WWE NXT Big Board: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis for Nov. 7

Finn Balor soared into WWE NXT, rearranging the pecking order as soon as his feet touched down.

WWE developmental's newest prospect comes armed with 14 years of experience, spring-loaded legs and magazine-cover looks. His debut forces struggling wrestlers out of the top 20 and crowds the NXT's top tier.

For the women, Charlotte and Sasha Banks remain Nos. 1 and 1A in the Divas rankings. They fought on opposite teams on Thursday's NXT, showing how wide the gap is between them and their peers. 

Dash Wilder impressed in his limited time in the spotlight. Sami Zayn keeps progressing, something WWE has clearly noticed. He continued his transition to the main roster with a match on Main Event.

The following is a look at NXT's best prospects; those who are most prepared to move up and would make the biggest impacts with their call-ups. Rankings are based on size, physical ability, mic work, gimmick and presence.

Only prospects who have debuted on TV are included.

The Superstars

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Sami Zayn	6'1'', 205 lbs	Excellent showman, consistently produces quality matches, understated on the mic
2.	Adrian Neville	5'10'', 194 lbs	Top-tier high-flyer, great athlete and in-ring storyteller, improving but still below-average on the mic
3.	Tyler Breeze	6'0'', 190 lbs	Quick, athletic, great at his gimmick, needs to work on match pacing
4.	Finn Balor	5'11'', 179 lbs	Superb athlete, top-notch mat worker, unproven on the mic
5.	Hideo Itami	5'9'', 182 lbs	High ceiling, great mat worker, in the process of improving English and adjusting to WWE in-ring style
6.	Colin Cassady	6'10'', 276 lbs	Big, charismatic, slowly stepping out of Enzo Amore's shadow
7.	Bull Dempsey	6'2'', 300 lbs	Explosive, powerful, good showman, one of NXT's better talkers
8.	Kalisto	5'6'', 170 lbs	Incredibly agile and quick, size is an issue
9.	Viktor	6'2'', 219 lbs	Excellent mat worker, above-average mic skills, good presence
10.	Konnor	6'4'', 265 lbs	Powerful big man, good showmanship and intensity, limited on the mic
11.	Enzo Amore	5'11'', 200 lbs	Poor in the ring, elite on the mic, extremely charismatic, better suited as manager
12.	Aiden English	6'3'', 215 lbs	Charismatic, solid wrestler, gimmick has potential
13.	Simon Gotch	6'1'', 221 lbs	High-level showman, charismatic, versatile in the ring
14.	Baron Corbin	6'8'', 275 lbs	Great size and look, rare presence, raw and inexperienced in the ring
15.	Jason Jordan	6'3'', 245 lbs	Athletic, fluid in ring, great look
16.	Scott Dawson	5'10'', 224 lbs	Excellent in the ring, but lacking charisma
17.	Buddy Murphy	5'11'', 227 lbs	Powerful, explosive, bodybuilder look
18.	Dash Wilder	5'10'', 222 lbs	Good footwork, smooth in the ring, hasn't shown much charisma yet
19.	CJ Parker	6'3'', 220 lbs	Solid in all departments, not great in any
20.	Tye Dillinger	6'3'', 223 lbs	Solid all-around wrestler, lacking in "it" factor, needs to find the right gimmick

Finn Balor Arrives

The New Japan Pro Wrestling standout (formerly Prince Devitt) made his NXT debut on Thursday's show, whipping The Ascension with Hideo Itami at his side. He is immediately one of the most intriguing prospects at Full Sail University.

He's a superb athlete who is slick in the ring and majestic in the air.

Balor didn't compete in an official match, but fans got to see him dropkick Viktor in the corner and plummet boots-first toward Konnor. That sample alone had the fans chanting, "This is awesome!"

His ring skill, experience and look shoot him right into the top five. 

The fact that he worked and thrived at Japan's biggest promotion says a lot about his talent level. There's no doubt that he's going to compose some of the best matches NXT has seen. He has the tools to do the same on the main roster as well.

The concerns for him include his size. Guys under 6'0'' have historically had to work harder than their taller brethren. He's sure to face obstacles similar to what Daniel Bryan went through before him.

His mic skills are unknown to a degree. In Japan, he didn't do a whole lot of talking. Wrestling there isn't as focused on interviews, so we didn't see him work a mic very often.

That's how Breeze sits above him for the moment. The Gorgeous One has found a gimmick that suits him and would work on the main roster. It's unclear how WWE is going to present Balor.

For now, he's a wordless ass-kicker on a mighty exciting team.

Dash Wilder Shows Flashes

Normally Scott Dawson's tag team partner, Wilder got a rare opportunity to battle on his own—against Tyson Kidd no less.

Credit: WWE.com

Wilder vs. Kidd was no great match, but the North Carolina native had some subtly successful moments. He hit a crisply executed powerslam and demanded that the referee back Kidd up as he entered the ring.

There was a snap to his offense and even his rope-running.

Against Kidd, he showed that he can get folks to notice him without a partner. As part of The Mechanics, Dawson has usually been the one to attract one's eyes, but Wilder showed here that WWE needs to give him some more chances to dance solo.

Sami Zayn Preparing for the Big Time

This ongoing "road to redemption" storyline is making Zayn push himself on the mic. He's often too low-key in his interviews but pressed his foot on the gas more on Thursday's NXT in talking about his match with Breeze.

It was one of his most passionate and engaging promos. That's an area in which he will grow, much like Dolph Ziggler has over the last few years.

He's already NXT's best prospect. Should he continue to sharpen his mic work, he'll only elevate his stock even more.

WWE seems poised to promote him at any moment. He not only wrestled Kidd on Tuesday's Main Event, but the company aired a promo video for him on the show:

That's a sure sign that he will make the leap from NXT soon, as is his presence on WWE's European tour right now.

Expect him to be on the main roster full-time by the start of 2015. He'll then leave Neville, Breeze, Itami and Balor to fight over top-prospect status.

The Divas

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Sasha Banks	5'5''	Most polished NXT Diva, thriving with current gimmick, top-level in-ring skills
2.	Charlotte	5'10''	Natural magnetism, becoming a ring general, great presence in the ring
3.	Bayley	5'6''	Increasingly popular, charismatic, works her gimmick extremely well, above-average in the ring
4.	Becky Lynch	5'6''	Athletic, skilled in the ring, struggling to refine gimmick
5.	Carmella	5'5''	Good presence, athletic, a natural at showmanship

Sasha Banks Shows Her Polish

Luckily, WWE doesn't have to choose between Banks and Charlotte. It can upgrade the Divas division by bringing both women up to the main roster.

They are both such great prospects and so close to each other in overall talent that it takes an exercise in nitpicking to rank one over the other.

When Banks teamed with Lynch against Charlotte and Bayley, The Boss of NXT showed one of the reasons why she just edges out the women's champ. Charlotte's chops and forearms weren't aggressive enough. Banks showed her how its done, delivering more precise and powerful strikes.

Overall, Banks is just more refined in the ring than Charlotte, which isn't surprising. She has been wrestling for two more years and cut her teeth on the indy circuit.

Charlotte continues to charge behind her, though. She's a natural, born to tell stories on a mat.