WWE NXT Big Board: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis for January 30

Great athletes proved they were great actors on the latest WWE NXT.

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens held tight to the audience's attention without a single suplex or superkick. Their presence and mic skills did the work, further proving that they belong on top of the developmental food chain.

Elsewhere on Wednesday's NXT, Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy gained gold to go along with their momentum, Becky Lynch fell behind her peers and two bruisers collided again with similar results. 

Owens has certainly pushed his way up the ladder quickly. If he continues his current trajectory, he won't be doing his fighting at Full Sail University for long.

The following is a look at where Owens and his fellow prospects currently rank in terms of who is most ready for a call-up and who would make the biggest impact on the main roster. Order is determined by ring work, mic skills, size, gimmick, look and charisma. Only wrestlers who have debuted on TV are included. 

The Superstars

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Sami Zayn	6'1'', 205 lbs	Great connection with the crowd, growing quickly as a talker, long list of great matches, good athlete, fun move set.
2.	Adrian Neville	5'10'', 194 lbs	Stellar high-flyer, good in-ring storyteller, improving on the mic.
3.	Kevin Owens	6'0", 266 lbs	Top-tier presence, excellent brawler, one of NXT's best talkers, athletic, experience shows in ring.
4.	Finn Balor	5'11'', 179 lbs	Athletic, marketable look, good presence, excellent in-ring storyteller.
5.	Tyler Breeze	6'0'', 190 lbs	Smooth and athletic, works gimmick extremely well, above-average on mic, ring work lacks versatility.
6.	Hideo Itami	5'9'', 182 lbs	Excellent striker, experienced, produced great matches pre-NXT, still adjusting to WWE style.
7.	Baron Corbin	6'8'', 275 lbs	Elite-level presence, great size and look, raw in the ring, has high ceiling.
8.	Bull Dempsey	6'2'', 300 lbs	Good brawler, explosive, talented mic worker, good in-ring psychology.
9.	Colin Cassady	6'10'', 276 lbs	Great size, charismatic, good connection with crowd, one-dimensional in the ring.
10.	Enzo Amore	5'11'', 200 lbs	Poor in the ring, elite on the mic, extremely charismatic and funny, better suited as a manager.
11.	Kalisto	5'6'', 170 lbs	Fantastic high-flyer, stellar athlete, one-dimensional in the ring, size is an issue.
12.	Buddy Murphy	5'11'', 227 lbs	Explosive, powerful, athletic, below-average on mic, good energy in the ring.
13.	Simon Gotch	6'1'', 221 lbs	Works gimmick well, charismatic, exhibits high-level showmanship, has yet to have standout match
14.	Aiden English	6'3'', 215 lbs	Athletic, marketable look, smooth in ring, solid technical wrestler.
15.	Jason Jordan	6'3'', 245 lbs	Athletic, marketable look, smooth in ring, solid technical wrestler.
16.	Scott Dawson	5'10'', 224 lbs	Excellent brawler and ring worker, lacks "it" factor.
17.	Chad Gable	5'8'', 185 lbs	High-level technical wrestler, unproven on mic, size is an issue.
18.	Tye Dillinger	6'3'', 223 lbs	Below-average athlete, good seller, adept at in-ring psychology, lacking gimmick/persona.
19.	Wesley Blake	6'1'', 240 lbs	Good seller, solid athlete, likable, will work better as part of tag team.
20.	CJ Parker	6'3'', 220 lbs	Solid and dependable in the ring, good-not-great talker, works gimmick well.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Mojo Rawley, Dash Wilder and Marcus Louis.

Blake and Buddy Now Get to Prove Themselves as Champs

In what is perhaps a sign that Kalisto is coming to the main roster, Murphy and Blake dethroned The Lucha Dragons. 

This is the newly crowned champs' chance to show that they deserve as much attention as The Vaudevillains and Kalisto have been receiving. Their performance to win the belts is a start.

They put on a fun, fluid match that ended with an emotional celebration. Blake stood out as the two grapplers enjoyed the afterglow of victory, his post-bout speech more natural than his partner's.

Murphy has him beat in other categories, though. He has a more toned build, something WWE certainly has coveted in the past. He's also a smoother performer in the ring and a better athlete.

Both men will get a series of opportunities now that they carry around the NXT tag titles. It's up to them to go from underrated to among NXT's best. 

Baron vs. Bull II

The last time these titans locked horns, Baron Corbin looked like the bigger star. Bull Dempsey seemed hesitant, wilting under the spotlight.

They battled again, this time in the first round of the No. 1 contender's tournament.

Dempsey looked better than he did the last time out. His strikes had more oomph, including some hard shots to Corbin's ribs. Still, the less experienced Corbin came off as more compelling, forcing fans' eyes his way.

That's even with Corbin being raw, a work in progress. He has yet to have a match go for more than a few minutes or have to whip out more than a handful of moves. He did, however, show us some athleticism by flipping over the ropes to leave the ring. 

It's flashes like that which have to leave WWE scouts salivating. 

Dempsey will prove to be a quality contributor to the main roster. He's better on interviews than Corbin and a more complete ring worker. He just won't sit on the same tier as the man who has now twice defeated him.

Kevin Owens: Fighter, Contender, Actor

It's rare that someone can capture one's attention without saying a word, without throwing a single blow. Owens did exactly that in the early part of his contract signing with Sami Zayn.

He just glared dismissively at his old friend, leaning on the ropes, looking down at him. That moment speaks to his presence, confidence and experience.

The prospects fresh off the football field don't know how to do that. Being a wrestler for as long as Owens has, though, provides him with a concrete foundation to build on.

As the segment went on, Zayn and Owens delivered a performance that outdid much of what we see on the main roster. Their emotions felt real; their characters felt genuine. 

To be able to tell a story with just one's face is an invaluable asset. Owens will get to follow that soon with storytelling between the ropes. He faces Zayn for the title on Feb. 11, a bout that brims with promise.

Other Notes

Adrian Neville is as consistent as anybody in the ring. He delivered another high-quality match, this time in a win over Tyson Kidd.

Regardless if his look isn't typical of a star or if his mic work isn't top-notch, he will win fans over with the kind of standout performances he has had at NXT.

Credit: WWE.com

Kalisto is the only roster member who can compete with Neville in terms of electric offense. Beyond the exciting moves in his toolbox, what else does he bring to the table, though?

Neville can tell a great story with his athleticism. Rey Mysterio could as well. As of yet, we haven't seen that enough from Kalisto.

Perhaps now that he is no longer tag team champ, he can get some more singles opportunities and show he is more than a fun, high-flying act.

Next week's NXT will offer chances for several folks to shine. Hideo Itami and Finn Balor face off in the second round of the ongoing tourney. Neville, meanwhile, will give Corbin his toughest test to date.

Both matches should be entertaining but also provide a good look at each wrestler's skills. 

The Divas

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Sasha Banks	5'5''	Polished in the ring, thrives as a heel, above-average on mic, best ring worker in the division.
2.	Charlotte	5'10''	Highest ceiling among the Divas, great presence, good charisma, very good in the ring, inconsistent striker.
3.	Bayley	5'6''	Charismatic, works her gimmick well, connects with the crowd, ring work could be crisper.
4.	Emma	5'5''	Athletic, good connection with NXT fans, dependable in the ring, solid charisma.
5.	Alexa Bliss	5'1''	Continues to improve in the ring, athletic, fun energy, marketable look.
6.	Becky Lynch	5'6''	One of NXT's better mat wrestlers, experienced, good footwork, lacks presence.
7.	Carmella	5'5''	Good presence, still raw in the ring, athletic.

Becky Lynch Getting Overshadowed

The build toward the title match between Lynch, Sasha Banks, Charlotte and Bayley continued on Wednesday's NXT, as a tag team contest between them went awry early. 

Credit: WWE.com

We didn't learn all that much from the action. The popular Bayley is still clearly in need of fine-tuning in the ring. Charlotte and Banks are both excellent, each woman the class of NXT.

One noteworthy item, though, is that Lynch didn't stand out at all. The other women forced one's eyes to gravitate toward them for feats of athleticism or great use of facial expressions. Meanwhile, Lynch is getting lost, fading into the background.

She has a lot of experience on the independent circuit, and when seeing her work at Shimmer, one would assume stardom was headed her way. So far, that hasn't translated to NXT. 

That upcoming Fatal 4-Way match can help prove she has the presence to keep up with her foes or else confirm that she's just standing a few rungs lower than Charlotte and Company.

Emma's Second Chance

Emma told Devin Taylor in a backstage interview that she's returning to NXT next week. Her first task will be to take on Carmella again.

This is not a surprising move, as Emma rarely appeared on the main roster and WWE struggled with how to use her.

Hopefully, Full Sail University has a revitalizing effect. She's a talented wrestler who had a strong following during her first run at NXT.

The division offers stiffer competition now with the rise of Charlotte and Banks. Excelling against them and Carmella will force WWE to take notice of her once more.