WWE NXT: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis, Predictions for Week of Oct. 13

A band of masked, unhinged thugs reshaped the WWE NXT landscape in an instant.

Sanity's debut on Wednesday's NXT more than launched the stable into the second round of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament; it set the stage for a number of prospects to find their voices.

The little-seen Alexander Wolfe will taste more spotlight moving forward. Big bruiser Sawyer Fulton has to hope this latest trip on the gimmick carousel is the last for him. Being a part of this faction will help Nikki Cross rise to contention.

And Sanity's leader, former TNA world champ Eric Young, now has a means to make his mark on NXT by way of directing this band of misfits.  

Wednesday's NXT saw new faces like Tino Sabbatelli and progressing performers like Billie Kay look to impress, as well.

The following is a look at how those grapplers, the members of Sanity and their peers stack up in the battle to be the best WWE prospects. The wrestlers' mic skills, ring work, look, charisma and gimmick determined the rankings.

Male Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Shinsuke Nakamura	6'2", 229 lbs	Tremendous showman, elite ring worker, turns banal moments into electric ones.
2.	Samoa Joe	6'2", 279 lbs	Beastly presence, elite-level heel, excellent talker, strong ring work.
3.	Bobby Roode	6'0", 235 lbs	Charismatic, flourishing with current gimmick, experience in the ring shows.
4.	Scott Dawson	5'10", 224 lbs	Excellent bruiser, top-notch tag team work, delivers in big matches, growing as a talker.
5.	Hideo Itami	5'9", 182 lbs	Set to lose momentum after latest injury, skilled striker, excellent in the ring, highly athletic.
6.	Johnny Gargano	5'10", 190 lbs	Compelling as a babyface, smooth offense, strong ring work, good connection with fans.
7.	Eric Young	6'0", 224 lbs	Excellent storyteller, good showmanship, versatile in the ring.
8.	Austin Aries	5'9", 202 lbs	Excellent technician, experienced, dependable, lacks elite "it" factor.
9.	Tye Dillinger	6'3", 223 lbs	Skilled at selling, maximizing gimmick, solid mat work, a lot of potential.
10.	Tommaso Ciampa	5'11", 210 lbs	Aggressive, intense, excellent brawler, not magnetic on the mic.
11.	Dash Wilder	5'10", 222 lbs	Good brawler, excelling as tag team specialist, improved as a talker.
12.	Andrade Almas	5'9", 222 lbs	Athletic, solid showman, high ceiling, persona still in progress.
13.	Shane Thorne	6'1", 200 lbs	Star quality, good showmanship, athletic, smooth.
14.	Rezar	6'4", 308 lbs	Strong intensity, good striker, powerful, good acceleration, largely unproven overall.
15.	No Way Jose	6'3", 245 lbs	Silly gimmick, good energy, strong footwork, inconsistent in the ring.
16.	Buddy Murphy	5'11", 227 lbs	Powerful, excellent acceleration, underwhelming charisma.
17.	Elias Samson	6'0", 217 lbs	Has shown flashes of compelling viciousness, lacking charisma, gimmick needs development.
18.	Alexander Wolfe	6'2", 231 lbs	Solid bruiser, good facial expressions, Sanity gimmick poised to propel him.
19.	Nick Miller	6'1", 227 lbs	Smooth ring work, strong striker, athletic, below-average presence.
20.	Steve Cutler	Not listed	Solid ring work, below-average presence, persona slowly developing.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Oney Lorcan, Wesley Blake, Akam

Sanity Arrives

After weeks of mysterious vignettes, the faction finally debuted on Wednesday. Wolfe and Fulton took on Bobby Roode and Tye Dillinger in first-round tournament action, at least until The Glorious One ditched his partner.

The heels pounced on Dillinger early and clubbed him with forearm shots. They smothered him in the corner en route to a dominant win.

Wolfe looked recharged by the shift in character. The gimmick fits his brawling-heavy style well. He should prosper as one of these roving predators moving forward.

The group's big man has less of a bright future.

Fulton, who has been on the hunt for the right gimmick his entire NXT career, was not convincing in this role. He had the smallest presence of the group and simply wasn't as imposing as he should be for a guy his size.

Cross was scarier. Young came off as crazier. Wolfe looked more bloodthirsty.

Being a part of Sanity will provide Fulton with multiple opportunities, but he's going to have to prove that he's not a replaceable part of the machine.

Moss and Sabbatelli

Moss and Sabbatelli teamed up against TM-61 in a losing effort.

Moss has barely been on NXT TV. This was the first look at him in a long time. For Sabbatelli, a former NFL safety, this marked his televised debut for the brand.

Neither man looked like a blue-chip prospect, but both showed potential.

The well-built Moss boasted impressive acceleration. He is clearly a good athlete and plenty powerful. Playing a cocky jerk looks to be the right fit for him, too.

Sabbatelli's physique alone will catch WWE owner Vince McMahon's eye. As for his ring work, he was fine, but clearly still inexperienced. His offense didn't stand out at any point.

He wobbled as his foes knocked him around, showing the ability to add theater to his performance. His overall showmanship was solid.

And for better or worse, he reminded one of a certain TNA tag team, as Greg Parks of PWTorch pointed out:

Both Moss and Sabbatelli have their work cut out for them to outdo the stars ranked above them, but they boast the physical tools that will allow them to do so. As football players transitioning to the squared circle, they will be playing catchup to the guys who have been honing their crafts in the ring for years on the independent circuit.

Blake Not Getting Better

We have seen Wesley Blake's ceiling already.

As a tag team specialist or a singles star, he has been the same thing throughout his NXT career—average. He provided further evidence of that in a showdown against former tag team partner Buddy Murphy.

Blake's new narcissistic act didn't click. He's not a convincing self-loving braggart. 

In the ring, Murphy looked like the better athlete. Murphy stood out more, his offense more electric, more memorable.

That's been the case since these two first joined forces. Blake is a solid, reliable hand but little else. That doesn't look to be changing.

Female Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Asuka	5'3"	Top-notch in-ring performer, excellent striker, great presence, limited English-language skills.
2.	Ember Moon	5'2"	Intense, athletic, experienced, gimmick has big potential.
3.	Nikki Cross	5'1"	New gimmick is perfect fit, aggressive, powerful, great energy.
4.	Peyton Royce	5'7"	Solid heel work, not electric in the ring, average mic skills.
5.	Aliyah	5'2"	Compelling energy, comfortable as a heel, improving in the ring, high ceiling.
6.	Billie Kay	5'8"	Improving as a heel, good showmanship, inconsistent in the ring.
7.	Mandy Rose	5'4"	Progressing in the ring, strong presence, has star quality.
8.	Liv Morgan	5'4"	Remains raw overall, good energy, high ceiling.
9.	Daria Berenato	5'7"	Unique gimmick, strong strikes, good intensity.

Kay vs. Morgan

Liv Morgan will eventually surpass Kay, but not right now. Kay showed off how much more of a veteran she is than Morgan in their clash on Wednesday night.

Kay's offense was crisp. Whether she was hammering her foe with fists or grappling on the mat, she looked more competent and comfortable in the ring than Morgan.

Where the New Jersey native outperformed Kay, though, was in terms of energy and presence. Ultimately, Morgan was and has been more interesting than her opponent. But she's not a finished product yet.

Total Wrestling magazine noted that she needs to progress:

Morgan looked stiff on the mat. She delivered ineffective strikes. She still looks unsure of herself in between the ropes.

If she can improve her in-ring performance, she will start to climb the rankings in a hurry. She has the potential to be a bigger star than Kay and Peyton Royce thanks to her intangibles. 

Predictions

TM-61 will go deep into the tournament. Much of the Dusty Classic field is composed of teams pairing together for the first time. Nick Miller and Shane Thorne, however, have developed great chemistry during their six years as a duo.

And NXT is likely to use the tourney to showcase them and help launch them into contenders.

The Revival need worthier rivals to the tag team titles. Expect TM-61 to morph into that by way of the Dusty Classic.

Regardless of how fair Wolfe and Fulton advance in that event, Cross will be the one who most benefits from being part of Sanity in the end. 

The faction will allow her to show off her viciousness and brawling skills. She will stand out, too, thanks to a unique gimmick. The added spotlight of being a part of a faction will fast-track her trip to a shot at Asuka's title.