WWE NXT: Updated Prospect Rankings, Analysis, Predictions for Week of March 17

A new king has come to take his WWE NXT throne. Shinsuke Nakamura, the company's blue-chip prospect, made his first appearance for the developmental brand.

Nakamura didn't show fans at Full Sail University much of what makes him great during his brief time on Wednesday's NXT, but he didn't have to. Audiences who have seen his work at New Japan Pro Wrestling know full well that he is a megastar, a performer like no other.

He instantly takes hold of the top spot of the NXT rankings. 

Performances at both Wednesday's NXT and the tag title bout on WWE Roadblock caused the rest of the list to shift. Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady keep nailing their opportunities. Eva Marie continues to look lost.

The following is a look at who from NXT is most ready to move to the main roster and who would most thrive post-promotion. In-ring ability, mic work, size, gimmick and charisma helped decide the order.

Note: Sami Zayn is no longer considered for these rankings, as he now regularly wrestles on the main roster.

Male Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Shinsuke Nakamura	6'2'', 229 lbs	Top-notch in-ring performer, great charisma, highly unique.
2.	Samoa Joe	6'2'', 279 lbs	Elite intensity, great promos, highly consistent in the ring.
3.	Finn Balor	5'11'', 190 lbs	Steadily delivers top-notch matches, rock-star aura, stellar athlete.
4.	Colin Cassady	6'10'', 276 lbs	Excellent crowd connection, great power, good energy.
5.	Baron Corbin	6'8'', 275 lbs	Growing presence, getting more comfortable as heel, solid brawler.
6.	Apollo Crews	6'1'', 240 lbs	Not noticeably better than when he arrived, fantastic athlete, great build.
7.	Austin Aries	5'9'', 202 lbs	Excellent storyteller, strong mat wrestler, good promo work, size and age are biggest obstacles
8.	Hideo Itami	5'9'', 182 lbs	Excellent ring work, highly athletic, mic skills are current weakness.
9.	Enzo Amore	5'11'', 200 lbs	Coming through in the ring when it matters, hugely charismatic, highly skilled talker.
10.	Chad Gable	5'8'', 187 lbs	Fluid in-ring work, growing presence, size is biggest hindrance.
11.	Jason Jordan	6'3'', 245 lbs	Good energy, powerful, athletic, overshadowed by Gable.
12.	Scott Dawson	5'10'', 224 lbs	Promos still need work, excellent intensity, top-notch striker.
13.	Rich Swann	5'6'', 165 lbs	Out-of-this-world athlete, great energy, size could prove an issue.
14.	Christopher Girard	6'1'', 199 lbs	Good striker, aggressive, dependable ring work.
15.	Simon Gotch	6'1'', 221 lbs	Darker persona a good fit, creative offense, strong showmanship.
16.	Alex Riley	6'3'', 236 lbs	Strong on promos, very intense, not special in the ring.
17.	Dash Wilder	5'10'', 222 lbs	Best suited in tag team role, solid bruiser, underwhelming on the mic.
18.	Tye Dillinger	6'3'', 223 lbs	Solid ring work, works gimmick well, may have already hit ceiling.
19.	Murphy	5'11'', 227 lbs	Growing more intense, good athlete, minimal presence.
20.	Sawyer Fulton	6'8'', 285 lbs	Impressive size, limited in the ring, will need right gimmick to succeed.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Blake, Aiden English, Elias Samson

The King of Strong Style, the New No. 1

Nakamura only popped in on Wednesday night. His grin aired on the big screen as William Regal announced that he will face Zayn at NXT TakeOver: Dallas. His cameo-length debut isn't why he sits above Samoa Joe and Finn Balor on the NXT hierarchy, though.

It's all the qualities that has made him one of the world's most popular wrestlers: presence, charisma, flair, a hard-hitting style and big-match performances. Zack Zimmerman of ProWrestling.net nailed it on the head when he wrote, "Nakamura has so much to offer."

While not the ideal age for an incoming grappler (he's 36), he has enough "it" factor and in-ring and storytelling acumen to be a bona fide star right away.

WWE has done a good job so far of treating him like a huge deal. Not every new NXT signee gets the hoopla he has received. That points to the company's recognition of what it has in Nakamura. 

Mojo Rawley Not Cutting It

Rawley is sputtering.

While everyone from Murphy to Tye Dillinger has evolved during their NXT tenures, the hyped powerhouse isn't showing any improvement. In tag team action against Kenneth Crawford and Angelo Dawkins he flailed away with the same faulty swing, at times looking even less competent than when he began.

He looks less natural in the ring of late. Rawley has also failed to expand his repertoire. He is still leaning on the same handful of moves, just as he leans on his "He ain't hype!" shtick far too much.

Voices of Wrestling's Alex Wendland pointed out, "He hasn't made the progress in the ring to make up for the character confusion."

His overeager gimmick just isn't working. He isn't the kind of babyface one pulls for. Count on him joining Bull Dempsey and Marcus Louis on the chopping block eventually. 

Notes from the Title Match at Roadblock

Amore and Cassady once again battled The Revival for the tag team titles, and once again, the two teams pulled off an impressive performance.

All four men looked like they belonged on a WWE card. The NXT tag title bout was no exhibition of amateurs; it was a valuable addition to the show.

The challengers in particular caught one's eye. Their mix of high-voltage energy and crowd connection is reminiscent of The New Age Outlaws.

Even though he is no mat master, Amore was part of another standout matchup. He seems to do his best work when the lights are brightest. That's a great sign moving forward.

The Realest Guys in the Room looked like the bigger stars, in part due to a far bigger reaction from the Toronto fans, but The Revival has to be recognized here for adding this excellent showing to its resume.

Great chemistry and tag team psychology again proved to the champs' strength. Scott Dawson's knocking Amore out of the ring with a shoulder tackle to prevent a tag was a picture-perfect moment. These bruisers have produced a number of them.

If they had half the charisma that Amore had, they would be poised for a title run on the main roster.

Female Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Bayley	5'6''	Getting the best from her opponents, great storyteller, superb connection with crowd, average on the mic.
2.	Asuka	5'3''	Compelling presence, highly skilled ring worker, unique.
3.	Alexa Bliss	5'1''	Mastering nuances of being a heel, increasingly strong in the ring, has star quality.
4.	Emma	5'5''	Excellent as a heel, dependable in the ring, above-average talker.
5.	Carmella	5'5''	Charismatic, good energy, still a work-in-progress in the ring.
6.	Nia Jax	6'0''	Not as intimidating as she should be, seems unsure at times, ferocious at times, lots of potential.
7.	Peyton Royce	5'7''	Improving presence, better sense of character, good aggression.
8.	Dana Brooke	5'3''	Overacting is grating, heavy-handed showmanship, impressive athleticism.
9.	Liv Morgan	5'4''	Still raw, shows potential, good athlete.
10.	Eva Marie	5'8''	Miles away in the ring, unnatural, star look.
11.	Billie Kay	5'8''	Good power, intensity needs work, OK presence.

Eva Marie's Slow Evolution

As hard as she has worked in the past year, Eva Marie is still a beginner struggling to keep up with everyone else.

Against Bayley and Asuka, she didn't appear to be comfortable between the ropes. She looked unnatural when Asuka started wailing on her, too obviously waiting to be kicked. Her escape from Bayley's jackknife pin was painfully awkward.

Every move feels forced. Her footwork remains stiff.

Eva Marie is simply not on the same level as her peers. Her tag team partner is raw too, but Jax has shown improvement over time. She is picking up the nuances of the mat game at an encouraging pace. Eva Marie, meanwhile, looks stuck at "novice" status.

Emma Rising

It's not clear whether WWE wants to have Emma ascend the women's division or just play the stepping stone for others, but she is definitely capable of the former.

Emma took on Deonna Purrazzo in a one-sided contest. This allowed her to display her excellence at playing a heel.

She nailed Purazzo with a hard punch to the gut, smiled coldly at her opponent while beating her down and mocked her backstage.

While one would like to see more development of her character, she is playing her current role well. She's a jerk and a bit of a sadist in the ring. If WWE wanted to expand that and make her the female Kevin Owens, she could certainly pull it off.

Predictions

Tommaso Ciampa is in a weird spot where he is not signed to a long-term NXT deal but is more than just a guest.

Chances are that NXT will keep him around. It would be odd to have him get wins under his belt, only to let him go. Once that happens, though, count on him being unable to move up the card.

Ciampa's act relies on intimidation and pit-bull-like aggression, but he doesn't do this well enough to make a major impact. He'll be stuck in the midcard watching other bruisers move past him.

The Austin Aries feud will be a turning point for Baron Corbin. Up against a guy who can lead the way both on the mic and in the ring, The Lone Wolf will achieve his best work to date. Expect his showdown with Aries at TakeOver: Dallas to be the highlight of his career thus far.