Hidden Highlights 01.29.06: Issue #22
Posted by Prag-Thomlison on 01.29.2006
The power of staying quiet, Coach and Lawler discuss fashion tips, Funaki has a long term memory, Larry Zbyzsko disappears from his office to discuss sumo, Orlando Jordan makes more appearances than Carlito, a bazillion readers share their thoughts (but only one was mean), and we prepare for the Royal Rumble!
Hidden Highlights
By JP Prag and James "JT" Thomlison
Issue #22
Intro
Hello everyone who has had the privilege to try Vault, and welcome back to Hidden Highlights!!
Hidden Highlights is designed to look at the wrestling we watch each and every week and point out all of those understated things that go into making the shows great. This could be anything from a wrestler making a facial expression to an announcer talking about the history of a belt to the production guy timing fireworks just right. There are just so many unsung heroes of wrestling that it is impossible to cover them all. So every week we will take the top 3 Hidden Highlights from the top 3 wrestling shows on television (and maybe a PPV or television special if there was one. But with playoff action last week, there definitely wasn't gonna be one.).
Who are we? Well, I'm the One and Only JP, and you might recognize me better as the ultimate defender of the truth for In Defense Of…! My cohort in crime is the venerable and often under-appreciated (and soon to be former) Byte This! recapper James "JT" Thomlison! Together we are the most positive duo to ever step foot in the IWC… if stepping foot into an imagery realm made up of a mass network of computers and people sitting in their mom's basement were possible.
Still, we bring you Hidden Highlights with one goal in mind: to appreciate all those subtle bits that make a huge difference. JT?
JT: I'm.... finally....
JP: Wait for it...
JT: FREEEE!!!!!!! My 21 day trip to Hell is over, I've received my TNA house show tickets, my taxes came back, the boss slipped me a bonus, and I'll soon be joining the TiVo club for free!
JP: Man, talk about a pot at the end of the rainbow.
JT: Yeah, I guess in the long run, it really was worth it, and now I have four days off!
JP: I wonder what that looks like.
JT: ....you just had two weeks off.
JP: What are you talking about? Oh, that vacation thing at the end of December? Try five days, of which two involved airplanes. And then an immediate trip right after that.
JT: We are definitely busy men. But we'd never leave the readers hanging! Let's hop to it shall we?
Of course, before in engaging in Hidden Highlights, be sure to read:
JT's ByteThis! Report featuring Pat Patterson, who shockingly started his career in San Francisco; and Mick Foley, who loves Stacy Keibler as much as Bayani, although neither come even close to my personal devotion to her.
JT: Yeah, I think Cook said it best with "Case closed".
JP: Actually, I think he said "Slam dunk"?
Cook: No referencing me without a cameo!!!
JT: Why would we put you – the man who turned his back on Sunday's – in our column?
Cook: Because, occasionally, I do say something witty.
JT: Is this one of those times?
Cook: Nope. I got nothing; you guys go ahead. On with the Hidden Highlights!
Hidden Highlights for TNA Impact: Saturday, January 21, 2006 by JP
JP: With Sting on people's minds, Impact has moved into its highest rating ever. Word now is that Final Resolution also got the highest buyrate in TNA history. Those things may be looking good for TNA, but what did I see?
(3) Silence says it all:
For the opening contest of Impact this week we had the Diamonds in the Rough versus Sonjay Dutt and Chris Sabin. Towards the end of this back-and-forth contest, David Young was tied up in the tree of woe and Chris Sabin hit him with a huge running dropkick. The Hidden Highlight? As Sabin went up into the air, the entire arena went silent, including the announcers. Everyone just watched in awe as he hit the high impact (no pun) move. And after he hit it, the entire arena roared and the announcers started talking again. That silence put over the move and made it that much more devastating then if he just hit it. Good job by the crowd and crew to know when to just shut up and enjoy the show.
(2) Wait, I've written this one before:
I started to write this one about the AJ Styles versus Shannon Moore Street Fight when I realized that I had written it before. From Hidden Highlights Issue #1, and the VERY FIRST Hidden Highlight ever written:
After Todd Grisham interviewed Edge while he was hanging out with Alterbridge, something struck me: how was Edge going to get ready in time for his match? And that's when it hit me; Edge was ready for his match! It's a street fight, so Edge did not need to get ready. Not only did Edge just wear jeans to the match, but he also was wearing regular dress shoes. Kudos to Edge for putting that little detail into his match to put over the fact that it was a street fight, not a wrestling match.
Replace Alterbridge with Shane Douglas, Edge with AJ Styles, and Matt Hardy with Shannon Moore and there you go! Maybe the real Hidden Highlight is that AJ has been reading this column since day one and goes the extra distance for his character and his matches. Good job, AJ!
(1) And that's why we're called…:
After a commercial break, the cameras came back and were focused on Mike Tenay and Don West talking about the PPV, Sting, and some other stuff. After about a minute of so Mike Tenay goes, "All right, enough talk. This is called Total Non-Stop Action for a reason, so let's get right back to the ring." That was just awesome. The reasons?
(1) As the ratings showed, TNA had a lot of first time viewers that night, so Mike Tenay had to put over why the company was called TNA and what that meant.
(2) They went right to action and proved their name.
(3) It stopped the hating for a little bit.
Everyday now I read people who hate the name "TNA" because it sounds like "T&A". I've read suggestions like, "Let's call it TNWA". You try chanting that out loud! And chanting "NWA" just feels ridiculous. TNA has become a brand, but the name stands for something. It stands for the doctrine of the company, the ideal it is supposed to live up to. It is a constant reminder on why they must be the WRESTLING alternative, and not just another form of "sports entertainment".
Kudos, Mike Tenay, and thanks for reminding everyone what TNA is about.
JT: I like all three of these, although I'm wondering if "replace {this} with {this} and so forth is completely slacking off. I kid; truth be told I di—
Bayani: Stop stealing my lines!
JT: The fu…? As I was saying: I did notice AJ in the jeans, and thought we might hear a little something about that!
Hidden Highlights for WWE RAW: Monday, January 23, 2006 by JP
JP: Ok, now that I've generated some "411 only likes TNA and bashes the WWE" mail, it's time I got to the big show. Although the wrestlers and crowd seemed a bit off step on Monday night, nothing could stop me from finding my Hidden Highlight enjoyment!
(3) Gotta ask the right question:
During the opening mic fest between John Cena and Edge, John Cena let everyone know that one of the gifts that Lita would leave behind was "gonorrhea". What was really funny, though (and you had to watch really closely to catch it), Edge turned to Lita and mouthed, "Wait, you don't have gonorrhea, do you?" To which Lita let out an emphatic "NOOOOOO!!!" Good stuff by Edge and Lita keeping a real, funny conversation going in the ring even when the cameras and mic were not even on them.
(2) So long as you have an excuse:
We learned really early in the night that Edge and Cena would be facing each other in a mystery partner's match later in the evening. A few times, the King let us know that he was in his leotard because he was hoping Edge would pick him as his partner. Also earlier in the night, the Coach was on camera to congratulate the Pittsburgh Steelers and his good (real life, no kidding) friend Ben Roethlisberger (now, since the Patriots are out, I'm cheering for the Sea Chickens. West Coast people get the joke, East Cost people and Csonka, the Steelers are a bunch of cheats, and I hope they lose.) and that was why he was dressed in a uniform instead of a shirt. Although not very Hidden, I have to point out that these excuses were the perfect cover-up for the match the two had later in the night. If they had not said anything, it would have been really suspicious why they were dressed up in ring gear. Instead, either they or the writers came up with a good cover story. Nice job.
Csonka: Yeah, it's good to have a nice job…
JP: What are you getting at?
Csonka: Isn't it obvious? YOU'RE FIRED!!!
JP: But then who'll keep JT back under the glass ceiling?
Csonka: Good point. You're rehired. Now finish up this section! And make it about Ric Flair and not Carlito like I know you want to.
JP: [Grumble, grumble]
Csonka: What was that?
JP: Nothing boss! Whatever you say boss!
Csonka: Damn straight!
JT: Don't fear Csonka, he's all talk.
Csonka: Excuse me?
JT: you heard me!
Csonka: Actually, I didn't.
JT: ....FINE. I take it back. Point proven.
(1) Would you take this, please?:
Well, since I'm not talking about Carlito (who once again proves he has way more wrestling ability then the WWE has allowed him to show thus far), I'll give this week's RAW kudos to Ric Flair. Normally, when Flair takes off his robe there is a pretty ring girl for him to give it to. For some reason, she was nowhere to be found this week. Well, instead of just dropping it to the production guy, Flair spotted the only pretty girl at ringside: Lita. He then chucked his robe all the way across the ring and into her arms! And what did Lita do? Well, I assume she took it and brought it off to the side because when we next saw her, she was walking back sans robe. Good one by Ric to stick to his gimmick. No guy is going to carry Ric's robe, he wants the prettiest lady in the way only the Nature Boy can have her.
JT: I really liked the fact King was putting over the fact he was in "ring attire" in case he gets picked to be someone's partner. I also liked that he said "Edge might pick me", because this reinforced that despite the fact we all love King and he's mellowed out and become a "decent human being", he's traditionally still the heel. PLUS, that one little comment makes the King / Coach confrontation seem spontaneous. And I've got a little something else if you don't mind.
JP: Of course not, we're THE most positive column in the IWC, despite what incriminating evidence Meehan thinks he has (oh, we'll get to you later).
JT: Thank you. I noticed during Shelton's match that on the back of his left (when he's wearing white) boots, he has the yellow ribbon in support of the troops. I wouldn't pay too much attention if he were a face, but he's apparently – while not full blown – on the heel side of things, and I thought this was great by both him and Vince (who I'm assuming had no problems with it) to recognize that the fighting men and women of our armed forces are far more important than keeping kayfabe alive.
JP: I wonder if Shelton's mama glued that yellow ribbon on there for him?
Hidden Highlights for WWE SmackDown!: Friday, January 27, 2006 by JT
JT: I think it's hilarious how everyone has written off SmackDown! either because of the new channel merger, or the lack of bodies as of late. You've still got so much talent there, and in fact, I'm STILL enjoying SD! more than I am RAW.
(3) We've got an hour long match on Sunday, and you have no idea who will win:
Now, one of the biggest factors of reading – or being a part of – the IWC is that it often times makes wrestling very predictable. We know Kurt Angle is winning tonight. We know Mickie is heading for the heel turn. We know that Triple H will somehow be involved in a big match at WrestleMania. We know all of things. But this year, we don't know who's winning the rumble. We all have our strong two or three candidates (more on that later), but nothing is for sure. Tonight, they did a great job of keeping it that way. They showed a brief clip of Mysterio at the press conference; they showed Teddy Long reading the newest edition of SmackDown! magazine, featuring Randy Orton on the cover; they had Benoit win a seriously good match to remind us he was there; they had Lashley cut a thirty second promo about winning. Now, is Lashley going to win? Probably not. In fact, no. But we know that's because he's green. But when it comes to kayfabe, he's certainly built and big to the point where it wouldn't be unreasonable for him to win. Now, that put over FOUR guys in two hours, and drew even more interest on who *might* win this thing. Like I said, more coming later, but for now this was a great job of dropping little hints to keep it unpredictable.
(2) Referencing the "competition":
As Cole and Tazz were reviewing the JBL / Boogeyman feud, they got to the part about (video segment) that related to the Boogeyman eating off Jillian Hall's "whatever". At this point Tazz says something along the lines of:
"I actually like watching this; I feel like it's R-rated"
I love this! We're all aware of Edge's R-rated gimmick, and Tazz put over the show he isn't even on. Smack dab in the midst of them seemingly having a "brand feud", Tazz still manages to put over RAW's champ. A small reference like that keeps RAW – which was four days earlier – fresh in our minds.
(1) Making the most of the opportunity given:
During the Funaki / Finlay match, Finlay was unleashing his brutal-ness as usual (if you count two weeks as "usual"); and as Funaki was laid out in the middle-ish of the ring with his arms outstretched, Finlay stomped directly on his hand in "I just broke it" fashion. Later in the match, Funaki was in the corner sitting on the top turnbuckle; Finlay was standing there and Funaki hit him with a punch to the face... and IMMEDIATELY did that move you do where you quince and shake your hand because it's throbbing in pain. Great sell by Funaki three minutes AFTER the fact, making sure that none of us would be thinking "didn't you just get that hand crushed?". I especially like this coming from a guy who rarely gets on TV. It shows that he's trying to make the most of his absolutely MINIMAL face time. I'd imagine this is something that goes over quite well with creative people who are actually concerned with such things.
JP: And just so a great performer like Funaki does not have to worry, it looks like UPN has snuck WWE SmackDown! in the backdoor with a 2 year deal beginning in September, just in time for the launch of the CW. By the way, there was an article in USA Today about the merger, and who do they use to represent SmackDown!? Orlando Jordan! I thought that was great. Congrats to Orlando for getting some serious mainstream press!
Reader Write-in Hidden Highlight of the week
By the way, we aren't just doing this article for our health. We want to make you the reader a more active and attentive viewer, and one who appreciates the hard work that goes into making all of the wrestling we have the privilege to watch. So don't just sit there and stare, but take in everything that goes in to making the product this great, and tell us about it!
This week JT gets to pick our Reader Write-in Hidden Highlights of the week. Please keep in mind that any reader write-in for SmackDown! applies to LAST week's show, because nobody is going to get it in on time for Friday's column.
JT: Just so everyone knows, we really appreciate the letters. We've had them rolling in and we will both be replying personally very very soon. Trust us, we don't forget any of you... especially you Ori. So, *GENERAL WARNING*:: some parts of the following Reader Write-in Hidden Highlights may be edited for grammar, spelling, and English translation…
Boy we have got a LOT to cover this week in the Reader Hidden Highlights!
JP: What do you mean... we? It's your week.
JT: Well, yeah, but I'll need your help on this first one.
JP: By "help" you mean you've already taken care of it and just want my input, not "help" as in "I haven't done this section can you cover", right?
JT: Of course! I'm no slacker!
JP: Since when? Let's just get to it because I don't have the time to properly dispute that statement or even figure out the proper order of the words.
JT: Agreed. First up we have a fellow 411er who has finally caught on!
Hey guys,
My name is Steve and I write the Untouchables column on 411 music ( plug ). I've always wanted to send one of these reader highlights in but I must admit I'm never attentive enough to catch one. This week, however, something you guys have said must have sunk in because I think I spotted a doozy.
JT: Excellent! Always nice to hear that we do in fact make people think of these things. What do you have for us Steve?
JP: FYI, Guns and Roses was an excellent choice, but when are you going to do someone like, oh, let's say, Kay Hanley?
JT: Kay Hanley? Who is Kay Hanley?
JP: Do you know the band Letters to Cleo?
JT: Ummm… no?
JP: Did you ever see the movie "10 Things I Hate About You"?
JT: Yeah… I think it's on TV every ten minutes or so.
JP: Ok, so you know the band singing on the roof at the end of the movie?
JT: I think so…
JP: Well that's Letters to Cleo, and the lead singer was Kay Hanley. She's been solo for a number of years now.
JT: So what you are trying to say is you want Steve to do an article on some chick rock?
JP: You say that like it's a bad thing.
JT: …………….… Back to Steve's write-in:
The hidden highlight was from TNA Impact this week, during the Team 3D/Larry Zybysko interview segment with Shane Douglas. At the start of the segment, Douglas and Team 3D are in Larry Zybysko's office and Shane says something to the effect of: "Ok guys, you wanted me and my camera crew here in Zbysko's office and I don't see Zybysko anywhere. I wanna know what you two are up to right now". At first it seems like an offhand comment that doesn't go anywhere, since Zybysko turns up shortly to put an end to any speculation about his whereabouts. However, if you look at it closely you might find that this segment actually contains not one, not two, not etc. etc... but seven (seriously) hidden highlights, and most of them are as a result of those two simple sentences from Douglas. Bear with me...
HH Number 1:Douglas gives the show some realism by stating that 3D asked him and his camera crew to be there. He gives us a reason why we're seeing this on our TV screens, instead of the "pyschic cameraman roaming around backstage just happens to spot something interesting" treatment the WWE usually gives us. It's the kind of attention to detail regarding backstage stuff that TNA thinks about a lot, as you guys have mentioned before in the column.
JT: Yes, this was good. It actually gives us the illusion that things are scripted, and also doesn't try and patronize our intelligence by believing there is some cameraman walking around in the back all night waiting to catch something on TV.
HH number 2: Team 3D asked Douglas to be there, which puts over the fact that Shane is an important person in TNA. He's not just some guy who does interviews, he's the man who can get your face on TV when you have something to say and Team 3D acknowledges this by asking him to be here when they meet with Larry.
JP: You ever wonder why a former World Champion is your interview guy? That's why. Because Shane Douglas demands respect!
HH number 3:The fact that Team 3D wants to meet with Zybysko at all shows how much they want the NWA tag team belts. 3D is visibly angry, their first instincts are probably to go and beat the hell out of AMW and Team Canada after what happened on the PPV. However, they know that if they do that it may cost them a chance at getting in the ring with AMW for the belts. They want the titles bad; bad enough to play by the rules and ask Larry for a title shot, even if it isn't in their nature.
JT: Yup, going around on angry whims disrespecting the levels of authority never got anyone a title shot. It also showed that Team 3D does want to kick the crap out of AMW, but they'd like it to mean something as well; really helps to sell the fact they hate these guys, and don't want a good beating to be meaningless.
HH Number 4:The fact that Team 3D wants their meeting with Larry to be on TV rather than in private helps to develop Larry's character further. 3D knows that if they ask for a shot at AMW or Team Canada, Larry is going to try and weasel out of it, claim that TNA management has all the power and say there's nothing he can do (which he later does). By making sure he's on TV when they ask, they're putting Larry on the spot in the hopes that he'll give them a straight answer rather than make himself look weak in front of the fans.
JP: Notice it is only after they leave that Larry says something mean about them. To their face, he's the nicest guy in the world, but as soon as they are gone, he lets his real feeling (kayfabe) poor out!
HH Number 5:Douglas clearly doesn't know what's going on or why Team 3D wanted him to meet them in Zybysko's office, which gives the show some added [spontaneity]. It shows that Team 3D weren't scheduled for any mic time tonight, and that anything can happen when TNA is on the air.
JT: They need all the help they can get in this department, especially considering some of the spoilers come out two weeks ahead of time. I particularly like the "weren't scheduled for any mic time"; such a rare afterthought nowadays.
HH Number 6:When Douglas realises Larry isn't in his office and Team 3D is, he doesn't just ask where Larry is, he doesn't wonder where Larry is, he demands to know where Larry is. Douglas' first instincts are to be anxious over the whereabouts of Larry Z. He knows that Team 3D will be mad about what happened at the PPV and the fact that he's so concerned about Zybysko's whereabouts puts over the fact that 3D are a dangerous team who are capable of anything.
JP: And let's not forget that Shane Douglas has experienced their wraith personally on many, many occasions. From ECW, he still has every reason not to trust the two brothers from different mamas.
HH Number 7:When Zybysko doesn't give Team 3D what they want, the brothers again keep their cool despite being visibly angered and having threatened Zybysko during the segment. This is great as it adds the continuity of the show and reinforces some of the above hidden highlights. After what Zybysko did to Raven, Team 3D know that arguing with him or beating him up is not the way to go if they want a shot at the belts and so they accept his decision. Team 3D have not only learned from the mistakes that Raven made (which is great continuity considering 3D weren't ever involved in that angle), but they again put over the fact that they want those titles bad enough to stay rational and put Larry over (he may be pussy whipped by TNA management but you don't want to get on the wrong side of him or you may end up fired).
So there you have it; in the space of a couple of minutes TNA managed to put over Team 3D, Shane Douglas, Larry Zybysko and the NWA tag title belts and give the show some authenticity, spontaneity and continuity.
Keep up the good work guys, HH is my favourite column; not only is it entertaining, but I've actually had my enjoyment of the shows increased, simply because you guys taught me to pay a little more attention.
JT: Sheesh Steve, thanks for no selling that we're good at what we do.
JP: Really, and I thought you finding two in the same moment last week (Jericho [Speaking of which, I called him Man of 1004 Moves, when in fact I should have said Man of 1004 Holds. My apologies.]) was impressive.
JT: Tell me about it, maybe we should give our column to Steve and just relax on the weekend?
*pause*
JP and JT in unison: AHAHAHAHA
JP: Funny stuff, man.
JT: Yeah, that was good. At any rate, thanks Steve. Hearing that you enjoy it more now because of the little things always reminds us that we aren't wasting our time here. But hey people, we have other letters! First up is Matt, who caught a "perfect" highlight:
I was watching the Bret Hart DVD recently and in one of the encounters with Mr. Perfect featured on the DVD (I believe it was the King of the Ring rematch) there is a moment where the action takes place outside of the ring, and after knocking down Bret Hart, Hennig heads into the ring to break up the count, and he STEPS ON BRET'S BACK on the way into the ring. The commentators (Heenan, Monsoon, and perhaps Savage?) completely ignored this, and I spotted this and thought it was perfect for the column. It was just a great way for Perfect to completely disrespect the Hitman by doing something as simple as re-entering the ring. Keep up the good work with the column.
Mr. Perfect was always good at being the bad guy. Him and Bret had some FINE matches throughout their careers. It's a shame he's no longer with us. Next up is Ed, who caught some extra special celebration!:
Anyway, when Shane Douglas went looking for Sting in his dressing room and found Team Canada in there instead of Sting, I noticed that Eric Young was on the floor next an open refrigerator. He appeared to be out of it and I couldn't help but wonder why the hell he was down there. Then I realized he had one the balloons in his hand and had the bottom was pinched closed. He was getting high off the helium!!!! Now Team Canada or Douglas made absolutely no mention of it and they didn't run the joke into the ground, it was just there and if you missed it, you missed it. Great way to add a little to an already great segment.
Man, I missed that, and MAN, is that hilarious! The fact that they didn't say anything about it and just left it for the viewers to catch is amazing. Kind of makes you wonder if they were testing us here at Hidden Highlights! Nice job of TNA by putting in some little things for US to catch to make the show more enjoyable. No need to introduce Mike LaFave; the man works harder than we do:
During the Orton/Jordan match, Jordan was supposed to get his foot on the ropes to break a pin attempt, but he missed completely and ref Nick Patrick still stopped the count. Orton and Patrick did a great job of covering for Jordan's mistake w/ the argument and Patrick yelling that the foot was under the ropes (which it clearly wasn't). But covering up for one of your peers mistakes during a match to avoid the bullshit chant from the crowd is a Hidden Highlight.
Man Mike, I think you find more Hidden Highlights than me and JP combined! (just kidding JP.) The reality is this probably happens all the time and we just don't know about it. I think it just goes back to the common bond between guys in the locker room. Everybody wants to be top dog, but at the same time most are not hoping for their fellow man to fail. Nice save by both Orton and Patrick to not leave Orlando out to dry. Regular reader Brillo had this to say:
Also, a hidden highlight for last week's TLC match. Edge had flair set up on the table for his frogsplash of the ladder in the ring. Lita is holding down/choking Flair and the refs try to move her. Lita yells "it's no DQ, it's no DQ". I thought that was a great little addition to Lita's character. She doesn't interfere in matches too much, but when the rules allowed, she went for it.
Lita - despite the fact she has some issues - has been on the roster longer than any other female the E currently has. There is a reason for that. I remember exactly what Brillo is talking about here, and I noticed it at the time the refs were REALLY trying to pull her off and then from one second to the next, they left her alone; I couldn't figure this out because my TV was muted at the time because I had gotten a phone call. Now I know why. Justin?:
Hey guys, love the column one of the few I religiously read here on 411mania. Anyways, I've got one from Smackdown on January 20th for you guys. Gotta hand it to Davari for playing around the "You Suck" chants that Angle was clearly direct to him and then to have Davari yell back "I don't suck! He sucks" right back at Angle. I was just getting a huge laugh out of this, and was shocked you didn't put it in this weeks column.
I did notice that, they way they both went back and forth placing blame of the "you suck" chants was great, and also helped Angle somewhat establish himself as a face for the current storyline with Mark Henry. Next we had Max, who noticed something immediately:
Its already about 10 minutes into RAW, and i saw something that shocked me and realized was a true hidden highlight. During the "mystery partner" matches me and one of my friends make guesses based on the outline of the character for these types of match-ups, because even though its the same pose, the build of the shadow is always different, and sometimes the pose itself will be slightly different depending on the superstar. When the superstar is revealed, normally they take the black off to reveal who the character was behind it. THIS time however, it was the SAME EXACT shadow. Just to add more curiosity as to who it's going to be in the main event.
I liked this because like Max said, it added even more mystery into the "who will it be" anticipation. I also noticed that the figure they used appeared to be bald, thus not giving anything away via any sort of hair. I mean, it wouldn't be too big of a mystery if you had Carlito's profile in black, would it? Nice job by production of not giving anything away until absolutely necessary. We also had a first timer in Jackson!:
Just found my FIRST Hidden Highlight, so I am excited! Anywho, last week you were raving about Mickie staying true to her fan character no matter what. If you take a look at her hair on Monday, it was done the exact same way as Trish's was last week with the butterfly clips. You'll see them clearly when she has her breakdown backstage.
Well first off, congratulations! We're excited for you, too! And not only that, but what a FINE catch on your first time. That kind of detail is exactly the kind of stuff we're hoping to inspire. They have really done a nice job with this Trish / Mickie storyline, and putting on Trish's look a week later is EXACTLY the sort of thing the Mickie character would do. Someone in wardrobe is thinking outside the box. And finally, Tom hit us with something we may never expect!:
I can't believe that I saw a HH done by.... Candace Michelle?!?!?! During her tag match, she interfered and the ref almost caught her. But when he turned to her, she showed him she was holding the tag rope. Now she may suck as a wrestler, but kudos to her for knowing the rules.
JT: Well, I've been trying to keep the cussing to a minimum because JP finds it unnecessary, but color me fucked on this one. I'm really not even sure what to say. Half the damn roster doesn't pay that much attention to the tag rope, let alone point it out to the ref. If anything, I suppose it's a nice job of showing that no matter what state the division is in, the women are very serious about their jobs. Good stuff Tom.
JP: Good stuff all around! I feel totally schooled by our readers this week! And welcome to the club all the first time write-ins. Now we have expectations to hear from you every week. You too will know the pressure of always looking for Hidden Highlights! But before we go, I have one I have to share, too!
JT: What?! If this is another Carlito one…
JP: No, no, it's about Orlando Jordan!
JT: You are not selling me on this.
JP: Trust me, it's good. From our resident Evolution Schematicer and fellow Team Positive member Mathew Sforcina we have:
On wwe.com, they have a list of the [announced] superstars, and odds on them winning. Not proper odds, but good enough for government work. But, Orlando Jordan's entry is rather interesting.
"Depending on the draw, Orlando Jordan can go either way."
Call it foreshadowing or an in-joke, that's still a HH in my book.
JP: Bwahahahahaha! That is a good one. Remember folks, Hidden Highlights can happen anywhere!
JT: Not much to add there, other than YES that is definitely a HH and also, start emailing Sforcina people!
Do you have a Hidden Highlight of the week? Or a Classic Hidden Highlight 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!
And speaking of Classic Hidden Highlights…
Classic Hidden Highlight
Every week we take a look into the past and remember something that was done to make a show that much better. Well, sometimes we don't remember, but you remember for us. Anyway, without further ado JP presents the Classic Hidden Highlight of the week:
Some Zbyzsko Plugs
As you know, I'm currently doing an In Defense Of… Larry Zbyzsko. In that great tradition, I take you back to WCW {Pro} sometime in the week of January 25, 1998 ({Pro} was a syndicated show and could be on any day in the week). During the broadcast, Meng and the Barbarian (the Faces of Fear) took on Judo Suwa and Sumo Fuji with Scott Hudson and Larry Zbyzsko on commentary.
During the middle of the match, Sumo Fuji and Meng has a sumo-like face-to-face. And what does Larry Zbyzsko say?
"Meng has the advantage in this contest since he is trained and has competed in sumo matches."
Nice! This is WCW {Pro}, a throwaway program and a throwaway match. But not to Zbyzsko, he treated it like a professional. And like a professional, he brought up a little known fact and brought a sense of realism to an otherwise uneventful contest.
JT: Again... "Case closed"
Cook: Hey! It's "Slam dunk!" Quote me right!
JT: Oh, just shush and be happy we make it seem like you actually put in time to do other things here besides your one column.
Cook: ...I see what you mean.
JT: Good.
JP: That reminds me, I told Jeff Small (our new Sunday News Reporter who you should check out on the main page right now) that we'd have to start making fun of him, too!
Small: Feel free to take shots at me, but just know, that I might return the favor one day.
JP: Another war? I think that can be arranged!
In the meantime, let's not forget our Wrestlemania Classic Hidden Highlights Special Edition on Monday March 6th. We need you to write in to us with all of your Classic Hidden Highlights for Wrestlemania before our special issue!
That Other Section
That Other Section is an idea, a free forum for a few things that just don't have a place. It could be Read Between the Lines where we'll look at a news bite in more detail. It may just be a Pointless Question trying to connect the unconnected dots. You might read a Hidden Highlights Profile where we explore one of the masters of Hidden Highlights (like Chris Jericho) and explain what they do right. It could even be some additional Hidden Highlights, or something else entirely. And sometimes, it might not exist at all. Hey, if we don't have anything to talk about, why force it?
This week, JT has something for That Other Section.
Finally... something negative?
Well, folks. Despite our attempts to keep a positive outlook on things, we finally received our first (and ONLY) piece of hate mail. Now, typically we would not share and / or comment about this, but the thing is, it was received by a guy named "anonymous" from an email we couldn't respond to. Thus, since we know he hates us enough to consistently read us, we've decided to share here. JP took it easy on him, but don't worry... I'm here too. So, from anonymous (although we do learn his name at the end):
I read some of your columns, and make a note of reading Hidden Highlights and Wrestling's 3Rs each week, and I have read most of the In Defense Of... columns as well. However, I feel I must point out that, while they're great columns, with informed opinions and entertaining phrasing, your continued ego-tripping is cring-worthy. Writing "I'm the one and only JP" at the beginning of each IDO, as if we're meant to give a shit whether you are or not (and you're not, by the way - John Prescott ring any bells? To name but one of thousands...) is, quite simply, disturbing. And your Hidden Highlights are almost unreadable. Only about 30% (if that) are the actual highlights, and the rest is a JP and JT script that I can't even bring myself to look at. It's as if you're trying to write a play, only instead of having a plot you're just talking rubbish. I'd be surprised if it makes it past its first night, that's all I'm saying on that matter. Look, it's very simple. Just stop with the head-inflation and get back to writing your columns. I bet, if you had a poll on whether readers liked your arrogance taking up space and ruining our days, the majority (or at least a large minority) would say no, they don't. Give it a try, sunshine.
Yours sincerely,
Lloyd David Bartlett
To which JP responded (although the email never made it because it was to an undeliverable account):
Why hello there Lloyd David Bartlett,
Ego tripping? That's half the fun! As a D-level internet celebrity, if I don't put myself over, who will?
By the way, "the one and only" comment is an inside joke for my friends that far, far predates this article. The whole thing goes, "I am the nexus of all reality, the antecedent to your existence, the one and only". So if you think "one and only" is ego tripping, you have no idea! Believe me, I know quite a few other JP's, and sometimes I even call them "fake JP" as a goof. People also mess up my name a lot and call me TJ, PJ, JE, QM, among others, so I just see it all as good fun.
I'll have to go through and do a word count on Hidden Highlights to see if your 30% holds up, but I believe it's closer to about 60%. Listen, when it comes to Hidden Highlights, sometimes the talking goes on more then I want, too, and sometimes there are things in there I don't like at all. JT and I mesh well, but we still have different styles. When you are co-writing an article, you have to compromise a lot. I'm sure there are things I do that JT despises, but we just deal with it.
Also, Hidden Highlights is very different from In Defense Of.... In Defense Of... is a research intensive, fact based piece while Hidden Highlights is meant to be an opinion based conversation. We've only been doing it for 19 weeks, and no two weeks are alike. It's a work in progress, and I still like the majority of what we do.
If the conversations and the poking fun at Meehan don't float your boat, feel free to skip those sections (in the real world Meehan and us get along very well, and Meehan and I actually share several mutual acquaintances). I don't read everything in everyone's articles (or even everyone's articles), so don't feel you have to. Most people who write in actually say they love that stuff, and JT and I like it too (so I believe that means that there would be a vocal minority for your vote, but not a majority. But wouldn't casting a vote about our egos be putting over our egos even more?). We are entertaining ourselves as much as we are entertaining the readers. We design the article, and if we don't feel something is working, we'll drop it. If we like it, we tend to roll with it. If we don't, we don't! Live and learn.
I cannot believe that our arrogance is ruining anyone's day. I really don't believe I have that much of an effect on people's lives. I think the arrogance is part of our gimmick. I can't "go back" to writing the column, because what I write is what I write! Tomorrow, I could say Hidden Highlights is designed to talk about puppy dogs and kitty cats, and how could you tell me otherwise? It's our article, and we can and cannot write about whatever we want. JT and I designed and expanded Hidden Highlights, and are continuing to change it.
If none of that works for you, then feel free to send Larry, Randle, and Ashish a sample of your writing and post a weekly article of your own. Given JT and mine's schedules over the past month, I don't know how we've put together an article at all. This is something we do for fun, not money, and we will continue to do it our own way.
But at the end of the day, we aren't trying to be Picasso, Molierre, or Edison, we are just trying to have a little fun and point out some good things about wrestling. Some people like us, some people don't. Some people like Scott Keith, some people don't. I don't want to spend my time thinking about who or what I might be losing by not changing my style. Instead, I'll continue to write what I want, when I want, and you can chose whether I am worthy of your time or not. That decision is all yours, every week.
Good luck to you!
-JP
But of course, we all know I wouldn't be keeping my mouth shut on this one, and thus, had to respond. Not really respond, but instead, bring in the services of my favorite rant-man, Grumpy Larry. GL?
Grumpy Larry: Fuck you and have a nice day!
Exactly. I'm done here. JP?
JP: Wow... that was AMAZING restraint considering it's you.
JT: You have absolutely no idea. In fact, I have two pages saved that I wrote to him, but I decided to spare the readers, and this guy.
JP: What!? You had two pages for him and you didn't share???
JT: That is correct.
JP: ...I'm shocked. I want to read it now!
JT: Sorry, no can do!
JP: You tease!
Cook: Oh, the evidence is really piling up!
JP and JT in unison: Shut up, Cook!
Last Page
The Last Page is where we get to express something else positive in the world of wrestling. For myself, JP, it is most likely an In Defense Of… Mini-Case. For JT, it's most likely time for a Bi-weekly Rant! Who knows? Well, actually, you do…
My thoughts on (you like that Csonka? at least I'm not that other assclown we discussed) The Royal Rumble:
By James "JT" Thomlison
Tonight, as you all know, WWE is presenting the Royal Rumble, and I'm personally very stoked. The Royal Rumble is my second favorite Pay-Per-View of the year, and under the circumstances, it couldn't come at a better time. It's exactly what I'll need to properly kick-off this wind down period I'm going to be in now that this insane world where people don't get days off has ended (last night, in fact; woooooo!)
I can still recall the first Rumble I ever watched. It was in 1990 and I lived in Texas. When I saw Hogan eliminate Warrior and then win the whole damn thing, I remember thinking - considering that Warrior was my favorite at the time - "Hogan, you deserve what's coming!" ...little did I know what was in store a mere months down the road.
But that isn't the point. The point is that the Royal Rumble is one of those events that's so big, rarely is the winner ever forgotten (and this is on the grounds that you actually watched it, not read or heard about it). It is the stepping stone that leads mortal men down the road to becoming champions. It is the first challenge in the battle to be the one left standing, basking in confetti as WrestleMania goes off the air.
It is also a great way to set up other feuds, including inter-promotional ones, which are (despite being a bit overused in the last 4 months) fun; and even better when they end at WrestleMania. Hell, without the Rumble match, we wouldn't have had Angle / Michaels last year, which – in my opinion – was the match of the year for me. And despite the fact the match didn't live up to expectations, the buzz created (and it was SOME buzz) for the Goldberg / Lesnar match at WM 20 started where? That's right, the Rumble.
Of course, it's not just inter-promotional matches that are set up. I touched on Warrior / Hogan already, but the stage has been set many a time at the Rumble for a match-up at the granddaddy of them all. If you recall, it was Foley's late entree to the Rumble a couple of years back that set up the rebirth of the Rock & Sock Connection, which also happened to be one of The Rock's last five appearances on WWE television. And how could we forget (at least, those of us old enough) Sid eliminating Hogan so Flair could win? ...only to have Macho get the title match at WM just so that Hogan could inflict a little sweet revenge on Sid. We'll leave Jericho eliminating Christian alone... see, I have restraint!
It even can set a wheel in motion that ironically comes to a fold later on down the road. With Brock already on my mind, it makes one recall the fact that he eliminated Taker to win. This led to Taker shaking his hand and telling him to "go get it". Months after WrestleMania, it would be the same man who congratulated him that was now gunning for his belt.
But... amidst all of this, the real reason I love the Rumble is its unpredictability. Yes, I know that sounds supremely cliché and completely untrue, but think about it. Did anyone really think that Benoit was going to last over an hour and win the whole damn thing? Did anyone really think we would have back-to-back winners... TWICE in a row? Did anyone really think that VINCE MCMAHON was going to win it? No, as predictable as the Rumble *seems*, you just never know, and that is what makes it great. The entire IWC is either picking Rey, Orton, HHH, etc. Does anybody expect RVD to pull it off? No, but wouldn't it be a damn fine swerve...
Again, unpredictability. One of the reasons I'm really looking forward to this years Rumble. Do we know that 20 guys have no shot? Yes. But unlike other years, there is a good chance that between four and eight guys could legitimately win this. THAT is what makes this years rumble especially intriguing. Sure, in the Kayfabe days, it could be "anyone", but we don't live in that world. We live in a world where all is known, and things like this are predicted months ahead of time (SEE: last years Rumble). I can honestly say, despite picking Rey in the Rumble, there are seven other guys that make me nervous as Hell about that pick, and that is what the Royal Rumble is all about.
Yes, I'm just naming some of the big few from the past fifteen years, but that's because this is a rant, not a column. The truth is if you really thought about it, there are COUNTLESS times of things being set up in the Rumble, and that is what makes it good times. It's positioning and unpredictability is what makes it my second favorite. It is an exciting, yet SET UP Pay-Per-View. It helps set the tone for the year that will be. When have you ever watched No Mercy and thought "oh man, that one's going somewhere"? Exactly. And that's no offense to No Mercy, it's just that you really only have two Pay-Per-Views that set the tone for things; Rumble, and Mania. Yes, SummerSlam and Survivor Series elude to some things to come towards the new year, but when you're smack dab in the middle of the new year (as we are), it's done! It's over! It's time to worry about 2006 and the possibilities of the next 11 months.
That starts tonight. That starts with the Rumble.
And the Response
JP: In the WWE, the Rumble is my absolute favorite themed PPV (for the record, WCW Uncensored is my favorite themed PPV), and I've been lucky enough to have seen one live in the arena. Enjoy it tonight, kids. Remember it forever…
And send in Hidden Highlights. I can't let JT do all the work.
Exit, stage left!
JT: I personally hope that everybody getting the Rumble has a thoroughly enjoyable evening. I plan to bother Larry all night just to fuck with his re-cap duties. That's always fun. Kidding aside, I'm really looking forward to tonight and thanks again to everyone who tuned in to read us.
JP: Oh, before we go, did you read MeeThinks this week?
JT: Oh, you aren't going to defend that bas—
JP: Don't worry about that for now. It's just something struck me. First, Meehan lumped me into your not so nice comments on the Boogeyman without printing what I said. Selective quoting, eh? And then he dared challenge our positivity again!
JT: Oh, he's asking for it!
JP: Damn straight! That boy wants selective quoting, here we go. From the aforementioned issue of MeeThinks:
* Like Beaver Cleavage, Mordecai, and Se7en before him, it seemed like this "Boogey-fellow" was just another of Vinny's short-lived brain-farts abandoned as suddenly as it was born. All hype, no depth. You know - pretty much like Cena's moveset (wink ;-).
* You might also remember that Daniel Puder ultimately won the thing... lotta good it did him, no?
* But then again, "wrestling ability" is becoming more and more "optional" in the modern WWE, no(?)
* Matt Hardy's re-debut comes to mind – but man, did they ever muff that last one up, no?
* Now give it a shot doing an A.J. Styles impression, or try and do the same for Randy Orton - and no fair doing the "dorkboy" pose, either.
* [T]he ridiculousness of some of the crap we've been asked to swallow in recent memory. Stuff like...
A wrestling voodoo doctor.
A necrophilia-lovin' World Champion.
A Hannibal-Lechter-esque nutcase with a "Mommy" fetish.
A wrestling brood of vampires who like to soak their victims in bloo... err, a "red, viscous liquid."
A real, live, wrestling zombie who shoots lightning bolts up from the rafters and smoke out from under his feet.
… his "burn victim" brother who shoots fire on command.
See the trend here?
* [A]s compared to, say, The Undertaker who we're ALL supposed to believe has risen from the dead – what, like FIVE times or something?
* c) shut the hell up.
* Heck – TNA fans are supposed to believe that Abyss is, what, some sort of deranged asylum escapee?
I think negative, unnecessary comments take you down a few pegs Meehan.
JT: Like to fourth or fifth most positive column in the IWC.
JP: So thanks again for proving why we are the best and most positive column in all the IWC!
And thank you for joining us for the twenty-second 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 and Classic Hidden Highlights for all the moments you see this and every week.
We'll catch you again next time in the most positive article in all of the IWC: Hidden Highlights! Until then!
