Daniels and Strong’s wrestling clinic: Ring of Honor 10/11/10

As I’m just getting started on Ring of Honor, I’m not exactly familar of the history between ROH Champion Roderick Strong and Christopher Daniels.  I am aware that Tyler Black was the ROH Champion and upon signing a deal with WWE, vowed to take the title with him.  That brought Strong out for a match in which he upset Black and captured the ROH title.  This week, Daniels recognized that his match against Strong would be non-title, but still vowed to pin Strong and prove who the best in ROH really was.

Strong vs. Daniels took up two of the 5-part clips that the YouTube rebroadcast was cut up into, and their match was absolutely fantastic.  A lot of mat wrestling and a ton of near falls that saw momentum constantly shifting between the two men.  Christian Able and Paul Turner hit the ring to cause a distraction for the referee, which allowed Strong’s manager Truth Martini to attempt to interfere in the match.  Daniels avoided the attack and crotched Martini on the ropes and tossed him out of the ring.  Unfortunately, the distraction allowed Strong to level Daniels and go for the pin.  At his two count, the ref spotted Martini’s book in the ring and assumed that Strong had used it.  This allowed Daniels the opening to nail Strong with the yuranage then hit the Best Moonsault Ever and win.  Awesome match and killer win for Daniels.

As for the rest of the show…

• Upset that he seems to have lost his influence over TV Champ Eddie Edwards, manager Shane Hagadorn called out Davey Richards, whom he’s had a problem with for quite some time.  Hagadorn and Richards argued until the Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli) came down to beat on Richards.  Edwards came out to make the save.
• After a rather chaotic match between the All Night Express (Kenny King and Rhett Titus) and the Dark City Fight Club (Jon Davis and Kory Chavis), the Express picked up the win when King snuck in and schoolboyed Davis for the pin.
• After Kevin Steen and Steve Corino picked Davey Richards to fight El Generico last week, it was Generico and Colt Cabana’s turn to pick Steen’s opponent this week.  The two of them pick Corino, which doesn’t sit well with either man.  Both Steen and Corino announce that they’re quitting ROH and walk out in a huff.

Looking Back
This was a quality program, which is something I’m definitely not accustomed to being that I review TNA every week.  Daniels and Strong’s match was definitely good, as was the tag match between the Express and the Dark City Fight Club.  I’m still getting a feel for the brand, so I don’t have many thoughts on it, but I definitely like what I’m seeing here.