WWE NXT: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis, Predictions for Week of April 7

A wild week reshaped the WWE NXT landscape.

Shinsuke Nakamura officially arrived. Baron Corbin led a wave of exits from the developmental brand. And NXT finally added two wrestlers to the roster who had been long-term guests at Full Sail University.

All of that shook up the NXT rankings, punctuated by Nakamura reclaiming the top spot.

At NXT TakeOver: Dallas and Wednesday's NXT, performances ranging from subpar to stellar offered fans a look at where the current crop of prospects stand. Corbin, Apollo Crews, Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady all moved up the main roster, leaving behind open doors for other NXT athletes to step through.

The following is a look at the top wrestlers in NXT. Charisma, gimmick, mic work and ring skills all factor into the rankings. 

Corbin, Crews, Amore and Cassady are no longer considered here because they are listed as WWE Superstars on the company's official website. Simon Gotch and Aiden English, despite debuting on SmackDown this week, are not as of yet. 

Both Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa will be added to the rankings. After months of working for NXT as free agents, they are now officially signed, per Mike Johnson of PWInsider.

Male Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Shinsuke Nakamura	6'2'', 229 lbs	Loads of "it" factor, excellent in-ring performer, comes through in big matches.
2.	Samoa Joe	6'2'', 279 lbs	Compelling intensity, hard-hitting ring style, powerful mic work.
3.	Finn Balor	5'11'', 190 lbs	Excellent athlete, fine on the mic, marketable look/character, highly dependable in the ring.
4.	Chad Gable	5'8'', 187 lbs	Great connection with crowd, high-energy offense, strong mat work.
5.	Hideo Itami	5'9'', 182 lbs	Excellent ring work, highly athletic, mic skills are current weakness.
6.	Austin Aries	5'9'', 202 lbs	Skilled storyteller, excellent at selling opponent's offense, believable on the mic.
7.	Scott Dawson	5'10'', 224 lbs	Continues to excel on big stages, superb tag team psychology, average talker.
8.	Jason Jordan	6'8'', 285 lbs	Hugely over with NXT crowd, huge athletic potential, less presence than Gable.
9.	Rich Swann	5'6'', 165 lbs	Out-of-this-world athlete, great energy, size could prove an issue.
10.	Johnny Gargano	5'10'', 190 lbs	Connects well with fans, good athlete, dependable in the ring.
11.	Christopher Girard	6'1'', 199 lbs	Good striker, aggressive, dependable ring work.
12.	Simon Gotch	6'1'', 221 lbs	Darker persona a good fit, creative offense, strong showmanship.
13.	Alex Riley	6'3'', 236 lbs	Strong on promos, very intense, not special in the ring.
14.	Dash Wilder	5'10'', 222 lbs	Best suited in tag team role, solid bruiser, underwhelming on the mic.
15.	Tye Dillinger	6'3'', 223 lbs	Solid ring work, works gimmick well, may have already hit ceiling.
16.	Murphy	5'11'', 227 lbs	Growing more intense, good athlete, minimal presence.
17.	Tommaso Ciampa	5'11'', 210 lbs	Good aggression, not convincing as a heel, below-average charisma.
18.	Sawyer Fulton	6'8'', 285 lbs	Impressive size, limited in the ring, will need right gimmick to succeed.
19.	Aiden English	6'3'', 215 lbs	Good character work, solid all-around, lacks top-level presence.
20.	Blake	6'1'', 240 lbs	Underwhelming charisma, serviceable in the ring, overshadowed by Alexa Bliss.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Elias Samson, Mojo Rawley, Riddick Moss

Dawson Does it Again

Don't doubt The Revival, and don't doubt Scott Dawson. Buzz continues to surround other stars, but the hard-nosed bruiser once again flourished.

At TakeOver: Dallas, the headline of the tag team title match is that American Alpha took home the belts. All of the emotion surrounding that win overshadows how strong of a performance Dawson had.

But like he did in previous big bouts against Amore and Cassady, Dawson served as the backbone for the contest.

Hard chops, a modified Gory Special and the usual excellent tag team psychology bolstered this matchup. Dawson and Dash Wilder isolated and attacked as usual, the duo's throwback style again compelling. 

Ethan Carter III of TNA certainly noticed:

What WWE officials have to be most happy about with the former tag team champion, is how at ease he seemed on the big stage. This now makes three TakeOver specials where Dawson has looked excellent, the last two coming in larger arenas in London and Dallas.

American Alpha is a raging wildfire right now, but don't lose sight of what Dawson is busy crafting in the ring these days.

The King of Strong Style Sizzles

Yes, Finn Balor has the more merchandise-friendly look and gimmick. Yes, Samoa Joe is a better talker. But neither man wields the kind of electricity that shoots out of Nakamura each night.

His match against Sami Zayn in Dallas showed off his presence and his crisp, fluid offense. Whether Nakamura was slugging Zayn with nasty forearms or exchanging holds on the mat, he had the audience locked in.

In his first NXT outing, he immediately put his name in the Match of the Year conversation. The bout has earned a mountain of praise, including salutes from Pro Wrestling Illustrated and James Caldwell of PWTorch:

"

Oh my, Nakamura vs. Zayn was definitely 10 stars upon replay review. That was unbelievable, like New Japan teleported to a WWE ring.

— James Caldwell (@jctorch) April 2, 2016"

As much as Joe and Balor killed it in TakeOver: Dallas' main event, they didn't have the crowd roaring and raving like Nakamura and Zayn did. That's a testament to his power to connect. Even if his limited English-speaking skills means he can't bring it on the mic like Joe, his "it" factor will overcome that.

The King of Strong Style's first NXT match was a glimpse of that at work.

The Drifter in Trouble

Elias Samson finds himself whiffing no matter how hard he swings the bat. Fans are just not buying his Drifter act.

When he prepared to serenade the Dallas crowd, fans soundly rejected him. "You suck!" echoed throughout the arena.

While one might argue that's a result of good heel heat, it's feeling more like an outright dismissal of him as a performer.

Samson failed to win the crowd over in his matchup with Crews. It was The Drifter's longest, most competitive match, and it failed to be memorable at all. This was one of Crews' most uninteresting bouts.

Aside from him grinding his forearm against Crews' face, Samson offered no lasting images. A lack of energy permeated this contest. It's a bad sign that even with such a dynamic athlete as an opponent, Samson couldn't make much of a mark.

Female Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Bayley	5'6''	Strong connection with crowd, highly marketable, emotes at high level.
2.	Asuka	5'3''	Compelling in-ring performer, high-level presence, theatrical.
3.	Alexa Bliss	5'1''	Mastering the art of being a heel, has "it" factor, one of the division's best talkers.
4.	Carmella	5'5''	Charismatic, good energy, still a work-in-progress in the ring.
5.	Nia Jax	6'0''	Not as intimidating as she should be, seems unsure at times, ferocious at times, lots of potential.
6.	Dana Brooke	5'3''	Biggest issue remains overacting, heavy-handed showmanship, not natural-looking in the ring, very athletic.
7.	Peyton Royce	5'7''	Improving presence, better sense of character, good aggression.
8.	Liv Morgan	5'4''	Still raw, shows potential, good athlete.
9.	Eva Marie	5'8''	Miles away in the ring, unnatural, star look.
10.	Billie Kay	5'8''	Good power, intensity needs work, OK presence.

Asuka vs. Bayley Thoughts

The NXT women's title match at TakeOver: Dallas had the tough act of following Nakamura vs. Zayn, but both women performed well. Asuka most impressed throughout, displaying power, swagger and submission skills en route to winning the championship.

High-quality matches are something NXT fans have come to expect from Asuka. She's simply excellent in the ring.

Veteran wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer believes Asuka is WWE's best female wrestler right now:

But while Asuka is the better performer, Bayley remains the top prospect for now. Bayley is more marketable to kids. She's a star babyface in the making, the kind of wrestler that makes deep connections with fans.

She makes you feel her heartbreak after losses and share her elation after her wins. 

Asuka's reign as champion will allow her to show what she can do in addition to tear it up in the ring. We'll get a better idea of how she can handle being the centerpiece of the division and affect the audience with her words as well as her fists.

Predictions

Austin Aries will remain at NXT rather than move to the main roster. His age (37) and being Daniel Bryan-size make that not much of a surprise.

The way WWE booked his debut match hinted at what's to come. Aries didn't get a showcase of his power and heart like Nakamura did. Instead, he earned a fluky win after working to make Corbin look really good.

Elevation of others will be his main duty at Full Sail.

Bayley and Asuka will outdo their first encounter next time around. This first clash featured an ending with less teeth than it could have had.

Their eventual rematch will have more of a story to build upon, more subplots to play with. Asuka vs. Bayley II will be the headline-generator at whatever show hosts that battle.