Andrade “Cien” Almas Is Proof That Long-Term Booking Still Works

November 2015: it’s announced that La Sombra, star of the Mexican promotion CMLL, has signed a developmental deal with WWE’s hottest brand, NXT. Stripped of his mask and being brought into the Titan Towers fold, “The Shadow” is rechristened Andrade “Cien” Almas. The debut of this newly signed free agent was at the centre of much anticipation, with vignettes of the Mexican star removing his mask airing weekly as he prepared to appear for the first time in front of the Full Sail University crowd. The time would come at NXT TakeOver: The End, where Almas would win his first ever televised match in WWE against NXT stalwart, Tye Dillinger. But Almas did not receive the hero’s welcome that was expected. Instead, he was greeted with indifference at best and hostility at worst.

This was a rare example of a misfire in an NXT debut. Names such as Finn Bálor, Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe had been embraced by the fans as legends who were finally where they belonged. Meanwhile, one of the very best performers in Mexican wrestling was the subject of intense scrutiny. The fatal error was of course having Almas wrestle Tye Dillinger right out of the gate. “The Perfect Ten” was technically a heel at this point in time, but was a cult hero among the Full Sail crowd and on the verge of becoming a plucky underdog babyface. Telling the fans to cheer the new guy over one of their favourites was a recipe for disaster.

Thus began what many labelled as a seldom seen flop in the beloved realm of NXT, but Andrade has in fact been a part of one of the most brilliant exercises in unintentional long-term booking since Daniel Bryan’s ascendancy to the main event of Wrestlemania 30. Such storytelling has been uncommon in WWE in recent times: we live in an era of 50/50 booking, with stories that don’t go anywhere and pushes that are routinely abandoned. Whether by accident or by design, Andrade “Cien” Almas has in fact had a story playing out in the background that has been a roaring success.

The tale of Andrade’s rise has taken the form of an unusually well-defined three act structure that has adhered to continuity, a rarity not just in WWE, but within wrestling in general. WWE had a plan and they stuck to it. The beginning of this narrative first became apparent with Almas’s heel turn on Cedric Alexander after a series of high profile losses, including doing the job for the newly arrived Bobby Roode. This was a key first step in the process, the fans desperately wanted a reason to boo him and were granted it. Obviously, this is a simple booking decision that on its own wouldn’t be effective without any significant follow-up.

The next development was arguably the most important of the newly turned superstar’s NXT run: his losing streak. What many rightfully view as a kiss of death in a wrestling career was in fact a blessing in disguise. There was a wider narrative at play here, one that would morph Almas into one of the most fully formed characters in the company. Entering Full Sail flanked by harams of women on a weekly basis, “Cien” would be admonished on commentary, with the announcers informing the audience that he was frequenting local night clubs and staying out until the early hours of the morning. This change into a Latin American playboy would cause the character of Almas to lose his focus in matches and eat pinfall after pinfall. The angle was almost self-aware in its acknowledgement of Andrade’s disappointing run. Much like in real life, he had come into NXT with much promise, yet it had been squandered and he was in real danger of being considered a bust.

This is where the third act of this story commences, the act that we are currently in. The losing streak had gotten to Almas, his anger being unleashed after an upset loss to Cezar Bononi in the Summer of this year. Under the new management of Thea Trinidad (now known as Zelina Vega), WWE’s investment from almost two years ago finally began to pay off. Vega made it clear that her relationship with Almas was purely for business, and that she saw a star in him that no one else did. Whenever Almas showed signs of cockiness in the ring, she would discipline him and give the instruction to finish off his opponent. With this new attitude and shift in character from arrogant party boy to ruthless killer, “Cien” started to run through his opponents, disposing of them in convincing fashion.

We now find ourselves nearing the end of this impressive evolution, with Almas in contention for Drew McIntyre’s NXT Championship at the next TakeOver event. He’s gone through fan favourites such as Johnny Gargano and Roderick Strong to get here, and while he’s not likely to win the title, it will no doubt be a damn good match. We’ve bore witness to a story with a complete narrative structure, with peaks and valleys that all contributed towards Almas going from afterthought to legitimate championship contender. The man is a flop no more, in fact, he is living proof that long-term booking can still work in WWE.