WWE NXT: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis, Predictions for Week of Feb. 4

Sometimes WWE NXT is such a captivating show that it's easy to forget that it's a display of talent still in development. It often doesn't feel like one is watching the minor leagues.

On Wednesday night, though, fans saw several examples of how incomplete several prospects are.

The Vaudevillains lacked bite. Carmella is still growing in the ring. And Finn Balor outclassed Apollo Crews as a complete showman. 

NXT reminded us that as taut and well-told as the brand's stories are, the audience is getting a peak at prospects mid-evolution.

Credit: WWE.com

Who is transforming the fastest? Who is still struggling to put it all together? The following looks to answer those questions and rank the NXT wrestlers in terms of who would make the greatest impact on the main roster. 

A prospect's size, look, gimmick, mic skills, ring work and charisma all help determine the order.

Note: Only prospects who have debuted on NXT TV are considered. So, no Athena or Shinsuke Nakamura just yet.

Male Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Samoa Joe	6'2'', 279 lbs	Consistent high-quality matches, elite intensity, strong mic work.
2.	Finn Balor	5'11'', 190 lbs	Highly consistent in the ring, rock-star aura, stellar athlete.
3.	Sami Zayn	6'1'', 205 lbs	Top-notch storyteller, stellar facial expressions, looks a step slower since return.
4.	Baron Corbin	6'8'', 275 lbs	Continually progressing, growing more confident, distance remains between him and top tier in terms of ring work.
5.	Jason Jordan	6'3'', 245 lbs	Makes everything look effortless, showing improved presence, crowd connection growing.
6.	Apollo Crews	6'1'', 240 lbs	Feeling incomplete as of now, superb athlete, great look, showmanship needs work.
7.	Colin Cassady	6'10'', 276 lbs	Good connection with crowd, impressive footwork for big man, strong energy on mic.
8.	Hideo Itami	5'9'', 182 lbs	Losing momentum to lengthy stay on disabled list, electric in the ring, mic work is current weakness.
9.	Enzo Amore	5'11'', 200 lbs	Thriving in more serious role, elite charisma, limited in the ring.
10.	Alex Riley	6'3'', 236 lbs	Strong mic work, good athlete, top-notch intensity, lacks standout bouts thus far.
11.	Chad Gable	5'8'', 187 lbs	Highly skilled mat wrestler, adding increased energy to offense, serviceable on the mic.
12.	Scott Dawson	5'10'', 224 lbs	Continuing run of standout performances, vicious, good brawler, making progress as a talker.
13.	Rich Swann	5'6'', 165 lbs	Out-of-this-world athlete, great energy, size could prove an issue.
14.	Tye Dillinger	6'3'', 223 lbs	Makes the audience notice him, good energy, strong mat work.
15.	Simon Gotch	6'1'', 221 lbs	Solid presence, fun offense, yet to produce standout matches.
16.	Dash Wilder	5'10'', 222 lbs	Slowly progressing as a talker, solid bruiser, good tag team work.
17.	Murphy	5'11'', 227 lbs	Good build, athletic, powerful, lack of charisma is biggest weakness.
18.	Aiden English	6'3'', 215 lbs	Lack of standout matches, average ring work, solid charisma.
19.	Bull Dempsey	6'2'', 300 lbs	Comedy gimmick killing his momentum, strong talker, not getting a chance to show off brawling skills.
20.	Elias Samson	6'0'', 217 lbs	Good aggression, comfortable with gimmick, crowd not connecting yet.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Blake, Sawyer Fulton, Mojo Rawley 

The Demon is a Rock

Up against Crews in the main event, Balor delivered yet another great performance. Balor hasn't a bad match at NXT yet. Officials have to be thrilled he has done so well regardless of his opponent.

It's no coincidence Crews' two best NXT efforts have come opposite Balor.

Balor led the dance as the match began focused on mat wrestling and slowly worked its way into a frenzy. The NXT champ was fun to watch, an electric presence throughout.

As good as Crews looked at times, Balor outshone him.

Crews may be the better athlete, but for now, Balor has a greater mastery of the sport's nuances. The champion displayed more dramatic selling, for one, looking as if he was close to passing out at times. Crews isn't on his level in that department yet.

The Vaudevillains Are Underwhelming

Simon Gotch and Aiden English stormed back into Full Sail University after weeks of vignettes that hinted at them turning heel.

They teased at a more vicious side emerging, but it never did. They didn't show off any noticeable shift in character in their match against The Hype Bros. As Alex Wendland of Voices of Wrestling wrote, "I'm not sure where the 'more aggressive' attitude was for the Vaudevillains."

The duo didn't come off as snarling predators nor resilient babyfaces. They were just there.

As has too often been the case, they didn't craft a match that created any buzz. While American Alpha and Dash and Dawson have been piling on memorable performances, it's hard to compile a list of three top Vaudevillain matches.

In this clash, the action fell victim to a few stuttering moments.

At times, it looked as if English was waiting for his opponent to hit his next move. There was a distinct lack of chemistry with Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley. In the end, they put on a so-so match and did little to make an impression in a competitive tag team division.

It's hard to buy them as WWE prospects when so many NXT teams are ahead of them right now.

Angry Enzo Amore is Enthralling

Where The Vaudevillains came off as beasts with dulled claws, Amore once again exuded a rabid-animal vibe. He poured fury into the microphone before his tag bout with two unnamed opponents. Amore killed it, as he has made a habit of doing.

This has been commonplace and expected because, as ProWrestling.net's Zack Zimmerman put it, "Enzo is a hell of a stick man."

His newfound aggression has been bolstering his ring work, too. He came off as genuinely irritated as he went on the attack. In particular, a clattering knee lift stood out.

Amore is still no Kurt Angle in there, but he's doing well to make the most of his spurts on offense. Every blow, every move means something. That will carry him a long way.

Female Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Bayley	5'6''	Great connection with crowd, tremendous storyteller, not an elite talker.
2.	Asuka	5'3''	Strong presence, fun brand of showmanship, high-level ring work.
3.	Alexa Bliss	5'1''	Increasingly convincing as heel, improving ring work, strong presence.
4.	Emma	5'5''	One of division's best technical wrestlers, solid mic work, excellent striker.
5.	Carmella	5'5''	Ring work still needs refining, strong charisma, good showmanship.
6.	Nia Jax	6'0''	Good intensity, great power, hasn't yet maximized gimmick.
7.	Peyton Royce	5'7''	Improving presence, better sense of character, good aggression.
8.	Eva Marie	5'8''	Outright hated by NXT fans, star look, miles to go in the ring.
9.	Dana Brooke	5'3''	Overacting is grating, heavy-handed showmanship, impressive athleticism.
10.	Liv Morgan	5'4''	Still raw, shows potential, good athlete.
11.	Billie Kay	5'8''	Good power, intensity needs work, OK presence.

Carmella Adding Depth

The more one gets to know Carmella, the easier it is to like her.

In a taped interview, complete with video clips, NXT showcased the No. 1 contender to the NXT Women's Championship. This talked up Carmella's history and let her show off her personality. This was a more understated version of her.

She was relatable and compelling here. The segment offered a good glimpse of how much potential she has.

Her weakness, though, remains her work between the ropes. She has made big strides since debuting, but her offense is not crisp at times. Sometimes, her offense is fluid. Sometimes, it's awkward.

Carmella is simply not elite in the ring yet.  

On the plus side, her selling was strong. When Emma attacked her back or pulled her hair, The Princess of Staten Island milked the drama out of each moment. Improvement is clearly on the way. With women such as Asuka and Bayley ahead of her, that will be a requirement to reach the division's top tier.

Predictions

Emma will work her way back to the main roster soon. Count on WWE giving her one more chance despite how she fizzled out last time around.

She has been developing so well at NXT that WWE has to take notice. She's become a more well-rounded performer, becoming more comfortable with a microphone and proving she's one of the best technical wrestlers in the women's division.

Credit: WWE.com

Crews will be NXT champ before the year is done.

With Sami Zayn, Samoa Joe and Balor all poised to move to the main roster at some point, Crews would be a good fit as the face of NXT. Like Neville did a few years back, he will grow the most as champion. There is nothing like the pressure of center stage to bring out one's best.