WWE NXT Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for March 22

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Oney Lorcan vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas

Result: Andrade “Cien” Almas defeated Oney Lorcan via pinfall.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

This was the match set last week on WWE NXT at the Performance Center. Almas and Lorcan also faced off during the NXT’s tour of Japan in 2016.

Lorcan has looked impressive in the ring since debuting, but hasn’t been able to turn it into success. Andrade’s situation is somewhat the opposite. He hasn’t lived up to expectations in the ring and is continuing to struggle to find his footing in developmental.

Lorcan had the crowd behind him, something we don’t see from a lot of these UCF shows for any Superstar. He received a few “Oney” chants, which went along with the very annoying “10” chant. Thanks, Tye. We do need to see what can happen with the former Biff Busick getting something of a push, though, because the potential is there. NXT just hasn’t let him get past this purgatory stage, something Dillinger was in for years. Two different characters, yes, and maybe the comparison here is their lack of TakeOver matches. He could use a long-standing feud with someone, maybe tagging along in this SAnitY feud?

Almas continued to work on his heel move set, which is mostly ground and pound. It hasn’t looked bad and made him look like a serviceable heel. What we’ve previously said about Cien still stands, though — he’s not connecting. This was all about Oney in what turned out to be a solid match

A really good match here that garnered a “This is awesome” chant from the riled up crowd. These two went to a second gear with about four minutes left in the match, making this one of the better NXT matches of 2017. Saying that for Almas vs. Lorcan may be surprising given their name value, but they can work in the ring and produced arguably both men’s best match since arriving in 2016.