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

Wednesday night's edition of WWE NXT was the kind of show that had to have officials watching backstage with wide, beaming grins on their faces.

A host of prospects continued to make big-time progress. Nia Jax looked more like a beast. Baron Corbin looked more like the elite prospect he is supposed to be. Jason Jordan looked more like a superhuman in the midst of a battle right out of a comic book.

Those wrestlers joined Samoa Joe in having impressive showings as NXT inches closer toward the TakeOver special in London. 

The following is a look at where they and their peers sit in the NXT pecking order. Determining who is most ready to jump to and thrive on the main roster requires a look at the wrestlers' gimmicks, sizes, ring work, mic skills and charisma.

Solomon Crowe is no longer competing to climb the list of best prospects. PWInsider's Mike Johnson reported that Crowe has left the company.

Liv Morgan (formerly Gionna Daddio), meanwhile, hops onto the rankings this week after her official debut.

Male Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Samoa Joe	6'2'', 279 lbs	Elite presence, off-the-charts intensity, excellent talker, thrives as heel or face.
2.	Finn Balor	5'11'', 190 lbs	Excellent showman, highly marketable, "it" factor aplenty, top-notch athlete.
3.	Sami Zayn	6'1'', 205 lbs	Superb showman, fun move set, great crowd connection, inconsistent talker.
4.	Apollo Crews	6'1'', 240 lbs	Showing impressive fire, stunning athleticism, promo skills slowly improving.
5.	Baron Corbin	6'8'', 275 lbs	Strong presence, growing smoother in the ring, inconsistent overall.
6.	Jason Jordan	6'3'', 245 lbs	Stellar athlete, adding to move set, impressive power.
7.	Colin Cassady	6'10'', 276 lbs	Good movement for big man, intense, strong connection with crowd.
8.	Hideo Itami	5'9'', 182 lbs	Showing more charisma, making progress as mic worker, electric in the ring.
9.	James Storm	6'0'', 230 lbs	Excellent presence, skilled brawler, has lost a step since his prime.
10.	Chad Gable	5'8'', 187 lbs	Making mat wrestling fun, great energy, OK comic timing.
11.	Scott Dawson	5'10'', 224 lbs	Skilled striker, excellent tag team psychology, mic work is serviceable.
12.	Simon Gotch	6'1'', 221 lbs	Fun move set, strong character work, good charisma.
13.	Tye Dillinger	6'3'', 223 lbs	Found ideal gimmick, works crowd well, average mat worker.
14.	Enzo Amore	5'11'', 200 lbs	Highly charismatic, poor in the ring, better suited as a manager.
15.	Dash Wilder	5'10'', 222 lbs	Thriving in tag team role, good striker, below-average on promos.
16.	Aiden English	6'3'', 215 lbs	Solid all-around, struggling to stand out.
17.	Bull Dempsey	6'2'', 300 lbs	Moving further toward comedy territory, strong bruiser when allowed to be, surprising athleticism.
18.	Sawyer Fulton	6'8'', 285 lbs	Aggressive, good size, needs to find right gimmick.
19.	Mojo Rawley	6'4'', 290 lbs	Failing to develop layers to character, limited move set, promising athleticism.
20.	Blake	6'1'', 240 lbs	Lacks presence, solid ring work, good aggression at times.

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

Baron Corbin Gaining Ground

Corbin blasted Tye Dillinger in a quick, one-sided contest.

The Lone Wolf's power moves most stood out. He executed them with more force than usual and transitioned smoothly from weapon to weapon. All of it looked good.

As Sean Rueter wrote for Cageside Seats, "His finisher, the side slam, his neckbreaker, even the lariat...these are Baron's art."

Corbin adding to his arsenal is a welcome sight, too. At one point, he flipped Dillinger onto his back and came down with a right hand as the showoff sat up. And little things like pressing his knee into Dillinger's neck as he gloats are key to rounding out matches and his character.

As a stalking predator and a badass with no respect for his opponent, Corbin looked mighty good here. He hasn't shown himself to be consistent yet, though. WWE is going to need to see that he brings this level of performance on a regular basis. 

Bank on Jason Jordan

Chad Gable has been grabbing the bulk of the attention of late, but Jordan reminded us of his own potential on Wednesday night.

Going up against The Vaudevillains, he strung together moves really well. His energy crackled on screen. His power was awe-worthy.

He started throwing around Aiden English and Scott Dawson like he was performing a human juggling act.

Like Corbin, Jordan has added a few moves to his toolbox. One of those was a suplex where he hooked Gotch's leg before flinging him onto the canvas. Adding variety to bouts like this will make him more appealing.

This was one of Jordan's better performances, a foot-on-the-pedal effort where he stood out among the four men in the ring. Count on seeing more of this from him. His ceiling is immensely high.

The Time is Now for Samoa Joe

Finn Balor is the better long-term prospect. Joe is making it clear that he's NXT's best right now.

WWE likely doesn't plan on promoting The Samoan Submission Machine. He's played the role of adding extra power and providing a veteran presence at NXT, much like Rhyno has. But as officials watch Joe's excellence at Full Sail University, how can they not envision the wreckage he would cause on the main roster?

He and Tommaso Ciampa turned a glorified squash match into one of the week's most exciting contests. 

Joe turned up his aggression to an eye-catching level. As Voice of Wrestling's Alex Wendland wrote, "Joe opened the match with the strongest striking display we've seen from him since coming to NXT." The powerhouse looked like an angry bear swatting a hapless human being to the mat.

Seething from bell to bell, Joe commanded the audience's attention. 

He came off like a marquee star despite being booked in a match that should have just been average. Balor is the more marketable wrestler and is two years younger, but Joe continues to prove that he would flourish against WWE's best.

At NXT TakeOver: London, Balor and Joe collide, a battle that in addition to deciding the NXT Championship will be a head-to-head look at NXT's two best assets.

Female Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Bayley	5'6''	Elite in-ring storyteller, great connection with crowd, fun energy, inconsistent on the mic.
2.	Alexa Bliss	5'1''	Convincing heel, improving as striker, excellent viciousness.
3.	Emma	5'5''	Excellent in the ring, good intensity, slightly above average on the mic.
4.	Asuka	5'3''	Strong striker, excellent at submissions, doesn't speak English well yet.
5.	Nia Jax	6'0''	Strong presence, fierce, not as intimidating as she should be.
6.	Carmella	5'5''	Decent in the ring, strong charisma, good facial expressions.
7.	Eva Marie	5'8''	Outright hated by NXT fans, star look, miles to go in the ring.
8.	Dana Brooke	5'3''	Painfully bad actor, highly athletic, stiff in the ring.
9.	Billie Kay	5'8''	Good power, intensity needs work, OK presence.
10.	Liv Morgan	5'4''	Strong showmanship, smooth in the ring, underwhelming presence as of now.
11.	Peyton Royce	5'7''	Awkward in the ring, stiff on the mic, has star quality, high ceiling if ring skills improve.

Fierceness Growing

The Rock sees a bright future ahead for Jax. He posted on his Facebook page, "You guys keep an eye out for my cousin...one day she'll do big things." Seeing her dismantle Blue Pants, it's hard to argue with him.

Jax's power alone will have her stand out. She hammered Blue Pants with hard strikes and a series of high-impact moves. As she's shown in the past, there's a ferocity and fury to her work that pops on-screen.

Still, she has some small items to work on. 

That smile that is supposed to be an evil grin isn't working. It's more awkward than fearsome. And she's not as vicious in the ring as she should be. Yes, she barreled over Blue Pants, but she needs to also tear at her foe's hair, grind her elbow into an opponent's temple and just be more William Regal-esque nasty.

The more she can tap into that, the more convincing of a monster she will be.

Introducing Liv Morgan

Although she appeared on NXT TV once before, this was the first time the company presented her as Morgan, gave her an entrance and treated her like more than just a faceless jobber.

The bout was meant to showcase Emma, so Morgan didn't do a whole bunch.

What she did get to show of her skills was solid. She boasts a bouncy energy and good athleticism. Morgan also did well to focus intently on her opponent, helping to draw the audience in.

Emma, though, overshadowed her. The Australian pulled in one's eyes more often. She had the stronger presence throughout.

How much of that is because Emma was supposed to be the star here, prepping for a showdown with Asuka at NXT TakeOver: London, and how much was because of Morgan? It's too early to answer that.

The newcomer joins a crowded, talented women's division where it's going to take being special to sit anywhere near the top of the ladder.