Tyler Black: Ring of Honor's Overrated Champion?

At last night's "Supercard of Honor V," Ring of Honor world champion Tyler Black successfully defended his championship against Roderick Strong in front of a packed house at the Grand Ballroom inside New York City's famed Manhattan Center.

Black chalked up another successful defense, despite much controversy during the match. Three separate referees were needed at various points in the match due to refs being injured. Many fans felt that Strong would have come away with the championship if not for those referee issues.

Regardless, Black is still the ROH Champion, continuing his reign that began in February at the Ring Of Honor eighth anniversary show. Black won the championship from Austin Aries in a rematch which stemmed from their hour-long, time limit draw at Final Battle 2009.

His matchup against Strong had been building since that anniversary show. A panel of judges was announced for the Black/Aries rematch, which would determine a victor if another draw occurred. Black promised Strong a title shot if he won the belt in exchange for Strong's participation as a judge, thus setting up their inevitable encounter.

Now that Black has come out on top, in controversial fashion, a rematch between the two seems like a very likely possibility.

Black has been a polarizing champion for many ROH fans. During his matches, especially those in New York City, fans often chant "overrated" at him. His skill on the mic may be questionable but he's an incredible talent in the ring and his career seems to have suffered from a nearly two-year quest to claim the heavyweight strap.

When Nigel McGuinness and Bryan Danielson both left the ranks of ROH, the company desperately needed to build new stars and fast. Black had been rising in the ranks for some time and the departure of the company's biggest names gave him the opportunity he needed to prove he was a top tier talent.

At only 23 years old, Black has proven a lot at an incredibly young age. His best years are arguably well ahead of him. With a fast-paced style and a devastating repertoire of moves, including his God's Last Gift cradle DDT, Black has the tools to be a success in the wrestling business. He can also pull off an impressive 450 splash and deliver a mean superkick.

But is Tyler Black overrated? Does he have what it takes to be the face of Ring of Honor? Is he in the same class as former ROH world champions like C.M. Punk and Samoa Joe?

It's too early to answer most of these questions. Black has already put together an impressive string of title defenses over the likes of Chris Hero and Kenny King and he has twice retained in three-way matches against Aries and Strong. His successful defense over Strong in New York, controversial as it may have been, only adds to his championship resume.

Time will tell if Black is the real deal, but right now all signs point towards yes.

Photo courtesy of "MetalWrestler"