WWE NXT: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis, Predictions for Week of Feb. 9

The hosses charged the stage on Wednesday's WWE NXT.

Sanity's 322-pound behemoth Killian Dain made his presence felt on the developmental brand in his in-ring debut. Tucker Knight and Otis Dozovic of Heavy Machinery traded blows with The Revival. In each case, size and strength earned attention for these big men.

NXT will need some new prospects to step up with Samoa Joe gone and others expected to exit after WrestleMania. Perhaps these big, beefy grapplers will step up to fill those holes.

Where do Dain and Knight now sit on the list of NXT stars most ready to thrive on the main roster?

Neither man will challenge for Bobby Roode's spot at the moment, but their stocks are both on the rise. The following is a look at how Dain, Knight and others stack up against each other as prospects. The wrestlers' gimmicks, looks, ring skills, mic work and charisma determined the order.

Male Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Shinsuke Nakamura	6'2", 229 lbs	Elite showmanship, great charisma, dramatic in-ring performer, language barrier biggest weakness.
2.	Scott Dawson	5'10", 224 lbs	Excellent striker, top-tier tag team work, believable heel on the mic.
3.	Bobby Roode	6'0", 235 lbs	Flourishing with current gimmick, excels as heel, strong ring work.
4.	Johnny Gargano	5'10", 190 lbs	Brings out best in opponents, fun offense, good connection with crowd, excels as babyface.
5.	Tye Dillinger	6'3", 223 lbs	Great connection with crowd, improved matches in recent months, developing as a talker.
6.	Eric Young	6'0", 224 lbs	Vicious, compelling aggressiveness, strong storyteller in the ring, Sanity gimmick a great fit.
7.	Austin Aries	5'9", 202 lbs	Excelling as announcer for 205 Live, solid heel, varied move set, experience shows in the ring.
8.	Andrade "Cien" Almas	5'9", 222 lbs	Good striker, fast and fluid in the ring, growing more comfortable in NXT.
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.	Roderick Strong	5'10", 211 lbs	Crisp offense, great ring work, below-average talker, gimmick needs added layers.
12.	Dash Wilder	5'10", 222 lbs	Excels in tag team role, good bruiser, below average on the mic.
13.	Shane Thorne	6'1", 200 lbs	Injury will stall momentum, athletic, good presence, marketable look, not yet an elite babyface.
14.	No Way Jose	6'3", 245 lbs	Goofy gimmick holding him back, inconsistent striker, gifted athlete, high ceiling.
15.	Oney Lorcan	6'1", 190 lbs	Slugfest artist, solid in-ring work overall, so-so presence.
16.	Elias Samson	6'0", 217 lbs	Grating heel, good aggression, working gimmick well, serviceable in the ring.
17.	Killian Dain	6'4", 322 lbs	Intimidating, great power, inconsistent intensity.
18.	Alexander Wolfe	6'2", 231 lbs	Good bruiser, solid striking, making good use of Sanity gimmick.
19.	Rezar	6'4", 308 lbs	Quality performance against #DIY, still raw, aggressive, powerful.
20.	Tucker Knight	6'2", 282 lbs	Powerful, good acceleration, plenty of intensity.

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

Roode's Celebration

Roode entertained as he gloated about seizing the NXT Championship from Shinsuke Nakamura.

His celebratory rant showcased more of his character than we had ever seen at NXT. Roode was cocky, beaming and acted like an in-your-face jerk. He laughed off Nakamura's previous threats. 

About The King of Strong Style's promise to kick his head off, Roode said, "Guess what? Still attached."

This was more compelling and well-rounded than much of what we saw from him at TNA. He was funny, vicious and a bit goofy at times, commanding the audience well.

Roode's mic work is going to make his next feud a fun one. 

Heavy Machinery

In their first televised match since the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, Knight and Dozovic clashed with The Revival, the two-time NXT tag champs.

This was an excellent test of where the two powerhouses are in their development. 

Heavy Machinery didn't churn out a classic against Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder by any means, but the bout was solid. Knight and Dozovic's power moves created a number of highlights. They handled themselves well in the slugfest overall.

For now, though, Knight looks like the bigger star of the two.

His energy and intensity showed on the screen. He hit a dropkick that displayed some surprising agility. He was fun to watch from bell to bell.

Both Knight and Dozovic have a long way to go to being as consistent and compelling as The Revival, but they have to be happy with their showing on Wednesday night and the direction in which they're headed.

Introducing Dain

Sanity's enforcer twice went into battle at Full Sail University. He essentially beat the Bollywood Boyz by himself in what was technically a tag team match. He then fought alongside Alexander Wolfe and Eric Young in six-man action later in the show.

Dain was an imposing figure in both contests.

His power grabs one's attention right away. His powerbomb is thunderous. His clotheslines look like he's hitting his foes with a battering ram.

Zack Zimmerman of ProWrestling.net wrote of Dain's debut, "That was very impressive. I think he's going to add a lot of in-ring intensity and intimidation that the group, based on intensity and intimidation, lacked before."

The massive Irishman, though, is far from a finished product.

He could kick up his aggression by a notch or two. His movement wasn't smooth at times. He's a work in progress, but not anywhere near as raw as Rezar and Akam. 

Dain will need to work against top-notch talent to improve his game from this point.

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 intensity, thriving with Sanity gimmick, good brawler, strong presence.
4.	Peyton Royce	5'7"	Solid ring work, inconsistent striking, working heel gimmick well.
5.	Billie Kay	5'8"	Good showmanship, solid feel for character, average overall.
6.	Aliyah	5'2"	Strong striker, ample energy, high ceiling.
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, good energy, agile, fast.
10.	Danielle Kamela	Not listed	Unproven, raw, solid selling.

Kay Remains Okay

In her upset loss to Liv Morgan, Billie Kay looked fine. She is a solid overall talent, as her latest match reminded us, but she doesn't look like a star in the making.

Kay controlled the action against the sometimes-awkward Morgan. She was nasty and grating as a heel should be. She nailed her foe with an eye-catching clothesline. 

But the gap between her and Asuka and Ember Moon remains wide in terms of her presence. 

Greg Parks of PWTorch wasn't overly impressed with her and her bestie Peyton Royce:

Kay and Royce's position within the brand will net them plenty of opportunities, so she may eventually change her doubters' minds. The road to the top of the NXT women's division, though, will be a long one.

Predictions

Sawyer Fulton will be done with the company by the end of the year. The Sanity gimmick looked like a means to finally get his career going, but he didn't last with the group. Now the fearsome faction has a new big man in Dain.

The gap between Dain and Fulton's presence is startling. Suddenly, Sanity feels like a more intimidating group.

That's bad news for Fulton and good news for Sanity.

A week after United Kingdom champ Tyler Bate took on Oney Lorcan on NXT, the company announced that Bate will defend his crown against fellow Brit Trent Seven. This invasion from the U.K. wrestlers will make NXT a more consistently entertaining show.

Wednesday nights have lacked spark since last year's brand-split draft, but welcoming Bate and company will help alleviate that.