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Andrade “Cien” Almas made his WWE SmackDown Live debut by defeating local talent Jake Constantinou in a 79-second match in London, England on Tuesday.
“El Idolo” proved himself to be one of the best in-ring talents in all of WWE during his time in NXT, with his most impressive match coming against Johnny Gargano at TakeOver: Philadelphia in January, and big things are expected of him on the main roster.
In this article, let’s take a look at five things you probably didn’t know about the former CMLL, NJPW and NXT star.
#5 He is the youngest male Superstar on SmackDown Live
Remember in 2003 when René Duprée debuted as part of La Résistance and became a WWE Tag Team champion at the age of just 19? Or when Vince McMahon wanted a youth movement in the mid-90s and chose to promote younger talents in main events?
Well, those days are long gone. Due to the format of NXT, it’s highly unlikely that we’ll see either of those things happen on the main roster again for a very long time (discounting 10-year-old Nicholas’ debut at WrestleMania 34, of course!).
WWE’s modern-day protocol, which sees the majority of Raw and SmackDown Live Superstars start out in NXT first, has worked very well in recent years, but it’s also quite alarming that Andrade “Cien” Almas, at the age of 28, is the youngest male Superstar on SmackDown right now.
#4 Alberto Del Rio convinced him to stay in WWE
Andrade “Cien” Almas has made a huge impact in a short space of time in NXT/WWE, but things could have been very different had it not been for some words of wisdom from former WWE champion Alberto Del Rio.
Speaking with Milenio in March 2018, Almas revealed that, a long time before he worked his way to the top of NXT and became the brand’s champion, he thought about quitting due to a lack of opportunities and because of some criticism that he received.
However, after speaking with Del Rio – another Superstar who made his name in Mexico and arrived in WWE still needing to learn English – Almas was encouraged to stay and fight for his chance in the company.
#3 He was involved in NXT’s first 5-star match
Like them or dislike them, Dave Meltzer’s match ratings in the Wrestling Observer are a good guide at how well matches have been received in WWE, NXT, NJPW and beyond throughout the years.
In January 2018, Andrade “Cien” Almas was involved in his first 5-star match – and the first 5-star match in NXT history – when he successfully defended the NXT Championship in the main event of TakeOver: Philadelphia against Johnny Gargano.
The only other time Almas was close to getting the 5-star treatment came in September 2015 when, competing as La Sombra, he earned a ****3/4 rating after facing Atlantis in a Mask vs. Mask Two out of Three Falls match at CMLL’s 82nd Anniversary Show.
#2 Triple H wants him to cut more English promos
Andrade “Cien” Almas’ NXT/WWE career has gone from strength to strength over the last year, but it’s fair to say that he had a difficult time connecting with fans before he was aligned with business manager Zelina Vega.
Speaking to NBC Sports in December 2017, NXT patriarch Triple H said the trash-talking Vega brings “a totally different dynamic” to Almas’ character but added that the Mexican will one day have to improve on his promos in English.
“You have to put them out there and you have to give them the ball. Sometimes you have to throw the guy the ball, while understanding that he might fumble it, or he might fall down, but he has to get used to catching it and then eventually he's going to run for a touchdown.”
#1 He’s the only Mexican to win the IWGP Intercontinental Championship
Andrade “Cien” Almas and Shinsuke Nakamura are likely to be two of SmackDown Live’s most prominent heels over the next few months, so there’s not much chance of them doing battle on WWE television in the near future.
That wasn’t the case back in 2013, however, when Almas (then known as La Sombra) defeated “The King of Strong Style” for New Japan’s IWGP Intercontinental Championship at CMLL’s Super Viernes event in a Two out of Three Falls match.
Almas’ reign didn’t last long – 50 days, the shortest in the title’s seven-year history – but he still holds the distinction of being the only Mexican to have won the championship.
