WWE NXT: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis, Predictions for Week of Oct. 27

Raw potential was everywhere on Wednesday's WWE NXT.

The little-known and on-the-rise prospects of the developmental brand showed flashes of what they could become. Noah Potjes impressed in a loss to Tye Dillinger. The touted Chinese talent Tian Bing caught eyes in his NXT debut.

And even with only a short time in the ring on Wednesday night, Aliyah once again looked like she's poised to be a major player in the women's division.

These aren't NXT stars right now; they all played stepping stones for others.

The talk of the latest show will be about established names like Asuka and Samoa Joe, but future-minded fans had plenty to dissect and discuss after Potjes and others stepped on stage.

The following is a look at how the big Hawaiian and his peers stack up against each other. The prospects' gimmick, charisma, mic work, ring skill and look determined the rankings of NXT's best.       

Note: Mickie James is not yet considered for the list. WWE has not confirmed that she is signed beyond her title match with Asuka at NXT TakeOver: Toronto on Nov. 19.

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.	Johnny Gargano	5'10", 190 lbs	Exciting offense, speedy, strong babyface, good presence.
6.	Hideo Itami	5'9", 182 lbs	Set to lose momentum after latest injury, skilled striker, excellent in the ring, highly athletic.
7.	Eric Young	6'0", 224 lbs	Sanity gimmick is perfect fit, excellent storyteller, good showmanship, versatile in the ring.
8.	Roderick Strong	5'10", 211 lbs	Impressive overall in-ring performer, quick, strong, handsome.
9.	Austin Aries	5'9", 202 lbs	Excellent technician, experienced, dependable, lacks elite "it" factor.
10.	Tommaso Ciampa	5'11", 210 lbs	Aggressive, skilled brawler, intense, strong ring work.
11.	Tye Dillinger	6'3", 223 lbs	Harnesses gimmick well, strong connection with fans, good mat wrestler, has yet to have signature match.
12.	Andrade Almas	5'9", 222 lbs	Heel turn has boosted him, highly athletic, hasn't yet found groove in NXT.
13.	Dash Wilder	5'10", 222 lbs	Good brawler, excelling as tag team specialist, improved as a talker.
14.	Shane Thorne	6'1", 200 lbs	Highly athletic, smooth in the ring, good look, serviceable mic work.
15.	Rezar	6'4", 308 lbs	Strong intensity, good striker, powerful, good acceleration, largely unproven overall.
16.	Tucker Knight	6'2", 282 lbs	Impressive power, good acceleration, plenty of intensity.
17.	No Way Jose	6'3", 245 lbs	Huge potential, unpolished in the ring, OK mic work, better off without comedy gimmick.
18.	Buddy Murphy	5'11", 227 lbs	Powerful, excellent acceleration, underwhelming charisma.
19.	Alexander Wolfe	6'2", 231 lbs	Good bruiser, uses facial expressions well, Sanity gimmick shoud propel him.
20.	Nick Miller	6'1", 230 lbs	Solid all-around performer, charisma growing, below-average presence.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Elias Samson, Steve Cutler, Wesley Blake.

1st Look at Bing

Bing has a long way to go as a Superstar, but he's already better than his tag team partner from Wednesday night. The Chinese prospect fought alongside Ho Ho Lun of Cruiserweight Classic fame against Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano.

Lun looks like a lost cause. He's just not exciting in the least.

Bing, though, showed himself to be an intriguing talent. His size stood out right away, as did his presence. The rookie makes fans take notice when he's on screen.

His ring work is not prime-time-ready, though. Bing didn't move with enough urgency. And he was off the mark with a number of moves, including a superkick and a back elbow.

That's to be expected at this stage. He only signed with the company in June.

What WWE has to be happy about is that, as Total Wrestling magazine tweeted, there is potential amid all that greenness:

Opportunities are certain to come his way, as WWE will want to tap into the Chinese market more. Hard work and smoothing out his ring work will be key to elevating his stock from this point.

Potjes Steps Into the Spotlight

Potjes fell to Dillinger to help set up The Perfect 10's upcoming battle with Bobby Roode at TakeOver: Toronto. 

In the short outing, Potjes looked good. His movement was fluid. His natural athleticism was obvious. 

And the showmanship part of the game won't be an issue for him.

Potjes wore a cocky smile, sold Dillinger's offense really well and looked general comfortable telling a story in the ring. That takes some guys a long time to learn.

The Hawaiian bruiser had wrestled on the independent circuit for a few years before signing with WWE but is still in the early stages of his development. Keep an eye out for him as that process unfolds. Potjes will likely climb the NXT ladder in a hurry.

TM-61 on the Mic

The Australian duo of Nick Miller and Shane Thorne has been strong between the ropes thus far. On Wednesday's NXT, TM-61 showed off its verbal skills, as well.

Miller and Thorne aren't going to challenge The Rock or Paul Heyman in a promo battle, but they were solid in boasting about their tag team exploits. Miller is quite understated, but his delivery felt natural.

Thorne had more energy, but both men could stand to turn up the volume on that element. 

Should TM-61 continue to cut promos like this or better, NXT will feel more confident in relying on the group. Rest assured, officials will have a close eye on the pair's evolution as talkers. Strong work in that area will help Miller and Thorne stand out.

Female Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Asuka	5'3"	Plenty of flair, strong showmanship, elite ring worker, limited English-language skills.
2.	Ember Moon	5'2"	Intense, athletic, experienced, gimmick has big potential.
3.	Nikki Cross	5'1"	New gimmick ups her ceiling, frenetic energy, intimidating presence.
4.	Peyton Royce	5'7"	Solid heel work, not electric in the ring, average mic skills.
5.	Aliyah	5'2"	Unrefined in the ring, huge potential, great energy, strong presence.
6.	Billie Kay	5'8"	Growing as a heel, good viciousness, sometimes awkward in the ring.
7.	Mandy Rose	5'4"	Progressing in the ring, strong presence, has star quality.
8.	Liv Morgan	5'3"	Remains raw overall, good energy, high ceiling.
9.	Daria Berenato	5'7"	Unique gimmick, strong strikes, good intensity.
10.	Danielle Kamela	Not listed	Unproven, raw, solid selling.

Aliyah vs. Kay again

Kay is getting the push. Aliyah is playing the launchpad for now.

NXT is clearly focusing on presenting Kay and Peyton Royce as the women's division's resident bullies. They teamed up once again to beat down Aliyah after she upset Kay.

Kay is improving as a heel. She's convincingly mean. Her ferocity is decent.

Zack Zimmerman of ProWrestling.net wrote, "I like what Billie and Peyton have been doing and hope they continue to grow as they gain confidence in their roles."

As for Aliyah, she still looks like the better long-term prospect of the two. 

Her high energy and agility help make her bouts exciting. She needs more experience to smooth out her overall ring work, but that's not likely to be an issue. Aliyah has shown an aptitude for the art of wrestling early on. 

Asuka, Ember Moon and James (for the time being) will occupy the top rungs of the division. Aliyah is set to beat out Kay in the race to join them.

Predictions

Gargano and Ciampa's win on Wednesday set up a second-round clash in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic against NXT tag champs The Revival.

This promises to be one hell of a contest. These teams' previous meetings have been grab-you-by-the-throat dramas. 

This time around, Gargano and Ciampa will prevail. Overcoming The Revival and going deep into the tournament will be the catalysts for them to seize momentum aplenty. 

A similar path awaits Dillinger. His TakeOver: Toronto battle with Roode will be his coming-out party. Dillinger has been improving for years but still lacks that one great match on his resume.

The former TNA world champ will lead Dillinger to his best work to date. We will look back at this bout as the turning point for The Perfect 10. Tangling with Roode will be a major showcase for the rising star.