By Ryan Ragsdale, Torch specialist

James Caldwell's Note: My report from Saturday's ROH TV will be online later this afternoon.

HITS

Bryan Danielson vs. Tyler Black: Tyler Black has been "the next big thing" in Ring of Honor for quite some time. Some would argue they should've pulled the trigger on his title run last year, and I wouldn't necessarily disagree. He was riding a wave of momentum, generating chants of "next world champ" at practically every event. But after never quite reaching the summit, he has cooled off a bit. With Jerry Lynn holding the title now, it's time for Black to step up once again. ROH did a great job of establishing Tyler Black as a legitimate contender with the combination of the broadcast team's hype and Bryan Danielson's praise for him throughout the evening. I saw Black's previous statement to Danielson in a recent Video Wire, and he came off both immature and arrogant. However, in his interview with Kyle Durden on the show, he displayed the utmost respect for the American Dragon, declaring that naysayers claiming Danielson wasn't the best in the world were "crazy." But Black vowed to show that he had what it took to hang with the elite. Typically, a good promo will elevate both yourself and your opponent and this was a shining example of the form.

Their match was a great television main event. The crowd was hot, loudly voicing their support for both men. After twenty grueling minutes of chain wrestling, top-rope maneuvers and some spectacular displays of agility, concluding with a time-limit draw - while sometimes a let-down in the eyes of a few - was the right choice. Danielson still has not suffered a loss to Black, but after the match, it seems he just might soon. Danielson came off as the big deal he truly is in ROH, and Black is definitely one to keep your eye on.

Dark City Fight Club vs. Grizzly Redwood & Andy "Right Leg" Ridge: Some people find squash matches predictable and boring. I wouldn't disagree on the former point, but a contest like this disproves the latter assertion. A good squash match serves to highlight the winning team, to place a focus on what makes them stand out. If the losers are doing their job, they will help to get the dominant team over. There was no doubt who would win upon viewing the opening promos. Grizzly Redwood told us he and Ridge would "chop the competition down to size," but we knew better than that. The Dark City Fight Club had their debut for Ring of Honor in February, and the team of Jon Davis and Kory Chavis have an intimidating presence and forceful offense the likes of which would surely be welcomed by ROH fans. To this end, DCFC delivered a short but effective promo which highlighted their intensity effectively.

The match was brief - as with most squashes - but it helped show why DCFC deserve a spot on the roster. Their arsenal of double-team moves is quite impressive, and the raw power displayed by the duo is remarkable. Especially notable was a spot in which Grizzly was shoulder-tackled across the ring, reminiscent of the bus in Final Destination. If you've seen it, you know the bus I speak of. Their finishing maneuver, a combination neckbreaker/sit-out powerbomb dubbed The Dark City Street Cutter is about as high-impact as they come. After seeing DCFC in this match, and their previous squash against Cheech & Cloudy, I am excited at the prospect of getting to watch them compete against more elite teams. Ring of Honor's tag team division could use freshening up, and this is precisely the duo to do it.

Chris Hero & Eddie Edwards vs. Jay Briscoe & Kevin Steen. All four of the men in this match are among the best in Ring of Honor. This tag team match-up was a great showcase of their individual strengths, highlighting the quickness of Briscoe, the intensity of Steen, the unorthodox offense of Hero, and the striking power of Edwards. El Generico (Kevin Steen's usual partner) and Mark Briscoe (Jay Briscoe's usual partner) were injured recently by the American Wolves, so the association between Briscoe and Steen made sense in the context of those ongoing feuds.

The opening promos were excellent. Larry Sweeney managed to let both Hero and Edwards get in a few lines before laying down his always-fantastic verbiage, and Briscoe came off relaxed and quite funny, as usual. Dave Prazak has been playing the heel just slightly with his commentary, this match being a notable example. He refused to relent when Hogewood insisted Chris Hero was a cheater for using the loaded elbow pad, passed down from Mitsuharu Misawa. I don't mind his antagonism as long as it doesn't venture into TNA territory.

Mike Hogewood. I was just as confused as anyone else when I learned Lenny Leonard would be replaced as the play-by-play commentator by Mike Hogewood for the HDNet broadcasts. This was a decision made internally at the network, and seems to run counter to logic. Why bring in a broadcaster with no prior wrestling experience in place of a seasoned veteran, with a deep knowledge of the product and sport? Hogewood is here to stay, however, and despite the circumstances of his arrival he's performing admirably. I've read reports of him lurking at ROH events taking notes, and it shows. Each week he seems to show more wrestling knowledge, and he is doing a competent job (usually) of establishing a wrestler's signature maneuvers and selling their injuries. If you can identify a Michinoku Driver at whim, you've got to have at least the seed of a wrestling nerd planted inside you.

MISSES

Mike Hogewood. Though I gave this show a "hit" for the very same reason, there is something in particular about Hog's commentary that just... hurts. I must have heard him use a variation on the phrase "that hurt him" nearly a hundred times. That appears to be his go-to quip for when he hasn't anything else to say, which is quite often. He seems to be attempting to fill up dead space almost constantly, sometimes to the detriment of the broadcast. While I do think he has made great strides, he still has a long way to go to be a credible play-by-play man. One more thing - "slap the porpoise" must end immediately. That phrase is inexcusably outrageous.

Ryan Ragsdale is the new Hits & Misses Specialist for ROH TV. You can email him at ryanragsdale@gmail.com.

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