WWE NXT Big Board: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis for July 24

A mass exodus has shifted the power structure in the WWE NXT women's division in a major way. The No. 1 beneficiary of the transformation? Bayley.

With Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and Charlotte now fighting their battles on the main roster, Bayley is left as the most well-rounded, most capable female prospect at WWE's developmental brand. She announced on Wednesday's NXT that she intends to go hunting for the NXT women's title. She's the best option to claim that prize from the recently promoted Banks.

Meanwhile, Finn Balor maintains his hold on the top spot of the men's side of the roster. 

There is little movement at the top of the big board, but recent strong work from Chad Gable has him traveling upward. Sawyer Fulton, Mike Rallis and Simon Gotch are among those who made us take notice, for better or worse, in their contests on the latest edition of NXT.

The following is a look at the current standings of those wrestlers and the rest of the NXT talent pool in terms of who is most ready to follow Kevin Owens to Raw and SmackDown. Projecting how much one can produce post-promotion is also considered. Rankings are determined by a combo of ring work, mick skills, look, size, gimmick and "it" factor.

Male Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Finn Balor	5'11'', 190 lbs	Has "guys want to be him/ladies love him" factor, top-tier ring worker, stellar athlete, marketable.
2.	Sami Zayn	6'1'', 205 lbs	Excellent showman, fun move set, good crowd connection, inconsistent on the mic.
3.	Samoa Joe	6'2'', 279 lbs	Top-notch presence, great intensity, excellent in the ring.
4.	Tyler Breeze	6'0'', 190 lbs	Strong character work, maximizes gimmick, above-average in the ring.
5.	Baron Corbin	6'8'', 275 lbs	Questions about what he can do in lengthy match, top-notch presence, good aggression.
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	High ceiling, getting better in the ring, good look.
8.	Solomon Crowe	5'10'', 207 lbs	Good sense of his character, vicious in the ring, high ceiling if showcased.
9.	Colin Cassady	6'10'', 276 lbs	Great size, good charisma, limited in the ring.
10.	Scott Dawson	5'10'', 224 lbs	Adept at both brawling and mat wrestling, tough-guy aura, aggressive, below-average "it" factor.
11.	Enzo Amore	5'11'', 200 lbs	Below-average ring work, great charisma, better suited as a manager.
12.	Bull Dempsey	6'2'', 300 lbs	Being made a joke with current gimmick, strong on the mic, skilled brawler.
13.	Simon Gotch	6'1'', 221 lbs	Working gimmick into move set more, entertaining character, not a standout in-ring performer.
14.	Aiden English	6'3'', 215 lbs	Good actor, not consistent in the ring, uses gimmick in interviews well.
15.	Tye Dillinger	6'3'', 223 lbs	Will improve once "10" gimmick gets moved to TV, good storyteller, not an elite athlete.
16.	Chad Gable	5'8'', 187 lbs	Smooth mat work, swagger growing, size will be an issue.
17.	Blake	6'1'', 240 lbs	New look is ill-fitting, showing more swagger, good athlete, unpolished ring work.
18.	Murphy	5'11'', 227 lbs	Explosive athlete, lacks presence, limited on the mic.
19.	Dash Wilder	5'10'', 222 lbs	Strong ring work, good build, below-average charisma.
20.	Mike Rallis	6'2'', 246 lbs	Inconsistent offensively, good look, not showing a ton of presence.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Sawyer Fulton, Steve Cutler, Elias Samson

Balor's Appeal Growing

Balor didn't compete on Wednesday night. He still managed to firm up his position as NXT's top prospect, though.

A big part of that is aura. Sure he's only solid on the mic, but when he strolled down the entrance ramp and stared Owens in the face, one couldn't help but lean in. Dressed in a suit and sneakers, with the NXT title in his hands, Balor exuded cool.

That's going to come in handy when trying to pull in young male viewers who wish they could step into his boots. His handsomeness, Irish accent and stylish look won't hurt in getting female fans to pay attention either.

Balor's presence is extending outside of his in-ring performances. Getting more emotive as a speaker will push him even further, but he has plenty of other skills to counterbalance mic work that has thus far been nothing special.

A Tale of Two Strikers

In separate matchups, Rallis and Fulton reminded us how important being able to convincingly clock a foe is to being successful.

For Fulton, it was his hard-hitting, clubbing offense that had him draw in fans' eyes during his tag team match against The Vaudevillains. It wasn't as if he was the star of that bout, but he did generate some "oohs" from the crowd.

Being a big, bad bruiser is his best bet for upward movement. That style suits him.

Credit: WWE.com

Rallis, on the other hand, faced off against Samoa Joe and looked ineffective when trading blows with his more high-profile opponent. He became an afterthought in the action thanks partly to a series of weak kicks and halfhearted punches.

He's got a good build and has shown good aggression in the past. This outing, though, was a missed opportunity to make officials pay attention to him.

Other Notes

With Angelo Dawkins squeezed tight in a headlock, Gotch whipped out an odd new move. He smacked Dawkins' head with his foot, more a silly smacking than a kick. This was one of the more fun elements he brought to the fight.

Going further in this direction will up Gotch's stock. He has to embrace the oddness and uniqueness of his gimmick and make it a bigger part of his bouts.

Aiden English's offense looked crisper overall. He had more energy and intensity than he has on a regular basis. 

This needs to happen more often.

Steve Cutler again found himself dispatched by a foe in quick time. He looks like a good athlete with some skills in the ring, but he's certainly not getting any chances to show that off. It's hard to gauge what he's capable of until he's on stage for a longer stretch.

Female Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Bayley	5'6''	Strong connection with the crowd, top-notch seller, good in-ring storyteller, works gimmick well.
2.	Carmella	5'5''	Showing improvement as a ring worker, strong presence, good showmanship.
3.	Alexa Bliss	5'1''	Solid heel, striking needs work, awkward at times in the ring, good presence.
4.	Cassie	5'7''	Strong seller, not standing out, no real character yet.
5.	Jessie McKay	5'8''	Good intensity, hasn't shown much presence yet, unproven commodity overall.
6.	Dana Brooke	5'3''	Poor actor, inconsistent in the ring, above-average presence.

Bayley Set to Reign

Bayley has always had a kid-friendly character and a strong connection with the crowd. She's been strong in the ring as well. She just had trouble surpassing elite talents like Banks and Charlotte.

Three call-ups later and suddenly she finds herself atop the division.

Perhaps energized by that fact, Bayley looked particularly good in a showdown with Emma. She sold extremely well, generating a good amount of sympathy. That's a skill she excels at and will be key to her success.

She's a top-notch babyface when it comes to comebacks or making the beating she's taking significant.

As she attempts to climb into contention for the women's title, we'll no doubt see plenty of both those elements of her game. These next few bouts as she nears an expected collision with Banks are a major shot for her to have WWE second-guess their decision to leave her out of the current "Divas revolution" storyline.