For A Full Color PDF Click Here The Cubed Circle Newsletter In this week’s issue we cover ROH on SBG as always, we preview Chikara High Noon, we discuss the logical inconstancies of RAW, and on page four for you convenience I have created a table of the WWE 3 rd quarter financials. As always you can find a full PDF above and if you haven’t downloaded it already, I urge you to do so. Cubed Circle Wrestling Newsletter Rating System *- Horrendous match, bad booking, bad pacing, botches left and right, poor work rate and bad crowd reactions can all lead to this. **- Below average match, forgettable, couldn’t have added much for the show unless there was a great angle, before after or during the match. ***- Good match, there were some really good points in the match, had fun watching it, it had some points missing, the crowd possibly wasn’t into it or it didn’t go long enough. But, the match was still good. ****- Great match, well worked, the crowd were most likely into it, this match was a highlight of the show. The match would most likely be in the top 50 matches of the year. *****- Almost guaranteed match of the year, ticked all the boxes well worked, well booked, great crowd, had some amazing spots, very few botches or no botches that really affected the match and the match could influence the business in a major way. This is a prestigious rating and it is the highest acclaim I could possibly give for a match, this rating is only given out with extreme thought and consideration. ROH on SBG 2011/10/29 Review The show started with a video package from last weeks show, featuring Lethal and Bennett for the TV title, it was decent, but it wasn’t anything to out of this world. Kevin Kelly and Nigel previewed the main event, we then cut to a video package for Strong vs. 1 O’ Reilly. Strong said that O’Reilly was just a punk kid and that he normally doesn’t waste his time with punks, but when he beats O’ Reilly in four minutes, he will show that Team Richards is just a joke. Really good promo that made a seemingly insignificant match into something important and meaningful. 1. Roderick Strong vs. Kyle ‘O Reilly Truth handed Bobby Cruise a cue card, that had all of Truth’s “accolades”, it was a nice touch. Both men chain wrestled a lot at the start, exchanging holds at an extremely fast pace. Truth was on commentary, but he never added that much to the match, he pitched in every now and again, but for the most part he was a distraction and at ringside is where he should have been. They wrestled some more on the mat and then went straight into a strike battle. The crowd got really hot for ‘O Reilly, but Strong slowed the match down again with a back breaker. ‘O Reilly began to make his comeback, we had a this is wrestling chant, Strong then killed ‘O Reilly with strikes in the corner and then a sit out powerbomb. Strong hit a knee in the corner and then hit the double knee gut buster. He locked in the Strong Hold, but ‘O Reilly made it to the ropes. ‘O Reilly locked in a choke on Strong, in a very MMA like spot, which played into the story nicely. Strong then hit a huge Sick Kick for the win. Truth then said that he had a message for Richards, a beat down ensued with Strong, Elgin and Truth. A training partner of Team Richards came out, but the House of Truth destroyed him. The crowd began to chant Richard’s name, he ran out half dressed, he was going to hit Truth, but Strong attacked him from behind. The bell rand the whole way through. Out came Edwards, he cleaned house, Richards made it to his feet and they double teamed Truth. A good stiff match, with a pretty well booked segment after the match. It was kept simple and they continued to build the continuing feud between Richards and Strong. *** ½ Cornette was interviewed at ringside, he said the House of Truth wouldn’t run rampant, he fined them $2500, thank god for Jim Cornette and his decent amounts. Some plants began to chant we want Steen, wearing Steen is right shirts. Cornette said, that Steen was a great wrestler, but he is the one who has to deal with him. Cornette said he was a insurance disaster, he said that Ring of Honor wouldn’t do business with Steen. I like how ROH is building this up and I presume that Steen will make an appearance at Glory By Honor, to build up a match at Final Battle. We then had this week’s Inside ROH, highlighting the ROH title match at Final Battle and a new contender for Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team. We cut to Lethal and Edwards, Lethal pointed out that he was undefeated and said that he wanted to be the Best in the World and that’s why he came to ROH. Edwards said if he gets chosen for Final Battle then he would have to train like he never has before. He said he would show everyone, if he got the title shot. The proving ground match rules were highlighted for next week. The challengers were announced as Cedric Alexander and Caprice Coleman, they said they would take the challenge. Should be interesting. A good addition of Inside ROH, setting a few things up. 2 Steve Corino was sitting with Kelly and Nigel he wanted to apologize about Steen, they said they shouldn’t talk about that. 2. Alex Silva vs. Tommaso Ciampa Silva went out to shake the hand of Ciampa, Ciampa hit a leaping kick and started to unload on Silva. Ciampa shoved Silva into the barricade on the outside and then hit a big suplex. Silva hit an enzugiri, Ciampa then a hit a really big boot. Corino at this point was going crazy on commentary, saying that no one knows what its like to be responsible for what he did to Steen. Ciampa then hit the huge knee in the corner, over and over and over again on Silva. He then hit project Ciampa for the win. Ciampa loocked like a monster in this match and it was a pretty fun squash. ** ½ 3. The Briscoes vs. The All Night Express Both teams just started going at it in the middle of the introductions, but in about a minute or so it had settled down into the ring. ANX worked over Mark, King was then double teamed out of nowhere. King made a comeback just after the commercial break. King began to crawl his way to Titus, but Titus was knocked off of the apron. Mark ripped at the face of King, they hit a cutter combo, but Titus broke it up. King got the hot tag and ran wild. Mark got Titus up to the top, but Titus hit the reverse snake eyes. King then hit a cutter from the top, he then it a huge DDT on Briscoe. King went to the top for the doomsday, but he was pushed off the top rope, Titus never saw and Mark hit the assisted hurricanrana for the win. This was a fun match, but the timeline just doesn’t work. Having ANX win a Ladder War, one of the most prestigious matches in ROH on an iPPV in the main event and then not getting the shot just doesn’t work for me. *** ¼ Overall Show Thoughts This was definitely one of the best overall ROH on SBG shows, in terms of match quality and building to a show. The show is definitely picking up steam and it will be interesting to see if it can continue in the next set of tapings. Bits and Pieces CHIKARA High Noon On the 13 th of November 2011 Chikara is hosting it’s first iPPV, headlined by Mike Quackenbush vs. Eddie Kingston in the finals of the 12 Large Summit. The show also has a couple of matches that could be potential blow offs, including Tim Donst and Ares of the BDK, taking on the Ultra Mantis Black and Hallowicked. We also have a match between Colt Cabana and Archibald Peck, over the rabbit known as Colt Cabunny. 3 This is a very important show for Chikara, because this is their first and only chance for Chikara to attract a lot of new viewers. The promotion for the show has been great, with many video packages and previews posted on YouTube. The 12 Large Summit dragged on a bit, but was mostly enjoyable, but for the most part it has been a success. Chikara crowning it’s first singles champion after 11 years is a pretty big deal, Quackenbush will probably walk out of High Noon with the championship, as I don’t see Kingston receiving the championship. All in all the show should be at least good and is available for preorder on GoFightLive. Expect a review in the coming weeks. WWE RAW With The Muppets This week’s edition of RAW featured the Muppets as special guests and although this edition of RAW was particularly bad, it wasn’t due to the Muppets. The problem with the show is that if you have been watching RAW for more than a week, your brain would have just overloaded from the sheer amount of inconsistencies.