WWE NXT Big Board: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis for July 3

With all the buzz crackling around WWE NXT about Finn Balor's chance at gold on the Fourth of July, don't ignore what prospects like Tye Dillinger and Scott Dawson are doing.

Under dimmer spotlights and with less hype surrounding them, those wrestlers continue to work hard to get noticed. They are both making strides as performers, pushing and clawing their way up the NXT ladder. WWE's developmental brand is rich with star power, so lesser-known names like Dillinger and Dawson have a steeper incline ahead of them. 

And both men climbed well on Wednesday's NXT.

The following is a look at where they, Balor and others rank on the list of NXT's top prospects. To determine which grapplers are most ready for the main roster and who has the highest ceiling once they get there, we look at ring work, mic skills, gimmick, look and charisma. 

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'', 190 lbs	Pulls in audience, great showmanship, highly athletic, understated personality.
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	Convincing striker, aggressive, great presence.
5.	Tyler Breeze	6'0'', 190 lbs	Maximizes gimmick, fluid and quick, ring work not at top prospects' level.
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.	Scott Dawson	5'10'', 224 lbs	Adept at both brawling and mat wrestling, tough-guy aura, aggressive, below-average "it" factor.
12.	Simon Gotch	6'1'', 221 lbs	Fun showman, good athlete, not producing standout in-ring performances.
13.	Bull Dempsey	6'2'', 300 lbs	Being made a joke with current gimmick, strong on the mic, skilled brawler.
14.	Tye Dillinger	6'3'', 223 lbs	Steadily improving overall, gimmick still in progress, skilled seller.
15.	Aiden English	6'3'', 215 lbs	Good actor, works gimmick well, struggling to stand out.
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.

Gritty Dawson Needs More Airtime

It says a lot that in a match that also featured a mustached strongman and a team with a cartoony, old-time gimmick, Dawson is the one who stood out the most. It was his fists and edge that made him the star of his and Dash Wilder's clash with The Vaudevillains. 

Dawson again showed that he is just as comfortable in a slugfest as he is in a more technical bout.

He pegged his foes with precise strikes. He transitioned from one move to the next with great fluidity. He played the part of ring general.

In addition to this quality ring work, he displayed more presence than usual. Dawson was the most interesting figure in the match as a result.

He's finding the happy balance between overstated and over the top. 

Dawson could well be the kind of versatile worker that serves as a roster's glue. He doesn't have the kind of "it" factor that a top star requires, but he looks to be a wrestler you can plug to provide depth and assure oneself of a good match each time out.

Dillinger's Progress Continues

You can hear the difference in how the fans at Full Sail University are reacting to Dillinger. Once ignored and overlooked, Dillinger is starting to garner chants and fan signs. 

That's partly thanks to his "Perfect 10" gimmick he's been employing at house shows, but it's also a result of him beginning to evolve as a performer.

He's always been a strong seller, a skill he showed off again in a short outing against Tyler Breeze on Wednesday's NXT. Beyond that, though, he had more of a snap to his offense overall. His level of aggression stood out as well.

Credit: WWE.com

As he stomped on Breeze's chest, Dillinger popped on-screen.

Like Dawson, he's showing NXT officials that he needs to be showcased more. Longer matches and more time in the spotlight will help him continue to find his voice.

Selling Balor

Balor is poised to do big things on the main roster for a number of reasons, from his leaping ability to his innovative move set. He has an asset in addition to those that most of his peers have to be jealous of: being marketable.

NXT aired the third part in its three-part series on Balor on Wednesday's show. In it, images of fan art, kids in Balor T-shirts and the athletic dynamo donning a fang-covered bandanna dotted the documentary.

This is where Balor has a head start over his NXT counterparts. He has a brand. He has a cool look.

WWE can hawk Balor bandannas, put his demon character on wristbands and he's a wrestler born to be made into an action figure. That's an element of a wrestler's repertoire that doesn't get discussed often enough, but it has certainly been part of the successful formula of guys like John Cena and Rey Mysterio.

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.	Carmella	5'5''	Showing improvement as a ring worker, strong presence, good showmanship.
5.	Bayley	5'6''	Strong crowd connection, works gimmick well, 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.

Carmella Expanding Her Repertoire

When she first appeared at NXT, Carmella was clearly a star despite being mighty raw in the ring.

She pulled in the crowd and had a strong stage presence. She's beginning to make a mat game to go along with those skills.

Credit: WWE.com

Going up against Emma, Carmella showed off more moves than we're used to seeing from her.

In addition, she looked more comfortable in the ring overall. This was one of her longer bouts to date and she did well to make each moment during it to count. Whether she was yanking on Emma's arm or showboating, she grabbed hold of the audience's attention.

Look for her to keep climbing. She's clearly a fast learner.