WWE NXT: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis, Predictions for Week of Jan. 21

After Rich Swann's debut, Apollo Crews suddenly has competition as the most mind-blowing athlete on the WWE NXT roster.

On Wednesday's NXT, Swann battled at Full Sail University for the first time and instantly forced a shift in the prospect hierarchy. In a short introductory bout, he made sure his new audience took notice of him thanks to move that looked like something out of a comic book.

Crews, meanwhile, continues to work on being a more well-rounded prospect. His progress isn't rapid at this point; it still feels like his best is yet to come.

In the women's division, Alexa Bliss and Carmella both showed continued improvement. The top of that ladder promises to get progressively crowded as they force their way upward.

The following is a look at where those wrestlers and their peers rank in the battle to be NXT's top prospects. Mic skills, ring work, charisma, gimmick and look all factor into the rankings.

Male Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Samoa Joe	6'2'', 279 lbs	Top-tier intensity, great storyteller, versatile in the ring.
2.	Finn Balor	5'11'', 190 lbs	Marketable, superb athlete, consistently delivers in big spots.
3.	Sami Zayn	6'1'', 205 lbs	Not looking quite himself since injury, stellar storyteller, great facial expressions, fun offense.
4.	Baron Corbin	6'8'', 275 lbs	Size and look will get him opportunities, inconsistent, making steady progress overall.
5.	Apollo Crews	6'1'', 240 lbs	Fantastic athlete, needs work on in-ring nuances, solid promos.
6.	Jason Jordan	6'3'', 245 lbs	High ceiling, highly athletic, good presence.
7.	Colin Cassady	6'10'', 276 lbs	Larger-than-life aura, good movement for big man, good connection with crowd.
8.	Hideo Itami	5'9'', 182 lbs	Electric in the ring, mic work is current weakness.
9.	Chad Gable	5'8'', 187 lbs	Highly popular, makes mat wrestling fun, one-note mic work thus far.
10.	Scott Dawson	5'10'', 224 lbs	Continuing run of standout performances, vicious, good brawler, making progress as a talker.
11.	Enzo Amore	5'11'', 200 lbs	Much improved ring work of late, top-tier charisma, great talker, decent athlete.
12.	Rich Swann	5'6'', 165 lbs	Out-of-this-world athlete, great energy, size could prove an issue.
13.	Tye Dillinger	6'3'', 223 lbs	Makes the audience notice him, good energy, strong mat work.
14.	Simon Gotch	6'1'', 221 lbs	Fun move set, strong character work, good charisma.
15.	Dash Wilder	5'10'', 222 lbs	Good tag team work, producing quality matches, below-average talker.
16.	Aiden English	6'3'', 215 lbs	Average across the board, good actor, may not have enough presence to advance.
17.	Bull Dempsey	6'2'', 300 lbs	Continues to lose momentum, turned into comedy act, not getting a chance to show off mic skills.
18.	Sawyer Fulton	6'8'', 285 lbs	Aggressive, good size, needs right gimmick to succeed.
19.	Elias Samson	6'0'', 217 lbs	New gimmick helping get him noticed, character needs depth, ring work decent so far.
20.	Blake	6'1'', 240 lbs	Overshadowed by Alexa Bliss, lacks presence, solid ring work.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Murphy, Mojo Rawley, Steve Cutler

Apollo Crews, Incomplete Picture

Long before Crews took on Tye Dillinger on Wednesday night, fans were fully aware that he is an athlete extraordinaire. He added more evidence to that argument, though, throughout the match. In a highlight-reel moment, he got so much air during a dropkick that he nearly kicked above Dillinger's head.

That's the kind of move that has fans buzzing about Crews.

He just hasn't done a ton beyond eye-catching moves. He hasn't been able to connect with the crowd during his battles the way guys like Sami Zayn and Finn Balor have. He's had decent promos, but nothing special yet.

And his matchup against Dillinger was the latest to not stand out in spite of what Crews brings to the ring. As Aaron Bentley wrote on Voices of Wrestling, "Overall, this match was just there."

Crews challenged Balor to a non-title match after the bell. That's going to give him a prime chance to hit a career high. Their truncated collision last time out seemed poised to be magical.

Rich Swann Soars into Full Sail

Swann was clearly just supposed to play Baron Corbin's victim, but his spot was much more fun than one would have expected.

When the indy star had a chance to go on offense, he created sparks each time. His agility was stellar. His quickness was unreal.

Credit: WWE.com

And despite the size difference between him and Corbin, Swann managed to look like he belonged in the fight. That's a result of his presence, as well as his displaying the kind of fire a babyface needs.

Keep an eye on Swann moving forward. WWE may have thought he would just be a way to fill out the roster, but he's fully capable of forcing officials to consider him a higher priority.

Samoa Joe Stays on Top

No one at NXT can match Joe in terms of intensity. His snarling, predatory stare is on par with Brock Lesnar's.

His facial expressions were superb as he took down Johnny Gargano. Joe made the audience believe that he is dangerous and unhinged without a single world. He stalked Gargano, and fans couldn't help but watch him feast.

Former WWE star Taz praised the bout:

This is a huge part of why Joe has cemented himself as NXT's best. He has looked tremendous against Corbin, Balor, Tommaso Ciampa and anyone the company has thrown at him. Being able to thrive against such a varied group of foes is a special skill.

That has to leave WWE officials dreaming up dream matches for him, including ones on the main roster. 

Female Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Bayley	5'6''	Great connection with crowd, tremendous storyteller, not an elite talker.
2.	Asuka	5'3''	Best all-around mat worker in the division, good showmanship, limited on promos.
3.	Alexa Bliss	5'1''	Increasingly convincing as heel, improving ring work, strong presence.
4.	Emma	5'5''	Has adapted to new character quite well, good intensity, aggressive.
5.	Carmella	5'5''	Adding to move set, solid in the ring, good charisma.
6.	Nia Jax	6'0''	Great power, inconsistent intensity, high ceiling.
7.	Dana Brooke	5'3''	Poor acting, awkward in the ring, highly athletic.
8.	Eva Marie	5'8''	Outright hated by NXT fans, star look, miles to go in the ring.
9.	Peyton Royce	5'7''	Improving presence, better sense of character, good aggression.
10.	Billie Kay	5'8''	Good power, intensity needs work, OK presence.
11.	Liv Morgan	5'4''	Strong showmanship, smooth in the ring, underwhelming presence as of now.

Carmella Expanding Her Arsenal

After earning the No. 1 contender's spot last week, Carmella had a strong showing in tag team action on Wednesday's NXT.

Credit: WWE.com

She doesn't yet look as impressive between the ropes as someone like Asuka, but she's clearly progressing from the raw talent she once was. Carmella has added a number of moves over time, many of which she showed off against Emma and Bliss.

Not only is she inserting the bronco buster and hurricanrana to her toolbox, but she's improving at her old moves. The folks at the Three Man Booth website noted how good her version of the flatliner looks:

She won't have to wait long to show off those moves on a bigger stage. When she takes on Bayley for the NXT Women's Championship (presumably at the next TakeOver special), she'll be facing the division's best. It will be her best chance to make a statement about how far she's come.

Alexa Bliss Surging

Whatever clips Bliss has been watching or whatever advice her coaches have offered her has been mighty effective. She continues to improve as a heel, adding nuances to her act each week.

Her ring work wasn't elite in the tag match against Bayley and Carmella, but she deftly executed all the little things that round out a match.

She looked convincingly irate when she barked at the referee. She wore a perfectly villainous expression when she locked her foes in a submission hold. And more than any of the woman in her division, she has mastered the art of commanding the audience with a promo.

She's looking more and more like a top-tier heel. Bliss' jump to the main roster is inevitable.

Predictions

Bliss will be NXT women's champ before the year is over.

She looks increasingly ready to take Bayley's spot. Bayley is likely to move to the main roster, leaving Bliss to occupy the throne and feud with Asuka for the title. Count on NXT officials wanting to know what Bliss produces under the kind of pressure the champion endures.

Credit: WWE.com

Swann isn't going to get his due at first. He's bound to be the next Solomon Crowe—overlooked largely because of his size. Composing a classic match on NXT TV, though, will shift his momentum.

Corbin will shine in the No. 1 contender's Triple Threat next week. Having both Joe and Zayn as opponents will help, but it also feels like The Lone Wolf is ready for a breakout moment.

Watching his growth, it's clear he's been putting in the work it takes to succeed. It's time for him to prove his critics wrong.

With the spotlight pointed down on him, he's set to have one of his best performances to date.