WWE NXT: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis, Predictions for Week of June 9

WWE NXT TakeOver: The End marked the culmination of the feud between Samoa Joe and Finn Balor and the last moments of American Alpha's reign as tag team champions, but we will end up remembering Wednesday's live special as the beginning of Andrade "Cien" Almas' rise to stardom.

The Mexican dynamo bested Tye Dillinger in the show's opening bout. Even in the relatively short showdown, Almas showed plenty of glimpses of just how compelling a performer he is.

His arrival instantly shook up the NXT prospect rankings. 

Shinsuke Nakamura remains on top after a strong showing against Austin Aries, and Jason Jordan increased his stock by pouring his heart out onto the mat, but Almas forced several wrestlers down the ladder.

The following is a look at where this newcomer and his peers stand in the ongoing battle to be NXT's best. Ring work, mic skills, charisma, gimmick and look all played into the order of the rankings.

Eric Young isn't on that list for now. NXT head Triple H mentioned in a conference call this week (h/t Dave Scherer of PWInsider.com) that the company is still working out a contract with him. The debuting bruisers known as The Authors of Pain (Gzim Selmani and Sunny Dhinsa) were not considered for the rankings either, as we have yet to see more than a glimpse of them.

Male Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Shinsuke Nakamura	6'2'', 229 lbs	Superb showman, highly charismatic, excellent ring worker.
2.	Finn Balor	5'11'', 190 lbs	Consistently delivers strong matches, growing as a talker, marketable gimmick.
3.	Samoa Joe	6'2'', 279 lbs	Powerful presence, top-notch intensity, excellent in the ring, strong promos.
4.	Scott Dawson	5'10'', 224 lbs	Skilled striker, adept at tag team wrestling, much-improved talker, ample standout performances.
5.	Chad Gable	5'8'', 187 lbs	Improving as talker, strong connection with crowd, deft in the ring, makes technical wrestling entertaining.
6.	Jason Jordan	6'3'', 245 lbs	Great energy, passionate, powerful, impressively athletic, high ceiling.
7.	Austin Aries	5'9'', 202 lbs	Excellent mat technician, strong matches, solid promos, unclear whether he will connect with casual fans.
8.	Hideo Itami	5'9'', 182 lbs	Excellent ring work, highly athletic, mic skills are current weakness.
9.	Andrade Almas	5'9'', 210 lbs	Speedy, athletic, fun offense, strong showmanship, high ceiling.
10.	Tye Dillinger	6'3'', 223 lbs	Consistently produces against top-notch foes, uses gimmick well, infectious energy.
11.	Johnny Gargano	5'10'', 190 lbs	Smooth offense, strong ring work, good connection with fans.
12.	Rich Swann	5'6'', 165 lbs	Out-of-this-world athlete, great energy, size could prove an issue.
13.	Dash Wilder	5'10'', 222 lbs	Unnatural on the mic, best in tag team role, solid bruiser.
14.	Shane Thorne	6'1'', 200 lbs	Fun energy, good athlete, strong seller.
15.	Christopher Girard	6'1'', 199 lbs	Good striker, aggressive, dependable ring work.
16.	Buddy Murphy	5'11'', 227 lbs	Athletic, good power, underwhelming charisma, steady in the ring.
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.	Elias Samson	6'0'', 217 lbs	Showing flashes of compelling viciousness, lacking charisma, gimmick needs development.
20.	Nick Miller	6'1'', 227 lbs	Solid in-ring performer, experienced, good tag team psychology.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Sawyer Fulton, Wesley Blake, No Way Jose

Welcoming Cien

In Almas' first NXT matchup, he riled up the Full Sail University crowd in a fun outing against Dillinger. The former star of Mexico's Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre promotion was quick, fluid yet crisp in the ring.

Almas boasted a magnetic presence throughout the battle. 

And it was clear he was having fun out there. He showboated in between high-flying moves, at one point lounging between the ropes with a smile on his face. 

While he is not as athletic as the original Sin Cara, he clearly has more than enough agility and speed to thrill a crowd. And he showed himself to be more consistent than Sin Cara, executing a much smoother match than we ever saw from the other Mexican transplant.

As impressive as his standing moonsault after landing on his feet was, we have yet to see his full arsenal. Fans of his work when he was known as La Sombra know he has many more tricks to slip from his bag.

The Dillinger bout served as an effective teaser. As Aaron Bentley of Voices of Wrestling put it, "Almas was able to hint at the abilities that make him special and leave us wanting more."

All Eyes on Jordan 

Chants during an American Alpha match are usually directed at Chad Gable, but Jordan got some love on Wednesday night. It was a well-deserved response. The tag team champ has been excellent of late and added to his list of strong matches in a loss to The Revival.

Jordan was often the heart of the bout. He forced the audience's eyes on him when he wrenched Scott Dawson's arm or charged at his foes in the corner.

Throughout the title contest, his emotions spilled over into the ring. When he and Gable were on a tear, Jordan looked ready to explode with excitement. When The Revival seized the tag team championships from him and his partner, he looked legitimately heartbroken.

Moments like these are earning him ample praise. Former intercontinental champion Kevin Owens certainly thinks highly of him:

"

.@JasonJordanJJ is a star.

— Kevin Owens (@FightOwensFight) June 9, 2016"

The question is whether Jordan can be a star on his own or will need to remain a part of a tag team to thrive on the main roster. He flourishes during the hot-tag part of a match.

He and Gable have spectacular chemistry together, but we haven't seen enough of Jordan on his own to know if he can soar as a solo artist.

Nakamura vs. Aries Notes

After TakeOver: The End wrapped up, much of the discussion was about Balor vs. Joe and the tag title bout that stole the show. In between those clashes, Nakamura and Aries put on quite the display themselves.

The match showed off both men's skills. Aries' nasty demeanor and precision in the ring elevated its quality; Nakamura's electric presence did as well.

As good as their performances were, the contest may have offered a peek at Aries' ceiling in WWE. Aries is a skilled mat technician and at times was the ring general in this showdown, but the fans weren't nearly as interested in him.

Fans responded louder to Nakamura's entrance than to anything Aries did in the ring. The King of Strong Style is hugely over, his stardom obvious.

Aries, more of a wrestler's wrestler, may struggle to make an impact with casual fans. He doesn't wield the kind of "it" factor that Balor, Nakamura and Joe do. 

Female Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Asuka	5'3''	World-class ring worker, unique, strong showmanship, excellent facial expressions.
2.	Bayley	5'6''	Excellent in-ring storyteller, stellar connection with crowd, understated on the mic.
3.	Alexa Bliss	5'2''	Superb heel, vicious, stellar presence.
4.	Nia Jax	6'0''	Has improved at impressive rate, high ceiling, great power, growing presence.
5.	Carmella	5'5''	Improving ring work, charismatic, likable personality.
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.

Nia's Continued Rise 

Jax came up short in her quest to become NXT women's champ when Asuka scored the decisive pinfall after a hard-fought bout. The defeat proved to be a showcase for the challenger's steady progress.

PWMania writer Jason Solomon called it her best offering yet:

That sentiment has been repeated a lot lately. Jax keeps outdoing herself, keeps making the most of her opportunities.

Despite being such an inexperienced prospect with just a year of wrestling under her belt, she held her own against one of the world's best female performers. There were no awkward moments. There wasn't the kind of hesitation one often sees from rookies.

Instead, Jax stepped up to a main event level. 

WWE trainers can teach how to transition from move to move or how to pose while celebrating, but they can't teach that ability. Jax clearly has an innate feel for wrestling and is taking to it at a rapid rate. 

Expect her to be the unquestioned empress of this division by the end of 2017.

Predictions

In his first year with NXT, Almas will work his way up to the developmental brand's top tier. After the upcoming draft in July that will pluck NXT talent to fill the rosters for Raw and SmackDown, there will be a gap in top stars at Full Sail.

Count on Almas stepping into that spot. He will prove to be one of the most entertaining workers around and will do battle with the likes of Samoa Joe in main events.

On Wednesday, The Authors of Pain stormed into the ring after American Alpha's loss and beat on the babyfaces as a means to introduce themselves.

Look for Selmani and Dhinsa to be more dominant than former NXT tag champs The Ascension. They look more imposing than that duo. They are bigger and better athletes. Plus, as we saw on TakeOver: The End, they will have Hall of Fame manager Paul Ellering in their corner.

They won't be as popular as The Revival or American Alpha but will be more convincing as NXT's freight trains than The Ascension was during its apex.