WWE NXT: Updated Prospect Rankings, Analysis, Predictions for Week of March 30

The final WWE NXT before Saturday's NXT TakeOver: Orlando didn't do a terrific job of hyping the live special, but it offered some intriguing glimpses of stars on the rise.

Tucker Knight of Heavy Machinery blasted the competition with a smile on his face. Akam battled without his tag team partner Rezar for the first time on TV. And Kassius Ohno gave fans another look at his in-ring storytelling ability. 

The Superstars set to be featured at TakeOver: Orlando showed up on the latest NXT in the form of video packages and brief backstage segments.

The show's in-ring content focused on other names. That gave Knight and others to grab a good supply of momentum ahead of WrestleMania weekend.

The following is a look at where Knight and Akam stack up against their peers. The wrestlers' ring work, mic skills, charisma, gimmick and look determined the rankings.

Note: Samson is excluded from the list on the assumption that his storyline exile from the brand will hold up.

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	Skilled striker, top-tier tag team work, believable heel on the mic.
3.	Bobby Roode	6'0", 235 lbs	Ring general, thrives as heel, highly experienced, great entrance.
4.	Johnny Gargano	5'10", 190 lbs	Natural babyface, likable, excellent ring work, athletic.
5.	Andrade "Cien" Almas	5'9", 222 lbs	On fire in the ring of late, fast, great striker, heel role suiting him well.
6.	Kassius Ohno	6'5", 255 lbs	Works well against a variety of foes, excellent in the ring, likable on the mic.
7.	Tye Dillinger	6'3", 223 lbs	Great connection with crowd, improved matches in recent months, developing as a talker.
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	Dependable in the ring, excellent tag team psychology, lacks presence as talker.
12.	Roderick Strong	5'10", 211 lbs	Beautiful ring work, varied move set, charisma remains issue.
13.	Shane Thorne	6'1", 200 lbs	Injury will stall momentum, athletic, good presence, marketable look, not yet an elite babyface.
14.	Oney Lorcan	6'1", 190 lbs	Excellent in slugfests, OK presence, good aggression.
15.	No Way Jose	6'3", 245 lbs	Goofy gimmick holding him back, inconsistent striker, gifted athlete, high ceiling.
16.	Killian Dain	6'4", 322 lbs	Impressive movement for his size, intimidating, big potential.
17.	Tucker Knight	6'2", 282 lbs	Good acceleration, impressive power, fun energy.
18.	Alexander Wolfe	6'2", 231 lbs	Good bruiser, solid striking, Sanity gimmick working well.
19.	Rezar	6'4", 308 lbs	Strong intensity, impressive power, solid presence, unproven in the ring.
20.	Akam	6'3", 290 lbs	Plenty of power, solid presence, improved selling still green overall.

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

Knight Steamrolling

Heavy Machinery beat up on two poor saps on Wednesday night and had a blast doing it.

The team of Dozovic and Knight has already shown itself to be a potential powerhouse on the NXT tag scene. The two beefy allies jell well together. They both have strength to spare.

Knight, though, looks to be the better prospect thus far.

He has better acceleration, more presence and is the better mat wrestler. During Wednesday's match, he looked equally comfortable executing a college-style takedown and ramming into his foe like the Kool-Aid Man running through a wall. Knight hit a hip toss that sent his enhancement talent flying high into the air.

Both Knight and Dozovic exuded a good energy throughout the one-sided match. It's clear the duo is relishing what it does.

Ryan Fogerty of Top Rope Press wrote, "My favorite part about this match was how much fun Heavy Machinery was having, and I look forward to rooting for them with every bone in my body for a long time.

Akam on His Own

Akam battled Johnny Gargano and Dash Wilder in a Triple Threat match that provided a preview of the three-team tussle set for TakeOver: Orlando. 

This is the first solo effort we've seen from The Authors of Pain member. This wasn't a AJ Styles-level performance by any means, but the big man looked pretty good.

When his opponents clocked him, Akam sold the blows by staggering around believably. He showed solid speed. And when asked to work with Gargano only for much of the contest, he held his own. 

Akam played the bullying heel role well here, too.

WWE is going to want to see more presence from him and cranked up intensity moving forward, though. He doesn't yet feel like a star in the ring. TakeOver: Orlando is his latest chance to change that perception.

Another Look at Ohno

The Drifter's last song was his finest.

Ohno ousted the guitar-toting heel by beating him on Wednesday night. Samson hasn't looked better than he did in that clash.

That's a testament to Ohno's ability. 

The artist formerly known as Chris Hero can put on a good match with just about anyone. Against Samson, he showed off a fluid offense, agile footwork and an ability to kick like an enraged mule. He does well to tell stories within the stretched out space of longer matches.

The Total Wrestling Magazine Twitter account noted that Ohno has plenty of those on his resume:

"

Don't let the size fool you though. Ohno can go. Lost count of the 20/30 minute and longer matches he had last year on the indies #WWENXT

— Total Wrestling (@TWrestlingmag) March 30, 2017"

The more opportunities Ohno gets in the coming months, the more he will impress. And if NXT pits him against foes superior to Samson, that will be even more true.

Female Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Asuka	5'3"	Elite presence, great striker, top-notch in-ring performer, limited English-language skills.
2.	Ember Moon	5'2"	Great all-around athlete, excellent showmanship, good presence, promos remain stiff.
3.	Nikki Cross	5'2"	Skilled brawler, great energy, standing out in Sanity faction.
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"	Has progressed to a degree in the ring, strong presence, 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.

Predictions

The Drifter's loss forced him to leave NXT. The timing suggests he's headed to the main roster soon.

Look for him to show up on SmackDown after WrestleMania. The blue brand has welcomed a variety of unconventional faces to its spotlight, and Samson will be next.

Aleister Black will be making a debut of his own this weekend.

He will wrestle Andrade "Cien" Almas at TakeOver in Orlando. That bout promises to be a stirring one. Black is a first-rate performer, and Almas has been on a tear of late. A lack of personal issues between the men be damned, they are going to put on a stellar show.