ROH Top Prospect Tournament#2015
The Top Prospect Tournament was a professional wrestling tournament held by Ring of Honor since 2011. The inaugural tournament took place in 2011 and had occurred every year since except for 2012 and 2018.{{cite web | url = http://www.cagematch.net/?id=26&nr=1848 | title = 2011 Top Prospect Tournament | accessdate=2013-12-08}} The tournament was last held in 2019 and was discontinued after that.
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.{{cite web | url = http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/breaking-news-lio-rush-signs-ring-honor | title = BREAKING NEWS: LIO RUSH SIGNS WITH RING OF HONOR | accessdate=2017-05-17}} Rush lost the match and left ROH less than two years later.
Dak Draper was the final of the Top Prospect Tournament, having won in 2019. The tournament as discontinued after that.
List of winners
- 2011 – Mike Bennett
- 2013 – Matt Taven{{cite web | url = http://www.cagematch.net/?id=26&nr=2521 | title = 2013 Top Prospect Tournament | accessdate=2013-12-08}}
- 2014 – Hanson{{cite web | url = http://www.cagematch.net/?id=26&nr=2827 | title = 2014 Top Prospect Tournament | accessdate=2014-03-29}}
- 2015 – Donovan Dijak{{cite web|url=http://www.cagematch.net/?id=26&nr=3202|title=2015 Top Prospect Tournament}}
- 2016 – Lio Rush
- 2017 – Josh Woods{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=172193|title=2017 Top Prospect Tournament TV Tapings}}
- 2019 - Dak Draper
Tournament history
=2011=
ROH's first Top Prospect Tournament took place in January 2011.
{{8TeamBracket-NoSeeds
|RD1=First round
|RD1-team1= Kyle O'Reilly
|RD1-team2=Jonathan Gresham
|RD1-score1=Pin
|RD1-score2=
|RD1-team3=Michael Elgin
|RD1-team4=Bobby Dempsey
|RD1-score3=Pin
|RD1-score4=
|RD1-team5= Mike Bennett
|RD1-team6=Adam Cole
|RD1-score5=Pin
|RD1-score6=
|RD1-team7=Andy Ridge
|RD1-team8=Grizzly Redwood
|RD1-score7=
|RD1-score8=
|RD2-team1=Kyle O'Reilly
|RD2-team2=Michael Elgin
|RD2-score1=
|RD2-score2=
|RD2-team3=Mike Bennett
|RD2-team4= Andy Ridge
|RD2-score3=Pin
|RD2-score4=
|RD3-team1=Kyle O'Reilly
|RD3-team2=Mike Bennett
|RD3-score1=
| RD3-score2=
}}
=2013=
ROH's second Top Prospect Tournament took place in January and February 2013.
{{8TeamBracket-NoSeeds
|RD1=First round
|RD1-team1=TaDarius Thomas
|RD1-team2=Antonio Thomas
|RD1-score1=
|RD1-score2=
|RD1-team3=Q. T. Marshall
|RD1-team4=Mike Sydal
|RD1-score3=
|RD1-score4=
|RD1-team5= Silas Young
|RD1-team6=Adam Page
|RD1-score5=
|RD1-score6=
|RD1-team7=Matt Taven
|RD1-team8=A. C. H.
|RD1-score7=
|RD1-score8=
|RD2-team1=TaDarius Thomas
|RD2-team2=Q. T. Marshall
|RD2-score1=
|RD2-score2=
|RD2-team3=Silas Young
|RD2-team4=Matt Taven
|RD2-score3=
|RD2-score4=
|RD3-team1=TaDarius Thomas
|RD3-team2=Matt Taven
|RD3-score1=
| RD3-score2=
}}
=2014=
ROH's third Top Prospect Tournament took place in January and February 2014.
{{8TeamBracket-NoSeeds
|RD1=First round
|RD1-team1= Raymond Rowe
|RD1-team2=Kongo
|RD1-score1=
|RD1-score2=
|RD1-team3=Corey Hollis
|RD1-team4=Mike Posey
|RD1-score3=
|RD1-score4=
|RD1-team5= Andrew Everett
|RD1-team6=The Romantic Touch
|RD1-score5=
|RD1-score6=
|RD1-team7=Hanson
|RD1-team8=Cheeseburger
|RD1-score7=
|RD1-score8=
|RD2-team1=Raymond Rowe
|RD2-team2=Corey Hollis
|RD2-score1=
|RD2-score2=
|RD2-team3=Andrew Everett
|RD2-team4=Hanson
|RD2-score3=
|RD2-score4=
|RD3-team1=Raymond Rowe
|RD3-team2=Hanson
|RD3-score1=
| RD3-score2=
}}
=2015=
ROH's fourth Top Prospect Tournament took place in January and February 2015.
{{8TeamBracket-NoSeeds
|RD1=First round
|RD1-team1= Donovan Dijak
|RD1-team2=Jake Dirden
|RD1-score1=
|RD1-score2=
|RD1-team3=Ashley Sixx
|RD1-team4=Dalton Castle
|RD1-score3=
|RD1-score4=
|RD1-team5=Will Ferrara
|RD1-team6=J. Diesel
|RD1-score5=
|RD1-score6=
|RD1-team7=Beer City Bruiser
|RD1-team8= Mikey Webb
|RD1-score7=
|RD1-score8=
|RD2-team1=Donovan Dijak
|RD2-team2=Ashley Sixx
|RD2-score1=
|RD2-score2=
|RD2-team3=Will Ferrara
|RD2-team4= Beer City Bruiser
|RD2-score3=
|RD2-score4=
|RD3-team1=Donovan Dijak
|RD3-team2=Will Ferrara
|RD3-score1=
| RD3-score2=
}}
=2016=
ROH's fifth Top Prospect Tournament was announced in December 2015 as happening January 9.{{cite web |url=http://www.pwinsider.com/article/98695/roh-announces-second-entrant-into-the-top-prospect-tournament.html?p=1 |title=ROH ANNOUNCES SECOND ENTRANT INTO THE TOP PROSPECT TOURNAMENT |website=PWInsider.com |first=Dave |last=Scherer |date=28 December 2015 |quote=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.}}
{{8TeamBracket-NoSeeds
|RD1=First round
|RD1-team1= Lio Rush
|RD1-team2=Jason Kincaid
|RD1-score1=
|RD1-score2=
|RD1-team3=Punisher Martinez{{cite web |url=http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/punisher-predicts-pain-top-prospect-opponents |website=ROHwrestling.com |title=PUNISHER PREDICTS PAIN FOR TOP PROSPECT OPPONENTS |quote=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}}
|RD1-team4=Colby Corino
|RD1-score3=
|RD1-score4=
|RD1-team5=Action Ortiz
|RD1-team6=Leon St. Giovanni
|RD1-score5=
|RD1-score6=
|RD1-team7=Brian Fury
|RD1-team8= Shahim Ali
|RD1-score7=
|RD1-score8=
|RD2-team1= Lio Rush
|RD2-team2= Punisher Martinez
|RD2-score1=
|RD2-score2=
|RD2-team3= Action Ortiz
|RD2-team4= Brian Fury
|RD2-score3=
|RD2-score4=
|RD3-team1= Lio Rush
|RD3-team2= Brian Fury
|RD3-score1=
| RD3-score2=
}}
=2017=
ROH's sixth Top Prospect Tournament was announced in December 2016 as happening January 28.
{{8TeamBracket-NoSeeds
|RD1=First round
|RD1-team1= John Skyler
|RD1-team2=Sean Carr
|RD1-score1=
|RD1-score2=
|RD1-team3=Curt Stallion
|RD1-team4=Preston Quinn
|RD1-score3=
|RD1-score4=
|RD1-team5=Brian Milonas
|RD1-team6=Raphael King
|RD1-score5=
|RD1-score6=
|RD1-team7=Josh Woods
|RD1-team8=Chris LeRusso
|RD2-score7=
|RD2-score8=
|RD2-team1=John Skyler
|RD2-team2=Curt Stallion
|RD2-score1=
|RD2-score2=
|RD2-team3=Brian Milonas
|RD2-team4=Josh Woods
|RD2-score3=
|RD2-score4=
|RD3-team1=John Skyler
|RD3-team2=Josh Woods
|RD3-score1=
|RD3-score2=
}}
= 2018 =
After losing the Amazon Prime Video's Dojo Pro Black Belt for a ROH World Television Championship opportunity against Aaron Solow, Jeff Cobb made his ROH debut crashing the 2018 Top Prospect Tournament, interfering in three first round matches (Eli Isom vs FR Josie, Charles Zanders vs Marcus Kross, and Brian Johnson vs Dante Caballero), declaring himself the real winner of the tournament and fast-tracking his way to a TV title match against then-champion Punishment Martinez, which he won.
ROH does not official recognize Cobb as ROH Top Prospect Tournament winner as the official tournament was cancelled following his last interference.
=2019=
The seventh Top Prospect Tournament began on July 21, 2019 at the Mass Hysteria Event. The Semi-Finals were held during the joint ROH-CMLL show Global Wars Espectacular. Dak Draper defeated Austin Gunn at Death Before Dishonor XVII event on September 29, 2019.
{{8TeamBracket-NoSeeds
|RD1=First round
|RD1-team1= Dante Caballero
|RD1-team2= Joe Keys
|RD1-score1=
|RD1-score2=
|RD1-team3=Austin Gunn
|RD1-team4=Brian Johnson
|RD1-score3=
|RD1-score4=
|RD1-team5=Dak Draper
|RD1-team6=Makita
|RD1-score5=
|RD1-score6=
|RD1-team7=Haitian Sensation
|RD1-team8=Ken Dixon
|RD2-score7=
|RD2-score8=
|RD2-team1=Dante Caballero
|RD2-team2=Austin Gunn
|RD2-score1=
|RD2-score2=
|RD2-team3=Dak Draper
|RD2-team4=Haitian Sensation
|RD2-score3=
|RD2-score4=
|RD3-team1=Austin Gunn
|RD3-team2=Dak Draper
|RD3-score1=
|RD3-score2=
}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|http://www.rohwrestling.com}}
{{Ring of Honor}}
{{ROH Top Prospect Tournament}}