Top Prospect Tournament 2014

[187_Joeism]

You can count on it, people are so spoiled here sometimes.

[TYFDK]

Fucking Kongo is the 7th entrant.

I don't even want to post the blurb they wrote about him. Really dumb decision.

[donkitrk99]

This really isn't living up to the 2013 tourney - Taven, Page, Young, ACH... Hollis and Everett are legit (hoping Everett wins!) and Rowe is solid... Romantic Touch? Maybe the time off has helped him get back to where he was. Bill Daly? I'll reserve judgement until I see him but doesn't seem promising. Kongo? Cheeseburger?

[Baxter Stockman]

Tournament is definitely looking like somewhat of a joke. I checked out a match from that Billy Daly guy they're hyping and I'm expecting him to be the next QT Marshall.

This really isn't living up to the 2013 tourney - Taven, Page, Young, ACH... Hollis and Everett are legit (hoping Everett wins!) and Rowe is solid... Romantic Touch? Maybe the time off has helped him get back to where he was. Bill Daly? I'll reserve judgement until I see him but doesn't seem promising. Kongo? Cheeseburger?

I agree with all of this.

The 2013 participants were much better. Everett, Hollis and Rowe are the only guys announced for this years tournament who are actually worthwhile.

[Fawrules]

Tournament is definitely looking like somewhat of a joke. I checked out a match from that Billy Daly guy they're hyping and I'm expecting him to be the next QT Marshall.

This really isn't living up to the 2013 tourney - Taven, Page, Young, ACH... Hollis and Everett are legit (hoping Everett wins!) and Rowe is solid... Romantic Touch? Maybe the time off has helped him get back to where he was. Bill Daly? I'll reserve judgement until I see him but doesn't seem promising. Kongo? Cheeseburger?

I agree with all of this.

The 2013 participants were much better. Everett, Hollis and Rowe are the only guys announced for this years tournament who are actually worthwhile.

And people were complaining about last year's field at the time as well.

So..any ideas on who takes the last spot? RD Evans? It this tournament built just to put Cedric or Page over for a TV Title shot? (Would they even count as prospects? I mean, I could see them thinking that Cedric is a hot prospect as a singles guy.) Or will it me someone new? A solid new name taking the last spot could rectify it in my eyes. I'm happy enough with Everett being booked, as long as he doesn't go out in the first round.

[JTCole]

So long as Raymond Rowe wins I don't care who else is in the tournament. Guy had a great match with Elgin in ROH's debut Alabama show which I saw live and I'd love to see him and Ciampa go at it at the 12th Anniversary show. Assuming Ciampa wins at Final Battle.

[DieHard]

The Ring of Honor 2014 Top Prospect Tournament begins on January 4th, 2014 in Nashville, TN! Matt Taven - 2013's tournament winner - wasted no time capitalizing on his title of "Top Prospect," attracting the managerial expertise of Truth Martini and becoming ROH TV Champion. Now Taven is days away from making history as longest reigning television champion.

Four opening round matches and the semi-finals will all take place in Nashville on January 4th.

The Finals will take place on January 25th in Pittsburgh at "Wrestling's Finest" - and not only will the winner be named the ROH 2014 Top Prospect but he will also shoot to the top of the ranks earning an ROH TV Title Match on Friday, February 21st in Philadelphia, PA at our 12th Anniversary.

Each of the eight entrants in this tournament caught the eye of ROH officials for a unique reason. Some are powerhouses, some are high flyers. Some have impressed in past ROH matches, some are stepping between ROH ropes for the first time. But these eight man were carefully selected because every single one of them is a potential Ring of Honor star. In 2013, ROH rebuilt itself on a foundation of HONOR and athleticism. In 2014, the Top Prospect will represent the future of the best wrestling on the planet.

The seventh entrant: KONGO

The seventh entrant comes to us via ROH Talent Scout Prince Nana. Hoping to impress ROH Officials with his latest acquisition - even before he was publicly named Talent Scout - he left Kongo as a recent Ring of Honor training camp accompanied by a note on his official stationary: "'Behold my new monster, fools!' - Prince Nana." That day, Kongo plowed through all obstacles at the training camp (and most of the catering), making such a huge, thunderous impression that ROH Officials immediately slotted him into a 4 Way Match for the TV Title number one contender back in Providence.

Now Kongo returns to ROH in the 2014 Top Prospect Tournament. We know very little about this beast except for sparse information from Prince Nana, who promises that Kongo will be even meaner and hungrier than ever when he arrives in Nashville. Nana's other talent acquisition, Outlaw Inc., have proven to be erratic, unpredictable - and completely dominant. Will Kongo be just as dangerous? Check out the 2014 Top Prospect Tournament to find out!

Want to witness the Top Prospect Tournament in person? Tickets to Nashville's opening and semi final matches can be purchased here. "Wrestling's Finest" in Pittsburgh will crown the 2014 Top Prospect. Finally, be sure to check out the 12th Anniversary where the new Top Prospect receives his guaranteed TV Title opportunity!

And the 7th participant is Brouds Cla.. I mean Kongo. Yay.

[Tim]

You can count on it, people are so spoiled here sometimes.

You can call us spoiled fans, I call us paying customers, and if ROH keeps insaulting the fans intelligence they don't have to keep suporting the product. Me and my friends stopped buying DVD's this year, we only buy one and pass it around like the old days of tape trading. We still are slightly intrested and want to stay in the loop, but we feel like companies like AAW, AIW, CZW, PWG, and Beyond Wrestling deserve our money because they actually listen to their fans and don't fill an eight man tornament with Kongo, Rhett Titus, and Cheeseburger.

[JTCole]

See now I don't automatically judge a wrestlers skill by his body type in regards to Kongo. Has anyone here seen his work? I think I remember seeing one match of his earlier this year.

[187_Joeism]

All of this paying costumers thing i never get it, nobody is forcing you to pay for it, is your choice. If you are not interesed in the current product (Wich you haven´t seen because you haven´t bought DVDs this year) why do you post here, in a ROH forum?

And by the way i don´t remember it wrong, Kongo wrestle here and there with Beyond Wresting before. Are you gonna stop support them now too?

[Tim]

All of this paying costumers thing i never get it, nobody is forcing you to pay for it, is your choice. If you are not interesed in the current product (Wich you haven´t seen because you haven´t bought DVDs this year) why do you post here, in a ROH forum?

And by the way i don´t remember it wrong, Kongo wrestle here and there with Beyond Wresting before. Are you gonna stop support them now too?

I post here because I want this company to be great like it used to be, I have over 150 DVD's, I have definatly been a loyal customer. And I am not just speaking for myself, trust me there are a lot of people who feel the same way I do, and they post here to. I care, but ROH makes it hard to do.

And I still support Beyond Wrestling, they may have booked Kongo, but they also book JT Dunn, Biff Busick, Drew Gulak, John Silver, and Green Ant... actual prospects.

[187_Joeism]

Drew Gulak is a prospect? He´s been around for over 10 years now.

[MFKR78]

Liking the Everett inclusion from what I've heard about him. Titus definitely not.

I actually wouldn't have minded Jesse Sorensen going off his Ciampa match. When I heard he wrestled for ROH I didn't think it would have turned out too good but I actually thought he came off really well when I saw it.

[Tim]

Drew Gulak is a prospect? He´s been around for over 10 years now.

Andrew Everett is in either his 7th of 8th, but both guys broke out this years... You get what I'm trying to say right?

[187_Joeism]

Drew Gulak is a prospect? He´s been around for over 10 years now.

Andrew Everett is in either his 7th of 8th, but both guys broke out this years... You get what I'm trying to say right?

Oh right i agree with that too, my point is: Why shit on the matches/wrestler before seeing what they can do? I happen this year a lot of times, for example "Champions vs All Stars? That an awful match, they are crazy for booking this etc" then it turns out it was one the best matches this year.

[Tim]

I understand what you're saying, but the truth is this has been a rough year for ROH; SCUM was a flop, IPPV's stopped after creating a lot of negitivity, Matt Taven being booked like shit. Honestly I have lost a lot of faith in the product, and booking guys like Cheeseburger and Rhett instead of guys we want to see makes me frustrated. For the record I'm not all negitive, I'm really happy Hollis, Everett and Rowe are in, hopefully one of them wins it.

[Mr. Orange]

I think the tournament will be fine. Bill Daly, Andrew Everett, Raymond Rowe, and Corey Hollis will all make nice additions to the roster. Josh Alexander and Ethan Page will return next year when they can get there travel shit figured out. Don't worry, Kongo won't be future ROH champ.

[187_Joeism]

All crowds loves Cheeseburger so you can´t blame them for keep using him in a minor role, it doesn´t hurt and allways get a pop.

The Romantic Touch or Kongo on the other side i don´t think it will work but i will give them the benefit of the doubt until they wrestle.

The thing i don´t agree is that this is being a rough year for ROH, all the opposite, they were coming for a very bad situation and this was a really solid year for them.

[donkitrk99]

Tournament is definitely looking like somewhat of a joke. I checked out a match from that Billy Daly guy they're hyping and I'm expecting him to be the next QT Marshall.

This really isn't living up to the 2013 tourney - Taven, Page, Young, ACH... Hollis and Everett are legit (hoping Everett wins!) and Rowe is solid... Romantic Touch? Maybe the time off has helped him get back to where he was. Bill Daly? I'll reserve judgement until I see him but doesn't seem promising. Kongo? Cheeseburger?

I agree with all of this.

The 2013 participants were much better. Everett, Hollis and Rowe are the only guys announced for this years tournament who are actually worthwhile.

And people were complaining about last year's field at the time as well.

I, for one, was really excited for the tourney and I thought other people on the board were too.

[DBSommer]

Fucking Kongo is the 7th entrant.

I don't even want to post the blurb they wrote about him. Really dumb decision.

They need guys that can get bounced in the first round and honestly, he does add some variety. I never thought about it, but when someone pointed there was a certain amount of sameness in looks and builds on the ROH roster, I realized they do need another big guy, probably another high flyer, that sort of thing.

Everrett doesn't blow my mind the way he does some people. Yes, he's a high flyer but nothing else really makes me notice him. Ditching the goat mask was probably for the best. Cheeseburger is an obvious choice since this tournament is geared exactly to someone like him. And the crowd has popped for him before. In professional wrestling it's more important to be loved by the masses than good in the ring. That being said, I hope he's gotten better. And eaten a few of his namesake since then.

Looking back, last year's tourny was exceptional. They signed nearly everyone eventually that wasn't already on it. If they do keep guys around, I'm hoping it'll be the ones that had previous try outs (And looked good) like Hollis and Rowe. I'll sit on the fence about the newer guys until I've seen them in action.