WWE NXT: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis, Predictions for Week of May 5

WWE NXT just got a bigger infusion of TNA when Eric Young stepped into Full Sail University on Wednesday, a move that shook up a constantly shifting roster.

Young now finds himself both in a position to elevate young talent and to compete with them for spotlight. The World Class Maniac now stands on the same stage as his old TNA rival Samoa Joe and rising stars such as Tye Dillinger.

On Wednesday's NXT, Young showed off his ability to entertain, Dillinger produced his best match yet and Nia Jax continued her dominant run.

The following is a look at how all those wrestlers and their peers stack up on the NXT hierarchy. Rankings are determined by a combination of ring work, mic skills, charisma, look, gimmick and presence.

Only those who have debuted on TV are considered.

Male Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Shinsuke Nakamura	6'2'', 229 lbs	Elite presence, great showmanship, stellar ring work, limited English-language skills.
2.	Samoa Joe	6'2'', 279 lbs	Powerful presence, top-notch intensity, excellent in the ring, strong promos.
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	Crisp offense, excellent mat skills, infectious energy, growing connection with crowd.
5.	Scott Dawson	5'10'', 224 lbs	Skilled bruiser, excellent striker, improving talker, several top-notch performances on his resume.
6.	Hideo Itami	5'9''. 182 lbs	Excellent ring work, highly athletic, mic skills are current weakness.
7.	Jason Jordan	6'8'', 285 lbs	High ceiling, explosive, marketable look.
8.	Austin Aries	5'9'', 202 lbs	Crisp ring work, versatile offense, good heel promos.
9.	Eric Young	5'11'', 225 lbs	Entertaining, charismatic, works well against a variety of opponents.
10.	Rich Swann	5'6'', 165 lbs	Out-of-this-world athlete, great energy, size could prove an issue.
11.	Tye Dillinger	6'3'', 223 lbs	Popularity growing, excelling with gimmick, fun presence, solid in the ring.
12.	Johnny Gargano	5'10'', 190 lbs	Good athlete, fun offense, unproven on the mic.
13.	Christopher Girard	6'1'', 199 lbs	Good striker, aggressive, dependable ring work.
14.	Alex Riley	6'3'', 236 lbs	Character growing one-dimensional, excellent intensity, not special in the ring.
15.	Dash Wilder	5'10'', 222 lbs	Best suited in tag team role, solid bruiser, underwhelming on the mic.
16.	Tommaso Ciampa	5'11'', 210 lbs	Good aggression, not a convincing heel, solid in the ring.
17.	Murphy	5'11'', 227 lbs	Growing more intense, good athlete, minimal presence.
18.	Alexander Wolfe	6'2'', 231 lbs	Solid bruiser, skilled striker, gimmick needs work.
19.	Sawyer Fulton	6'8'', 285 lbs	Impressive size, limited in the ring, will need right gimmick to succeed.
			Serviceable in the ring, generates solid heel heat, decent athlete.
20.	Blake	6'1'', 240 lbs	Serviceable in the ring, generates solid heel heat, decent athlete.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Elias Samson, No Way Jose, Riddick Moss

Don't Sleep on The Perfect 10

In a loss to Austin Aries, Dillinger looked excellent. 

It helped that officials have spruced up his entrance. Red lights now beam through the arena. Graphics now precede his arrival. That all adds to an already fun gimmick.

Dillinger showed off infectious energy as he collided with Aries. He played to the crowd with his usual "10" gesture, looked ecstatic when he thought he had won the match and, overall, looked to be having a real good time in there.

The Perfect 10 issues some picture-perfect chops. He sold really well, too. At one point, Aries chopped him in the chest and Dillinger fell to his knees, slumped over, stunned. 

That kind of moment led to this being Dillinger's most entertaining match to date.

WWE officials also have to be happy with the spark he's showing. He doesn't feel like a main event star, but he certainly possesses some "it" factor. Speaking to that, Alex Wendland of Voices of Wrestling wrote, "The guy's got something that the majority of wrestlers in this company don't have."

A Flash of Something Else from No Way Jose

Peel back No Way Jose's schmaltzy dance gimmick, and there's something more substantial waiting to burst out.

In a victory over Noah Potjes, No Way Jose offered the same hip-shaking and grinning we have seen before. Although, there was a glimpse of another side of him. Potjes angered him with a strike, and Jose snarled. 

That momentary anger was miles more compelling than any of his goofy antics otherwise. His dance gimmick doesn't have staying power. Moving toward a more aggressive, predatory character would raise his ceiling.

Credit: WWE.com

He was imposing when he turned that dance act off for a moment. That's the ticket to him becoming something other than the next Adam Rose.

Add Eric Young to the Mix

Chances are, Young will stay at NXT rather than slide over to the main roster. Like Aries, he's probably destined to up the brand's star power and help put younger guys over.

Young, though, offers plenty to work with, be it on Raw or NXT. His charisma isn't at an off-the-charts level, but he sure stands out. His facial expressions and energy are a big part of that, as we saw when he confronted Joe on Wednesday night.

The World Class Maniac can play a heel or babyface and thrive in either a comedy or serious role. As Sean Ross Sapp of Wrestling Inc wrote, Young is "versatile and entertaining":

His match against The Samoan Submission Machine was solid. The veteran can certainly outdo that performance, though.

Young is an intriguing option for the NXT writers to plug in, and he's likely to serve as a benchmark for guys like Dillinger in the coming months.

Female Wrestlers 

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Asuka	5'3''	Strong connection with crowd, top-notch ring work, great presence.
2.	Bayley	5'6''	Excellent seller, strong storyteller, marketable babyface, not yet an elite in-ring worker.
3.	Alexa Bliss	5'1''	Excellent as a heel, compelling viciousness, charismatic.
4.	Nia Jax	6'0''	Becoming more comfortable with monster role, fierce, powerful, good presence.
5.	Carmella	5'5''	Great energy, athletic, has refined her ring work.
6.	Aliyah	5'2''	Eye-catching intensity, highly athletic, comfortable as a heel.
7.	Eva Marie	5'8''	Marked improvement in the ring, star presence, still a work in progress.
8.	Dana Brooke	5'3''	Biggest issue remains overacting, heavy-handed showmanship, not natural looking in the ring, very athletic.
9.	Liv Morgan	5'4''	Showing lots of potential, good energy, strong showmanship.
10.	Peyton Royce	5'7''	Improving presence, better sense of character, good aggression.

More Destruction from Nia Jax

Jax gobbled up Tessa Blanchard so quickly that one didn't get to see much from either wrestler.

As the powerhouse rolled over Blanchard, however, it was clear that her confidence is growing. Each week, she looks more and more at home in the role of a prowling beast.

Her level of ferocity is more consistent, but she still lets up too much. When she dropped a pair of elbows on her foe, the first one was emphatic, the kind that steals away one's breath. The second was flimsy by comparison.

That's the kind of thing she will need to tighten up in the future. If the audience is to believe she is a wrecking ball, she needs to avoid half-hearted attacks.

And eventually, someone is going to have to change her entrance music. It simply doesn't fit her character. Here is an imposing bruiser who enjoys flattening folks coming to poppy fare. That would be like Brock Lesnar walking in to Sami Zayn's theme.

Predictions

Blanchard, if she signs a long-term deal, has a promising future. She has shown some babyface charm in her two NXT outings. 

Expect her to catch on with the crowd in a hurry if she's spotlighted moving forward.

The Revival will become NXT's only two-time champions.

When WWE decides to bring up American Alpha, the safe bet is that they drop the belts to Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder. Those two heels are such a great fit for NXT's throwback style that they will likely not get a chance to move to the main roster.

American Alpha, on the other hand, is a flashier, more over duo destined to get a crack at Raw and SmackDown in the next year.