WWE NXT Stock Up, Stock Down on the Brand's Prospects for Week of June 15

Drew McIntyre left his opponent lifeless on the mat, his torso reddened, on Wednesday's WWE NXT, but he didn't move the needle on his stock as a prospect.

The damage he did against his inferior foe wasn't anything new. McIntyre looked every bit the badass he has over the past few months. He didn't change his narrative.

Instead, it was the developmental brand's lesser-known talents who made the biggest impressions—Akam, Ruby Riot and Sonya Deville.

Strong strikes, improved presence and a better grasp of their gimmicks helped these Superstars move upward. Velveteen Dream, meanwhile, stumbled some.

Read on for a look at what each of those wrestlers' did for their stock on Wednesday night.

Up: Akam

The Authors of Pain went against two jabronis as usual. The bout, though, quickly took a unique turn as Rezar spent the bulk of the action speaking to manager Paul Ellering as Akam carried the load in the ring

Throughout the NXT tag champs' tenure, Rezar has overshadowed his tag team partner. Not here. Akam got some solo time and made the most of it.

He issued speedy strikes. His offense featured extra aggression. Akam was a monster—overpowering, ruthless.

We saw the usual power from him as he flung his foe out of the ring, but the short bout also showed off smoother, more natural movement from Akam. It looks as if he's getting more comfortable overall.

More performances like this, especially in more competitive clashes, will allow him to close the gap between himself and Rezar.

Down: Velveteen Dream

In a match against Raul Mendoza, Velveteen Dream reminded us that he's young, unrefined and still a work in progress.

Sure, his strikes were big and theatrical. He dazzled with a cartwheel version of the Death Valley Driver. And he showed off some impressive athleticism again.

The flashy star, however, took a step back with this performance.

He looked to be going through the motions when he ran the ropes. There were a few awkward exchanges. And too often, things felt slightly off with the match.

Total Wrestling magazine came away with some doubts about him:

Velveteen Dream didn't infuse his gimmick into the action enough, either.

During his entrance and his victory celebration, he embraced his eccentric, enigmatic persona. But in the ring, that mostly went away. Bray Wyatt is a good example of how one can carry a character through to the in-ring portion of one's game with his spider walk and madman facial expressions.

At only 21, though, Velveteen Dream has tons of room to grow and learn. It's too early to judge him very harshly.

He's the wrestling equivalent of a minor-league power pitcher who is learning to get his big-league fastball over the plate more consistently.

Up: Sonya Deville

Deville is one of the most clearly defined characters in NXT.

The vignette that aired on Wednesday hyping her match next week further proved that. Images of Deville sparring, training and glaring at the camera flashed on the screen. She came off as intense and intimidating here.

In addition, she spouted off a line that could easily become a successful catchphrase: "Put your hair up and square up."

While Deville hasn't been as good a performer in the ring as some of her peers, she will stand out far easier than many of them because of this MMA fighter shtick.

It's a simple, straightforward act. It plays on her real-life background. And judging by this latest video package, it's one that is really starting to fit her snugly.

Even: Drew McIntyre

McIntyre did nothing wrong in his destruction of Rob Ryzin. It's just that he wasn't pushed to do anything we haven't seen before.

He was smooth, hard-hitting, dominant, a bear swatting down some poor woodland creature. The latest squash, though, was essentially a reprisal of his recent efforts.

As Rob Wolkenbrod of Daily DDT wrote: "This match didn't mean much toward McIntyre's WWE NXT status."

That's a result of NXT being patient with its plans for McIntyre. He has yet to leap into the NXT title picture and hasn't had a long-term rival since joining the brand in April.

We won't see just how good McIntyre has become via honing his craft outside of WWE until he's asked to tell more complicated stories until he's facing top-level competition more often.

Up: Ruby Riot

Asuka and Nikki Cross nabbed the headlines with their brawl at the end of the NXT Women's Championship match that headlined NXT on Wednesday night. Riot, though, made her mark earlier in the bout.

She has been outshined in previous encounters with these women but looked more like a star on this night.

Riot was especially quick, and she brawled with a palpable intensity. Her kicks stood out, as did her overall energy.

The contest did see her deliver an awkward toss and weak chops, but for the most part, this was the crispest and most compelling she's been with NXT. 

It looks as if Cross and Asuka are headed for a feud without her. So, Riot will now need a new foil, someone to draw out her dangerous side and to give her chances to keep announcing her presence in the women's division.