WWE NXT: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis, Predictions for Week of Sept. 1

A new crop of WWE NXT stars, from Tye Dillinger to Aliyah, is set to compete for spots on center stage.

After a flood of talent left the developmental brand in the July draft, NXT has since had to reshuffle its deck. That process has opened up opportunities for a guy like Dillinger to claim a more prominent position. The Perfect 10 has outgrown his midcarder status, something he made clear again on Wednesday's NXT.

NXT's return to Full Sail University after its trip to Brooklyn, New York, also saw other prospects impress, too.

The 21-year-old Aliyah flashed great potential in a loss on Wednesday night. Steve Cutler, long a stepping stone for bigger names, looked ready to make an impact of his own.

The NXT hierarchy is poised for major change, as Dillinger seeks to become a title contender and Aliyah tries to move past her peers. The following is a look at where they and the rest of the NXT roster stand in the race to be the brand's best.

A combination of ring work, mic skills, look, gimmick, charisma and crowd connection determined the rankings.

Male Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Shinsuke Nakamura	6'2", 229 lbs	Elite presence, compelling in the ring, top-notch striker, charisma balances out limited English-language skills.
2.	Samoa Joe	6'2", 279 lbs	Intimidating, superb intensity, highly dependable in the ring, great heel.
3.	Bobby Roode	6'0", 235 lbs	Masterful heel, strong mic work, experience, ring general.
4.	Kota Ibushi	5'11", 189 lbs	Phenomenal in-ring performer, highly athletic, strong presence.
5.	Scott Dawson	5'10", 224 lbs	Master of tag team psychology, skilled striker, growing as a talker, keeps adding to collection of big matches.
6.	Hideo Itami	5'9", 182 lbs	Recharged after return from injury, great energy, strong striker.
7.	Johnny Gargano	5'10", 190 lbs	Compelling as a babyface, smooth offense, strong ring work, good connection with fans.
8.	Tye Dillinger	6'3", 223 lbs	Harnesses gimmick well, good showman, fun energy, growing connection with fans.
9.	Austin Aries	5'9", 202 lbs	Ring general, experienced, delivers strong heel promos.
10.	Andrade Almas	5'9", 210 lbs	Highly athletic, fun showmanship, inconsistent striker, has yet to reach full potential at NXT.
11.	Tommaso Ciampa	5'11", 210 lbs	Aggressive, intense, excellent brawler, not magnetic on the mic.
12.	Dash Wilder	5'10", 222 lbs	Excellent tag team psychology, good striker, has improved as a talker.
13.	No Way Jose	6'3", 245 lbs	Growing quickly as a performer, best when intense, smooth, gimmick remains too goofy.
14.	Shane Thorne	6'1", 200 lbs	Impressive leaping ability, strong showmanship, fluid ring work, good look.
15.	Rich Swann	5'6", 165 lbs	Fantastic athlete, charismatic, fun energy, dance-centric gimmick lowers his ceiling.
16.	Buddy Murphy	5'11", 227 lbs	Lacks presence, explosive, impressive power, poor talker.
17.	Rezar	6'4", 308 lbs	Good intensity, impressive power, raw in the ring.
18.	Elias Samson	6'0", 217 lbs	Has shown flashes of compelling viciousness, lacking charisma, gimmick needs development.
19.	Oney Lorcan	6'1", 199 lbs	Underwhelming energy on the mic, solid striker, good intensity.
20.	Steve Cutler	Not listed	Solid in the ring, gimmick starting to take shape, good build.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Wesley Blake, Sawyer Fulton, Akam 

Dillinger Ready to Move Up

Dillinger notched his second win in as many weeks, knocking off Buddy Murphy on Wednesday's NXT.

This was no classic bout, but it was a good showcase of what makes Dillinger such an intriguing prospect nonetheless. The Perfect 10 looked focused and confident as he took down the former tag team champion.

From subtle anger to bubbling intensity, Dillinger showed off an improved ability to emote via facial expressions. 

He stomped on Murphy in the corner with great precision. He pulled off his usual fun antics.

And the crowd ate it all up. That's been a common experience for him. Dillinger is among the most popular NXT stars not currently on the brand's top tier.

Aubrey Sitterson, host of Straight Shoot podcast, pointed out how well The Perfect 10 has connected with fans: 

All that will add up to a push. Dillinger is on the verge of sliding up the NXT hierarchy. Officials would be smart to see what he does at a TakeOver special against a marquee name.

Cutler's Slow Emergence

The rarely seen Cutler received a rare opportunity for televised action. The former Marine took on Kenneth Crawford, a guest from the Cruiserweight Classic tournament.

The bout featured glimpses of what Cutler could be.

He was nasty and aggressive, pushing and manhandling Crawford. He wore a cocky smirk. He used his ample power to throw his foe around.

Cutler is no finished product, but officials had to be happy with what they saw.

He hasn't shown star-level presence yet, though. He still feels too much like just another guy. Refining his gimmick will help him.

If he can find a way to use his military background to further his character and find something to make his overall presentation catchier, Cutler has a real shot of continuing his climb up the ladder.

Female Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Asuka	5'3"	Excellent showmanship, great striker, strong submission wrestling, unique.
2.	Ember Moon	5'2"	Skilled striker, excellent presence, experience shows, gimmick has potential.
3.	Peyton Royce	5'7"	Has developed her character, strong ring work, aggressive.
4.	Nikki Glencross	5'1"	Strong mat work, pit-bull energy, her experience shows in the ring.
5.	Mandy Rose	5'4"	Star quality, progressing well in the ring, solid footwork.
6.	Daria Berenato	5'7"	Unique gimmick, strong strikes, good intensity.
7.	Aliyah	5'2"	Strong work as a heel, solid presence, fierce, impressive growth so far.
8.	Billie Kay	5'8"	Wooden in the ring at times, adding depth to gimmick, strong kicks.
9.	Liv Morgan	5'4"	In-ring progress has slowed of late, good energy, quick.

Aliyah Already on the Rise

The Toronto native is taking to the art of heeldom right away. Being a merciless villain suits her.

Aliyah took on Liv Morgan at Full Sail University on Wednesday's show, catching the audience's attention more than her opponent despite losing.

She was fierce and angry, issuing thunderous forearms and wrenching Morgan's body. Unlike many prospects, she doesn't look to be role-playing. Aliyah has embraced her character to the point where she's a convincing heel on the prowl.

The folks at Daily DDT pointed out her promise:

She certainly has a high ceiling. Her athleticism, energy and early understanding of the sport's nuances speak to that.

Her footwork isn't as smooth as it needs to be yet. And she hasn't had much of a chance to wield a microphone at NXT, so her talking ability is a question mark. Still, Aliyah has given NXT plenty to be pleased with in the early stages of her development.

Predictions

The eventual rematch between The Revival and Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano will outdo the original and compete for the best NXT bout of the year. The two teams clearly have excellent chemistry, as seen in their strong performance together at TakeOver: Brooklyn II.

And now the personal nature of their rivalry is picking up.

The Revival purposefully hurt Gargano in their last meeting. The tag champs then assaulted Ciampa on Wednesday's NXT. The babyfaces' battle for revenge will be magnificent.   

No Way Jose will soon shed or at least tone down the cornier aspects of his gimmick.

It has to be obvious to NXT officials that the Dominican grappler is more compelling when he snarls rather than smiles, brawls rather than dances. A touch of his party-animal shtick will help him stand out, but count on that element being less emphasized moving forward.

A big, athletic wrestler is waiting to burst out of his clown's shell.