Hidden Highlights
By JP Prag and James “JT” Thomlison
Issue #47
Intro
Hello everyone who has been having car/computer/electricity/law/insurance problems recently (seems to be the constant theme around here), and welcome back to Hidden Highlights!!
Hidden Highlight (n) – a small, hardly noticeable point that makes a big, positive difference. This could be anything from a wrestler putting extra emphasis into his moves to make it believable to a person in the background reacting while not the focus to the cameraman shaking the picture to create an effect. There are just so many unsung heroes of wrestling that it is impossible to cover them all.
Every week we take the top 3 Hidden Highlights from the biggest shows on television (RAW, ECW of SciFi, iMPACT, SmackDown!, and a PPV or television special if there is one). Plus we turn to you, the readers, to let us know all the Hidden Highlights you saw this, last, or any week in history. On top of all that, we explore the other issues that prove why this is the most positive article in the IWC.
And who is this mysterious we, you ask?
First, there is JP Prag who did not post Part 3 of In Defense Of… Jeff Jarrett. Yeah, it’s kind of hard to write an article when you don’t have power for two days. Go back and read Part 1 and Part 2 in the meanwhile and look for Part 3 and the vote this week!
And then there is James “JT” Thomlison who made a guest appearance in Wrestling’s 3Rs. This love fest between Csonka, Geoff, and JT is getting quite sickening.
We bring you Hidden Highlights with one goal in mind: to appreciate all those little things that make a huge difference. JT?
JT: Two days, JP. Two days until we own WrestleMania tickets!!! Well, two days until I own WrestleMania tickets, and then however many days after that until you sweeten my PayPal pot.
JP: I have to pay for these tickets now?!?! I don’t remember agreeing to that.
JT: Well I would assu—
JP: And it’s 4am so my patience is way too little to continue this conversation. On with the Hidden Highlights!
Hidden Highlights for TNA Presents Victory Road: Sunday, July 16, 2006 by JT
JT: Did anyone else notice a tag team/multi-person match theme for this Pay-Per-View? Man, I needed a map to find a singles match! The Naturals started their new streak off right, Senshi and Dutt put on a fine performance, Larry Z has a new hairdo (or lack thereof), and Kevin Nash does the job! Daniels and Styles managed to retain, and my boy lost a shot at the belt. Drats!
(3) Hair today, gone tomorrow:
When Skip Johnson interrupted Larry Z’s promo to let him know he was going to be the referee, Larry obviously was not pleased. Skip told him no reason to worry, because he always "calls it down the middle"; and, as he was finishing his statement off, he motioned down the back of the middle of his head as if he was holding an electric razor! It wasn't the most hidden thing in the world, but I actually missed it the first time I watched it so I figured, "hey, maybe so did they!". Nice little mind game to get into Larry's head before the big match (which, he of course lost).
(2) See, it's not fake!:
When Ron Killings mimicked Konnan by doing the Rolling Thunder, he immediately turned around do another signature move of Konnan’s, the crotch-whatever-you-want-to-call-it. But anyone who was focused on Konnan rather than Killings could see that he wasn’t watching him! He turned around to face the crowd and thus missed it. Nothing really spectacularly entertaining about that fact, but I thought it was a nice little note of improvisation to show that not EVERYTHING is scripted (ever notice that when a wrestler usually interacts with another wrestler outside of the ring, they always seem to already be there and focused in, as if they knew it was going to happen!? Yeah. Exactly).
(1) Welcome to OVER, Population: Eric Young:
Wait, I’m going to give Eric Young some love? Is this possible!? Okay, a bit thick on the sarcasm, but I do have a Hidden Highlight for Eric Young. When the team formerly known as Team Canada came down, Bobby Roode, A1, and Petey Williams were all decked out in suave pants, shirts, and jackets. Eric Young? Still in the Team Canada warm up jacket! That is such a typical move for him to still be in denial over what’s going on, and try to hold on with that one last grasp of hope that A. Team Canada is still alive and B. His job is secure. And my goodness was he OVER or what??? It’s almost a little Hidden Highlight in and of itself to watch week by week as he continues to just get himself more and more over. And it goes without saying, the mismatched socks were glorious. Oh, and “our own secret plan which I’m revealing to hundreds of thousands of people on national television with everyone in management watching”… gold. Well, I guess on a bit of a rant there and all of these things (except the wearing of the jacket) weren’t really hidden but I think the point here is that TNA should not fire Eric Young.
JP: Let us not forget that it was but a few short months ago that Eric Young LITERALLY died and then came back to life to wrestle a few days later. Whatever may become of Eric Young, I’ll always remember that.
Hidden Highlights for WWE RAW: Monday, July 17, 2006 by JP
JP: I’m watching Maria interview Umaga and Armando Alejandro Estrada and all I can think about is the interview Bayani made up a few weeks ago between them. Both were pretty good, but I don’t write Hidden Highlights for other writer’s articles.
(3) K-I-S-S-I-N-G:
As Nitro and Melina were making their way down to confront Ric Flair (I love when storylines tie together like a web of interlacing… uhhh… stories…), the pair paused at the top of the ramp and… and… kissed! You may have not noticed this before, but the two have never actually made kissing contact on camera before. They’ve made motions for it and come close, but have never actually kissed on camera. We smarks know that in real life Nitro and Melina have been dating for a while. Looks like they finally decided to make it part of the kayfabe world.
(2) Me am smart, yes:
When John Cena came down for his interview with Matt Striker before his match with Umaga that Edge would interfere in (I love when storylines tie together like a web of interla—wait, didn’t I just say this?), he got into a verbal barrage against Mr. Striker. At one point, he called Striker a “dumbass”. And what did Striker do? He immediately started pointing to his head and mouthed, “No, I’m smart!” Classic stuff by Striker when he wasn’t on mic or necessarily on camera.
(1) Hook it in:
As something I’ve been trying to do more of, I’ve been focusing on wrestling moves to show the hard work that these guys do in the ring. This isn’t always easy when there is a total of 20:13 of wrestling in an entire episode of RAW. But that is no deterrent as my main man Carlito came through. As Shelton has Carlito rolled up and was going for the ropes, he let his grip of Carlito’s leg slip which allowed Carlito to make the roll through. And as Carlito made that roll through and went for the ropes, he NEVER let go both of Shetlon’s legs, thus making it almost impossible for Shelton to kick out. Nobody knows how to cheat like Carlito, and dats cool.
JT: I have no idea why Striker isn't on main WWE TV more. I'd say the same thing about Carlito, but then I'd be the dumbass.
Hidden Highlights for ECW on SciFi: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 by JT
JT: Well, I think I pretty much covered my thoughts on this episode over in the 3R's, so let's just hop to it!
(3) Production!:
Now, usually when there is a title match, be it on free TV or PPV, there is always this flash which takes up the whole screen and has the belt draped all the way across (I think it even lists the name of the title). However, for the Big Show's match with Undertaker, it had no such thing. It merely had a tiny picture of the belt pop up under the ECW logo in the bottom left corner. Excellent job by the production team to at least TRY and make ECW different from WWE. A small victory in an enormous battle.
(2) It's still real to me:
During CM Punk's promo, he was talking about how disciplined he was and listening off various forms of fighting/martial arts that he has practiced over the years. Then he noted wrestling as being the <i>most</i> disciplined. I mean, we all know that in no way a fake sports could compare to legitimate fighting styles, so nice little touch to him to actually put over wrestling as being tougher and more legitimate than the other styles. And speaking of nice little touches, anyone else notice the Vampire say "Some will do <i>anything</i> to relive the past"? Well, if I were him, I certainly would, as he's none other than Mordecai, and we all remember how that went.
(1) Watch much?:
I ripped into Joey a little in the 3R's, so I'm going to show him a little love to make up for it. During the Mike Knox vs. Sandman matchup, I forget who but one of them went for the first of two low blows (I think it was Sandman), and Joey said "what an obvious low blow! and legal!". I thought this was a nice touch because not everybody that watches is a die-hard ECW fan from ten years ago. There are new viewers, and it's Joey's job to make sure they don't get confused (he also does this by mentioning in the beginning of the match that it's extreme rules, but again, some might not know what that means). Nice work by Joey to remember that every show could be at least one person's first time watching.
(BONUS!) This isn't a Hidden Highlight but I did notice it so there:
This actually isn't a HH, but just something I noticed. We all know that the announce table for ECW is positioned so that Taz and Joey are facing the camera. This week I noticed that the bell ...er....ringer.... person... was also sitting over there with them, as opposed to the little corner bottom right TV side. At first I thought that maybe they were doing this just for kicks and giggles, but then I realized that the announce booth is really the first person to notify the home audience that the bell has been rung (to end a match midway via DQ or something). I realized that if the guy was on the opposite side of the ring and he rung it, Joey and Taz might not be able to hear it, thus not knowing what was going on. We can't have the announcers clueless! Just something I had never thought about before and figured I'd share.
JP: With the power outage, I would have missed ECW on SciFi. But you know that neither Stephen Randle nor 411mania condones or endorses downloading anything. So therefore, I could not possibly comment on a show that I could not have seen. Yes, that’s it.
Hidden Highlights for TNA iMPACT: Thursday, July 20, 2006 by JP
JP: Jay Lethal is amazing in that ring. Jarrett really helped make him look like a million and seven dollars during that match. Lethal controlled everything and had Jarrett on the ropes. More evidence for my case! Nobody expected Lethal to win, but man there were points in that match that I totally marked out and believed it was possible. That’s a great wrestling moment.
(3) No longer the future:
In the opening contest, The Newly Franchised Naturals took on the returning team of Maverick Matt (Bentley) and (Frankie) Kazarian. Toward the end of the match, Douglas was on the top rope and Kazarian went up to take him down. Don West then commented that Kazarian was going for the move that he “used to call the Flux Capacitor”. Why used to? Well, the last time Kazarian was in TNA he was “The Future” and that was the name of his move. Since then, he has changed and may no longer be the future, so that move may have another name. Good call by West in that situation.
(2) Catfight, roar:
At the end of the AMW and Gail Kim interview with Jeremy Borash, Gail was front and center running down Sirelda. After she challenged Sirelda to a match, the camera was just stating to pull away as James Storm let out a “Rowwwwr” with the international symbol for cat fight. Excellent job by Storm intersecting everyone’s thoughts even though it almost didn’t get picked up by the camera. And excellent job by reader Aaron Dorman for picking up the exact same thing.
(1) When was that?:
As Jeremy Borash was making the ring announcement for the main event of Jeff Jarrett defending his NWA World Heavyweight Title against Jay Lethal, he said that Jay Lethal had weighed in “this morning”. ‘That’s odd,’ I thought to myself, but figured it was just a little mistake. Then he did the same for Jeff Jarrett! This morning? How peculiar. And I even knew from Meehan’s report that fans aren’t allowed in the arena until 6pm. But I guess the wrestlers have to get there much earlier to run through the program, lay out their matches, and tape vignettes and such. So in that case, since they would have got there in the morning that is when they would have been weighed in. Interesting choice of keeping it real by JB that would not normally expect from him.
JT: All I'm saying is that Gail Kim needs a major wardrobe malfunction, STAT!
Hidden Highlights for WWE SmackDown!: Friday, July 21, 2006 by JT
JT: Watching SmackDown in reverse order is quite odd. I watched the second hour because I got home around 9, then had to watch the first hour. So, the shocking announcement that Rey would be taking on Booker T was really not that shocking, get it? I'd say this helped build to the PPV, but half the card has dropped off so who knows what the hell is going on!?
(3) Old friends:
Short and sweet. When Gregory Helms was out at the announce table with JBL and Michael Cole, he referred to himself in the third person a couple of times. Gregory Helms was of course the Hurricane, who was friends with? The Rock, someone who spoke in the third person all the time. Nice little subtle maneuver Gregory has borrowed to try and make himself seem more important.
(2) Michael Cole stole my Hidden Highlight *mad face*:
What this Hidden Highlight should say:
During the Finlay/Lashley match (a fine match by the way), Lashley had Finlay pinned, and instead of kicking out the usual way, Finlay did so by ramming the palm of his hand in Lashley's face with quite some force! This fits Finlay's character to a TEE. He has been in this game a long time, and he makes sure he does all the little things to make the match fun, exciting, and more importantly, GOOD. The man is a beat-down machine, and he plays that role 100%.
What this Hidden Highlight actually says:
During the Finlay/Lashley match (a fine match by the way), Lashley had Finlay pinned, and instead of kicking out the usual way, Finlay did so by ramming the palm of his hand in Lashley's face with quite some force!... and then MICHAEL F'N COLE proceeds to point it out on national television for the whole world to take note of! How dare he! I was so pissed! He completely stole my gimmick! From my Hidden Highlights notes last night:
Michael Stole my HIDDEN HIGHLIGHT AND I’M PISSED. Finlay kicked out and did so by ramming his palm into Lashley’s face…. Fuck you Michael Cole, stop reading my column and stealing my glory!
Go to hell Michael Cole *mad face again*
(1) Oh say can you see:
When Booker T made his way down to the ring, JBL stood and began to praise him as he always does. Then it showed him for a brief second and he had his hat over his heart. This seemed odd to me a bit. I mean, I figured “okay, he’s showing respect to Booker T”, but that just didn’t seem right. Then I realized that there was music playing. When do *I* put my hat over my heart and stand? Football games. During the National Anthem! Of course! Booker has new entrance music, which I suppose can be dubbed his “Royal Anthem”. Considering that JBL considers himself a *citizen* of Booker’s Court, it would only make sense he shows the same appreciation he does for The Star Spangled Banner.
JP: I used to hate when Tazz or someone would point out a Hidden Highlight, but then I began to take it as a compliment. They like our stuff! Now they should pay for it.
JT: Well, before we get to the Reader Write-ins, we have a:
Reader Write-in Hidden Highlights SPECIAL TRIBUTE
JT: I got this…
JP: Good, because I have no idea why you just created another section.
JT: Well, as I was saying, we got this:
We know that when the family members of heels pass away, WWE has a tendency to not allow the heels to honor their memory. I guess that's why Orton Sr. wasn't given a mention.
So leave it to Randy Orton to honor him. Right after he won his match, you can see him stand him, point to the sky, look up and say something one can assume to be complimentary to the late Orton Sr.
Good job by Randy in doing what Vince was too much of a dick to do: honor
the past.
JT: I agree. They didn’t say SHIT, just to keep Randy as a prick heel. “Words-I-Can’t-Say” for that… Orton Sr., you gave us some great years, and had a great career. We are sad you’re gone, and like I said in the forums, tell the greats that we miss them.
JP: Yeah, I can’t believe there wasn’t even a ten bell salute at the beginning of the show. When Rick Rude died, Curt Henning was allowed to make mention and point to heaven, even though he was a heel. What’s so different here? Just WWE storyline politics. It’s ok to let stuff slip. Believe me, feeling sympathy for someone one week does not erode the fact that many people will hate him.
SPECIAL Reader Write-in Hidden Highlights ASSIGNMENT!
JP: eh.. what? JT, why are you creating new sections? Isn’t this what THAT OTHER SECTION was designed for?
JT: Hush up, you’ll see. We got this from mfh001:
I just won main concourse tickets for Raw in Cleveland next Monday. My seats are right behind the ring, facing the Titantron. Look for a 'My Sign is a Hidden Highlight'/ Asian Bitches Looking Good Most of Time sign....hopefully it will make it on the air.
JT: Okay, so we have to share time with Bayani… we’ll live. But it is ASSIGNMENT AMERICA TIME! Seriously. Everyone who can and is actually not too lazy to not do it… RECORD RAW… however you have to, so you can check afterwards. VCR, DVD, Download, WHATEVER. This man is sitting RIGHT BEHIND THE ANNOUNCE BOOTH SOMEWHERE ON THAT SIDE. Somebody find the sign! It will happen! Let’s all help mfh make history!
JP: YES! It’s our best chance to date! Make it happen!
JT: Now, before we blow our load and get all disappointed when it doesn’t happen, let’s get to the RWHH…
…seriously people… record it… find it, and get us a clip or picture or something…
okay… I’m done now…
…sort of…
you can do it…
I’m just kidding…
but not really…
let’s find it together. GO MFH!
Reader Write-in Hidden Highlights
Hidden Highlights aren’t just for us to find and tell you about, but for you to spot and share with us. Don’t just sit there and stare, but be a more active, attentive, and engaged viewer. Appreciate all the hard work that goes into making the wrestling we have the privilege to watch and then let us know what you caught this and every week.
This week JT gets to pick our Reader Write-in Hidden Highlights of the week.
JT: What are we up to know… six, seven hundred of unanswered emails? I think we’re okay though. I think that the readers feel like we do respond because we put them in our column and answer them in here. At least, that’s what I tell myself.
JP:Well, at least we always make sure that when we’re getting on ourselves, we remind them that we appreciate each and every email.
JT: That we do. So, *GENERAL WARNING*:: some parts of the following Reader Write-in Hidden Highlights may be edited for grammar, spelling, and English translation…
First a big ups to Adam Nelson aka Ultima from the forums who did manage to get our sign on TV, it was just too far away to be read. It’s the thought that counts man! Props to him also for noticing (along with Nate C., and Zachariah H.). I also want to mention LaFave even though he shows up later:
I've worn contacts for ten years give or take. When the optometrist first give instructions for contact care one of the things they explain is, that if you're ever in a situation where your contact comes out and you can't for whatever reason put it in saline, to store it in your mouth because saliva and the tears in your eyes are very similar and it wont hurt your eyes. That being said, I don't think that Melina licking her thumbs before the eye gouge would make a difference.
JT: Oh Mike… Mike, Mike, Mike… perhaps I should have clarified. If you spit in your OWN eye, you’re probably good. Based on scientific evidence, you’re self healing and non-self-harming. So I guess my suggestion is, run up to your best friend, and spit in his eye, and see how he likes it. Let us know. Now, first up, we have Lisawho kicks us off with the show that was actually on before our last issue, SNME!:
Hi, guys! I love your column. It's my favorite read nowadays. Like most fans who have read it, it has changed the way I watch wrestling, and everything else!
But I can't believe you missed a great HH from SNME. As soon as Trish came out, the very first thing I noticed was her very curly hair. Perfect since her partner was Carlito. I thought that was great.
Keep up the good work.
JT: Proof that all you need to be featured (and go first no less) in this column is:
A. Be a female.
B. Say you love us.
C. Mention Carlito.
You know, I’m wondering what it means when the things known to get you in this column are designed to make JP happy. I have power too people! Seriously, where’s my catering!? To the point at hand though, ….wait… I just realize that this again caters to JP! Tag Teams resembling each other! Man. Either way Lisa it was a good catch. Trish has always honed her craft more and more the longer she’s been around, and a little touch like that can do wonders. Next up we have WWEAngel00, who was very brief but I think makes a valid point:
My HH is from the SNME match between Edge and John Cena. Cena was sitting on the top rope and Edge went to climb up to flip him and completely missed the rope and fell backwards. In the end they did pull the move off.
JT: The Hidden Highlight is in the “In the end they did pull the move off.” I always wonder what they wrestlers are thinking when they totally botch something; the great part is that they always no sell the botch. Next up is Rick G., who has something that in no way involves botches:
The hidden highlight I have is from Saturday Nights Main Event. During the 6 man tag match, towards the end it appears that Finley was going to charge Batista. However, King Booker notices that Lashey was outside the ring and was going to pull Finley out. Booker decides to charge Batista instead, which didn’t help. It just shows how much a team player King Booker is, even though he is above all the commoners.
JT: Okay, I have to admit, all I saw was “Booker”, “Finlay”, “Batista”, and “commoners”. Seriously, that was a great way for Rick to put what happened into perspective, and to give some love to Booker. Not only a nice catch, but a nicely worded one. Before we end SNME I’ll give some props to Michael C. and Nate C. (again) for noticing Batista kick the shillelagh [JP the editor’s note: Please see Finlay’s Profile on WWE.com every time you need to spell that word, thank you] out of the way when Little Bastard missed it (which he did a week ago or so on SD and almost made my column for it). Oh, that Dave, always thinking on his toes (get it?)! Evan moves us into Victory Road with some copyright infringement!:
Wanted to point out a HH from the James Gang vs Team 3D 6man tag match. Toward the end of the match when Brother Runt and Brother Ray were fighting Abyss at the top of the ramp you can hear Brother Ray calling Spike over instead of Runt. He said it a few times. This happened right before the stomp of the stage on to Abyss.
JT: Didn’t catch it myself, but gotta love it! I remember catching a similar highlight with the team they were fighting (James Gang) when they were “laying the strap” to LAX; James called Kip “Billy”. I imagine it happens. I mean you’re with someone so long you get used to calling them something. Hell, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he calls him Billy all the time backstage. Speaking which, moving to RAW. Josh L. hates us now:
You guys really are bastard, you know that? I'm now stuck in an unstoppable tradition of looking for a new hidden highlight not only every time I watch Wrestling but now every time I watch Television, see a movie, or play an RPG video game. Bastards....I jest of course. Here's my HH:
On RAW, I think it was during the Carlito/Benjamin match, Good Ole JR himself said something out of nowhere that totally caught my attention. "I'd like to remind everyone that this is the six-hundred eighty-sixth episode of Monday Night RAW." It was such a trivial comment that it caught me off guard as to the relevance to what was currently ongoing in the ring but at the same time reminded me how LONG Monday Night RAW has been on cable television. Awesome job by Jim Ross to institute a serious historical fact into the program without it relevating to any specific point in general.
JT: Well, first off Josh, GOOD! You should try and enjoy everything (as JP will get into further in a bit), so it’s good to spot something. If you go to the movie, why shouldn’t you get your <strike>seven</strike> ninety-three bucks worth? If you always catch something someone else didn’t, then you always “get it” and enjoyed it more than they did. Nice work.
As for the JR comment, I heard it too, and immediately thought “I knew they had the record but DAMN”. He may slip up here and there, but he has still forgotten more about wrestling than we’ve ever known. Oh, and just so you know, I am indeed sinning as we speak, and will repent tomorrow. Up next we have Bobby - who I believe is also forum Bobby – who finally caters to the JT side of things:
Raw had a ton of great Hidden highlights this week should be easy for you guys I caught like 12. The best of which was from Maria. (JT will be pleased.) Any way this week she gave two interviews and during both she seemed a little different than usual. She seemed scared. Which makes perfect since on both parts. First she was with Umaga and Armando and Umaga is supposed to be a monster so it makes since for a small defenseless woman to be scared. Then she was interviewing Big Vis and Charlie Haas and she acted scared again. Why? because just the week before one of them had attacked a woman and than they both had laughed about it. Maybe Maria is smarter than she appears.
JT: She does seem to segue from dumb blonde to “super intelligent in that courtroom scene” back to dumb blonde to “I’m a little nervous” beautifully doesn’t she? Let’s all give ourselves a reminder of how she does so:
And while we’re at it, let’s take a moment for Stacy. As we all know, she has moved on, and while my heart is truly broken, I wish her the best in whatever she does next:
JP: God, it’s like Issue #2 of Hidden Highlights in here! What is going on this week? Have we regressed so far?
JT: Hmmmm… maybe the next Stacy for me? …we can only hope. And speaking of Maria, I can report a HH from Andrew in regards to her:
Not sure if this qualifies as a hidden highlight, but what the hell. I live in San Antonio, the city that hosted Raw tonight (Monday, July 17th). I doubt anyone noticed, but when Maria was shown on screen for an interview, check out her right hand; it's behind her back the whole time, and if you look closely, you can make out a shape around her hand. That is a cast that was put on her hand today. She had to have it x-rayed and has somehow injured her thumb, even if a little bit. I just think it's interesting that she did this to hide her injury. That's all.
JT: Now, it’s top secret government information how Andrew knows this, and therefore we’re certainly not going to tell you (sorry guys), but it is accurate, and did in fact happen. Next up, we have to include Manu, because he emails both of us both through this email and separately, and we are talking EMAILS… so we can’t leave him out. Plus, it’s good:
How many times have we seen the face win a title match via count out or dq, grab the belt, and celebrate like a retarded monkey who just found his own poo? Not Cena. He thought he won the title, but once it was announced it was by dq, his entire expression changed, because he knew he couldn't win the title on a dq.
JT: I like this point out, because Manu is right. Cena didn’t throw himself a private parade in the ring, he just looked at it like “fuck, that was close”… definitely a good one for all you Cena haters. By the way, I’ll be meeting him on Tuesday, and I’ll be sure to tell him that if nothing else, I’m with him. Speaking of which…
JP, they have advertised Carlito for the WM 23 launch on Tuesday at Ford Field. When I meet him, I promise you the words out of my mouth will be “Man, I’m a fan, but the guy I write a column with is a HUGE fan.”… he will know your markdom.
JP: You’d do that for me?
JT: How girlish did that sound? Shut up. Yes. I will let him know my partner in crime is the biggest fan of his. And (what the hell people, is this like let’s suck up to JP week?) speaking of Carlito, regular LaFave has something for us:
To the surprise of no one it goes to Mr. Cool himself, Carlito. At the end of the match, we all saw Shelton Benjamin try to get a hold of the ropes for the extra leverage to pick up the win. Then we all saw Carlito successfully use the ring ropes to his advantages. The hidden aspect of this was after Carlito reversed position but before he grabed hold of the ropes, he quickly looked at the ref to check and see if he was looking. Once he noticed the ref was not concentrating on Carlito but instead on Shelton's shoulders, then Carlito knew it was ok to cheat and use the ropes. He didn't stop there, he kept his eye on the ref for the entire 3 count to make sure he would not get caught cheating. Carlito has always played by the strategy of Bobby the Brain Heenan, "win if you can, lose if you must but always cheat", he's an experienced cheater and that was proven when Sheloton couldn't get the cheap win while Carlito got the job done, and that my friends isn't just a hidden highlight, but dat, dat's cool!!!
JT: Usually when LaFave writes us, we don’t have much to do say, and that seems to be the case. He practically writes himself. Carlito is the man… and apparently, all over this column. And I guess we have to YET FUCKING AGAIN give LaFave som-
JP: Again………?
JT: You’re telling me, but damn… he is an emailing beast:
OK, before I go, I have a quick question. Am I'm missing something painfully obvious? What does the C.M. in C.M. Punk stand for? I've seen SLC Punk and I'm not noticing what it would be from from that, is it staring me in the face and I just don't see it? Has it ever been made public knowledge? If you guys know, you gotta tell me.
JT: As far as I know, his real name is Phil Brooks, and I have NO IDEA what the CM means.. so anyone that wants to get that to us, or LF, much obliged. We only have Brandon to his us with TNA love, but that’s okay, because he is dead on:
TNA iMPACT: This one goes out to the TNA production staff. When Christian was champion, his entrance video was of him celebrating with the fans and with the title. Now that he's no longer champion however, his video has switched back the countdown/count up he used when he first debuted in TNA. A good job by the TNA crew changing it as the story changed as well.
JT: I too noticed when the video changed. I remember thinking “where are the numbers and the countdown?”. No need while he’s champ. Now that he has reverted back to contender, we need to switch back. Excellent catch by Brandon, especially considering. Which brings us to Sean A. – who much like myself – enjoys the new announce team, or more specifically in his case, Michael Cole:
from main event, when 'taker threw khali out, he turned and started after show. Show threw up his hands in the classic 'dude, this ain't my deal' pose, and, when taker turned his bac-show jumped him. the great part is michael cole calling it 'as usual'-letting the casual viewer know that show is a seriously cheatin' and dastardly heel who pulls this bs ALL the time. oh, and bradshaw is right with him-you know they had that set up prior, but they did it well, understated but effective.
JT: I’ll tell you what else is effective: the Shift Key. Familiarize yourself with it okay there big guy? Kidding aside that was a good call. Cole and JBL have turned out to be quite the team, and I definitely approve. It’s similar to Styles breaking out the low blow legality reminder I mentioned earlier. Moving us into Classic / Other portion of things, Katie is back and on a roll!:
More DX Hidden Highlights? Hell yeah!
-People who bought the new WWE mag will catch this, but I didn't until I took a closer look at the adorable pic of Shawn and Trips in croquet outfits. The mallet HBK's holding is a regular one(but it seems kid-sized...damn innuedo), but the mallet Hunter has...is his own sledgehammer sightly disguised as one! Only Trips would think of such an innovative use for his favorite weapon...
-Okay, the very first segment of Raw started off a bit too familiar for my tastes: DX jump(with a bit of a whooshing sound) into the screen with a green BG? I hope I wasn't the only one who immediately thought of Hurricane. I don't think Helms will sue though; it was all in cute fun. Not to mention Gregory is the current Cruiser champ on SD--he won't care about the other brands.
JT: I use that only because A. you’re completely right about Gregory Helms, and B. you used “cute” and “adorable” in those paragraphs… not something you see very often.
-Subtle changes for HBK and HHH's wrestling wear--Shawn's pant legs have green X's on them(though it wasn't the case on Monday), while Hunter's HHH logo is covered by the one for DX!
JT: I think we’ve all noticed the great, especially Shawn’s at Vengeance, he was like a Green X machine on both the pants and the vest, but I think it’s cool you noticed the difference between the two. It seems that while Shawn is willing to have a thousand X’s on him, Trips is fine with just the one, which happens to cover his c-
JP: My goodness, and you called me girlie earlier. I, at least, spend my time flirting with our female writers, not sharing fashion advice.
JT: We get it! Sheesh… you’re like my aunt’s little poodle that won’t stop giving it to the couch… man. At any rate, please continue:
-This HH is from back when Batista turned on Trips. The week before the turn, I had realized Hunter's master plan...well, see for yourself:
"But the question is this: WHY would JBL willingly lend a hand to Trips if he knows the end result will be Dave jumping to SD and he'll get another opponent at WM? Plus Teddy didn't seem to know about this... There's a slight possibility GameCube and JBL are in kahoots, but I still think Trips is the master puppeteer of this whole angle, trying to make Dave go to SD so he won't face him and at the same time exaggerate how much Bradshaw wants to face 'Tista by doing the stunt he did last night (doesn't explain how he got the limo, but still...).
This is one thick plot they're cooking up...I kinda like having to figure this stuff out; it's fun!...Oh, and one more thing pointing to JBL's innocence: Even if he was there; you'd think he'd send the Bashams or Orlando out there?! I know Raw and SD are in different states right now, but if Dave's gonna be at the taping tonight; they can't be too far apart!"
I typed this up the day of the SD taping where Dave invaded. Am I good or what?! And of course; Trips reveals he was behind everything the next Raw, Dave eavesdrops, thumbs down at the contract signing, Batista turns face, fangasm from us all
JT: Fangasm; that’s an interesting one. Well, you make excellent points, especially considering they were weeks/months in advance. Which leads us to the real HH:
-While we're on Dave's turn; the first segment in Evolution's locker room that episode has Trips come in through a BACK door. Made it easier for the cameraman--and Dave--to peek in on them through the front entrance...so Hunter and Ric never suspected a thing!
JT: This one I LOVE. Trips wasn’t walking through the arena, so no way he could see Dave; but we don’t know that… until they show us that he’s coming through the back door. He has no idea who’s there. That is a real-
JP: But I-
JT: NO! STOP! You’re like a magnet, sheesh. Just stop. As I was saying, it is a really good HH there Katie not only noticing he came in the back door, but relating that to how that means they have no idea Batista is there. Couldn’t have caught it myself.
And Caitlyn (Kate) takes us into the Classic / Other portion of things with a memory I had honestly forgot:
Also a one from a while ago on Raw (can't remember the exact date) when Trish was still out and Mickie James stole J.R's cowboy hat. This didn't seem much, but which diva was once famous for wearing a cowboy hat in WWE. That's right, Trish. Just seemed to me that it cemented the fact that Mickie was always thinking about Trish in some way and her instability means that she could go through "eras" of Trish then, as opposed to what she is now.
JT: I remember that exact episode. In fact, it may have been a HH; if it wasn’t I know for a fact it was at least mentioned. Excellent move by Mickie, and also shows that when she says “I’ve been watching with my brothers forever”, she isn’t full of shit. Next we ha-
JP: That’s like four ladies so far…? Why do they always email on your week???
JT: Because I talk to them like wrestling fans and you badger them like a horn dog? I don’t know?
JP: This is a stigma I may need to try and overcome.
JT: The problem is that you only want to overcome the stigma so that the ladies will write in on your week.
JP: This is true, and I see your point there.
JT: Yeah, sorry bud, the secret is out. Now if I may. John B. has an excellent memory… or he watched it recently:
Don't know if anyone remembers but if any looks at the Royal Rumble when Batista won it during the time where Kurt Angle was being pulled away from Shawn Michaels, One of the guys that pulled him away happened to be Finlay. If he was already there then why did they take so long to debut him?
JT: Firstly, good call on catching him. Secondly, Finlay left WCW (his second stint, when doctor’s didn’t think <i>walking</i> would ever be possible following being thrown through a table by Brian Knobbs, slicing a nerve in his leg badly) after jobbing to – of all people – Norman Smiley. Shortly after WCW was bought out by WWE, he signed with them as a road agent, so he’s been around for years. It wasn’t until – possibly after getting in there with the boys at said Royal Rumble – he decided to get back into wrestling shape and give it another go. Johnny Ace was completely against it, but Vince and I believe road agent Tom Pritchard were behind him, and he eventually debuted (after much vignette hyping) in a match almost a year later. A mere nine days later, his second appearance at the Rumble came in the form of a match on the Heat beforehand against Brian Kendrick, who is now still on the same roster and they’re both champions.
JP: What is this, ask 411?
JT: I was just trying to be helpful! Besides, I’ve been called out a few times about being the editor at OWW and having incorrect information, so figure I’d show some of my pull.
JP: Your… pull? What pull is that exactly? The pull of looking it up?
JT: Stop interrupting funny man! Let the man (Hugh D.) speak:
I did have a third highlight but I forgot what it was, let that be a lesson to all to write them in as soon as you see them.
JT: So, maybe this was a little rib on Hugo because it was his first time writing in, but to be fair, he did have a really good classic highlight in which Ric Flair made sure he was NOT in the camera shot while Batista did his entrance Gatling gun thing, and how that was Ric not impeding on Batista’s shine (aka helping put him over). Good call Hugh. And before we go, just let me say to Martin B.: We appreciate the love, and it was a good read man, but I do enough editing at OWW, k? Lay off the trees a little when you write us, and I’m sure you’ll make it in. Similar note to Wayne W.: Again, we love hearing from you, but you have to get a *hair* more hidden, and also, just saying “dat’s cool” will only get you in on JP’s week (just kidding on both counts Martin and Wayne). That being said, thanks for the great emails, we love you all, and keep them coming.
JP: You know, I don’t allow just any Carlito Hidden Highlight through. You’ll also notice that I edit down people’s e-mails and don’t print the entire thing, especially the parts that have nothing to do with anything going on in the article.
JT: What are you trying to say he—
JP: Oh geez, almost 5am. I need some sleep JT! Let’s wrap this baby up!
Do you have a Hidden Highlight from this or any week in history that you would like to share? Please e-mail JP..erT…er…us at jpjthidden@yahoo.com with your thoughts! Send them by Friday afternoon to be considered! And remember, they can be from any show, live or taped, or any house show, or anything you saw… we just like to know!
That Other Section
That Other Section is an idea, a free forum where we get to explore the other bits of positivity in the universe. Sometimes, though, it might not exist at all. Hey, if we don’t have anything to talk about, why force it?
This week, JP has something for That Other Section.
JP: Based on my experiences this week, I present to you:
The Hidden Highlights of a Two Day Power Outage
JP: So after a long drive back on Tuesday from Albany to Philadelphia where I got stranded in Jersey for two hours because my tire got ripped in half, I was happily reading my mail (including the letter where my health insurance rejected a claim) when the power was suddenly cut. I thought to myself, “No problem, it will be back in a bit,” and decided to use the time productively.
And how does an electricity junkie like me spend his time when the power doesn’t come on for two days? Well let’s see. I lit a bunch of candles, which helped get the place smelling much better. I also learned that reading by candle light is hard, and that I really need to get one of those things that I can carry around a candle in that has a handle. That got me thinking about Pirates of the Caribbean 2, and that I really need to see it still. Then I remembered that I’d want to see that before Clerks 2 came out. Neither of those were an option at the moment.
So I finished reading Joseph Heller’s Portrait of an Artist as an Old Man which is a Hidden Highlight goldmine. There are so many references to his prior works and other works that it makes my head spin. Luckily for me, I had read all his previous books (this being his last before his death), so I got most of them. And now that I finished that book, I have officially completed my Joseph Heller fix. That means that I can move on to my Vladimir Nabokov fix! Nice!
JT: WHAT IN THE BLUE HELL ARE YOU BABBLING MAN, GOOD GOD!?!?!?
JP: Stop interrupting! I'm trying to share my love of literature with the readers and your schmaluckering it all up!
JT: Schmaluckering?
JP: You're not pinning that one on me! Your'e writing this! In fact, STOP writing this so I can get back to my story!
JT: You're right. That was me. You just never cuss and I thought schmaluckering sounded like a nice Jewish non-profane cuss word.
JP: .......that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my entire life. I'm ignoring you now. SO:
Sadly, I had not purchased any Nabakov novels prior to the power outage, so I went to my bookshelf. That’s when I realized I still had not read Akira Volume 2 (which I bought in 2001 according the receipt inside the book) so I read that entire book.
Before that, though, I got to spend much time on the phone catching up with peeps and hearing about their lives, until the battery died on my phone. No problem, it was getting close to bed time. So for the first time in a while, I got to sleep in complete darkness and quiet—a rarity among rarities.
So the bottom line is, no matter the problems in life, I’ll always try to turn a negative into a positive. Plus, it makes a funny story to tell later. And there’s nothing I like better than to tell a good story.
JT: You know I was just sitting here thinking "man, he must have done a lot of writing while the power is out and that's why we're getting this story.". I then realized that in fact that's impossible considering that you require power to operate your computer in order to access your word processing documents... verdict: I should be a genius! No, it sounds like it was some good R & R for you man which is always nice to get in, even if it's unplanned.
Exit, stage left!
JT: It's actually early Saturday evening, and I'm done! Amazing! Thanks for joining us kids, and we'll see you next week my little schmalucker..uh..ers!
JP: Ummm… by early Saturday evening, JT means 3am on Sunday. Not that it matters, for I was out all night and just got back to the hotel now. Shout out to Zishan and Kaete and their excellent engagement party, I had a blast. Zishan, as a long time wrestling fan, that comment actually has relation to this column. And I’m sure you’ll convert your future wife with time. See you in a few weeks. Oh, not you readers. I’ll see you on Wednesday.
Thank you for joining us for the forty-seventh issue of Hidden Highlights. Be sure to drop us a line and let us know what you think and all the other Hidden Highlights we missed. Plus, we want to hear your Reader Write-ins for all the moments you see this and every week.
We’ll catch you again next time in the reader approved most positive article in all of the IWC: Hidden Highlights! Until then!