WWE NXT Big Board: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis for Oct. 3

The climb to the top of the WWE NXT ladder continues to get more difficult and more crowded.

Adrian Neville, Tyler Breeze and Sami Zayn dominate prime spots on the NXT big board, but recent arrivals to WWE developmental threaten to challenge them. The company has recently welcomed highly touted prospects from Japan, the indies and Ring of Honor.  

In Hideo Itami's case, the more he adjusts to the WWE style and develops his talking skills, the more tenuous Zayn and Co.'s hold on the top of the big board gets.

Plus, more elite wrestlers are on their way. The rankings don't include prospects who haven't appeared on NXT TV yet. One has to see how WWE packages these guys to get a better feel for their potential with the company.

That means no Solomon Crowe, Chad Gable or Kevin Steen, at least for now. Finn Balor isn't on here yet either. Balor's debut won't air until Nov. 6, per ProWrestling.net (note: link contains spoilers).

Prospects are ordered based on a combination of wrestling ability, showmanship skills, mic work, size, gimmick and look. Those higher on the list are most ready to move to the main roster. 

Great performances and the refining of skills will have this shift in the future, but for now, this is how NXT's pecking order looks:

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Sami Zayn	6'1'', 205 lbs	Versatile, great showman, excellent in the ring, fine on the mic
2.	Adrian Neville	5'10'', 194 lbs	Top-tier high-flyer, produces great matches, improving on the mic
3.	Hideo Itami	5'9'', 182 lbs	Great in-ring performer, magnetic presence, still learning English
4.	Tyler Breeze	6'0'', 190 lbs	Athletic, charismatic, is maximizing his gimmick
5.	Colin Cassady	6'10'', 276 lbs	Big, charismatic, still refining mat game
6.	Kalisto	5'6'', 170 lbs	Fantastic athlete and high-flyer with below-average mic skills
7.	Bull Dempsey	6'2'', 300 lbs	Skilled brawler, good showman, impressive on the mic
8.	Viktor	6'2'', 219 lbs	Above-average on the mic, talented grappler
9.	Enzo Amore	5'11'', 200 lbs	Below-average wrestler with top-tier mic skills, charisma
10.	Konnor	6'4'', 265 lbs	Powerful, intense with plenty of size
11.	Aiden English	6'3'', 215 lbs	Charismatic, fun gimmick, solid wrestler
12.	Baron Corbin	6'8'', 275 lbs	Big, explosive, with marketable look, but raw
13.	Jason Jordan	6'3'', 245 lbs	Athletic, fluid in ring, great look
14.	Simon Gotch	6'1'', 221 lbs	Fun gimmick, better showman than wrestler
15.	Scott Dawson	5'10'', 224 lbs	Excellent mat worker, but lacking elsewhere
16.	CJ Parker	6'3'', 220 lbs	Solid in all departments, not great in any
17.	Mojo Rawley	6'4'', 290 lbs	Great raw athletic talent, but struggling to improve as a wrestler, showman
19.	Marcus Louis	6'2'', 245 lbs	Powerful, aggressive, solid showman
20.	Tye Dillinger	6'3'', 223 lbs	Solid all-around wrestler, lacking in "it' factor

The Battle for No. 1

Both Neville and Zayn are going to make impacts on the main roster. Zayn's mastery of wrestling's nuances makes him the better prospect, though.

Zayn isn't quite the athlete Neville is, but that's like saying someone is fast but not quite Usain Bolt. He's certainly impressive as both a mat wrestler and a high-flyer. It's his connection to the crowd through facial expressions and body language that makes him special.

NXT's best match of 2014 remains Zayn vs. Cesaro at the Arrival live special.

Whether he was trying to slap his injured knee awake or sitting stunned on the mat, Zayn again and again grabbed hold of the audience. Even with a smaller build, that skill alone is going to make his run on the main roster a memorable one.

It's part of the reason NXT crowds have been so into him, chanting, "Ole!" as an homage to his days as El Generico.

Neville's unusual look and pedestrian mic skills keep him just out of the top spot. However, as NXT champ, he has put together an impressive string of matches.

It doesn't seem to matter if WWE throws him in there with Brodus Clay or Justin Gabriel; the result is excellence each time. The latest example came on Thursday's NXT. His battle against Tyson Kidd was a satisfying one.

The more comfortable he gets on the mic, the stronger the argument for him to be No. 1 becomes. He doesn't have to be The Rock, just good enough to keep that part of his game from dragging him down.

Baron Corbin on the Rise

Corbin is going to make the most progress up the big board over the next few months.

He's a raw talent who comes to developmental by way of the gridiron rather than the independent circuit. With each outing, though, he leaves a mark on the audience.

His latest mark came by way of a quick victory over Troy McClain on Thursday's NXT. A predator's grin, hard strikes and Corbin's impressive, face-flattening finisher were among the highlights.

Credit: WWE.com

While someone such as Scott Dawson is by far a better wrestler, Corbin has an electricity surrounding him. Call it the "it" factor or star power—Corbin has more than his share.

Combine that with his size, his intimidating look and his power, and WWE officials are sure to keep tabs on him. He apparently already has Dusty Rhodes' endorsement. The American Dream tweeted:

Corbin is a lot like Roman Reigns, the kind of prospect WWE would produce if it were possible to create wrestlers in labs.

As he gets a better understanding of how to work a match and control the crowd, he's going to shoot upward. His former NFL teammate Rawley is on a different trajectory altogether.

Mojo Rawley Heading the Wrong Way

Rawley is sliding backward.

He came charging onto the NXT scene, an explosive and intense force. He has since struggled to forge those elements into anything.

His move set hasn't expanded. It's still a lot of running, shoulder blocks and hitting guys with his rear end. There hasn't been a lot of progress in the ring in general.

Other prospects are developing new skills, getting better at selling or pacing their matches. That hasn't been true for Rawley.

In a match against Dempsey on Sept. 25, he didn't even look hyped, which is the centerpiece of his character. He didn't run the ropes with the same gusto he once did.

Maybe that's because he knows WWE has cooled on him. He was once earning one-sided victories. Now, he's the victim of them.

Nothing speaks to how his position with WWE has shifted like comparing his matches at Arrival and Takeover: Fatal 4-Way. At the former, he dominated Parker. Eight months later, Dempsey was the one doing the dominating.

It's going to be tough journey going forward for Rawley, as Steen, Balor and others are set to leapfrog him once they arrive.

The Divas

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Sasha Banks	5'5''	Excellent mat worker, impressive showmanship, good but getting better on the mic
2.	Charlotte	5'10''	Natural magnetism, great in-ring storyteller, consistently improving
3.	Bayley	5'6''	Charismatic, works her gimmick effectively, above-average in the ring
4.	Becky Lynch	5'6''	Experienced, athletic, good mat worker, high energy
5.	Alexa Bliss	5'1''	Energetic, bright personality, athletic but green

Sasha Banks Still the Boss

Charlotte is getting more attention. Charlotte is the women's champ, the daughter of a Hall of Famer and the one who produced two straight great matches on NXT live specials.

Banks, though, is a better overall prospect.

There isn't a better female mat wrestler at NXT right now than Banks. She is fluid in the ring, has a wide array of moves and thrives in the role of ring general.

Watching her compete against Bayley in their No. 1 contender's match back in August, it's clear that women such as Cameron, Nikki Bella and Rosa Mendes should be learning from her.

She's a better, more convincing mic worker than Charlotte right now as well. Throw in the fact that her sassy, catty gimmick fits her perfectly, and, even if her last name isn't Flair, Banks is the best the NXT Divas division has to offer.

Bayley Charging Toward the Top

It's going to be tough to unseat either Charlotte or Banks as NXT's top diva, but Bayley is making progress toward that goal.

Her battle with Charlotte on Thursday's NXT was the night's apex and one of the five best women's matches of the year. Credit Charlotte's swagger and ring presence for much of that, but Bayley provided the pathos.

She sold each ankle hold and attack to her leg like it had caused a fracture. Struggling to stand, wincing, gutting it out, she captured the audience's empathy.

Playing the resilient babyface is a natural fit for her, and she thrived doing it in her loss to Charlotte.

There's an argument to be had about whether this match or their Takeover: Fatal 4-Way bout was better, but there's no debating that both Bayley and Charlotte look like main-roster material.