ROH Top Prospect Tournament

The Top Prospect Tournament is an annual professional wrestling tournament held by Ring of Honor since 2011. The inaugural tournament took place in 2011 and has occurred every year since except for 2012 and 2018.[1]

Format

Aspiring ROH wrestlers compete in a variety of "qualifying" singles matches with the winner(s) of each match advancing to the next round. There are three rounds, with the winner of the Top Prospect Tournament receiving a Ring of Honor contract and a shot at a Ring of Honor championship.

History

The tournament started in 2011 with the goal of giving rising wrestlers a chance of getting an ROH contract and displaying their talents for the promotion. In 2011, the first winner of the tournament was Mike Bennett, who went on to become an ROH mainstay. After a one-year break, the tournament returned in 2013 with the winner getting a chance at Adam Cole's ROH World Television Championship. The winner of the 2013 tournament was Matt Taven, who associated himself with Truth Martini and captured Cole's championship at the 11th Anniversary Show. He went on to become the longest reigning Television Champion in ROH history since the title's inception in 2010 before losing it to Tommaso Ciampa.

In 2014, Hanson won the tournament by defeating future tag team partner Raymond Rowe in the finals. In 2015, Donovan Dijak won a Ring of Honor contract after beating Will Ferrara. In 2016, Lio Rush defeated Brian Fury to win the tournament and instead gained an ROH World Championship opportunity against Jay Lethal.[2] Rush lost the match and left ROH less than two years later. Josh Woods is the current winner of the Top Prospect Tournament.

By 2018, all former tournament winners except Taven and Woods would leave ROH and be under contract with WWE, with Bennett going straight to the main roster while the rest would debut with NXT.

List of winners

Tournament history

2011

ROH's first Top Prospect Tournament took place in January 2011.

First round Semi-finals Final
         
Kyle O'Reilly Pin
Jonathan Gresham
Kyle O'Reilly
Michael Elgin
Michael Elgin Pin
Bobby Dempsey
Kyle O'Reilly
Mike Bennett
Mike Bennett Pin
Adam Cole
Mike Bennett Pin
Andy Ridge
Andy Ridge
Grizzly Redwood

2013

ROH's second Top Prospect Tournament took place in January and February 2013.

First round Semi-finals Final
         
TaDarius Thomas
Antonio Thomas
TaDarius Thomas
Q.T. Marshall
Q.T. Marshall
Mike Sydal
TaDarius Thomas
Matt Taven
Silas Young
Adam Page
Silas Young
Matt Taven
Matt Taven
ACH

2014

ROH's third Top Prospect Tournament took place in January and February 2014.

First round Semi-finals Final
         
Raymond Rowe
Kongo
Raymond Rowe
Corey Hollis
Corey Hollis
Mike Posey
Raymond Rowe
Hanson
Andrew Everett
The Romantic Touch
Andrew Everett
Hanson
Hanson
Cheeseburger

2015

ROH's fourth Top Prospect Tournament took place in January and February 2015.

First round Semi-finals Final
         
Donovan Dijak
Jake Dirden
Donovan Dijak
Ashley Sixx
Ashley Sixx
Dalton Castle
Donovan Dijak
Will Ferrara
Will Ferrara
J. Diesel
Will Ferrara
Beer City Bruiser
Beer City Bruiser
Mikey Webb

2016

ROH's fifth Top Prospect Tournament was announced in December 2015 as happening January 9.[7]

First round Semi-finals Final
         
Lio Rush
Jason Kincaid
Lio Rush
Punisher Martinez
Punisher Martinez[8]
Colby Corino
Lio Rush
Brian Fury
Action Ortiz
Leon St. Giovanni
Action Ortiz
Brian Fury
Brian Fury
Shahim Ali

2017

ROH's sixth Top Prospect Tournament was announced in December 2016 as happening January 28.[7]

First round Semi-finals Final
         
John Skyler
Sean Carr
John Skyler
Curt Stallion
Curt Stallion
Preston Quinn
John Skyler
Josh Woods
Brian Milonas
Raphael King
Brian Milonas
Josh Woods
Josh Woods
Chris LeRusso

2019

The seventh Top Prospect Tournament began on July 21, 2019 at the Mass Hysteria Event. The announced competitors are Austin Gunn, Brian Johnson, Dante Caballero, Joe Keys, Dak Draper, Haitian Sensation, Ken Dixon and Makita. The Semi-Finals were held during the joint ROH-CMLL show Global Wars Espectacular. Dak Draper defeated Austin Gunn at Death Before Dishonor event on September 29, 2019.

First round Semi-finals Final
         
Dante Caballero
Joe Keys
Dante Caballero
Austin Gunn
Austin Gunn
Brian Johnson
Austin Gunn
Dak Draper
Dak Draper
Makita
Dak Draper
Haitian Sensation
Haitian Sensation
Ken Dixon

See also

References
  1. "2011 Top Prospect Tournament". Retrieved 2013-12-08.
  2. "BREAKING NEWS: LIO RUSH SIGNS WITH RING OF HONOR". Retrieved 2017-05-17.
  3. "2013 Top Prospect Tournament". Retrieved 2013-12-08.
  4. "2014 Top Prospect Tournament". Retrieved 2014-03-29.
  5. "2015 Top Prospect Tournament".
  6. "2017 Top Prospect Tournament TV Tapings".
  7. Scherer, Dave (28 December 2015). "ROH ANNOUNCES SECOND ENTRANT INTO THE TOP PROSPECT TOURNAMENT". PWInsider.com. Lio Rush will be the second entrant in the January 9 Top Prospect Tournament, which will emanate from Concord, NC. Rush won the 2015 Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup. He joins the previously announced Action Ortiz.
  8. "PUNISHER PREDICTS PAIN FOR TOP PROSPECT OPPONENTS". ROHwrestling.com. Colby Corino recently learned just how apt that moniker is. Martinez scored an impressive victory over the second-generation competitor in the first round of the tournament to advance to the semifinals this Saturday
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