I'm glad you're enjoying both the new and classic Ring of Honor, but -- as KingCrash and Hayley pointed out -- they are very different promotions. The classic ROH was about young, hungry wrestlers with chips on their shoulders working at a hell-for-leather pace to carve out a new viable market for American pro wrestling. Most fans maintained the thought that talent like Danielson, Punk, and Samoa Joe would be misused in the WWE, because only so few stars were being made. It was a miracle at the time that a guy like Edge could finally break through, after seven or so years tearing it up in the midcard, that it seemed impossible for the big independent workers to find success there if workers like Edge and RVD were only just being recognized. ROH kicked ass because it had to. All wrestlers wanted to tear the house down because it was the only medium that can support their style and that they were meant to be in. In a roundabout way, as you said, ROH was a true successor to ECW.
Eventually the pace of the product started to reach inertia once it was clear that independent wrestlers could maintain quite a respectable position in the WWE. The signings of Danielson, McGuinness, and Black created a tacit guildeline that expounded that if you get your work done and get over, you will be contracted in New York or Japan. Since then it has been more sustainable and safe, regarding the in-ring pace and the tone of the shows. I can see a guy like Adam Cole working a much different wrestling style if he were breaking through in 2004-2007, but luckily for him he can elect to wrestle safer and smarter matches (for his own health, that is).
As for Adam Cole, I don't have any doubt that he'll have more success in the coming years. It's been evident that he has not finished blossoming his character, and he is getting layers better as he gains experience. A guy who I think is ready to make the big leagues right now is Jay Briscoe. I don't think there has been a wrestler that compliments the WWE's current direction in the history of the company. Historically, I have not been an enthusiastic fan for the Briscoes as a tag team and I find it very surprising to say, but I think Jay Briscoe is my favorite wrestler on the American independent circuit today.