Ring of Honor has had six Top Prospect tournaments in the last seven years, including this year. ROH would be wise to lock up this year's winner, Josh Woods, to a long-term contract, just as they did with 2013 winner Matt Taven, because otherwise, Woods could be following past winners Michael Bennett (2011), and the last two winners, Donovan Dijak & Lio Rush, to WWE.
News has come across the wires of Dijak, the 2015 winner, announcing that he is WWE-bound. The company wanted him back in January, but ROH would have none of that. At the same time, ROH was blocking WWE from signing reDRagon's Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly, but they too have since moved up to WWE.
Dijak, Rush, & reDRagon have all competed for Evolve, which has a business deal with WWE, as well as Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, but the Evolve factor may have been what led to them heading for the big bucks. To detractors, it may make ROH feel like it's another developmental system for WWE, but it really isn't. Sinclair Broadcasting, ROH's parent, just isn't willing to pony up the extra cheddar that WWE can. Considering that ROH-TV has been beaming in upstate NY for 5 years and change with no house shows, should this be a surprise?
Digression over. Fish & Dijak faced off on a Northeast Wrestling show on July 15 in Troy (Fish won), so what are the chances they'll meet again under the NXT or WWE banners? Pretty good. Rush would be a terrific addition to the flailing cruiserweight division, especially if used correctly, and knowing uncreative, that's not guaranteed.
Y'think maybe this would be a sign that ROH could be forced to discontinue the Top Prospect tournament? One would hope not, but who knows in this crazy business anymore?
