WWE NXT: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis, Predictions for Week of Nov. 3

The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic offered extended looks at WWE NXT's motley crew of prospects.

The second round of the tournament showcased a well-traveled veteran of the independent circuit, a rookie plucked from the MMA world and a big man who has been a part of the developmental system since before Leo Kruger became Adam Rose. With that mix of talent, it's no surprise how varied the performances from Wednesday's NXT were. 

Roderick Strong shone in a surprise singles match. Rezar of The Authors of Pain showed more flashes of his potential but looked several steps away from deserving center stage. 

And SAnity's Sawyer Fulton was flat, even with top-notch opponents.

Gaps remain at the top of the developmental brand's hierarchy. Strong, Rezar and Fulton are among those battling to climb there, with differing results.

The following is a look at where those men and the rest of the roster sit on the list of NXT's best prospects. A wrestler's size, gimmick, charisma, mic work and ring skill determined their spot in the rankings.

Note: There is no change in the women's rankings from last week, as no female wrestlers competed on Wednesday's NXT.

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	Has grown into strong talker, great heel, excellent tag team psychology, comes through in big matches.
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.	Austin Aries	5'9", 202 lbs	One of NXT's better talkers, strong heel work, skilled in-ring technician.
9.	Roderick Strong	5'10", 211 lbs	Smooth ring work, crisp and versatile offense, unproven on the mic.
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 delivered great match 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	Good showmanship, smooth in the ring, athletic, serviceable mic work.
15.	No Way Jose	6'3", 245 lbs	Huge potential, unpolished in the ring, OK mic work, better off without comedy gimmick.
16.	Tucker Knight	6'2", 282 lbs	Impressive power, good acceleration, plenty of intensity.
17.	Rezar	6'4", 308 lbs	Strong intensity, raw in the ring, intimidating, not ready for prime time.
18.	Alexander Wolfe	6'2", 231 lbs	Good bruiser, uses facial expressions well, SAnity gimmick shoud propel him.
19.	Buddy Murphy	5'11", 227 lbs	Powerful, excellent acceleration, underwhelming charisma.
20.	Nick Miller	6'1", 230 lbs	Solid all-around performer, charisma growing, below-average presence.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Elias Samson, Wesley Blake, Sawyer Fulton. 

Another Look at Strong

Austin Aries' gnarly eye injury forced NXT general manager William Regal to go down an unprecedented road. He turned a second-round tag team tournament match into a singles contest, with Strong taking on Shane Thorne of TM-61.

That made for an odd vibe, but it allowed Strong time to impress.

His offense had plenty of snap. Every slam and hold looked good. Strong was smooth, natural and fun to watch.

Sean Rueter of Cageside Seats wrote of Strong's outing, "This was a great example of what makes Roddy special. Vicious-looking but safe offense that leaves him and his opponent looking great, win or lose."

Show-stealing performance or not, a question mark still hangs over Strong's head. Will he be an indy guy who gets lost in the WWE world or the next big thing?

It will be his mic skills and overall charisma that determine the answer. He's a skilled performer on the mat. But as we have seen in the past, that's not enough to go from wrestler to Superstar. 

Rezar Remains Raw

The Dusty Classic remained a showcase of Rezar and Akam, NXT's newest monstrous bruisers. The Authors of Pain advanced to the quarterfinals of the tourney by blasting past Rich Swann and No Way Jose.

But while the storyline dictated success for Rezar, this match didn't feel like a victory for him as a prospect. He underwhelmed too often. 

Zack Zimmerman of ProWrestling.net wrote, "Jose and Swann managed to get a more fun match out of The Authors than I expected, but there was definitely a period in the match where The Authors felt like they started to drag a bit."

At times, Rezar's offense wasn't high-impact enough. He didn't bring the kind of fury that Braun Strowman has made a living dishing out. Rezar barely landed a clothesline for good measure, too.

This was The Authors of Pain's biggest opportunity to date, and neither man put his stamp on the match. Rezar still looks like the better of the pair, but this night was a reminder of how much work is ahead for him.

Fulton Not in High Gear Yet

In the ring with Kota Ibushi and T.J. Perkins, Fulton should have produced something more memorable. Both men delivered throughout the Cruiserweight Classic. They did their bests to do so again at the Dusty Classic on Wednesday night, but it didn't happen.

Ibushi makes everyone look good, but he couldn't do that here.

Being a part of the SAnity faction is helping Fulton, giving him depth and focus. He just hasn't been convincing as the group's resident beast.

He roared and clocked the high-flyers. His viciousness and intensity, though, were both so-so. 

Fulton's tag team partner, Alexander Wolfe, looked more monstrous than him. The big man needs a standout performance to shake off the perception that he's this group's weak link.

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.

Predictions

Scott Dawson will elevate his stock, even while sporting crutches.

The NXT tag champs, The Revival, informed their opponents on Wednesday night that they were forfeiting their match. Dawson is dealing with a knee injury and won't be able to compete.

Although he didn't step into the ring, he killed it with a promo about how much better and braver he is than Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano. This kind of performance will be commonplace.

Dawson's injury will force him to talk more and develop that part of his game. When he does, continuing to improve what was once a weak point, he will become an even more valuable prospect.

The Authors of Pain are going to head in the opposite direction soon. The ongoing tag team tournament will afford them ample opportunity, but after that, expect Rezar and Akam to slide out of the spotlight for a spell.

They aren't quite ready to be stars of the tag team division. NXT will want them to get some seasoning on house shows before becoming a staple on TV.