WWE NXT Power Rankings: Week of Oct. 16, 2019
Who’s moving up and who’s moving down? Here are NXT’s weekly rankings for the week of Oct. 16, 2019.
The Superstars of NXT have been in a new spotlight since the move to the USA Network. Fans have seen everyone step their games up in order to be noticed. Every week, we’ll rank the men, women and tag teams of NXT. Who’s caught our attention in this week’s edition of NXT Power Rankings?
NXT men’s division
10. Killian Dane
The Beast of Belfast has wreaked havoc since returning to NXT, showcasing his dominance in a victory over BOA. A brief run-in with Pete Dunn may be the beginning of a rivalry with the Bruiserweight.
9. Johnny Gargano
The heartbeat of the NXT brand is looking to re-establish himself after falling to Adam Cole. After proclaiming he was NXT for life, Gargano took down Shane Thorne in impressive fashion. Already a part of NXT’s Mount Rushmore, he’ll eventually get back into the main event picture.
8. Roderick Strong
The Messiah of the Backbreaker impressed by capturing the NXT North American title. However, he did not do it alone, needing help from his stablemates. It’s been a shaky start to Strong’s first title reign. With Velveteen Dream sidelined by the Undisputed Era’s actions, he’s set to defend against Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic next week.
7. Damien Priest
The Archer of Infamy is undefeated in competition, with victories over Keith Lee and Raul Mendoza and now Pete Dunn, despite the tactics used to win. Should Priest continue his ascension, it won’t be long before he has gold around his waist.
6. Lio Rush
After a lengthy hiatus Rush returned to defeat Oney Lorcan for a chance to contend for the cruiserweight title. The “Man of the hour” would deliver and defeat Drew Gulak capturing his first title in WWE. Rush reminded fans of just how talented he is in the squared circle and his stock is rising.
5. Matt Riddle
The King of Bros came up short versus Adam Cole after an amazing match. Cole would have to resort to using his cast to topple Riddle to retain his NXT Championship. With so many Superstars vying for the NXT title, Riddle should be back in the mix after getting back into the win column versus Bronson Reed.
4. WALTER
The NXT UK Champion has made his presence felt on the black and yellow brand. He and Imperium have set out a path to restore the tradition of wrestling. WALTER remains undefeated after handing KUSHIDA his first NXT loss.
3. Tommaso Ciampa
Tommy Entertainment is back after months absent with a neck injury and subsequent surgery. Ciampa is undoubtedly one of NXT’s most popular acts and has set his sights on the NXT championship he never really lost. Taking part in his first action against Angel Garza and winning, it’s clear he hasn’t lost a step.
2. Finn Balor
The biggest shocker of these past few weeks, Balor is now a part of the black and yellow brand again. The longest-reigning NXT Champion has returned to claim what was once his. In his words, his “future will be his past.”
1. Adam Cole
The current NXT Champion sits at No. 1 not only because he’s the champion, but also because the Undisputed Era holds all the gold in NXT, fulfilling a prophecy Cole has claimed was coming for some time. Since the USA Network debut, the Undisputed Era has shown they run the yard.