One jaw-rattling kick at a time, Asuka is charging toward the top ofWWE NXT, looking to knock Bayley out of her throne.Her limited English-language remains her weakness, but she's been busy speaking with glares, devilish grins and the heels of her wrestling boots. On Wednesday's NXT, Asuka made the discussion about who reigns in thewomen's division more difficult.Suddenly that's one of NXT's deepest parts of the roster with Nia Jax shining, Alexa Bliss mastering the art of heeldom and women like Peyton Royce making great strides.Not every prospect is trending upward, though.Mojo Rawley continues to flounder.Every week, he seems to become worse at his weak points. Wednesday night was no different. He was a gyrating jester during his bout.The following is a look at how those wrestlers and their peers stack up in the NXT prospect rankings. Which talents are most ready to head to the main roster' Which would make the biggest impact once making that leap.Gimmick, look, size, ring acumen, mic work and charisma all factor into the answers those key questions.Male WrestlersProspects just outside the top 20: Elias Samson, Mojo Rawley, Steve Cutler.Mojo Rawley's Stock SinkingRawley remains the most frustrating wrestler to watch on NXT. With all his athletic ability and potential, one would expect him to be one of the best the developmental brand has to offer.But he appears incapable of reaching those heights, though, because he simply hasn't grown.He's still a bleating bro with a microphone in hand. He's still a one-note performer come bell time. And rather than add intensity or real emotion to his matches, he just turns up the volume on the silly side of himself.During The Hype Bros match against Blake and Murphy, Rawley spent a good amount of time flopping around like a fish on a boat. It's not funny or endearing; it's just awful.While a guy like Bull Dempsey is handcuffed by WWE trying to turn him into a goofball, Rawley is putting the shackles on himself.Colin Cassady the Powder KegWednesday's NXT allowed a peak at what Cassady would look like as a monster heel and it was tremendous.Long the happy-go-lucky crowd-pleaser alongside Enzo Amore, Cassady showed a far more intense side of himself when he and Amore walloped a pair of jobbers.After the match, he played the vengeful, roaring beast, intent on taking down Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder for trying to break his leg. Shaking with rage, he compelled the entire time. His fury was believable; his presence was undeniable.WWE has to be thrilled that a guy who has been so good at being a babyface flashed such a powerful heel aura.Other NotesBlake is becoming more of flamboyant character, rolling with the "Let's go Barbie!" chants he's received thanks to his hair. He wore a torn sweater that looked like Adrian Street would wear. That's a smart place for him to take his gimmick.Amore was surprisingly intense in his matchup alongside Cassady. He absolutely blasted his foe with a shoulder tackle that belied his size.He needs to show more of that.Elias Samson continues to slowly reveal himself to the NXT fanbase via vignette.It's great to see him get some airtime, but these videos haven't told us much about him yet. His character is going to need more depth beyond the fact that he plays the guitar.Female WrestlersLearning Who Peyton Royce IsRoyce took on Bayley in her best performance at NXT to date.Beyond the ring work, she was just more interesting and stood out more than she has thus far. Royce came off ascocky, indignant and sassy.The Wrestling Inc Twitter account pointed out her steady improvement:That goes for her a number of components of her game. She hit Bayley with a number ofgood strikes. Royce was aggressive and exuded attitude. Her best moment of the match was an easy one to miss. Upset with the referee, she stared him down with a mix of disgust and anger.That's more personality than we had seen from her up to this point. The more she can tap into those elements, the higher she will climb.Asuka Inspires AweWith each performance, Asuka makes it clear that she an NXT women's title run is in her future, and that she would elevate the women's division on the main roster in a big way.It wasn't that her match against NXT guest Deonna Purazzo was great by any stretch. She just played the part of predator to a tee. Whether she was cranking Purazzo's arm backward and toying with her with slaps, she made it hard to look away.And when Emma and Dana Brooke tried to distract her, she nailed Purazzo with a convincing shot to the head.Her intensity and presence elevated that moment. It's easy to believe in her as an ass-kicker. She's a savage and a spark plug with a sky-high ceiling. She and Emma promise to have a stellar match in London next week.That bout will be a showcase of both women, a proving ground where Asuka is sure to thrive.
Click here to read full news..
