Andrade 'Cien' Almas Defeats Johnny Gargano at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III

Andrade "Cien" Almas picked up arguably the biggest win of his NXT career Saturday at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III, as he defeated Johnny Gargano.

Both Superstars put on a fantastic match, and while Gargano appeared to be in control during the latter stages, Zelina Vega helped Almas prevail in the Barclays Center.

As seen in the following photo courtesy of WWE NXT, Vega distracted Gargano by throwing a shirt at him, which allowed Almas to capitalize:

Almas caught Gargano with his La Sombra DDT, and Johnny Wrestling was down for the count.

Gargano was once part of one of NXT's most popular and successful tag teams in DIY alongside Tommaso Ciampa.

Despite all they accomplished together, things came crashing down for DIY a few months ago at NXT TakeOver: Chicago.

Gargano and Ciampa were looking to regain the NXT Tag Team Championships from The Authors of Pain in a ladder match, but after they fell short, Ciampa attacked Gargano and claimed he was simply turning on Johnny Wrestling before Gargano could do the same to him.

That set Gargano on a new path, and with Ciampa out due to injury, he was on the search for competition to test himself against at TakeOver: Brooklyn III.

At the same time as Gargano was establishing himself as a singles wrestler, Almas started to gain his footing due to the arrival of Vega.

While Almas' talent has always been obvious, he has struggled to perform on a consistent basis and was previously more worried about partying than winning matches.

That has changed since Vega has entered the picture, and there is little doubt that Almas is now a far more dangerous threat.

His improvement was on full display a couple of weeks ago when Almas defeated No Way Jose on an episode of NXT TV.

Gargano called for someone to step up and be his opponent at TakeOver on that same night, and Almas was the one who came forward and accepted his challenge.

While Almas has faced some big names at TakeOver events in the past, including Bobby Roode and Aleister Black, Saturday's match gave him a big opportunity to potentially beat someone on his level and move up the ranks in NXT.

The same was true for Gargano, though, as his in-ring ability and connection with the fans could possibly make him a major player in NXT moving forward as a singles Superstar.

On a card stacked with quality matches from top to bottom, Gargano vs. Almas had all the makings of a bout that could steal the show.

Gargano and Almas had solid chemistry Saturday, and while both Superstars benefited from putting on a good match, Almas appears to be in line for a big push on the heels of his win.

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