WWE NXT Big Board: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis for June 26

WWE NXT prospects are finding out that presentation is as key to success as any physical gift.

Finding the right persona and one's voice as a character makes a wrestler stand out. It enables a connection with the crowd that flips, clotheslines and hurling one's self around can't do alone. For Jason Jordan and Finn Balor, that's a big reason for their recent movement up the NXT big board.

Jordan is getting increasingly comfortable as a dismissive, frustrated heel. Balor, meanwhile, is benefiting from the skills of the WWE production team, which made a three-part video helping to build the bridge from performer to fan.

Bull Dempsey is traveling in the opposite direction. Made to play a lazy, sandwich-loving oaf, he's losing momentum each week.

The following is a look at where Dempsey, Jordan and others now rank on the list of the most appealing and promotion-ready prospects. A combination of look, ring work, mic skills, size and gimmick determines the order.

Note: Although Owens is still listed as an NXT wrestler on WWE.com, he is clearly in transition to the main roster with his recent appearances on Raw, SmackDown and WWE pay-per-views. He is no longer considered a prospect for the sake of these rankings.

Male Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Finn Balor	5'11'', 190lbs	Fluid in the ring, gimmick coming together, high-level showmanship.
2.	Sami Zayn	6'1'', 205 lbs	Excellent showman, fun move set, inconsistent on the mic.
3.	Samoa Joe	6'2'', 279 lbs	Top-notch presence, great intensity, excellent in the ring.
4.	Baron Corbin	6'8'', 275 lbs	Expanding in-ring repertoire, tremendous presence, plenty of "it" factor, great look.
5.	Tyler Breeze	6'0'', 190 lbs	Newer moves awkward for now, works gimmick extremely well, quick, good showmanship.
6.	Hideo Itami	5'9'', 182 lbs	Showing more charisma, making progress as mic worker, electric in the ring.
7.	Jason Jordan	6'3'', 245 lbs	Intense, fluid, good presence, great look.
8.	Solomon Crowe	5'10'', 207 lbs	Strong character, high-level mic work, unique in-ring style.
9.	Enzo Amore	5'11'', 200 lbs	Funniest prospect, highly charismatic, inconsistent in the ring.
10.	Colin Cassady	6'10'', 276 lbs	Good energy, charismatic, moves well for big man.
11.	Simon Gotch	6'1'', 221 lbs	Good connection with crowd, standout showman, underwhelming in the ring.
12.	Bull Dempsey	6'2'', 300 lbs	Current gimmick is killing momentum, good brawler, inconsistent intensity, strong mic work.
13.	Scott Dawson	5'10'', 224 lbs	Versatile/dependable ring worker, lacks "it" factor, better suited for tag team role.
14.	Aiden English	6'3'', 215 lbs	Acting background aids him, works gimmick well, struggling to stand out.
15.	Tye Dillinger	6'3'', 223 lbs	Solid showman, solid ring worker, gimmick beginning to come together.
16.	Blake	6'1'', 240 lbs	Showing swagger, good athlete, unpolished ring work.
17.	Murphy	5'11'', 227 lbs	Explosive athlete, lacks presence, limited on the mic.
18.	Dash Wilder	5'10'', 222 lbs	Strong ring work, good build, below-average charisma.
19.	Mike Rallis	6'2'', 246 lbs	Good striker, explosive, skilled at selling, not standing out yet.
20.	Chad Gable	5'8'', 187 lbs	Top-notch technical wrestler, improving presence, in process of finding voice.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Mojo Rawley, Marcus Louis and Angelo Dawkins.

Jordan Continues to Rise

Since parting ways with Tye Dillinger, Jordan has grown into an increasingly compelling performer.

He's always had a marketable look and obvious athletic gifts. He's since added bulk, improved his ring work overall and, most noticeably, become much a much better heel.

That was on display in his tag team match on Wednesday's NXT. Going up against Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady, he wore a nasty snarl. He bashed his foes with clubbing forearms, looked convincingly disgusted by his own partner and pushed the referee in frustration.

Jordan has clearly been studying the nuances of the mat game.

His presence in the ring is growing as well. More and more, he outshines his competition in terms of star power. Sylvester Lefort, for example, faded into the background on Wednesday night thanks to Jordan.

When Balor, Sami Zayn and Hideo Itami make the jump to the main roster, count on Jordan being among the wrestlers making a push to take their spots atop the NXT hierarchy.

Learning More About Balor

WWE's commitment to introducing fans to Balor has him sitting atop the rankings.

On Wednesday's NXT, the second part of a three-part series about Balor's path to NXT aired. The video focused on his time in Japan and his rise to prominence with New Japan Pro Wrestling.

It's smart of the company to build so much of his persona around his real-life accomplishments. Rather than force him to work some ill-fitting gimmick, WWE is fusing his understated personality with his background.

The behind-the-scenes look at Balor showed him to be funnier than one would expect. He came off as likable and quietly charismatic in a Daniel Bryan sort of way. 

This, combined with the more theatrical promos for the July 4 show in Japan, has Balor feeling like both a comic book character and a guy that fans can relate to.

And as usual, he knocked it out of the park with his ring work. He battled Rhyno in Wednesday's NXT, showing off his ability to draw fans in via selling, high flying and passion.

Other Notes

Enzo Amore can turn just about anything into comedy gold. His trash-talking session on the latest NXT included a Mario Bros. reference that would have fallen flat coming from just about anyone else.

He sometimes relies too much on repeating the same routine. Adding more new lines like this one about stomping his foes like Mario stomps mushrooms would keep things fresh.

Dempsey's slob gimmick is hurting him badly. As a brawler and a human wrecking ball, he thrives. Asking him to lie around with open bags of potato chips on his belly is a mistake.

His chances of success decline in a big way going this route.

Mojo Rawley's descent into ridiculousness continues. He's added a squirmy dance and double ax-handle move to an in-ring arsenal that desperately needed more hard-hitting items, not more antics. He's getting harder to root for as he gets more cheesy.

Rawley is looking more and more like a lost cause despite his athletic potential.

Female Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Sasha Banks	5'5''	Tremendous in the ring, making big strides as a talker, thrives as heel, complete prospect.
2.	Charlotte	5'10''	Excellent presence, good in-ring psychology, high ceiling.
3.	Becky Lynch	5'6''	Thrives when asked to be herself, proving to be a big-match performer, good submission work.
4.	Bayley	5'6''	Strong crowd connection, works gimmick well, improving in the ring.
5.	Carmella	5'5''	Big presence, charismatic, can overact at times, improving in the ring.
6.	Alexa Bliss	5'1''	Solid heel, striking needs work, awkward at times in the ring, good presence.
7.	Cassie	5'7''	Strong seller, fluid in the ring, generic gimmick as of now.
8.	Dana Brooke	5'3''	Good intensity, overacting often, stilted on the mic.
9.	Jessie McKay	5'8''	Looked uncomfortable/awkward in her debut, good intensity.

Cassie vs. Dana Brooke

Brooke won their match on Wednesday's NXT, but Cassie is the winner in terms of climbing the rankings.

Despite Cassie playing a steppingstone here, she was the one who most impressed and looked like she could be a force in the women's division moving forward.

For one, she is ahead of Brooke in terms of ring work. Her offense is smoother and more natural-looking. Whether she was executing a headscissors or transitioning into an armbar, she looked confident and moved fluidly.

Credit: WWE.com

She had a brief comeback that had plenty of babyface fire.

All that moves Cassie ahead of Brooke despite the lack of a gimmick and not yet getting any mic time. The Total Diva may be getting more attention from NXT offiicals, but the fans clearly aren't sold on her yet.

As she battled Cassie, Brooke received a split reaction from the crowd, with some folks chanting "Dana sucks!"

She has come off as spazzy. Her acting has been poor. Her promos feel wooden.

WWE clearly likes her, though. She's the one getting vignettes, not Cassie. Brooke has plenty of work ahead of her to prove the company right for being so confident in her.