# ROH Top Prospect Tournament

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. 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. 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
* 2014 – Hanson
* 2015 – Donovan Dijak
* 2016 – Lio Rush
* 2017 – Josh Woods
* 2019 - Dak Draper

## Tournament history
### 2011

ROH's first Top Prospect Tournament took place in January 2011.
| First round | First round | First round | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| Kyle O'Reilly | Kyle O'Reilly | Pin | | | | | |
| Jonathan Gresham | Jonathan Gresham | | | | | | |
| Jonathan Gresham | Jonathan Gresham | | Kyle O'Reilly | Kyle O'Reilly | | | |
| | | | Michael Elgin | Michael Elgin | | | |
| Michael Elgin | Michael Elgin | Pin | Michael Elgin | Michael Elgin | | | |
| Bobby Dempsey | Bobby Dempsey | | | | | | |
| Bobby Dempsey | Bobby Dempsey | | | | | Kyle O'Reilly | Kyle O'Reilly |
| | | | | | | Mike Bennett | Mike Bennett |
| Mike Bennett | Mike Bennett | Pin | | | | | | Mike Bennett | Mike Bennett |
| Adam Cole | Adam Cole | | | | | | |
| Adam Cole | Adam Cole | | Mike Bennett | Mike Bennett | Pin | | |
| | | | Andy Ridge | Andy Ridge | | | |
| Andy Ridge | Andy Ridge | | Andy Ridge | Andy Ridge | | | |
| Grizzly Redwood | Grizzly Redwood | | | | | | |

### 2013

ROH's second Top Prospect Tournament took place in January and February 2013.
| First round | First round | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| TaDarius Thomas | TaDarius Thomas | | | | |
| Antonio Thomas | Antonio Thomas | | | | |
| Antonio Thomas | Antonio Thomas | TaDarius Thomas | TaDarius Thomas | | |
| | | Q. T. Marshall | Q. T. Marshall | | |
| Q. T. Marshall | Q. T. Marshall | Q. T. Marshall | Q. T. Marshall | | |
| Mike Sydal | Mike Sydal | | | | |
| Mike Sydal | Mike Sydal | | | TaDarius Thomas | TaDarius Thomas |
| | | | | Matt Taven | Matt Taven |
| Silas Young | Silas Young | | | | | Matt Taven | Matt Taven |
| Adam Page | Adam Page | | | | |
| Adam Page | Adam Page | Silas Young | Silas Young | | |
| | | Matt Taven | Matt Taven | | |
| Matt Taven | Matt Taven | Matt Taven | Matt Taven | | |
| A. C. H. | A. C. H. | | | | |

### 2014

ROH's third Top Prospect Tournament took place in January and February 2014.
| First round | First round | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| Raymond Rowe | Raymond Rowe | | | | |
| Kongo | Kongo | | | | |
| Kongo | Kongo | Raymond Rowe | Raymond Rowe | | |
| | | Corey Hollis | Corey Hollis | | |
| Corey Hollis | Corey Hollis | Corey Hollis | Corey Hollis | | |
| Mike Posey | Mike Posey | | | | |
| Mike Posey | Mike Posey | | | Raymond Rowe | Raymond Rowe |
| | | | | Hanson | Hanson |
| Andrew Everett | Andrew Everett | | | | | Hanson | Hanson |
| The Romantic Touch | The Romantic Touch | | | | |
| The Romantic Touch | The Romantic Touch | Andrew Everett | Andrew Everett | | |
| | | Hanson | Hanson | | |
| Hanson | Hanson | Hanson | Hanson | | |
| Cheeseburger | Cheeseburger | | | | |

### 2015

ROH's fourth Top Prospect Tournament took place in January and February 2015.
| First round | First round | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| Donovan Dijak | Donovan Dijak | | | | |
| Jake Dirden | Jake Dirden | | | | |
| Jake Dirden | Jake Dirden | Donovan Dijak | Donovan Dijak | | |
| | | Ashley Sixx | Ashley Sixx | | |
| Ashley Sixx | Ashley Sixx | Ashley Sixx | Ashley Sixx | | |
| Dalton Castle | Dalton Castle | | | | |
| Dalton Castle | Dalton Castle | | | Donovan Dijak | Donovan Dijak |
| | | | | Will Ferrara | Will Ferrara |
| Will Ferrara | Will Ferrara | | | | | Will Ferrara | Will Ferrara |
| J. Diesel | J. Diesel | | | | |
| J. Diesel | J. Diesel | Will Ferrara | Will Ferrara | | |
| | | Beer City Bruiser | Beer City Bruiser | | |
| Beer City Bruiser | Beer City Bruiser | Beer City Bruiser | Beer City Bruiser | | |
| Mikey Webb | Mikey Webb | | | | |

### 2016

ROH's fifth Top Prospect Tournament was announced in December 2015 as happening January 9.
| First round | First round | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| Lio Rush | Lio Rush | | | | |
| Jason Kincaid | Jason Kincaid | | | | |
| Jason Kincaid | Jason Kincaid | Lio Rush | Lio Rush | | |
| | | Punisher Martinez | Punisher Martinez | | |
| Punisher Martinez | Punisher Martinez | Punisher Martinez | Punisher Martinez | | |
| Colby Corino | Colby Corino | | | | |
| Colby Corino | Colby Corino | | | Lio Rush | Lio Rush |
| | | | | Brian Fury | Brian Fury |
| Action Ortiz | Action Ortiz | | | | | Brian Fury | Brian Fury |
| Leon St. Giovanni | Leon St. Giovanni | | | | |
| Leon St. Giovanni | Leon St. Giovanni | Action Ortiz | Action Ortiz | | |
| | | Brian Fury | Brian Fury | | |
| Brian Fury | Brian Fury | Brian Fury | Brian Fury | | |
| Shahim Ali | Shahim Ali | | | | |

### 2017

ROH's sixth Top Prospect Tournament was announced in December 2016 as happening January 28.
| First round | First round | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| John Skyler | John Skyler | | | | |
| Sean Carr | Sean Carr | | | | |
| Sean Carr | Sean Carr | John Skyler | John Skyler | | |
| | | Curt Stallion | Curt Stallion | | |
| Curt Stallion | Curt Stallion | Curt Stallion | Curt Stallion | | |
| Preston Quinn | Preston Quinn | | | | |
| Preston Quinn | Preston Quinn | | | John Skyler | John Skyler |
| | | | | Josh Woods | Josh Woods |
| Brian Milonas | Brian Milonas | | | | | Josh Woods | Josh Woods |
| Raphael King | Raphael King | | | | |
| Raphael King | Raphael King | Brian Milonas | Brian Milonas | | |
| | | Josh Woods | Josh Woods | | |
| Josh Woods | Josh Woods | Josh Woods | Josh Woods | | |
| Chris LeRusso | Chris LeRusso | | | | |

### 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.
| First round | First round | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| Dante Caballero | Dante Caballero | | | | |
| Joe Keys | Joe Keys | | | | |
| Joe Keys | Joe Keys | Dante Caballero | Dante Caballero | | |
| | | Austin Gunn | Austin Gunn | | |
| Austin Gunn | Austin Gunn | Austin Gunn | Austin Gunn | | |
| Brian Johnson | Brian Johnson | | | | |
| Brian Johnson | Brian Johnson | | | Austin Gunn | Austin Gunn |
| | | | | Dak Draper | Dak Draper |
| Dak Draper | Dak Draper | | | | | Dak Draper | Dak Draper |
| Makita | Makita | | | | |
| Makita | Makita | Dak Draper | Dak Draper | | |
| | | Haitian Sensation | Haitian Sensation | | |
| Haitian Sensation | Haitian Sensation | Haitian Sensation | Haitian Sensation | | |
| Ken Dixon | Ken Dixon | | | | |