Vince McMahon Impressed With Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas

Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas has come a long way since joining SmackDown LIVE in April, going from barely getting on television to scrapping with the likes of AJ Styles.

Most recently, the former NXT Champion has played a secondary role in the ongoing Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz saga, and while he isn’t exactly raking up the victories at the moment, he’s in a solid position.

The reason for this? Vince McMahon.

This is according to Fightful, who claim their WWE sources have told them that Almas impressed McMahon during his work with Styles, prompting Almas’ involvement into The Miz vs. Bryan feud.

Last week on SmackDown LIVE, Almas wrestled Bryan for the second time in as many weeks. He then charged the ring with Zelina Vega after The Miz lost to R-Truth in the night’s main event, but the duo found themselves trapped in tandem Yes! Locks from Bryan and Brie Bella at the show’s conclusion.

A source inside WWE told Fightful that McMahon will sometimes just see someone and say, “I want them up here,” without having any semblance of a plan. Other times, McMahon will be told that a talent could be useful and it might be time for them to move up, but if he isn’t 100 percent behind them, they’ll have nothing. The same source said that in the case of Almas, he was put in a spot where he wasn’t expected to shine the way he did, and it made an impression. That’s typically the way that McMahon ends up taking notice of people who come from NXT.