WWE NXT: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis, Predictions for Week of Jan. 26

Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe are often at the center of discussions about which WWE NXT Superstars would flourish on the main roster, but don't sleep on Eric Young.

The former TNA world champ has been excellent as Sanity's calculated but crazy leader. He's a skilled storyteller between the ropes. And as he reminded fans in a squash match on Wednesday's NXT, he's a compelling bulldog with a talent for viciousness.

Ahead of NXT TakeOver: San Antonio on Saturday, Young was among the NXT stars given the stage to show off their skills.

Ember Moon looked excellent as usual. Liv Morgan showed progress. No Way Jose didn't do anything to improve his stock.

The following is a look at where all those wrestlers stand in the race to be NXT's best, at who is most ready to thrive on Raw or SmackDown. The prospects' charisma, ring work, mic skills, look and gimmick determined the rankings.

Male Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Shinsuke Nakamura	6'2", 229 lbs	Top-tier in-ring performer, highly charismatic, inconsistent in interviews thus far.
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	Excellent striker, top-tier tag team work, believable heel on the mic.
4.	Bobby Roode	6'0", 235 lbs	Strong heel promos, having fun with current gimmick, dependable in the ring.
5.	Tye Dillinger	6'3", 223 lbs	Great connection with crowd, improved matches in recent months, developing as a talker.
6.	Johnny Gargano	5'10", 190 lbs	Highly likable, smooth, athletic, strong babyface.
7.	Eric Young	6'0", 224 lbs	Vicious, compelling aggressiveness, strong storyteller in the ring, Sanity gimmick a great fit.
8.	Austin Aries	5'9", 202 lbs	Excelling as announcer for 205 Live, solid heel, varied move set, experience shows in the ring.
9.	Hideo Itami	5'9", 182 lbs	Has to regain momentum after latest injury, skilled striker, excellent in the ring, highly athletic.
10.	Tommaso Ciampa	5'11", 210 lbs	Fierce bruiser, good facial expressions, strong striker.
11.	Andrade "Cien" Almas	5'9", 222 lbs	Finding groove in NXT, strong striker, athletic, growing into heel role.
12.	Dash Wilder	5'10", 222 lbs	Excels in tag team role, good bruiser, below average on the mic.
13.	Roderick Strong	5'10", 211 lbs	Struggling to stand out, crisp ring work, exciting move set.
14.	Shane Thorne	6'1", 200 lbs	Injury will stall momentum, athletic, good presence, marketable look, not yet an elite babyface.
15.	No Way Jose	6'3", 245 lbs	Goofy gimmick holding him back, inconsistent striker, gifted athlete, high ceiling.
16.	Oney Lorcan	6'1", 190 lbs	Compelling striker, good intensity, unproven on the mic.
17.	Elias Samson	6'0", 217 lbs	Grating heel, good aggression, working gimmick well, serviceable in the ring.
18.	Alexander Wolfe	6'2", 231 lbs	Good bruiser, solid striking, making good use of Sanity gimmick.
19.	Rezar	6'4", 308 lbs	Raw, excellent intensity, learning monster-heel role.
20.	Nick Miller	6'1", 230 lbs	Powerful, solid ring work, hasn't stood out yet personality-wise.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Tucker Knight, Buddy Murphy, Akam

No Movement for Jose

No Way Jose took on Kona Reeves in a comedy-heavy bout. Between trading shots, the two men danced quite a bit in the ring.

This was usual Jose stuff, reminiscent of Adam Rose.

Jose remains inconsistent when it's time to throw down. Against Reeves, his striking was inconsistent. Some of his forearms were tepid, while his chops hit loudly against his foe's chest.

He sold Reeves' abdominal stretch well, but other than that, there wasn't much to take away from this bout. File this as another so-so performance from the big man.

Jose has all the potential in the world. He hasn't tapped into enough of it yet.

Sanity's Alpha Male

Young continues to excel as Sanity's head man. 

On Wednesday, he showed ample presence in a short bout against Chris Atkins. This was no great match, but it did showcase Young's nasty side.

He stomped Atkins in the gut like he wanted to break him in half. He issued big, dramatic punches. He growled and snarled mid-battle.

If Tye Dillinger doesn't head to the main roster soon, he and Young are going to have one hell of a feud. Young hasn't had anyone to push him in a sustained story since his NXT arrival. The Perfect 10 will do just that.

And their resulting collisions will provide proof aplenty that both men should be near the top of WWE's list of NXT talent to call up in 2017.

Female Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Asuka	5'3"	Great intensity, top-notch showmanship, excellent in the ring.
2.	Ember Moon	5'2"	Excellent all-around athlete, top-notch in-ring work, good showmanship.
3.	Nikki Cross	5'1"	Compelling energy, thriving with Sanity gimmick, skilled bruiser.
4.	Billie Kay	5'8"	Strong showmanship, playing heel role well, sometimes awkward in the ring.
5.	Peyton Royce	5'7"	Solid ring work, inconsistent striking, working heel gimmick well.
6.	Aliyah	5'2"	Good energy, high ceiling, had a solid performance on SmackDown.
7.	Mandy Rose	5'4"	Progressing in the ring, strong presence, has star quality.
8.	Liv Morgan	5'3"	Good energy, quick, making strides in the ring.
9.	Daria Berenato	5'7"	Inconsistent ring work, learning to harness gimmick, good intensity.
10.	Danielle Kamela	Not listed	Unproven, raw, solid selling.

Moon vs. Morgan Notes

Moon remains light-years ahead of much of the division. Her clash with Morgan was a reminder of that, as her athleticism popped on the screen.

Moon glided through the ring, cracking Morgan with hard knee shots and leaping gracefully through the air. Everything she did looked effortless. And every move forced fans to pay attention.

Her crossface wrenched Morgan's body. Her power allowed her to fling Morgan out of the ring in impressive fashion.

As for Morgan, this was the best she has ever looked.

Her progress has been slow, but she had some good stretches in this match. Her fiery energy stood out. She held her own against Moon as the two women grappled. A full-fledged rivalry with Moon would do wonders for her, allowing her to continue to grow.

Morgan remains raw, but it will take working with women like Moon more often to change that.

Predictions

Nikki Cross is the most intriguing opponent Asuka will face in the Fatal 4-Way match for the women's title at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio.

The officials will pick up on that, and Cross will get a one-on-one feud with Asuka moving forward. The two unhinged ass-kickers will produce one of NXT's best rivalries in 2017 and add energy to what has been an often stagnant product of late. 

A less interesting feud is brewing elsewhere. 

Elias Samson confronted No Way Jose on Wednesday night, hinting at those two colliding in the future. Samson will come out on top in that one from a position standpoint. The Drifter is further along in his development and will look like the bigger star of the two.

Bet on Samson moving up the ladder despite all the "Drift away!" chants from the crowd.