Ring of Honor knows it needs to replenish their talent ranks. With the upcoming loss of the American Wolves Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards, the company needs to do what it has done best and find talent in the independents to become the next breakout stars of ROH.
I’ve covered before the need of ROH to look to Ontario in order to find new superstars. So far, if their 2014 Top Prospect Tournament is to say anything at all, they really haven’t listened. But I won’t take it personal. ROH has so far announced eight entrants into their Top Prospects tournament and it’s bewildering the names they chose. I wish these talents the best and hope they can surprise me beyond their profiles, but does anyone really expect great things from a guy named Cheeseburger? Now I know, I personally use to tout the amazing ability of one wrestler named Spanky but I mean come on.
I’ve gone ahead and picked eight better entrants for the ROH tournament, complete with video clips and profiles. Yes, there will be some names from Ontario on the list. Why? Because it’s a goldmine of future wrestling talent. But I’m limiting myself to only four, so maybe you can get a taste of some other talent in North America.
Entrant 1: Kongo Kong
My motivation for writing this was finding out the seventh entrant was a man named KONGO. Reading that Prince Nana scouted him, I hoped he’d be the Kongo I’ve seen. A seven feet tall, 400lb monster who works the Michigan area and made a bit of a name for himself on the Insane Clown Posse promoted wrestling events. Instead it was a guy that looked more like Brodus Clay than anything. The real KONGO is Kongo Kong. This man is not just a big Kamala with an afro. This man is agile. This man has speed to go with his power. And he can hit a moonsault. Kongo Kong should be known as the next Vader, and if ROH doesn’t see the money they could make with a true wonder of the world? It just goes to show you how lost they are with the current product today.
Watch Kongo Kong go one on one against Rhino: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vzlJDU1I7k
Entrant 2: Josh Alexander
Josh Alexander is a name few people outside of Ontario knew about until he fought Mike Elgin on an iPPV. Now he’s getting more and more bookings outside of Canada and more are taking notice to one of the hardest hitting workers in the business today. Alexander, if healthy enough, is going to compete in AIW against Elgin, this time in a two out of three falls match. It might be the kind of match that puts Josh Alexander on the map, and if ROH doesn’t grab him now, he might be looking towards Japan, TNA or even the WWE before they even get a shot. Wait, did I say before they get a shot? They’ve had a shot at him for two years now. Snooze ya lose.
Watch Alpha-1 Wrestling and Mike Elgin face Josh Alexander: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjvuHI2sG70
Entrant 3: Trent Barreta
Is it unfair to include Trent? I’d say no. Despite having a WWE background, Trent Barreta is still a top prospect at only 26 years old. Think of him like a Yankees prospect who got dropped from their AAA system. The New York native has been working the independents hard and has just enough name recognition for ROH fans to be familiar with him, without being an overbearing name. If not to debut in a tournament like this, Trent should simply be an active competitor in ROH. I’d rather watch him than ol’ Mikey Mondo.
Watch Trent Barreta against Tyson Kidd on WWE Superstars: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S7kx4aoVeU
Entrant 4: Ethan Page
All Ego. Page has been hitting his stride in the Ontario indies and slowly started to work in the USA more often. He’s been coming together physically and only improving. Even The Rock has given him some credit on Twitter. Brimming with personality and knowing how to get the crowd in his hands, Page is the kind of guy you can use as singles or tag and still get great results. More importantly, his experience as a promoter could be a valuable asset to ROH. Lord knows ROH could use an alternative viewpoint to their current product.
Watch Ethan Page take on Alessandro Bel Bruno and Kevin Steen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvCsUShM_9s
Entrant 5: Tyson Dux
Anyone who reads my articles knows if you ask me the top wrestlers who haven’t had a real shot yet, the first name from my lips is Tyson Dux. He’s wrestled former ROH World champion Tyler Black (Seth Rollins in WWE) and even had some time in Team Canada in TNA, but neither shot built into the real shot he deserved. I’m currently editing Dux’s match with Shawn Spears back in February for Can-Am Rising and let me tell you, he goes every step with Spears, who is now in NXT as Tye Dillinger. Dux may not be the age of a prospect, but he’s the type of guy you throw into this tournament, have him win and see him main eventing ROH by spring time. At 35 there’s still plenty left in the tank. It’s about time this can’t miss prospect becomes a “Why did we take this long to sign him?”
Watch the Cyborg take on Phil Atlas in Can-Am Rising: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ8V2cJFEC8
Entrant 6: Chuck Taylor
There are very few wrestlers in the business today that can make you laugh like Chuck Taylor. Despite having a slim physique, Taylor makes up for it with a bombastic personality. Think about the original Ken Kennedy without just being loud. Taylor heels it unlike no other, which is why he’s one of the few wrestlers I’m not posting a match with him. It’s more important to see him make children cry. That’s the kind of personality that comes off of television and makes you want to watch.
Watch Chuck Taylor make a kid cry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkR0r9mB6OQ
Entrant 7: Pepper Parks
Pepper Parks should be known to the ROH crowd as he’s been a mainstay in Combat Zone Wrestling for some time now. The New York native has a great physique and knows his way around the ring, probably why he’s been invited to the recent WWE training camps. If WWE decides they don’t want another indie wrestler in their ranks (this has been a common complaint recently and why WWE originally passed on the American Wolves), ROH should be the first to take the spoils. Parks would make a perfect tag partner for Mike Bennett, as both have a love of redheads. More importantly, he screams TOTAL PACKAGE, something the 2014 Top Prospect tournament is missing.
Watch Empire States Wrestling’s highlights of Pepper Parks against Mike Elgin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8ukd-0qXiQ
Entrant 8: “Hacker” Scotty O’Shea
If the choices in the ROH Top Prospects tournament tells me anything, it’s that ROH wants more gimmicks. I don’t know who “The Romantic Touch” is but he seems to be dripped in gimmickry. I guess the hope is bringing a guy nobody knows with an interesting gimmick might be enough to get over. But if that’s the hope of ROH, look no further than “Hacker” Scotty O’Shea. The last of my Ontario choices, Hacker is an frantic wrestler with a ton of charisma to get the crowd into him. He plays the “gamer/computer” tropes to a tee, even wielding a keyboard to hit his opponents with. There’s nothing more exciting than seeing keyboard keys flying out like the only memorable scene of the film Wanted every night. His work is fast paced, he’s an easily adaptable gimmick and he’s just the type of guy who would thrive in a TV environment.
Is there any independent wrestlers you want to see get a shot with ROH or any other major profile promotion? Feel free to comment below. If I like the suggestions, I just might do another article showcasing them.
Photos of Kong, Dux, Page, Alexander and O’Shea by Holly Lengyel.
Photo of Pepper Parks by Andrea Kellaway. Photos of Chuck Taylor and Trent Barreta courtesy of Wikipedia.
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