WWE NXT: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis, Predictions for Week of May 26

A trio of WWE NXT's most promising prospects went to battle, further stirring up debate about where Nia Jax, Carmella and Alexa Bliss sit in the brand's hierarchy. 

Wednesday's NXT saw Jax become No. 1 contender to the women's title, but it was Carmella who impressed most. The Princess of Staten Island was the glue in a Triple Threat match that closed the show. She continues to progress as a performer, slowly closing the gap between her and the division's elite.

Full Sail University also welcomed a new squad to the tag team division. Australia's Nick Miller and Shane Thorne joined the fray as TM-61 (formerly known as The Mighty Don't Kneel).

The following is a look at where all those grapplers rank among NXT's top prospects. Ring work, mic skills, charisma, gimmick and look all help determine the order.

Male Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Shinsuke Nakamura	6'2'', 229 lbs	Magnetic presence, hugely over, top-notch performer, charisma overcomes poor English.
2.	Finn Balor	5'11'', 190 lbs	Rock star aura, explosive athlete, highly dependable in the ring.
3.	Samoa Joe	6'2'', 279 lbs	Powerful presence, top-notch intensity, excellent in the ring, strong promos.
4.	Chad Gable	5'8'', 187 lbs	Improving as talker, strong connection with crowd, deft in the ring, makes technical wrestling entertaining.
5.	Scott Dawson	5'10'', 224 lbs	Skilled bruiser, excellent striker, improving talker, several top-notch performances on his resume.
6.	Austin Aries	5'9'', 202 lbs	Dependable mic-worker, strong in-ring work, produces in big matches.
7.	Jason Jordan	6'3'', 245 lbs	Growing connection with crowd, fantastic athlete, unproven as singles competitor.
8.	Hideo Itami	5'9'', 182 lbs	Excellent ring work, highly athletic, mic skills are current weakness.
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.	Johnny Gargano	5'10'', 190 lbs	Smooth offense, strong ring work, good connection with fans.
12.	Tye Dillinger	6'3'', 223 lbs	Popularity growing, excelling with gimmick, fun presence, solid in the ring.
13.	Shane Thorne	6'1'', 200 lbs	Fun energy, good athlete, strong seller.
14.	Christopher Girard	6'1'', 199 lbs	Good striker, aggressive, dependable ring work.
15.	Dash Wilder	5'10'', 222 lbs	Best in tag team role, solid bruiser, underwhelming on the mic.
16.	Murphy	5'11'', 227 lbs	Good selling, explosive athlete, underwhelming presence.
17.	Tommaso Ciampa	5'11'', 210 lbs	Overshadowed by Gargano, good aggression, solid in the ring.
18.	Alexander Wolfe	6'2'', 231 lbs	Solid bruiser, skilled striker, gimmick needs work.
19.	Nick Miller	6'1'', 227 lbs	Solid in-ring performer, experienced, good tag team psychology.
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, No Way Jose, Elias Samson

Gable's Growth

In what could have been a throwaway backstage interview, Gable thrived. When asked about the upcoming match against The Revival, he talked up his team's skills in a short, powerful performance.

"That ain't a boxing ring, boys, that's a wrestling ring. And there ain't no better guys on the planet than American Alpha," he said.

This was his best promo to date. In addition to his usual goofiness, he brought an intensity that we have yet to see from him. He looked at ease on the mic, more comfortable with his role.

That's a great sign for him. His in-ring skills have always been his calling card. If he can consistently bring this kind of fire as a talker, his stock will shoot up. 

TM-61 Arrives

Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls debuted with new names on Wednesday's NXT. Haste is now Shane Thorne and Nicholls is now Nick Miller. As The Mighty Don't Kneel, the duo garnered a lot of buzz in Australia and Japan.

There is good reason to project that they will be a major part of the tag division moving forward. Referee Drake Wuertz sees success ahead for them:

Their battle with Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano was a solid introduction to their skills, but this was by no means their best work. Miller seemed a touch hesitant, perhaps a result of the adjustment to NXT.

He didn't contribute nearly as many highlights to the action as his partner did.

Thorne showed more personality and presence. His offense was fluid. He flipped onto his opponent and sprang around the ring, all the while showboating to the crowd. That element bordered on being over the top, but it will be easy for him to pull back on that.

Future showdowns will allow us a better look of how TM-61 is able to function in its new home, but this match was a good start. 

Adam Rose 2.0

No Way Jose has the Full Sail University crowd behind him. In his match against Johnny Vandal, fans chanted and cheered for him. This has been the routine since his arrival.

The trouble is his gimmick has a low ceiling. Fans are clearly having fun with it, and so is he, but what's the end game? NXT is going to make him a championship contender who gyrates in the ring and goofs off between the ropes. He's not destined for greatness on the main roster either.

Remember that when Rose debuted as the party animal with an eccentric entourage, fans ate it up. He looked to be hugely over until the act flopped on the main roster.

Jose is stronger and faster than Rose, but in the end, he hasn't done much other than dance. His latest bout was underwhelming. Voices of Wrestling writer Alex Wendland wrote, "The match was mostly a joke—a vessel for comedy spots." 

That can only take a wrestler so far. 

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 in-ring storyteller, stellar connection with crowd, Daniel Bryan-like aura on the mic.
3.	Alexa Bliss	5'2''	Superb heel, vicious, magnetic presence.
4.	Carmella	5'5''	Improving ring work, charismatic, likable personality.
5.	Nia Jax	6'0''	Inconsistent intensity, great power, strong presence, a notch below the division's best in the ring
6.	Peyton Royce	5'7''	Has developed character, strong ring work, aggressive.
7.	Aliyah	5'2''	Eye-catching intensity, highly athletic, comfortable as a heel.
8.	Eva Marie	5'8''	Marked improvement in the ring, star presence, still a work in progress.
9.	Liv Morgan	5'4''	Showing lots of potential, good energy, strong showmanship.
10.	Billie Kay	5'8''	Solid in the ring, underwhelming presence, gimmick still in progress.

Triple Threat Thoughts

Bliss, Jax and Carmella all collided on Wednesday night. At times, each women shone.

As usual, Bliss was vicious and intense, a nasty predator pouncing at just the right moments. She led the way for much of the bout, providing mat wrestling and a comedy spot at one point when she retreated from Jax.  

Carmella looked strong here. In one of her better performances, she provided a good amount of the match's emotion with her strong selling. She was convincingly angry at times, and played the resilient babyface role well.

It's not surprising then that the crowd was chanting for her.

Total Wrestling Magazine tweeted about her and Bliss' ongoing progress:

As for Jax, she is clearly going to be tremendous. She still has kinks to work out, though.

After the bell, she and Asuka faced off. This is where Jax flashed the kind of ferocity that will be her key to ultimate success. Unfortunately, it's a trait that comes and goes for her. She sometimes looks unsure of what to do with her hands and body.

Working with Asuka will be a huge learning experience for her. Hopefully, WWE doesn't rush her progress and try to put her on the main roster before the powerhouse has been able to refine her game.

Predictions

Nakamura will soon be what Finn Balor is for NXT. As much as WWE could benefit from having The King of Strong Style on board, his current pursuit of the NXT crown suggests that he's not going anywhere right now.

WWE is hinting that Nakamura vs. Austin Aries at NXT TakeOver is essentially a No. 1 contender's match. And with the Raw and SmackDown split coming up, it will be Balor who jumps to the main roster, leaving Nakamura to carry the NXT torch in his stead.

Jose will flop. Fans are loving his act right now, but it's just too much of a one-note song to sustain that affection. Dancing wrestlers don't have a great history of success, from Fandango to Brodus Clay.

Expect interest in him to die down after his first few feuds.