WWE NXT Big Board: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis for March 13

Progress was the central theme for the latest display of the WWE NXT prospects' talents.

On Wednesday's show, Hideo Itami continued his ongoing adjustment to his new world and Alexa Bliss showed that she's been busy training hard since we last saw her. CJ Parker, meanwhile, has struggled to improve. While others are climbing toward their ceilings, he may have already hit his head on his.

He finds himself in a crowded field of excellent wrestlers, one that could soon clear out some. WWE has a habit of introducing new talent after WrestleMania.

Who is most ready to make the jump to the main roster should that call come? Who would most thrive there upon arrival? The following is a look at how the NXT prospects stack up in that chase to the majors.

Ring work, mic skills, size, gimmick and intangibles such as presence determine the rankings. Wrestlers who have not debuted on TV are not considered. Neither is a guy like Alex Riley, a former WWE star seeking career resurgence at Full Sail University.

The Superstars

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Sami Zayn	6'1'', 205 lbs	Superb at in-ring storytelling, growing as talker, consistently delivers great matches.
2.	Kevin Owens	6'0", 266 lbs	Intimidating, great brawler, NXT's top talker, thriving as heel.
3.	Adrian Neville	5'10'', 194 lbs	Top-tier high-flyer, excelling at use of facial expressions, average but improving on the mic.
4.	Finn Balor	5'11'', 179 lbs	Extremely smooth in the ring, athletic, so-so mic work, marketable look, memorable theatrics.
5.	Hideo Itami	5'9'', 182 lbs	Fluid, athletic, skilled striker, good in-ring storyteller, English-language skills still a work in progress.
6.	Tyler Breeze	6'0'', 190 lbs	Athletic, solid on the mic, talented showman, questions remain about how gimmick will translate to WWE.
7.	Baron Corbin	6'8'', 275 lbs	Elite presence, raw/unproven in the ring, good size and look.
8.	Bull Dempsey	6'2'', 300 lbs	Aggressive, works heel role well, strong in the ring, excellent on the mic.
9.	Kalisto	5'6'', 170 lbs	Superb athlete, incredibly quick, size is an issue.
10.	Colin Cassady	6'10'', 276 lbs	Great size, charismatic, good energy.
11.	Solomon Crowe	5'10'', 207 lbs	Excellent striker, good presence, athletic, well-rounded in the ring, strong on the mic.
12.	Simon Gotch	6'1'', 221 lbs	Works gimmick well, high-level showman, good use of facial expressions, has yet to have standout match.
13.	Enzo Amore	5'11'', 200 lbs	Fantastic presence, funny, charismatic, unimpressive in the ring, will make better manager.
14.	Jason Jordan	6'3'', 245 lbs	Impressive look, good athlete, improving as in-ring storyteller.
15.	Aiden English	6'3'', 215 lbs	Charismatic, works gimmick well, acting background aids him, average in the ring.
16.	Buddy Murphy	5'11'', 227 lbs	Good athlete, powerful, explosive, below-average on the mic.
17.	Scott Dawson	5'10'', 224 lbs	Excellent mat worker, fits better as part of tag team, lacks "it" factor.
18.	CJ Parker	6'3'', 220 lbs	Solid all-around performer, struggling to stand out.
19.	Chad Gable	5'8'', 185 lbs	High-level technical wrestler, unproven on mic, size is an issue.
20.	Tye Dillinger	6'3'', 223 lbs	Below-average athlete, good seller, adept at in-ring psychology, lacking gimmick/persona.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Mojo Rawley, Wesley Blake, Angelo Dawkins.

Hideo Itami More and More Like Himself

It's as if Itami arrived from Japan frozen and it has taken months for him to thaw out.

He has not been as poised and compelling as he was in his home country. That is slowly changing. He continues to revert to his superior self. 

Going up against Tyler Breeze again, he had one of his better NXT matches.

His selling skills most stood out. After a superkick from Breeze, he looked up from the mat dazed, as if cartoon birds were flying by his eyes. Later on, the Beauty Shot not only knocked him backward but had him rolled up with his back curled and his legs in the air.

These nuances make a nice pairing with all his athletic offense. 

His vertical leap is impressive. It's nice to see him now jump at his foe with more confidence than he did early in his NXT run. 

Even so, he hasn't done enough to surpass Finn Balor in the rankings. Balor edges him out with mic skills, largely due to Itami still learning how to speak the language. Balor's entrance and theatrics also give him an easy way to pull fans in.

Questions about Kalisto

Kalisto is clearly headed to the main roster soon. WWE has offered him and Sin Cara more and more opportunities on Main Event and Superstars. Most recently, The Lucha Dragons defeated a pair of unknown opponents before Tuesday's Main Event tapings officially began, per ProFightDB.com. 

What's certain is that his physical gifts will wow at the next level.

He's superbly fast and impressively agile. Fans saw that again when he and Sin Cara took on Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady. He makes a standard move like the crossbody breathtaking.

WWE can't be sure what else he will offer on the main roster, though.

He hasn't done anything memorable on the mic. His ring work is exciting, but will he be able to maintain that in longer, more high-profile matches? One has to wonder if he can flourish away from the tag team division as well.

With as much as WWE is having Kalisto work main roster shows lately, it looks as if he will soon get every chance to quell all those doubts.

CJ Parker, Perennial Prey 

WWE doesn't seem to believe that Parker is anything more than a stepping stone.

When the company needed someone for Mojo Rawley to roll over, it went with Parker. The same scenario played out for Baron Corbin, Kevin Owens and Bull Dempsey. Alex Riley is the latest to join that list, making Parker his launchpad as he tries to rise back to prominence.

The focus was on Riley during this bout, and Parker couldn't manage to change that.

He was solid here but didn't make a strong impression. That's been the story of his NXT run. He plays his character well, moves solidly in the ring and works a decent match. None of it is spectacular, though.

That's an issue when trying to compete with guys such as Corbin, who has all-world presence, Adrian Neville, who has top-notch flying skills, or Owens, who is a mic maestro. 

Other prospects are progressing, sharpening already sharp swords. This is as sharp as Parker's weapon gets, and it's not going to be enough to get him to WWE proper.

The Divas

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Sasha Banks	5'5''	Most polished female in-ring worker, strong heel work, excellent showmanship.
2.	Charlotte	5'10''	Huge upside, great presence, athletic, excellent in the ring and will continue to get better.
3.	Bayley	5'6''	Great connection with the crowd, good but unpolished in the ring, works gimmick extremely well.
4.	Becky Lynch	5'6''	Excellent mat worker, good athlete, gimmick not clicking.
5.	Alexa Bliss	5'1''	Showing great improvement in the ring, good showmanship, fine on the mic.
6.	Carmella	5'5''	Good presence, charismatic, raw in the ring,

Time Away Well Spent

Bliss has been out of action for weeks with a broken nose. She emerged a far better wrestler than when she stepped offscreen. 

Her technical wrestling is better. Fans saw that when she flung Carmella around with an armdrag or took her to the mat with a headlock takedown. Bliss controlled the pace of the match and was the ring general here.

Credit: WWE.com

She delivered stunning forearm shots and rolled around smoothly in the ring.

Her in-ring arsenal was more varied than we have seen in the past. That includes a new finisher dubbed the Sparkle Splash. The twisting splash from the top rope looked excellent, as did many of her moves. 

Kudos to Bliss for putting in the time to take these strides. NXT officials have to be excited about where she progresses next.

Carmella is the better showman and talker at the moment, but she has some major catching up to do in terms of what happens on the canvas.