WWE NXT: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis, Predictions for Week of Dec. 22

A quartet of warriors seized a major opportunity in emphatic fashion on Wednesday's WWE NXT.

The Full Sail University crowd watched on as Andrade "Cien" Almas, Roderick Strong, Tye Dillinger and Bobby Roode all battled for a shot at Shinsuke Nakamura and the NXT Championship. The match was more than a No. 1 contender's contest; it was a showcase of prospects with varying ceilings.

Dillinger continues to look ready for a call-up. Strong showed off his butter-smooth offense. Almas showed aggression that will serve him well moving forward.

Wednesday's NXT focused primarily on the headlining Fatal 4-Way match. The show's other offerings included Rezar hurting his opponent and Daria Berenato's latest exploration of her MMA gimmick.

After these latest glimpses of NXT's roster at work, we have a better idea of how the developmental brand's wrestlers stack up against each other. The prospects' charisma, mic work, ring skills, looks and gimmicks determined the rankings.  

Male Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Shinsuke Nakamura	6'2", 229 lbs	Elite presence, highly charismatic, fun ring work, growing number of excellent matches.
2.	Samoa Joe	6'2", 279 lbs	Compelling heel, versatile in the ring, NXT's best talker, intimidating.
3.	Scott Dawson	5'10", 224 lbs	Clutch in-ring performer, excellent tag team psychology, strong brawler, improving mic work.
4.	Johnny Gargano	5'10", 190 lbs	Excels as babyface, good energy, smooth ring work, strong connection with fans.
5.	Bobby Roode	6'0", 235 lbs	Experience shows, good promos, having fun with gimmick, dependable overall.
6.	Hideo Itami	5'9", 182 lbs	Has to regain momentum after latest injury, skilled striker, excellent in the ring, highly athletic.
7.	Eric Young	6'0", 224 lbs	Thriving as Sanity leader, skilled storyteller, strong presence.
8.	Tye Dillinger	6'3", 223 lbs	Growing collection of standout matches, great crowd connection, fun energy, solid promos.
9.	Austin Aries	5'9", 202 lbs	Recent 205 Live announcing work showcasing verbal skills, excellent in-ring technician, smooth offense.
10.	Tommaso Ciampa	5'11", 210 lbs	Fierce bruiser, good facial expressions, strong striker.
11.	Roderick Strong	5'10", 211 lbs	Crisp ring work, varied in-ring arsenal, struggling to stand out.
12.	Andrade Almas	5'9", 222 lbs	Finding groove as heel, aggressive, highly athletic, gimmick still in progress.
13.	No Way Jose	6'3", 245 lbs	Great potential, natural athlete, explosive offense, keeps progressing.
14.	Dash Wilder	5'10", 222 lbs	Good brawler, excelling as tag team specialist, improved as a talker.
15.	Alexander Wolfe	6'2", 231 lbs	Good bruiser, solid striking, making good use of Sanity gimmick.
16.	Shane Thorne	6'1", 200 lbs	Smooth offense, athletic, strong showmanship, hasn't mastered babyface role.
17.	Oney Lorcan	6'1", 190 lbs	Skilled striker, solid speed, good mat work, below-average charisma.
18.	Rezar	6'4", 308 lbs	Raw, excellent intensity, learning monster-heel role.
19.	Elias Samson	6'0", 217 lbs	Getting Eva Marie-like heat, growing viciousness, adequate in the ring.
20.	Tucker Knight	6'2", 282 lbs	Impressive power, good acceleration, plenty of intensity.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Buddy Murphy, Nick Miller, Akam

Rezar Remains Raw

WWE is pushing The Authors of Pain into the NXT title picture despite the two powerhouses' inexperience. 

In a squash match on Wednesday, Rezar and Akam teamed up against unknowns John Ortagun and Anthony Bowens. Rezar gave off an intimidating aura throughout. He stared down and bowled over his foes.

But the post-match talk won't be about those elements.

Rezar left Bowens in need of medical attention after an ugly powerbomb spot. The big man slammed Ortagun onto Bowens, and the referee hurriedly stopped the action. The spot legitimately hurt Bowens.

Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reported Bowens suffered a concussion. Satin added, "Sources close to the situation tell us independent wrestler Anthony Bowens was immediately checked out backstage by WWE's medical staff and the head injury was clearly evident."

Accidents happen in wrestling, but this will still be a point of concern. Rezar doesn't want to be labeled as an unsafe worker.

Fatal 4-Way Observations

Dillinger, Almas, Strong and Roode collided on Wednesday with a title match at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio on Jan. 28 on the line. It was one of the more entertaining NXT TV bouts in a long while.

And the showdown allowed each man to flourish.

Before the bout, Dillinger delivered a good promo. He talked of not wanting to come up short again. It was no masterpiece, but it was a believable performance.

In the ring, The Perfect 10 displayed eye-catching emotion. Anger and the realization of how close he was to victory washed over his face. He most enthralled as he made a fiery comeback.

Ryan Fogarty of Top Rope Press wrote, "Watching Tye Dillinger fight from underneath at Full Sail is a truly special experience."

This marks the latest in a string of good matches for Dillinger.

As for Almas, he hasn't looked better in NXT. The former La Sombra was aggressive and merciless, issuing out thunderous chops and clubbing elbows.

This is what he needs to tap into more often. This predatory version of him is far and away better than his old playboy-grinning self.

As good as Strong made this match, he left with the least momentum.

The former Ring of Honor star does everything perfectly in the ring. He sells well. Every movement is crisp. His backbreakers are works of art.

Strong, though, is just plain at the moment.

That was true when he spoke before the match about making his mark and when he stepped out to the ring amid a collection of larger-than-life characters.

He will struggle to stand out in the WWE world without some major change in his act, ring excellence and all.

Female Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Asuka	5'3"	Excellent presence, strong showmanship, elite ring worker, promos improving.
2.	Ember Moon	5'2"	The total package in the ring, agile, powerful, harnessing gimmick well.
3.	Nikki Cross	5'1"	Sanity gimmick proving to be perfect fit, frenzied energy, intimidating, strong in the ring.
4.	Peyton Royce	5'7"	Growing as a talker, convincing heel, solid in the ring.
5.	Billie Kay	5'8"	Slowly improving heel act, good viciousness, sometimes awkward in the ring.
6.	Aliyah	5'2"	Unrefined in the ring, huge potential, great energy, strong presence.
7.	Mandy Rose	5'4"	Progressing in the ring, strong presence, has star quality.
8.	Daria Berenato	5'7"	Inconsistent ring work, learning to harness gimmick, good intensity.
9.	Liv Morgan	5'3"	Remains awkward in the ring, working on harnessing gimmick, good energy, plenty of potential.
10.	Danielle Kamela	Not listed	Unproven, raw, solid selling.

Berenato vs. NXT's Bullies

Peyton Royce assisted Billie Kay in taking down Berenato. The heels have done well as NXT's resident malicious duo. Berenato was the star on Wednesday, though.

In defeat, she showed a good amount of promise.

The former WWE Tough Enough competitor exhibited decent presence. She played up her MMA-fighter gimmick well. And she told a solid story opposite Kay.

Berenato, though, is still highly inconsistent. Some of her strikes were spot-on. Some looked awkward.

Overall, her ring work is unpolished.

As she gains experience, she has an advantage over many of her peers. Her gimmick will propel her forward.

Feuding with Kay and Royce will help her during this learning process. Her rivals are more experienced hands in the ring, and their heel acumen will allow her to grab more momentum as their foil. 

Predictions

Nikki Cross teased a future bout with Asuka.

The NXT women's champ has claimed the women's division offers her no challenge. Cross popping up backstage to eye Asuka hinted at the Sanity member taking on the Japanese star in the near future.

When that happens, Cross will convert fans.

She hasn't received the kind of buzz she should've thus far. Seeing her trade blows with Asuka will sell audiences on her psychotic pit bull act.

Percy Watson may not be around to call that eventual title bout.

WWE recently added the former NXT prospect on the commentary team, but it won't last. Watson has been OK, but the three-man booth hasn't clicked as well as just Tom Phillips and Corey Graves did in the past. Plus, NXT has made no issue about cycling through announcers.

Watson is poised to receive a second pink slip from the developmental brand before long.