WWE NXT Big Board: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis for September 17

It was WWE NXT's second tier who shined the most on Wednesday's episode.

Solomon Crowe caught the audience's attention with bashing blows. Apollo Crews wowed with his otherworldly physical gifts. Tye Dillinger made a bout with Martin Stone more fun than it had any business being.

Finn Balor, Samoa Joe and other top NXT prospects not being in action opened the door for Crowe and Company to make their marks.

They did so despite competing in short matches and not having a feud or a spot on the upcoming NXT TakeOver: Respect card. Crowe, Crews and Dillinger maximized their minutes, though, and worked to close the gap between them and NXT's absolute best. 

As for the women's division, Bayley made sure there was no movement in those rankings. Her emotional return to Full Sail University with the women's title in hand cemented just how connected she is with the crowd, as well as the distance between her and the woman chasing her.

The following is a look at how NXT's best prospects rank in terms of their potential to be stars on the main roster. Mic work, ring skills, size, look, charisma and gimmick determine the rankings.

Male Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Finn Balor	5'11'', 190 lbs	Captivating in the ring, unique, marketable, serviceable talker.
2.	Samoa Joe	6'2'', 279 lbs	Versatile in-ring performer, great presence, strong mic work.
3.	Sami Zayn	6'1'', 205 lbs	Stellar showman, fun move set, great crowd connection, inconsistent talker.
4.	Tyler Breeze	6'0'', 190 lbs	Excellent heel work, makes most of gimmick, not elite in the ring, good presence.
5.	Apollo Crews	6'1'', 240 lbs	Top-notch athlete, great energy, versatile in the ring, unproven on the mic.
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	Impressive power, growing presence, needs to add to move set.
8.	Colin Cassady	6'10'', 276 lbs	Excels at working crowd, great size and look, solid charisma, in-ring work improving.
9.	Solomon Crowe	5'10'', 207 lbs	Excellent striker, good aggression, strong mic work, character in limbo at the moment.
10.	Simon Gotch	6'1'', 221 lbs	Continues to work gimmick into move set, fun ring work, good presence.
11.	Bull Dempsey	6'2'', 300 lbs	Comfortable on the mic, strong brawling, gimmick holding him back.
12.	Baron Corbin	6'8'', 275 lbs	Disappointing mic work, great look and size, struggling to connect with fans, high ceiling.
13.	Tye Dillinger	6'3'', 223 lbs	High energy, using gimmick well, growing fanbase, smooth in the ring.
14.	Enzo Amore	5'11'', 200 lbs	Great connection with crowd, elite charisma, low-level ring work.
15.	Chad Gable	5'8'', 187 lbs	Size is an issue, smooth ring work, improving charisma, good energy.
16.	Scott Dawson	5'10'', 224 lbs	Excellent ring psychology, good intensity, doesn't have much "it" factor.
17.	Aiden English	6'3'', 215 lbs	Solid charisma, decent ring work, Gotch overshadowing him.
18.	Dash Wilder	5'10'', 222 lbs	Aggressive ring work, good build, below-average charisma.
19.	Blake	6'1'', 240 lbs	Solid athlete, inconsistent ring work, so-so presence.
20.	Murphy	5'11'', 227 lbs	Poor mic work, explosive athlete, underwhelming charisma.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Mojo Rawley, Sawyer Fulton, Steve Cutler

Tye Dillinger Hitting Higher Gear

Dillinger's adoption of the Perfect 10 gimmick has been the equivalent of someone installing a race car engine in a station wagon. This new flashy, cocky character has transformed him. That continued on Wednesday night in a short contest against Stone.

The improving prospect is growing ever comfortable with his new shtick. Dillinger is showing great energy and captivating intensity.

After Stone socked him, he seemed to fill with electric rage. As he stared his foe down, it was hard not to be glued to the screen.

Credit: WWE.com

His connection with fans is growing, too. The chants for him are getting louder. The reactions he gets are growing more passionate.

That's not surprising given how fun the gimmick is and how well Dillinger is pulling it off.

Uncertainty Surrounding Baron Corbin 

The best word to describe Corbin's mic work is "mild."

He and Rhyno talked trash backstage, and it was jarring to see such a big, daunting figure have such little presence during an interview. That is just one of the things that must make officials unsure of his future. 

His ring work has been fine lately, but nothing eye-catching. And the NXT fans have turned on him. That was made painfully clear during Wednesday's tag match when, while he was going to battle, they chanted "We want Rhyno!"

Even taking into consideration how different NXT and casual WWE fans are, that's a bad sign.

Still, Corbin is too large and looks too imposing not to get every opportunity to succeed. How well he does going forward will depend on how well his character develops. The malevolent, fan-hating guy whom Corey Graves talks about during his commentary is one who can make an impact.

We just need to see more of that character come to life.

Corbin remains one of the more likely options for Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose's partner at Night of Champions. If that's the route WWE goes, he'll be far better off for it. Getting to work with those guys and mostly be the group's silent, brooding muscle will be huge for him.

Apollo Crews vs. Solomon Crowe Thoughts

Crews won a fun showdown with fellow former indy star Crowe. Each man looked good throughout the matchup.

There is a spark to Crews that makes him a highly valuable prospect. It goes beyond his awe-inspiring offense; Crews draws one's eyes toward him once he steps into the ring. 

Whether he skipped up off the mat like a cruiserweight or slung around his foe like a powerhouse, Crews kept making fans say, "Wow."

Credit: WWE.com

As for Crowe, he succeeded in improving his stock despite being Crews' stepping stone and despite Graves' giving him the Daniel Bryan treatment and dubbing him a "nerd."

Mostly it's Crowe's viciousness that makes him stand out. In his best highlight, he wrapped up Crews in the ring apron and assaulted him with hammering forearms. Overall, he was fiery and intense.

It's the direction of his character that will determine whether he flourishes or flops. Being smaller and unconventional-looking means that he, like Dillinger, needs to find the ideal gimmick to launch him forward. His current character isn't clear enough to do that.

Female Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Bayley	5'6''	Ever-increasing connection with fans, marketable to kids, excellent in-ring storyteller.
2.	Alexa Bliss	5'1''	Heel work improving, presence growing.
3.	Carmella	5'5''	Good showmanship, expanding in-ring repertoire, charismatic.
4.	Peyton Royce	5'7''	Solid mat work, in need of stronger gimmick.
5.	Dana Brooke	5'3''	Cutting back on overacting, excellent athlete, stiff on interviews, still raw in the ring.
6.	Billie Kay	5'8''	Underwhelming presence, solid worker, showmanship needs fine-tuning.

Early Looks at Prospects on The Way

With Bayley continuing to extend her lead among the NXT prospects and there not being a clear No. 2 behind her, it makes more sense to look ahead than to just sing her praises again.

Recent vignettes (like this one) have offered glimpses of Nia Jax. There's been no official date for her debut, but the videos suggest that she will be arriving soon.

She is a Goliath with big-time power. That will help her fill a void in the division and will make her stand out.

The other woman heading for NXT is Asuka (formerly Kana). Wednesday's NXT featured a short clip of her which promised that she will debut next week to sign her contract.

Asuka is a veteran of the Japanese wrestling circuit. She is a skilled ring worker who employs an array of suplexes and submissions holds. Her showmanship, though, makes her poised to be something special.

Like Balor, she has a knack for using spectacle and theatrics to make sure fans remember her.

When she and Jax step onto the scene, the division will change dramatically. Bayley's grip of the top spot won't be nearly as tight.