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

As Ember Moon continues her march toward the WWE NXT Women's Championship, her biggest flaw juts out like a loose thread on a tailored suit.

Moon is terrific in the ring, and her stage presence is top-notch. Her mic skills, though, leave a lot to be desired. It's that area of her game that needs honing during the rest of her stay in WWE's developmental brand. 

On Wednesday's NXT, she reminded us how compelling she can be in the ropes and how far she has to go as a talker.

The show, hosted by University of Central Florida, also showcased Andrade "Cien" Almas' growth, featured a Kassius Ohno interview and teased the arrival of Aleister Black. The changing face of the brand was on display as the build to NXT TakeOver: Orlando on April 1 rolled on.

The following is a look at how all these prospects stack up against each other, of who is most ready to thrive on the main roster. The wrestlers' ring skills, mic work, charisma, look and gimmick determined the rankings.

Note that Austin Aries is no longer considered as he officially joined the 205 Live roster on Tuesday.

Male Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Shinsuke Nakamura	6'2", 229 lbs	Great seller, elite showman, top-notch 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	Engaging as babyface, likable, excellent ring work, athletic.
5.	Kassius Ohno	6'5", 255 lbs	Produces great matches, excellent striker, solid charisma.
6.	Tye Dillinger	6'3", 223 lbs	Great connection with crowd, improved matches in recent months, developing as a talker.
7.	Andrade "Cien" Almas	5'9", 222 lbs	Increasingly impressive as heel, quick, good striker.
8.	Eric Young	6'0", 224 lbs	Vicious, compelling aggressiveness, strong storyteller in the ring, Sanity gimmick a great fit.
9.	Tommaso Ciampa	5'11", 210 lbs	Strong striker, intense, average mic work.
10.	Hideo Itami	5'9", 182 lbs	Has to regain momentum after latest injury, skilled striker, excellent in the ring, highly athletic.
11.	Dash Wilder	5'10", 222 lbs	Excels in tag team role, good bruiser, below average on the mic.
12.	Roderick Strong	5'10", 211 lbs	Flat on promos, smooth in the ring, dependable worker.
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.	Rezar	6'4", 308 lbs	Strong intensity, impressive power, solid presence, unproven in the ring.
19.	Alexander Wolfe	6'2", 231 lbs	Good bruiser, solid striking, Sanity gimmick working well.
20.	Tucker Knight	6'2", 282 lbs	Powerful, good acceleration, plenty of intensity.

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

A Glimpse of Ohno

Ahead of his NXT Championship match against Bobby Roode next week, Ohno sat down with Tom Phillips in an interview that aired on Wednesday.

Ohno talked about how surreal it was to be back in NXT after several years away. The brand has changed and grown in his absence, and he was ready to make an impact in this new environment. 

He looked comfortable with the spotlight on him. His self-doubt and passion felt real. He came off as likable overall.

The promo, though, was more fine than fantastic. 

During his first stint with the WWE developmental system, Ohno delivered a number of strong interviews, even if they weren't larger than life. How much his character and mic styles changes this go-round will be worth keeping an eye on.

Almas' Evolution Continues

After some sputtering early on, Cien is finding his groove as a bloodthirsty, showboating heel. He took on Ho Ho Lun on Wednesday night to provide more proof of that.

In the short match, Almas compelled. He glared at his foe intensely. He stomped and chopped the cruiserweight with big, powerful blows. Bell to bell, this is the most convincing he's been as an in-ring predator on NXT.

The change in character months back has served him well. As Ryan Fogarty of Top Rope Press wrote, Almas "is infinitely more impressive and interesting as a heel."

Almas has embraced his new role, and it is showing in improved performances between the ropes. 

Fade to Black

A vignette hyping the coming debut of Aleister Black (formerly Tommy End) aired on Wednesday's NXT. The video didn't mention him by name or fully show his face, but Black's tattoos gave him away.

He talked about not being a saint or a sinner in the clip as he walked through a haunting house and occult-inspired images flashed on the screen.

The vignette pointed to Black's character being dark, unique and one that may explore the duality of the human psyche. If his presentation post-debut is as creative and well done as this, he has big potential going forward.

Black is a compelling, hard-hitting bruiser who will jet toward the top of NXT in a hurry with the right gimmick.

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 athlete, powerful striker, fast, intimidating, underwhelming talker.
3.	Nikki Cross	5'1"	Compelling intensity, thriving with Sanity gimmick, good brawler, strong presence.
4.	Billie Kay	5'8"	Plays a heel well, flamboyant, good energy, sometimes awkward in the ring
5.	Peyton Royce	5'7"	Solid ring work, inconsistent striking, working heel gimmick well.
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, quick, good energy.
10.	Danielle Kamela	Not listed	Unproven, raw, solid selling.

Moon's Achilles' Heel 

To no one's surprise, Moon claimed the No. 1 contender's spot for the women's title. She outlasted Billie Kay to earn the right to face Asuka at the April 1 TakeOver event.

Along the way, she wowed in the ring.

She hit a beautiful springboard crossbody, delivered thunderous forearm shots and was generally a mesmerizing presence. That's the norm for Moon despite working short, one-sided matches.

After the win, she spoke with NXT general manager William Regal, firing off a brief promo that felt off-key. As Daily DDT's Rob Wolkenbrod pointed out, "Moon delivered one line, and it was far from organic."

This was been Moon's weakness thus far. Her lines feel forced. Her emotion hasn't resonated on the mic.

The feud with Asuka and a potential title run would be a great time to force her to improve and give her a stage on which to work out the kinks in her verbal game.

Predictions

Roderick Strong is headed for a dramatic match that outclasses his NXT work to date.

Seeking revenge, he will take on Eric Young at some point in the near future. Sanity dumped a beat-up Strong on the entrance ramp on Wednesday night to intimidate Tye Dillinger.

Soon, Strong will fire back at the faction, leading to a bout with Young that features a strong story and two skilled storytellers.

The Revival, meanwhile, is treading water because a call-up to the main roster is imminent.

Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder retreated from The Authors of Pain after the tag champs battered The Ealy Brothers at ringside. The Revival has made it clear it doesn't want to face these behemoths but will likely be a part of a three-way battle at TakeOver: Orlando with Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano.

After that, expect Dawson and Wilder to exit the NXT brand. They have been on the periphery of this story to this point, more as a means to give The Authors of Pain someone more established to lean on. That will end after WrestleMania as Raw or SmackDown welcomes the two-time tag champs.