WWE NXT Big Board: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis for December 5

On the last tuneup before WWE NXT Takeover: R Evolution, a pair of prospects not yet on the card demanded more of our attention.

Tyler Breeze reminded fans not to forget about him while they are drooling over Sami Zayn and Adrian Neville. Buddy Murphy's ring work is sure to get the NXT decision-makers to notice him. 

Simon Gotch, who has a title match lined up on the live special, impressed as well.

That upcoming event will showcase a number of main roster hopefuls. Before that, some good performances allowed a few prospects to move in the NXT rankings. The following is a look at who is most ready for WWE proper and who is most poised to succeed there.

Size, look, ring skill, mic work and gimmick factor into the order. Talents who have yet to debut on TV (e.g., Kevin Owens) are not considered. 

The Superstars

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Sami Zayn	6'1'', 205 lbs	Top-notch in-ring storyteller, great connection with the crowd, progressing as a talker.
2.	Adrian Neville	5'10'', 194 lbs	Stellar high-flyer, excellent in the ring overall, needs improvement on mic work.
3.	Finn Balor	5'11'', 179 lbs	High-level ring worker, good look, fantastic athlete, satisfactory on the mic.
4.	Tyler Breeze	6'0'', 190 lbs	Agile, quick, highly charismatic, good on the mic, maximizing gimmick.
5.	Hideo Itami	5'9'', 182 lbs	Will produce great matches, great athlete, limited but improving English-language skills.
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, working heel gimmick effectively, one of NXT's better talkers.
8.	Kalisto	5'6'', 170 lbs	Top-tier high-flyer, 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.	Simon Gotch	6'1'', 221 lbs	Works gimmick well, charismatic, fun energy, exhibits high-level showmanship.
12.	Enzo Amore	5'11'', 200 lbs	Poor in the ring, elite on the mic, extremely charismatic, better suited as a manager.
13.	Aiden English	6'3'', 215 lbs	Solid ring work, charismatic, acting background aids him.
14.	Baron Corbin	6'8'', 275 lbs	Great size and look, rare presence, raw and unproven in the ring.
15.	Buddy Murphy	5'11'', 227 lbs	Explosive, surprisingly athletic, powerful, has marketable look.
16.	Jason Jordan	6'3'', 245 lbs	Athletic, marketable look, dependable mat wrestler.
17.	Scott Dawson	5'10'', 224 lbs	Excellent brawler and ring worker, lacks star power compared to NXT's best.
18.	CJ Parker	6'3'', 220 lbs	Solid and dependable in the ring, good-not-great talker, works gimmick well.
19.	Dash Wilder	5'10'', 222 lbs	Good footwork, smooth in the ring, hasn't shown much charisma yet.
20.	Mojo Rawley	6'4'', 290 lbs	Explosive, great athlete, raw and limited in the ring, struggling with showmanship.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Tye Dillinger, Wesley Blake, Marcus Louis.

Buddy Murphy Continues to Impress Under the Radar

Murphy and Blake were meant to be stepping stones for The Vaudevillains. The No. 1 contenders to the tag titles needed a warm-up bout before facing The Lucha Dragons next week.

They got exactly that, but Murphy showed off more of his physical gifts in the process.

He looks like a tank of a man but is explosive and quick. He hopped to his feet with an eye-catching kip-up and showed off his motor as he charged at his foes.

His energy and athleticism are going to get him more of the spotlight. He and Blake continue to jell as a team and will likely be an increasingly bigger part of the division. Count on Murphy generating more buzz when that happens.

Prince Pretty Getting More Polished

In the ring against two top-notch athletes, Hideo Itami and Finn Balor, Breeze looked like he belonged right there with them. His gimmick and fashion are so ludicrous that they are often what people notice about him first, but he's no comedy wrestler.

He continues to tighten his ring work. Fans saw that with a smooth transition into a neckbreaker and a snappier offense overall. 

Itami and Balor had the big, high-flying moments, but Breeze produced some more subtle additions to the bout. On his knees, woozy from a stomp to the head, he weakly held up his arms in a boxer's stance. Earlier, he admonished the referee, yelling, "You don't touch me ever!"

Breeze is clearly getting more and more comfortable with his gimmick, elevating his showmanship as he gains experience.

Simon Gotch Mastering His Gimmick

Aiden English is bigger than his fellow Vaudevillain. He's better on the mic than Gotch as well. Still, it's the mustached, singlet-wearing half of the team who is enticing the crowd more.

He has grabbed a tight hold on his persona. From his nasty sneer to how merciless he seems when he applies an Indian Deathlock, he leaves a strong impression even when given only short bursts to work with.

Credit: WWE.com

Fans mirrored his flexing pose when he and English stood victorious in the ring. As cartoonish and anachronistic as his gimmick is, he's finding ways to make it a success.

The funny mini-movies NXT has started to produce for him and English can do for The Vaudevillains what the vignettes in the swamps did for The Wyatt Family.

Other Notes

NXT needs to show more of Steve Cutler. This week, he lasted just seconds against Baron Corbin.

He's got a good look and a military background WWE could work into his persona, and he looks to be an impressive athlete. There's no way for him to move up without getting more than crumbs of ring time, though. 

With both Corbin and Bull Dempsey, we continue to see the same thing—each man steamroll his opponents in the blink of an eye. Their eventual battle is going to be one hell of a fight, but it's also going to be a great peek into who has the higher ceiling.

Whoever draws our eyes more and whoever fans end up talking about the most afterward will be the real victor regardless of who gets pinned.

Zayn displayed some versatility when he added a touch of heel to his character. Neville tried to keep things civil between them leading up to their title bout, but Zayn slapped him across the mouth.

This was a darker, more fiery side of Zayn. Being able to go from his usual likable self to this only adds to his potential as a main roster Superstar.

The Divas

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Sasha Banks	5'5''	Polished, thriving with current gimmick, top-level in-ring skills, just below Charlotte in terms of mic work.
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, good in the ring but could use refinement.
4.	Alexa Bliss	5'1''	Improving in the ring, athletic, fun energy, marketable look.
5.	Becky Lynch	5'6''	Athletic, experienced, good all-around wrestler, struggles with showmanship.
6.	Carmella	5'5''	Good presence, athletic, a natural at showmanship, still raw in the ring.

Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks 

Next week's live special is going to allow one woman to separate herself from the other.

As of now, you can't lose by choosing either. Charlotte has a touch more charisma. Banks has the edge in ring work but not by much. Their acting is about the same right now and better than most of the main roster Divas.

Charlotte has hit a home run in each of her matches on a big stage. Banks hasn't had those same opportunities. The last Takeover special of the year gives her one, allowing her to show WWE officials that she is just as deserving to get called up.

Each woman has earned a promotion, but count on Charlotte making that leap first. The Flair name offers WWE a way to introduce her.

Should Banks win at R Evolution, that points to WWE calling up Charlotte soon after. Banks shouldn't be far behind her.

They can then continue their rivalry on a bigger stage, showing up a Divas division they can be the centerpieces of.