WWE NXT Big Board: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis for February 6

The No. 1 contender's tournament has done more than decide who deserves a title shot. It's been a showcase of WWE NXT's top talents.

Finn Balor, Adrian Neville, Baron Corbin and Hideo Itami all flourished in their second-round matches on Wednesday's NXT, giving fans reasons aplenty to be pumped about the future. Itami is inching closer to the level of ring work he produced in Japan. Corbin is still a work in progress, but one armed with a stock of "it" factor. 

Before NXT Takeover: Rival arrives next week, fans got a good look at the progress of several prospects from those aforementioned men to Carmella and Co.

The following ranks the Superstars most ready to move up to the main roster and who would garner the most success post-promotion. A combination of ring work, mic skills, size, look, charisma and gimmick decide who sits where on the list. 

This includes only prospects who have debuted on TV, so no Solomon Crowe for now. Although, after another teaser video featuring the former indy standout aired, it's clear he'll be battling in front of the cameras before long.

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, consistently excellent matches, improving on the mic and with overall charisma.
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	Exciting move set, athletic, excellent in-ring storyteller, marketable look, distinctive entrance/mannerisms.
5.	Hideo Itami	5'9'', 182 lbs	Excellent striker, experienced, produced great matches pre-NXT, still adjusting to WWE style.
6.	Tyler Breeze	6'0'', 190 lbs	Smooth and athletic, works gimmick extremely well, above average on mic, ring work lacks versatility.
7.	Baron Corbin	6'8'', 275 lbs	Elite-level presence, great size and look, raw (but improving) 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.	Kalisto	5'6'', 170 lbs	Fantastic high-flyer, stellar athlete, one-dimensional in the ring, size is an issue.
11.	Enzo Amore	5'11'', 200 lbs	Elite-level charisma, funniest guy at NXT, poor in ring, ideal role is as manager.
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	Charismatic, works gimmick well, acting background aids him, average in the ring.
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 throwback 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: Dash Wilder, Mojo Rawley, Marcus Louis

Baron Corbin's Rise Continues

Corbin wrestled Neville in his longest match to date, the former NXT champ the best competition he has ever faced.

The bout showed off both his flaws and strengths. His presence buzzed; his ring work remained unpolished.

There were times where Corbin looked hesitant, a dancer unsure of the next step. He wasn't as crisp or confident as you'd like. It wasn't nearly as consistent a performance as guys like Neville and Sami Zayn have had over the course of their NXT runs.

Still, Corbin made you take notice.

When he stalked Neville in the ring or whipped him to the mat with a thunderous clothesline, he revealed the kind of excellence he is capable of. And few guys can pull fans in by just staring at his foe across the ring like Corbin can.

Right now, he's like an explosive rookie wide receiver. He doesn't know the route tree well yet, but every so often he blows by everyone and makes a play that slides everyone's jaws open.

Finn Balor vs. Hideo Itami Observations

Balor's win over Itami was the best match of the night. And it was the best we have seen from Itami since he arrived to Full Sail University. 

At NXT, he has yet to be as exciting and eye-catching as he was in Japan. This was closer to that level of action.

Itami thrived when the match went to the mat. He was smooth and paced the match well. His selling was incredible, from getting stunned by a Pele kick to emulating a crash test dummy on a dropkick that sent him into the turnbuckle.

Balor didn't look quite as good as his opponent in the mat wrestling category, but was better at exuding emotion.

On offense, he looked focused, intense, a predator. When it was his turn to take punishment, his facial expressions did well to sell the pain. It was easy to root for him as a result.

Both men are rising to the top of NXT ranks in a hurry. Itami slides past breeze this week because he is continuing to adjust to his new surroundings and producing better ring work. If he can continue to do that, more upward movement awaits him.

Other Notes

Lost in the excitement over his high-flying ability, Neville is constantly improving his in-ring storytelling ability. Against Corbin he had some great selling. Before the match began, he glared at Corbin with the kind of convincing, compelling use of facial expressions that has made Zayn so successful.

Next week, he faces Balor at NXT Takeover: Rival in what will be one of many chances for prospects to prove themselves.

Balor will have a great shot of adding an instant classic to his resume. Corbin will face Bull Dempsey once more, this time in a No Disqualification match. That will provide a great indicator of where both men are right now.

Credit: WWE.com

The first live special of 2015, though, will belong to Kevin Owens. This is his chance to make an early statement, one that says he is headed for greatness. 

As fantastic as the build has been and as good as he has been in his pre-NXT career, it's a safe bet that he and Zayn put together a Match of the Year candidate.

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, excellent seller, great connection with the crowd, ring work could be crisper.
4.	Emma	5'5''	Likable, athletic, good ring worker, solid charisma.
5.	Alexa Bliss	5'1''	Continues to improve in the ring, athletic, fun energy, marketable look.
6.	Becky Lynch	5'6''	High-level ring worker, well-rounded wrestler, overacts, lacks presence.
7.	Carmella	5'5''	Charismatic, good presence, athletic, smooth-but-raw in the ring.

Carmella's Charisma 

Carmella has some catching up to do when it comes to ring work, but her personality and presence is going to have her move past prospects like Becky Lynch.

Against Emma, she showed off some smooth footwork and athleticism. It wasn't anything special, though. Emma is still much further along as a wrestler. Carmella doesn't seem like she could work a match much longer than this one right now.

That will come with time. Her biggest asset right now is her charisma.

Credit: WWE.com

She exuded sass and worked the mic solidly before the action began. She also appeared in NXT's "Like a Girl" video, which played off the Always commercial that aired during the Super Bowl. Carmella was the most engaging woman in this video other than maybe Charlotte.

That ability is invaluable and much harder to teach than how to execute a wristlock. With more experience between the ropes, she will be among NXT's top Divas before long.