By Ryan Ragsdale, Torch specialist

HITS

Opening Segment: Ric Flair is the man, and we all know it. To have him involved with Ring of Honor at this time in the company's history is a fantastic opportunity to help lend credibility to ROH. While he may have irritated some die-hard fans by repeatedly referring to "The Ring of Honor," those less inclined to nitpick will realize Flair delivered a promo clinic on Saturday's show. His sincerity in putting over the talent of ROH was obvious. He stressed the importance of honoring the art and sport of professional wrestling, and did well establishing current ROH World Champion Jerry Lynn as someone with both experience in the ring and the energy to still give his all. Austin Aries emerged from the entrance and staked his claim to dominance in the company. His appearance was brilliant. His new persona is smarm personified, and even his body language in the ring has changed to suit his new attitude. This segment did exactly what it was supposed to do: utilize Ric Flair to both lure in new fans and lend credibility to your own roster.

Kenny Omega versus Chris Hero: Who says short television matches have to be terrible? This contest wasn't very long, but both men came off looking great. Hero controlled the action early with a variety of submission maneuvers before Omega gained the advantage by drop kicking Hero to the outside and then taking a spectacular dive. He scored a couple of near-falls on Hero to build suspense, but then Sara Del Rey tossed Hero the loaded elbow pad and it was over. Short but sweet, and even in defeat Kenny Omega looked like a star. Also, the crowd is much hotter for this show and it no longer feels like watching wrestling in a vacuum. It was especially evident when Omega dove to the outside onto Hero... the fans displayed their approval with maximum volume.

Austin Aries versus Roderick Strong: Both of these men have been stars in ROH for quite some time, so I've been looking forward to this main event since its announcement. I hoped the match between them would deliver what Ring of Honor is all about, and I wasn't disappointed. The action was back and forth throughout, with Aries laying on the weasel tactics pretty thick. His self-congratulation at evading Strong's offense was hilarious, and he must have dodged ten chops from the Messiah of the Backbreaker. They built tension by lingering on a few crucial submission maneuvers, but Aries eventually got the pinfall after hitting a brainbuster. Even losing clean, Roderick looked strong - pun intended.

MISSES

Roderick Strong's Promo: I don't mean to be hard on the guy, but Strong is just not good on the microphone. He always appears unsure of himself and hesitant about what to say next. When he does speak, he seems to spout a series of wresting promo cliches that ring hollow when not delivered with fire and passion. I am a big fan of Strong's ring-work, and he's not bad on the microphone when in front of a live crowd. For some reason, though, his recorded promos consistently fall flat.

Erick Stevens versus Sal Rinauro: I gave my thoughts on squash matches in last week's inaugural column. I can appreciate them when done right. This wasn't. Didn't see the match? Here you go: slam, "choo choo," huge clothesline, Doctor Bomb, then pinfall. That's it. Sal's only offense was kicking Steven's hand away during the pre-match handshake. While Rinauro is definitely a capable jobber, this match was a joke. I don't feel Stevens was elevated because I had no reason to think the match was important. With Rinauro not even getting an introduction, there was never any doubt as to what was going to happen... and I don't want that out of ROH on HDNet.

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

We suggest these recent related articles...

10/5 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Natalya vs. Paige, Owens vs. Cara, Stephanie McMahon, Sasha Banks, Xavier Woods

COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: The History of Foam Hands in Pro Wrestling

9/28 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Kane's Split Personality, Divas Revolution, Heyman & Big Show, Reigns vs. Wyatt