I would really invest my wholeheartedness. I sat with Austin Theory for like 10 hours. Not wasted a day, invested a day, to talk about our why, like, what's our story going to be? I would do that with everyone. I live it. My heart is on the plate,"

Despite the inspiration John Cena has provided to fans and future superstars, it looks like some issues are unavoidable in the business.