WWE NXT Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from September 21

NXT continued to lay the foundation for its future Wednesday night with matches featuring fresh faces and those Superstars destined to carry the mantle for the brand for months and years to come. One such competitor is Cedric Alexander, an independent standout who upset Andrade Almas en route to becoming the night's biggest winner.

The former Ring of Honor standout has had a career year in 2016, delivering performances across the globe that earned him acclaim, but it was his decision to bet on himself and leave ROH that catapulted him into the pro wrestling consciousness.

His performance in the Cruiserweight Classic earned him rave reviews and a post-defeat endorsement from Triple H. His win over Almas on Wednesday suggests Alexander will play a key role in NXT for the foreseeable future, and rightfully so.

While Bobby Roode, Hideo Itami, Austin Aries and Samoa Joe are all established stars with plenty of miles in the industry, Alexander is young, fresh and enthralling. He is the type of star NXT should be built around, and if he continues to deliver the types of performances he has become defined by here in 2016, he will be the centerpiece of the brand sooner than later.

Winner: Oney Lorcan

Credit: WWE.com

Oney Lorcan was last seen scoring an upset over Tye Dillinger earlier this year, but Wednesday night, he exploded back onto the scene with a stunningly stiff match against Austin Aries.

They unloaded on each other with chops, elbows, kicks and hard right hands as they sought victory.

What was most telling about Lorcan and his ability to connect with the audience was the manner in which he got a headlock over early in the match. In fact, the entire early portion of the bout was centered around his ability to reapply the maneuver to his opponent. The crowd responded favorably, and the sequence was a reminder of the fun that wrestling can be from time to time.

Lorcan is reminiscent of Sami Zayn in NXT. The Underdog from the Underground earned fans' respect because of the passion he brought to his performances, regardless of whether he won or lost. Now, it will be interesting to see what NXT has in store for Lorcan going forward and if it can possibly build on the momentum he has coming out of Wednesday's bout.

Loser: Aliyah

Credit: WWE.com

The young female star has the potential to be a great sympathetic babyface, but Wednesday night's match against Billie Kay proved just how much Aliyah is in need of increased ring time.

She has great babyface fire, an art that takes time to develop, so that is a plus. Her timing needs work, and she needs to expand her move set. While the tools are there, the performance Wednesday night accentuated the weaknesses in her skill set.

More ring time and more experience working with veterans like Kay, Asuka and Ember Moon will only benefit her and allow her to become a key member of the women's division.

Winner: Andrade Almas

Credit: WWE.com

As bumpy as his first few months in NXT have been, Almas may be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel following Wednesday's show.

Teasing a heel turn at several points throughout his match with Alexander, Almas finally appears to have a direction. One of the biggest issues with his character was its lack of definition. He was bland and boring, dressed ridiculously, and had ineffective entrance music. He failed right out of the gate because there were no character traits or discernible personality for fans to grab hold of.

A potential heel turn will not only give him some of those things but also allow him to address the frustration he has felt over the last few months.

Once that happens, do not be surprised if the fantastic in-ring performer finally finds his footing as a central figure in NXT.