4 Reasons why Andrade should win the US Championship in 2019

On 17th April 2018, we witnessed the debut of Andrade as he was drafted to the Smackdown Live brand alongside his manager, Zelina Vega. There are plenty of superstars on the Smackdown roster that deserves to become the US Champion this year, but there isn't anybody more worthy of that feat than Andrade himself.

The current US Champion is none other than Rusev, and due to the fact that Rusev is a babyface, it makes Andrade the perfect candidate to take the title off him as he is a heel competitor. There is also a potential for the two men to put on great matches, as they have feuded before, so the history is definitely there.

But nevertheless, here are 4 reasons why Andrade should become the US Champion in 2019.

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#4 He had a good run as NXT Champion

Andrade when he first won the NXT Championship.

At NXT Takeover: War Games 2017, Andrade defeated Drew McIntyre to become the new NXT Champion. It was a moment that shocked the entire wrestling world, as people were expecting for McIntyre to return. Nobody expected Andrade to win, and it created such a big ovation despite the fact that he is a heel.

Despite the fact that NXT is clearly WWE's developmental territory, the NXT Championship is a very prestigious title to hold because it shows that Triple H has faith in you. Andrade's title reign proved that management had the utmost faith in El Idolo to succeed in the WWE which is why Andrade defeated McIntyre.

But it's not just the fact that he won the title, it's the fact that he had such a solid reign with it. He showed that he has exactly what it takes to be a great champion, and there is no reason why he couldn't do the same on Smackdown Live with the US Championship as he is clearly a star in the making on the main roster.

#3 He has Zelina Vega as his mouthpiece

Zelina Vega and Andrade are a force to be reckoned with.

Before Andrade found success in NXT, he was seriously floundering. The man who defines the word "Tranquilo" was on a big losing streak when he first appeared on NXT. It had lasted several months until the 5th October 2016 episode of NXT when Andrade then took out Cedric Alexander who was his partner in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, turning heel in the process.

But despite turning heel, Andrade's losing streak continued. His character was that he was a man who loved to have a party which was the reason why he was falling behind during his wrestling matches. That was until Zelina Vega made her arrival, as she had ordered for Andrade to fix himself up.

And as soon as Vega was paired up with Andrade, the landscape had changed completely as Andrade's character was complete. His mic skills are clearly his weakest set of skills, so having a strong, heel mouthpiece in Vega sealed the deal that led to Andrade becoming the NXT Champion. Vega is so efficient on the mic that she managed to save Andrade's character, and turn him into one of the most entertaining superstars in the WWE as a whole.

#2 He has the ability to put on amazing performances

Andrade and Johnny Gargano had stolen the show at NXT Takeover: Philadelphia.

There is no doubt that Andrade is one of the best wrestlers in the WWE at this moment as he continues to amaze fans with his fantastic skill set in the ring. As soon as he was paired up with Zelina Vega, we saw her assist him in several matches but it wasn't just any standard kind of distraction or help. It helped that boosted the tension and drama during his matches which made it a lot more entertaining.

In 2018, CBS Sports awarded Andrade and Johnny Gargano with the NXT Match of the Year award from their match at the NXT Takeover: Philadelphia event. This was a masterpiece of a match that had absolutely everything as the stakes were high. You had a babyface in Gargano that everybody wanted to see win, but in his way of becoming NXT Champion was not just Andrade, but Zelina Vega herself.

Both men had stolen the show that night as they each had a crucial role to play. On Smackdown Live, we have seen Andrade constantly put on great matches in the ring. But on the 15th January 2019 episode of Smackdown, we witnessed Andrade take on Rey Mysterio in a match that blew the entire wrestling world away.

The fans were up on their feet, and we saw so many big moments such as Andrade going to hit a moonsault onto Rey, only for Rey to move out of the way with Andrade landing on his feet, and with a rebound, he went for another Moonsault as the move was landed with perfection. Andrade is that one of a kind superstar that you most likely will not get anywhere else, which makes him such an important asset for Smackdown Live.

#1 He is the next big Mexican star

Andrade has all the tools to be WWE's biggest Mexican star.

Andrade has all the tools required of him to become the WWE Champion, but it is still way too soon for him to reach that status. WWE has been organically building up Andrade as soon as he entered Smackdown Live, and that is honestly the best way to build him up as a legitimate threat to the roster.

The fact of the matter is, Andrade is set to be the next big Mexican star that WWE has been desperately searching for. WWE has plenty of Mexican Luchadores such as Kalisto, Sin Cara, Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado. However, they had attempted to push Kalisto and Sin Cara to fill the role that Rey Mysterio once had in the WWE, before Rey made his return. But it hasn't worked out as Kalisto and Sin Cara just haven't connected with the fans on the same level as Rey did.

On the other hand, WWE also had Alberto Del Rio who was on the cusp of also becoming WWE's biggest Mexican star. But unfortunately for Del Rio, they pushed him to the moon and didn't allow him the opportunity to connect with the fans as a heel. His rise was so sudden, and the rumors were that a big push is what Del Rio wanted but it didn't turn out to be a push, as it resulted in Del Rio's downfall instead.

Andrade has everything that the WWE is looking for in terms of a replacement for Rey Mysterio. Mysterio may still be in the WWE, but he is getting older and his career is slowly coming to an end. Andrade is the perfect man to fill in that void when Mysterio leaves the WWE for good.