WWE NXT: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis, Predictions for Week of May 4

The big and the beefy impressed on Wednesday's WWE NXT.

While the battle to become the No. 1 contender for the NXT Women's Championship was the show's featured story, Killian Dain, Kona Reeves and Heavy Machinery made sure folks were talking about them afterward. Those powerhouses all improved their stock by way of flexing their muscles against their foes.

Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight of Heavy Machinery have wasted little time in becoming major players on the NXT tag team division.

In a squash match on Wednesday night, the hosses continued their recent climb up the ladder. Another victory brought them a chance to connect with the crowd. A bit of personality after the bell aided them in that mission.

The following is a look at where they and their fellow prospects now stand in the discussion of NXT's top talent who are most likely to flourish on the main roster. The wrestler's charisma, mic work, ring skill, look and gimmick all factored into the rankings.

Male Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Drew McIntyre	6'5", 254 lbs	Imposing, strong striker, excellent presence, much improved since last WWE run.
2.	Johnny Gargano	5'10", 199 lbs	Fast, fluid offense, strong babyface work, excellent seller.
3.	Andrade "Cien" Almas	5'9", 210 lbs	Good showmanship, intense ring work, has better sense of character.
4.	Aleister Black	5'11", 205 lbs	Great aura, hard-hitting striker, stands out, gimmick has potential.
5.	Bobby Roode	6'0", 235 lbs	Quality promos, dependable all-around performer, not as electric as NXT's best.
6.	Hideo Itami	5'9", 182 lbs	Has look recharged upon return, athletic, good striker.
7.	Kassius Ohno	6'4", 270 lbs	Works well against a variety of foes, excellent in the ring, likable on the mic.
8.	Eric Young	5'11", 232 lbs	Skilled storyteller, great seller, dramatic strikes, solid on the mic.
9.	Roderick Strong	5'10", 200 lbs	Inspiring real-life background, crisp ring work, athletic, underwhelming charisma.
10.	Tommaso Ciampa	5'11", 201 lbs	Strong striker, intense, average mic work.
11.	Shane Thorne	6'1", 220 lbs	Injury will stall momentum, athletic, good presence, marketable look, not yet an elite babyface.
12.	Oney Lorcan	6'1", 190 lbs	Thrives in slugfests, strong ring work, underwhelming talker.
13.	Tucker Knight	6'2", 320 lbs	Fun energy, explosive, powerful, confident on the mic.
14.	Rezar	6'4", 330 lbs	Strong intensity, impressive power, solid presence.
15.	Killain Dain	6'4", 322 lbs	Surprising agility for a big man, imposing, great strength.
16.	No Way Jose	6'3", 245 lbs	Goofy gimmick holding him back, inconsistent striker, gifted athlete, high ceiling.
17.	Otis Dozovic	5'10", 330 lbs	Good facial expressions, impressive power, best suited as part of tag team.
18.	Dylan Miley	6'3", 284 lbs	Great power, intimidating, monstrous aura.
19.	Alexander Wolfe	6'1", 245 lbs	Good bruiser, solid striking, Sanity gimmick working well.
20.	Akam	6'3", 290 lbs	Plenty of power, solid presence, improved selling, still green overall.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Buddy Murphy, Wesley Blake, Kona Reeves

Reeves Makes a Statement

Against Hideo Itami, Reeves put on the best performance of his NXT tenure and showed the most presence he has to this point.

He was intense throughout, glaring and scowling at Itami. His facial expressions were excellent overall. 

Reeves played the heel role well as he smacked Itami around.

He boasts good size, moves well in the ring and is clearly grasping the theatrical side of the game. This bout was meant to be a means to showcase Itami, but officials had to come away happy with Reeves' part in the bout.

If he keeps up this rate of progress, keep an eye out for Reeves to be a much bigger part of the NXT puzzle in a hurry. 

A Longer Look at Dain

Most of the time, we see Dain battling in more crowded matches. Sanity, though, didn't surround the big man on this night.

Dain had more spotlight to himself as he put on a solid outing against Danny Burch.

The match was nothing special, but there were some things to like from his performance. Dain was fluid while on the attack, looked imposing as usual and hit a running dropkick that displayed his surprising agility.  

The bout was another reminder that Dain is reminiscent of Bray Wyatt, although he hasn't shown as much charisma as The Eater of Worlds yet.

More than Power

Dozovic and Knight tore apart a pair of jobbers on Wednesday's NXT and had a hell of a time doing it.

Heavy Machinery displayed the uncanny strength we're used to seeing from them. Dozovic held both foes up for a long while before slamming them simultaneously. He and Knight bowled over the opposition with thunderous shoulder blocks, too.

Beyond that, Dozovic's facial expressions were strong, exuding an air of anger and intensity.

He continues to be Rhyno-esque in both general aura and in-ring style. Knight, meanwhile, always brings a ton of energy to the ring.

After they put away their opponents, Dozovic and Knight addressed the crowd in a short promo.

WrestleView.com praised Knight's verbal performance:

Knight looked to be having fun on the mic and came off as confident. Dozovic was funny, with a touch of Chris Farley to his mannerisms in there. 

NXT seems to be setting them up for a title shot before long, and Heavy Machinery looks plenty ready to be viable contenders.

Female Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Asuka	5'3"	Elite in-ring performer, great presence, top-notch striker, limited English-language skills.
2.	Nikki Cross	5'0"	Fantastic intensity, good facial expressions, strong brawler, compelling character.
3.	Ember Moon	5'2"	Great all-around athlete, excellent showmanship, good presence, character still in progress.
4.	Peyton Royce	5'7"	Continues to blossom as heel, solid in the ring, good showmanship.
5.	Ruby Riot	5'4"	Compelling energy, strong babyface, unique look, good brawler.
6.	Billie Kay	5'8"	Plays a heel well, flamboyant, good energy, sometimes awkward in the ring.
7.	Daria Berenato	5'7"	Good striker, MMA gimmick works well, ring work needs improvement.
8.	Kimberly Frankele	5'3"	Powerful, good striker, lots of experience on the indys.
9.	Mandy Rose	5'4"	Has progressed to a degree in the ring, strong presence, star quality.
10.	Aliyah	5'3"	Losing momentum of late, inconsistent in the ring, has shown flashes of charisma.

Battle Royal Thoughts

The Battle Royal to decide Asuka's opponent at TakeOver: Chicago ended in chaos. Nikki Cross, Ember Moon and Ruby Riot were the last women standing when Asuka interfered. 

The crowded nature of the match made it hard to see much of anyone involved, but it offered positive and negative glimpses of various members of the women's division. 

Riot's energy was infectious. Her babyface comebacks will be fun to watch.

Moon's kicks are startlingly loud. Daria Berenato dished out some excellent forearms. Aliyah lacked presence here and wasn't smooth.

Billie Kay and Peyton Royce stood out the most as they pulled their foe's hair, double-teamed the opposition and delivered their usual mean-girl act. Ryan Fogarty of Top Rope Press wrote: "I love their continued friendship and at this point think their characters might be better off on Smackdown or Raw."

Their ring work hasn't reached a top-flight level, but they are playing their roles well. 

Predictions

The vignette that aired for Velveteen Dream (presumably Patrick Clark) is certain to inspire plenty of jokes.

The flamboyant act, though, will be better than most expect. Clark is a good athlete with ample charisma. He's bound to turn this gimmick into a hit as he channels Prince and Adrian Street.

Look for Clark to be NXT's Adam Rose.

Roderick Strong revealed more of his backstory during the second installment of a mini-documentary that aired on Wednesday. There is plenty to like about him as a person as we saw in this clip. 

The challenge, though, will be to make him feel like a larger-than-life figure. For now, he feels like the most athletic guy in your friend group.