WWE NXT Big Board: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis for May 1

Becky Lynch forced her way up the WWE NXT big board; Kevin Owens continues to close in on Sami Zayn.

Wednesday's NXT showcased the Divas division, as Dana Brooke, Carmella, Bayley and Alexa Bliss all appeared in some form. It was Lynch, though, who impressed most. The No. 1 contender to the NXT Women's Championship is finding her voice and is consequently entering the "best NXT Diva" conversation.

Owens once again played a dismissive predator, shrugging his shoulders at the potential challenges coming his way. The NXT champ also showed off several different shades of his character, proving to WWE that he's no one-dimensional monster.

Enzo Amore and Wesley Blake climbed the NXT rankings as well. The following is a look at that unending race to claim the top spot in WWE's developmental brand.

Progress in terms of ring work, mic skills, gimmick, size, look and charisma decide the order of where these prospects fall. Only wrestlers who have debuted on TV are considered.

The Superstars

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Sami Zayn	6'1'', 205 lbs	NXT's best seller, tremendous connection with the crowd, highly athletic, fun move set.
2.	Kevin Owens	6'0", 266 lbs	Top-notch brawler, intimidating presence, NXT's best talker, showing versatility as of late.
3.	Hideo Itami	5'9'', 182 lbs	Excellent striker, exciting in-ring style, growing more comfortable at NXT every day.
4.	Finn Balor	5'11'', 179 lbs	Fantastic athlete, high-level showman, fluid ring work, needs to show more of his personality.
5.	Baron Corbin	6'8'', 275 lbs	Raw prospect with high ceiling, great presence, showing promise on the mic.
6.	Tyler Breeze	6'0'', 190 lbs	Good in the ring, works gimmick really well, not coming off as big of a star as his peers.
7.	Bull Dempsey	6'2'', 300 lbs	Aggressive, works heel role well, strong in the ring, excellent on the mic.
8.	Solomon Crowe	5'10'', 207 lbs	Top-flight striker, good energy, standout look, well-rounded.
9.	Enzo Amore	5'11'', 200 lbs	Rare level of presence, charisma is off the charts, ring work is subpar, better suited as a manager.
10.	Colin Cassady	6'10'', 276 lbs	Size will aid him, good charisma, has only shown limited move set.
11.	Jason Jordan	6'3'', 245 lbs	Good athlete, marketable look, solid ring work, becoming more aggressive.
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.	Buddy Murphy	5'11'', 227 lbs	Explosive, good look, becoming more relaxed on the mic.
14.	Aiden English	6'3'', 215 lbs	Charismatic, works gimmick well, acting background aids him, average in the ring.
15.	Scott Dawson	5'10'', 224 lbs	Excellent mat worker, fits better as part of tag team, lacks "it" factor.
16.	Tye Dillinger	6'3'', 223 lbs	Good showman, solid ring worker, gimmick beginning to come together.
17	Wesley Blake	6'1'', 240 lbs	Solid athlete, ring work unpolished at times, showing more aggression recently.
18.	Chad Gable	5'8'', 185 lbs	High-level technical wrestler, unproven on mic, size is an issue.
19.	Mojo Rawley	6'4'', 290 lbs	Great athletic potential, very raw and limited in the ring, one-dimensional on the mic.
20.	Dash Wilder	5'10'', 222 lbs	Strong ring work, good build, below-average charisma.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Angelo Dawkins, Marcus Louis and Sawyer Fulton.

Owens' Versatility on Display

His initial persona has been that of an unfeeling bruiser on a mission to provide for his family by any means necessary. Fans of Owens' work outside of NXT, however, know that he can handle other roles beyond that.

As he opened this week's NXT, he showed WWE officials he can be more than a monster heel.

Credit: WWE.com

He was a jerk at times and a coward at others. When fans chanted for Zayn, he scoffed "that's cute." When confronted with his rival, he thrived as the traditional slippery heel who avoids a fight.

WWE has to love to see that. The more options with which he provides WWE Creative, the better chance he has of success.

Enzo is Special

Amore's flaws are hard to conceal.

He's limited in the ring. He's a below-average athlete. In addition, he oversells, making the action cartoony by overdoing his facial expressions.

Still, he has to be considered one of NXT's best assets. One just has to evaluate him differently. His magnetic energy and comic timing are miles better than what his peers have to offer.

Ranking him next to guys such as Bull Dempsey and Solomon Crowe is difficult, though. Those men can bring it in the ring. Amore is clearly better suited to being a manager and a personality rather than an actual wrestler.

With the current roster lacking in standout managers, there's a void Amore could fill and do so with a style all his own.

Other Notes

Baron Corbin delivered a strong pre-taped promo. His gimmick will allow him to say little live and just speak, as he did Wednesday night, in vignettes.

His presence in the ring is top-notch; his presence on the mic looks good so far as well.

Hideo Itami hit a number of soft clotheslines in his matchup. For a man who has built a career out of knocking people silly, that's a surprise. He's likely just trying to find the balance between stoning guys, as he did in Japan, and working a more WWE-friendly style.

Wesley Blake showing the aggression he did against Amore and Colin Cassady is a welcome sight. He stomped on his foes in the corner with the kind of nastiness one looks for in a heel.

Officials needs to see more of this from him going forward.

The Divas

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Sasha Banks	5'5''	Excellent showmanship, polished ring work, more than ready to move to main roster.
2.	Charlotte	5'10''	Adding to her move set, huge upside, great presence, athletic, excellent in the ring.
3.	Becky Lynch	5'6''	Emerging as one of division's best ring workers, becoming more natural on the mic, uses athleticism well.
4.	Bayley	5'6''	Uses facial expressions well, excellent connection with crowd, ring work needs fine-tuning.
5.	Carmella	5'5''	Great presence, charismatic, raw/limited in the ring.
6.	Alexa Bliss	5'1''	Ring inexperience showing, good energy/presence, solid talker.
7.	Dana Brooke	5'3''	Lots of potential, unpolished showmanship, impressive athlete.

Early Promise from Dana

Dana looked better against Bayley than she did in her first outing. She was plenty aggressive and clamped on a few strong submission holds.

Credit: WWE.com

Her athletic skills were on display as well. She did a handstand and choked Bayley with her legs. Not every Diva can pull that off.

WWE has plenty to be happy about from her performance, but it also saw evidence that it needs to be patient with her. Some of her movements were unnatural; it looked as if she was following the steps of a new dance at times.

At one point, she attempted a sultry expression, but it came off as awkward instead.

Even so, she remains a prospect to keep an eye on. The more polished she gets in the ring, the more we will see her physical gifts help her ascend NXT.

The Real Becky Lynch Is Standing Up

When Lynch worked the indy circuit, she looked as if she was on the cusp of greatness. That had yet to be the case in NXT. Some of her energy and magnetism got lost in translation.

It's now emerging.

In a backstage interview, she was the most compelling she has been in NXT to date. This felt more like herself and not a put-on gimmick. She attacked her lines, and that confidence powered a strong promo.

Up against a visiting Sarah Dobson, she impressed again. The match flowed well. Lynch evoked William Regal by rubbing her forearm against Dobson's brow.

Credit: WWE.com

This was the most Lynch has looked like a bruiser. Playing down her rocker gimmick helped too. Moving away from that is a good idea; there's a better fit of a persona to be had.

When she takes on Sasha Banks for the women's title, she will have her biggest opportunity yet to make a statement. It's looking more and more like it will be an emphatic one.