What if Andrade Cien Almas wins the Royal Rumble?

Andrade Cien Almas didn’t get off to a great start in NXT. The former La Sombra felt out of place and like he was struggling to find his character or adjust his working style to fit this new space.

It looked as though he might turn out to be a bust like the original Sin Cara had been on a number of levels, or like Alberto Del Rio turned out to be based on his attitude.

Times change, though, and little would fans have guessed that a heel turn and the addition of Zelina Vega as his manager would reinvent Almas as one of NXT’s hottest acts, the brand’s top champion, and before long a call-up to the main roster.

Almas’s first months on the main roster similarly didn’t set the world on fire, but he has proven himself in recent performances, and rumors abound that he particularly got Vince McMahon’s attention in great showing opposite Daniel Bryan.

Now word is that Almas is on the short list of performers to potentially win the Royal Rumble. But just what would it look like if Almas were to pull off that big victory?

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#5 The WWE Championship match opens WrestleMania

Andrade Almas could open WrestleMania challenging for the WWE Championship.

It has been a while, but there was a brief period in the two-world title era when the World Heavyweight Championship match opened the main card at WrestleMania.

While it did diminish that title’s standing a bit, the move also got WrestleMania off to a high stakes start with high caliber workers who were major stars in the ring to warm up the crowd.

In this new era, the WWE Championship is a bit more like the World Heavyweight Championship, as it’s the Universal Championship that is defended on Raw and has more guys who come across as the face of the company competing for it.

Andrade Cien Almas challenging for the WWE Championship, in particular, might make it fodder to open ‘Mania given that it’s Almas’s speedy style that has got him to this level recognition.

That’s a style that is fan friendly and perfect for starting ‘Mania strong, especially opposite the right opponent.

#4 Daniel Bryan or AJ Styles walks into ‘Mania as champion

AJ Styles or Daniel Bryan would be the most likely candidates to defend the title against Almas.

If Andrade Cien Almas were to get the nod for a WrestleMania title shot, it would be important for him to be challenging a champ who strikes the balance between being someone fans would readily believe Almas could beat, but also someone better established with a stronger name value to make the title match feel appropriately big-time against a first time ‘Mania performer.

Guys like John Cena and The Undertaker would pass the credibility test but would be hard sells for casual fans to buy Almas competing with.

Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles could each fit this bill as smaller workers who have often played an underdog role. They’re also workers who can more than keep up with Almas in the ring, and who would thus help him put his best foot forward for a match that could steal the show.

#3 The second fastest transition from NXT Champion to main roster world champ

Andrada Almas could go from NXT to WWE Champion inside a year's time.

There’s no guarantee that Andrade Cien Almas would win a world title, even if he does win the Royal Rumble to get his title shot at WrestleMania.

After first time Rumble winner and relatively fresh face to the main roster Shinsuke Nakamura came up short at WrestleMania, it called into question WWE’s willingness to build up new stars, and the value of the Rumble victory.

As such, WWE may be eager to make good in the following year, by having Almas follow a more traditional route of winning the Rumble en route to winning his first world title.

If Almas were to pull off this feat, he’d become just the fourth NXT Champion to win a main roster world title (if Samoa Joe doesn’t beat him to the punch).

Moreover, he’d make the transition from one title to the other inside of one year, faster than Seth Rollins or Kevin Owens did, and second only to Finn Balor’s rate of transition after he captured the first Universal Championship less than two months after dropping the NXT gold.

#2 Almas stays planted on SmackDown

Andrade Cien Almas may be a SmackDown mainstay.

For any talent Vince McMahon takes a special interest in, there’s a chance they’ll end up on Raw before too long.

Despite SmackDown going live and in many ways being treated more like Raw’s equal in the current brand split, McMahon still seems to favor Raw as the stage for marquee acts like Roman Reign and The Shield, Brock Lesnar, Braun Strowman, and the venue to play out part-timer rivalries like Triple H vs. The Undertaker et al.

If Almas wins the Rumble, it provides a clear route for him to get to the WWE Championship. If he can make good on both of those career-making wins, the odds are he’ll stay on SmackDown for another year, on the more work rate centric brand, and out of the shadow of Raw’s giants.

If he doesn’t win the Rumble, then his future is more open-ended, and he may be pushed to sink or swim on Monday nights sooner than later.

#1 The next Latino star is here

Andrade Cien Almas could be the star WWE has been waiting for.

Two Latino stars have previously won the Royal Rumble. There was Rey Mysterio, WWE’s ultimate underdog who would see through his destiny in winning the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22.

Then there was Alberto Del Rio, whom it’s clear WWE had significant plans for before backstage issues caught up to him. Even within his limited time with the company, he wound up a four-time world champion.

If Almas were to pick up the victory at the Royal Rumble, it would mean big things for his WWE destiny, and that Vince McMahon has arrived at the next Latino star he’s purportedly been striving for in recent years.

Better yet, Almas isn’t yet thirty, and likely as not has plenty of years of his prime left to offer WWE as a potential key star for the next generation of top-tier stars and WrestleMania mainstays.

Almas may enjoy that kind of run regardless, but winning the Rumble would be a crystal clear vote of confidence on his behalf.