Roderick Strong vs. Andrade Almas: NXT TakeOver San Antonio Winner and Reaction

Roderick Strong scored the biggest win of his brief NXT career Saturday night, as he defeated Andrade "Cien" Almas at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio.

WWE relayed the result of the match:

Strong made his NXT debut a few months ago as Austin Aries' mystery partner for the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. While the duo opened the tournament in impressive fashion, they were eliminated when Strong lost a singles match to TM-61's Shane Thorne with Aries out injured.

The former Ring of Honor World champion took a backseat after that loss, but he put himself back on the map by qualifying for a Fatal 4-Way to determine a new No. 1 contender for the NXT Championship.

Although Bobby Roode won that match, Strong eliminated Almas, which set the stage for a rivalry that took center stage at TakeOver: San Antonio.

Following a victory over Oney Lorcan on NXT TV, Almas made it clear he wasn't over the elimination and called out Strong.

Never one to back down from a fight, the Messiah of the Backbreaker accepted Almas' challenge and revealed he intended to use TakeOver as his coming-out party in NXT:

While both Strong and Almas are top-flight talents from an in-ring perspective, they have both struggled to develop a character and create the type of following that top NXT Superstars such as Shinsuke Nakamura and Roode have.

Almas initially entered NXT as a face, but he turned heel on Cedric Alexander and has employed a cocky attitude that is starting to help him gain traction.

Strong is still trying to hit his stride on the mic, which has never been one of his biggest assets, but he entered TakeOver with a chance to win over the crowd by putting on a quality match.

Saturday's bout was a good one, and it was a positive step for both men as they try to climb up NXT's pecking order.

Once the likes of Samoa Joe, Nakamura and Roode get called up to the main roster, NXT will be in desperate need of main event-caliber talent.

Strong and Almas haven't yet shown themselves to be that, but delivering in a big-match situation at TakeOver could be the springboard they both desperately needed.

With Strong emerging victorious, it may be a sign a shot at the NXT Championship isn't far off in his future.

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