Hidden Highlights 07.09.06: Issue #45
Posted by Prag-Thomlison on 07.09.2006
Jim Duggan finds a role model in Eugene, Paul Heyman stays consistent with the Big Show, Christian Cage sucks up to his personal savior, Charles Robinson learns his 1-2-3’s, plus all the fun and excitement of a high speed car ride through Ohio!
Hidden Highlights
By JP Prag and James "JT" Thomlison
Issue #45
Intro
Hello everyone who tumbled headfirst off a wave and smacked their head on the bottom of the sea but still managed not to get a concussion, 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 or that we missed. On top of that we revisit old moments to find Classic Hidden Highlights and then explore other issues that prove why this is the most positive article in the IWC.
We bring you Hidden Highlights with one goal in mind: to appreciate all those little things that make a huge difference. JT?
JT: What day is this… ? Where am I? Why won't my phone stop ringing… ? Coffee, and stat! …okay, better. Hope everyone had a great 4th, and if anyone smarter than me can email me and explain to me why I'm still hearing fireworks at night four days after the holiday, I'd greatly appreciate it. I mean, really; do people just have THAT many fireworks that it is humanly impossible for them to set them all off in the four or five hours it's dark the night of the 4th? Memo to assholes who buy too many fireworks for their own good: Some of us have to get up and go back to work on Thursday.
JP: Um, JT? A bit on the negative side, aren't we? And, wasn't the 4th a Tuesday …?
JT: I am well aware of that, but it's okay to do it Tuesday because it's the 4th, so I can't complain about having to work on Wednesday. Wednesday night however – when I have to go to work on Thursday – is a diff-
JP: Ahhhh, gotcha. Well, your no sleeping schedule sure didn't help get the Hidden Highlights in on time.
JT: Your vacation and running away to an offshore island didn't help either.
JP: Touché! Well in that case, on with the (really late) Hidden Highlights!
Hidden Highlights for WWE RAW: Monday, July 3, 2006 by JP
JP: The era of Edge begins again because RVD was speeding in Ohio. Now, I've been to Ohio a number of times, and I can understand the need to speed. It's miles and miles of nothing between major towns, and it can get quite disinteresting. That said, everyone has missed the major point of this. I don't care if RVD smokes pot or not on his own time, that's his own damn business. But the police officers searched the car because he smelled marijuana on RVD. That means that RVD was smoking and driving, and that's not cool. And yes, pot lovers, marijuana does impair your ability to drive. It slows down response time and I don't care what a pot-friendly study says, anything that slows down response time is BAD for driving. I practically live on the road and don't want to take my chances that someone out there can't hit the breaks fast enough. I've had far too many near collision experiences to even want to think about that. If you smoked up in a bathroom and then waited an hour before driving, then I'm sorry for ranting on you. But if you were in any way under the influence while driving, I want you to think about this and all the other grieving families out there. Now, I have to get back to RAW, in which RVD will not be getting a Hidden Highlight from me.
(3) Punch! Punch! Punch!:
During the ten man tag match featuring the Spirit Squad vs. Team Stuck-on-Heat, Eugene was in the ring clearing house on members of the Spirit Squad. Every once in a while, the camera would pan towards the face corner (Weird in this match that the face and heel corners were reversed. Guess Vince considers the Spirit Squad more marketable.), and you could see Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Duggan was great, mimicking every punch that Eugene threw to the letter! Excellent work by Duggan by staying involved and interested in the match, and helping to keep the crowd in it as well. And people wonder why Duggan stays over with the live crowds? The man is absolutely great.
(2) I heart you, too:
When Randy Orton came out to give his speech, he started talking about Hulk Hogan's daughter Brooke. Now, JT may think that I have a crush on her (I keep telling you, she's way too tall for me), but Randy Orton proved he's a man of little details. As he started to talk about Brooke, he put his hand under his shirt and made a little "bump bump" motion over his heart, showing his true affection for the girl. Great funny little moment by Orton that definitely had be saying, "Awwww… he hearts her!"
(1) That's just nasty:
First off, I like that when DX went into the truck they revealed that there are cameras everywhere in the arena and that most people aren't even aware where they are. I thought that was a good way to start to explain the mysterious floating cameras. Anyway, one of those cameras was in the bathroom (which we've seen on a handful of occasions [by the way, according most state laws it is illegal to photograph or video tape in a bathroom, especially without express written consent]) when Mr. McMahon went to relieve himself. After the Coach came in and interrupted, he and Mr. McMahon left the bathroom. And at that moment JR said the exact same thing that was on my mind: "He didn't wash his hands." Superb poetic timing there by JR and a totally honest thought in a surreal moment.
Bonus Hidden Highlight to the Coach for smelling his hands several segments later and finding the urine smell was still there. Good continuity all around!
JT: At least she's finally eighteen, I suppose…
JP: And what exactly is that supposed to mean???
JT: Nothing! I was just saying… and you're so right about Duggan. Not saying I'm the first one in his fan club, but he is out there for a reason; people love him to death, he can make the connection between the old and new generation, and he knows how to keep a crowd into it. HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Hidden Highlights for ECW on SciFi: Tuesday, July 4, 2006 by JT
JT: Well, RAW and SmackDown! hardly EVER change the main belt on free TV, and ECW is currently at a 25% rate of doing so! There were so many little things about this show that I noticed, like Joey's red/white/blue handkerchief, the "RVD and SABU are INNOCENT" sign, etc etc. While JP is upset with RVD and certainly so – as I most definitely agree with him – I will give RVD a little credit. He screwed up, and took it like a man. He knew he was dropping the title two nights in a row, yet came out both nights fully pumped, completely participating with the crowd, and looking like the happiest man on the planet. For that, he will get kudos from me. Now, I'm sure something else happened didn't it? Kelly? Sandman? Dare I say… Taz? Okay, no, but hey, we can all dream.
(3) On the heels of everyone saying we can't find anything hidden, let's go for the completely obvious!:
Nothing hidden about this, but I could not resist. Did anybody see the guy with the blinky orange glasses throughout the show? I couldn't stop looking at this guy! Most fans go to enjoy a show, but when it's a TV taping, there is always a second goal: I MUST GET MYSELF ON TELEVISION!!!!!!!!!!! Well, wearing insanely huge blinking light glasses will do that for you. Kudos to that guy for not thinking, "I hope I get on TV!", but rather, "I AM getting on TV!"
(2) Razor? I don't need no stinking razors:
Let's see who was paying attention and who was not, shall we? Ever since Kurt Angle shaved the Big Shows head back in 2004, the big man has kept a silky smooth dome. Hell, as a face, he even admitted to liking the look. However, you may have noticed that since his return to ECW, the man has not shaved! Why wouldn't he shave though? That doesn't make any sense in the middle of these hot summer nights. Well of course he hasn't shaved. This is a new ECW - and now - a new (and ruthless if I may add) Big Show.
(1) Continuity + History + Making you think = Hidden Highlight!:
So, everyone was shocked Tuesday night as Paul Heyman came out, turned on his bread and butter RVD, and help Big Show pick up the victory. I, however, was not that shocked; and keep in mind I'm talking kayfabe here, the drug arrest has nothing to do with this. You see, as RVD was living it up on RAW for a few years, Heyman was over on the SmackDown! side, living off another bread and butter in the form of Brock "The Next Big Jackass Thing" Lesnar. Low and behold, once he had finished his use with Brock - and had no RVD to call on - who did he enlist? That's right, the Big Show! Paul has been using this beast to his advantage for years. He screwed RVD out of the title the same way he did Brock. Paul always wants to be at the side of the baddest man in the business and RVD - while good - is not that man. So, as I said, a bit of continuity for JP, a nice nod to history, and no big surprise to me.
JP: I absolutely agree and have been saying the exact same thing all week. I had read all the hate letters for days before I finally saw the show and I said, "It all makes sense to me. I like how it all unfolded." Also, I will give credit to RVD for being 100% professional and not even dogging it in the ring a little or making a sad face while coming down to the ring to lose the titles. He went about like it was any other day in the week and he was really a fighting champion.
Hidden Highlights for TNA iMPACT: Thursday, July 6, 2006 by JP
JP: I watched the last two iMPACTs in a row and had already read all the complaining about them. If found the complaining completely unwarranted and thought the Jim Cornette explanation of why Jarrett has the title and where this storyline is going makes complete sense. Do people even watch the show before they react or do they just see, "Jarrett got title" and start bitching? And I'm not just saying that because I'm defending Jarrett right now! I'm saying that because it is true.
(3) Holy?:
Early in the evening, Christian was going to meet his tag team partner in Sting and Jeremy Borash was waiting for him. While I did enjoy Christian calling out Borash for always being in his way, what I noticed was that Christian was wearing a big honky cross around his neck. Now, I've seen Christian wear a lock of neckwear before, but never usually of the religious variety. I thought it was a good touch by Christian to walk in wearing a cross for his born-again partner. It probably would be something that would help put Sting at ease.
(2) We still ain't doing what you told us:
After Cornette threatened their paychecks, the LAX decided to return to the ring for some action. But the LAX did not come down either of the two ramps, oh no! They made their own entrance and black curtain and came from their section of the arena. Kudos to production and the LAX for keeping their gimmick going and the border up despite the change in direction. Continuity, you are good everywhere.
(1) Is one of these guys mad?:
Now, as a detail monger, I was watching the main event match-up really closely as the seeds of doubts in their partners had been put on both teams. First, Steiner and Jarrett came to the ring separately, something they have not done in a very long time. Also, when Steiner was holding open the ropes for Jarrett, he held out his fist to knuckle down, but Jarrett completely no sold it. Early in the match, Sting was wrestling Steiner around and knocked into the ropes, pushing Christian off the ring apron. Then Christian almost didn't let Sting get the pin, as he started to move towards him as soon as he got back to his feet. Who is going to turn on who? What is going to happen? What other accidents await us in the coming weeks? This match did a great job of putting all the possibilities in our head, and I'll be glad to watch it unfold.
JT: Oh my goodness! Did Christian just get some love… twice?! WOOOOO! Aside from that though, those weren't good at all.
JP: What the hell is THAT supposed to mean?!?!?!
JT: Nothing; just figured that was a damn fine segue into the next section!
JP: Just can't stop since you've learned how to properly spell that word can you?
JT: No I cannot. And did I mention those HH sucked?
JP: grrr… you're doing this on purpose!
JT: I'm going with… sure am! By all means, get on with the bold stuff so that you may continue.
Hidden Highlights for WWE SmackDown!: Friday, July 7, 2006 by JT
JT: Well SmackDown! ha—
JP: OK, gotta get something off my chest.
JT: I mean, I think we just established that, but… NOW?!?!
JP: NOW!
JT: Sigh… all right…
JP: Thanks. For the record, that one last week about Ken Kennedy's swanton bomb being a rib on Jeff Hardy was SARCASM!!! I'm sorry my humor doesn't translate when I watch a show in fast forward at 4am. Also, the Hidden Highlight was that JBL mentioned Jeff Hardy and then Kennedy did a maneuver out of his moveset. It was one of those unintentional Hidden Highlights that apparently only made sense to me. Also, JT and I wrote 18 of our own Hidden Highlights, plus God knows how many readers. If ONE crappy one makes you think the whole article sucks, then get the hell out of my internet!!!!
JT: Angry much?
JP: We almost NEVER get any hate mail, but I've had to explain myself all week. And to Randle, no less! Do you know he's not even doing his news report tomorrow?
Randle: This isn't about me, JP. It's about you stretching things way beyond the limits of imagination!
JP: Excuse me for trying to be creative! Obviously, it failed miserably. I'll go back to talking about the color of people's shirts now.
JT: You know, in that letter(s), I noticed that out of six of those "HH thoughts", only one of them was a HH that I had…
JP: Oh, so now it's we when we do good and you when someone bitches?!?
JT: Well, I-
JP: I see how it is!
JT: Wait, wait wait… are we teasing a possible heel turn and feud between us because of the readers???
JP: Let me think…
JP and JT: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
JP ahaha… man, that was fun.
JT: Indeed it was. You know what I like? How no matter what anyone says there is really nobody that can poke fun at us quite like ourselves.
JP: We indeed do quite the nice job at it don't we?
JT: Yes we do… and you suck.
JP: Please, you talked about Big Show's hair; you're like a girl… like a little girl… and your Hidden Highlights suck too, so join the club.
JT: But that would imply that yours also su-
JP: I know what it implies!!! I want to move on now, before things get personal.
JT: Good, I'd like to get to this section. Anyway, as I was saying… Geoff rules all and you should read him er… the Animal returned, Booker gets a shot (hell-yes!), JBL owns on the mic as usual, and …well, Simon Dean made the show, so bonus!
(3) OH MY GOD ANOTHER NON HIDDEN HIGHLIGHT IN THE WEEK WE'RE ON PROBATION WITH THE READERS!:
Just a little quirk I thought about. Never paid much attention to usual battle royals, but I do know one thing about the Royal Rumble: The last man to enter has never won it. Well, Booker was the last man to come down the ramp, and he won! Not sure how you'd like me to spin that, but I felt that at the very least, in some aspects, it's an unexpected move from the booking team. You always see the last man come out and think "well, he's not winning it"… not today (and of course, not when Angle won the big gold belt).
(2) Stall, my man! Stall I say!:
During the Ken Kennedy vs. Super Crazy match, both men ended up on the outside, and referee Charles Robinson started his count. As he got between four and five, he basically said "four"… then when five was supposed to come he said "get back in the ring, Kennedy", and when it should technically e six, he screamed "five". While it may seem completely unrealistic for people taking the count seriously, I thought this was a nice little touch by CR to remind us of all the little things the refs do to prolong the count and let the men get in some offense outside of the ring. After all, we can't have a legitimate ten-second-ten-count can we? Is that even allowed? I kid, but nice job by Robinson to *appear* to keep the count going while still letting boys be boys for the sake of the show.
(1) All the King's horses, and All the King's men:
As Kash was battling with Matt Hardy before getting eliminated, they went to a pan shot of the entire ring plus some. If you paid enough attention in the two seconds that it showed it, you could see Kennedy trying to get Booker out of the ring; then you can vaguely see Finlay enter the screen and punch out Kennedy thus saving Booker from elimination. Now we all know it's every man for himself, but I thought this was a nice little touch by Finlay to remind us that he is part of the "King's Court" which has been helping Booker make Lashley's life Hell as of late. Not only that, it seems that the faces will always hook up early, but the heels stay together until it's down to the wire and time to turn on someone! Continuity on more than one level!? Will JP make it through this issue!?
JP: I will, but continuity is always good, even if I am just making it up in my head.
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: Considering it's already Sunday afternoon, perhaps it is time to answer some damn letters! Good thing we don't try around here, or it could get really bad (note: SARCASM. Become FAMILIAR with it). So, *GENERAL WARNING*:: some parts of the following Reader Write-in Hidden Highlights may be edited for grammar, spelling, and English translation…
Starting us off this week for RAW is Jacob H, who's actually taking us back a week:
Hey guys. I thought for sure someone would have caught this one from last week's RAW. At the end of the DX segment, when they dump a load of sh*t on Vince and Co. watch for Kenny shielding Mr McMahon with his own body about halfway through the dumping. That had me laughing my ass off he tries to protect him from the (Thanks to Shawn) holy sh*t.
JT: HAHAHAHA I totally missed that. If ever there was a boss to suck up to, it would definitely be Mr. McMahon. Hard to believe how these five young men have managed to single handedly change the minds of thousands of people who had them pegged as a "this won't last two months" idea. Next up is Joe:
Also when RVD lost the title, King said, "RVD's title reign just went up in smoke." Now giving RVD's character, this may be a hidden highlight in and of itself. However what happened over the weekend? That's right, RVD and Sabu got caught with drugs. Now WWE never mentioned this on TV. One has to wonder if King was saying it in reference to that.
JT: A bit obvious, but we always try to show the first timers some love. He was clearly referencing it, and what I like about it was that it was actually aimed towards us, the IWC; at least I think. I mean, if you don't come online and read this stuff, and you don't have your best friend filling you in, then how are you to know what happened simply by watching RAW? You wouldn't. So yes, it was designed to reference the fact RVD is a pothead, but also a special little shot out to all of us who knew two days before the title dropped (Dan Z also caught this). That, and the statement is true to a point. Brian G. attended last week's RAW, and had this to add:
I do have a Hidden Highlight for you guys; I happened to notice it while at the show and then now again as we're watching the TV version on DVR. Following the segment during which HHH and Candice Michelle receive their "treats", there was a commercial break, and then we return with Shawn leading the way into the production truck with Hunter, Candice, and the two girls following behind. Well, you can spot that Candice's belt is undone and just hanging open from the front of her pants. This made for a great Hidden Highlight by Candice, selling us on the fact that she supposedly received the treats just a couple of minutes ago. Plus it was simply pretty hot to see.
JT: There's been a lot of speculation over in the forums as to whether or not Trips and Candice sold this segment well at all. Personally, I think they did as much as they could without flat out stepping over the line. I mean, kids to watch this show; is there much more they could have done besides HHH having his fly down and Candice having her belt undone? Good catch Brian, glad you enjoyed the show. Seeing Edge win the belt must have rocked hard. Speaking of Edge, John G. caught this little doozy:
Just wanted to take a shot at a hidden highlight for this week's RAW. I don't know if this will count because it was pretty overt, but it was one of my favorite moments in a well-above average episode. It was when Edge was celebrating, having just won the title, when he came over to check on Lita. He stuck out his hand as if to offer her help, then, seeing she was still out of it, put his palm up as if to say, "I'll check back in a minute," turned, and continued his celebration. I thought it was perfect in keeping with the character of a self-centered heel with a female valet, linking us back to the times when Savage would use Elizabeth for a shield.
JT: Edge = GOLD. I'm going to give some credit to Adam Copeland for this. I suspect that even though you know it's coming, it's probably pretty surreal when you're standing there and the ref hands you the big belt. So I thought it was a great job of him staying in character instead of getting wrapped up in the moment. Moving over to ECW, Jason G has some thoughts similar to JP's, and would like a platform to share:
What's up fellas, I hope you don't mind if i rant a bit while giving you this HH. It's from none other than Mister Tuesday Night, Mr. THC - er, i mean PPV, Rob Van Dam. While he has a reputation for just going through his spots, RVD showed a bit of the old psychology while fighting the Big Show. It was very small, but very effective. At one point in the match, RVD goes for the Rolling Thunder, and hits it. He then proceeds to grab his back and howl like never before. Why? Because Show had just spent 5 minutes working on his back! Not only did he howl and grimace, but instead of opting for his usual energetic cover, he simply strained to get on top of his opponent. It was nice to see some good selling from the now-former champ, now if he could only do a little less BUYING, the company might trust him with the strap again.
Which brings me to my point. I know you guys stay positive all the time, but I am in fact furious with the fact that when Van Dam finally gets his opportunity to run with the ball - after nonstop moaning and groaning from EVERYONE about "glass ceilings" and "most over guy not to hold the big strap" - after Vince FINALLY decides to see what the man can do, what happens??? He gets careless and arrested, possibly giving the company just the sort of black eye all those jerks like the PTC were waiting to jump on. Now I do realize the man is only human, and has been keeping a hellacious schedule since winning the belt, and has been performing INCREDIBLY as a very fighting champion, but still!
I just hope, on a positive note, that everyone else in the company realizes how serious the WWE is about their wellness policy, AND how important it is to hold one's self to a higher standard when representing as a champion. Maybe we can give Rey some props now for being a gracious and affable champion, despite the storylines he's been in.
JT: I – and I'm sure JP – couldn't agree more. First off good catch on the in ring HH, but you're dead on with your thoughts on RVD. He was really the first BIG name to fall victim to the wellness, and not only that, he had TWO of the three big straps. If ever there was a test for Vince to show he means business, this was certainly it – and he passed. Perhaps it was a TAD light of a suspension, but the fact is he made him drop both belts immediately, and suspended him as soon as humanly possible thereafter. Moving already to Impact is Jason H, who was paying attention to Joe:
I have a highlight from Impact. When Samoa Joe was doing his promo he said to Scott Steiner, "Scotty I didn't forget what you did to me. I think about finding you for revenge every night. Scott, I beat you…Scott, it is about hurting and humiliating you. I will make your children cry…cry because you can't hold them anymore." What makes this highlight is that Scott Steiner is well known for having what he calls the largest arms in the world. Most of his act has to do with his biceps. And what is Joe threatening to do? Make it so Scott can't hold his children anymore. He's threatening to take away Scott's guns; his most identifiable and apparently most valued feature
JT: Not much to add to that one, as Jason spelled it out perfectly for us. When you think Scott Steiner, you think arms; plus Joe made it personal with his comments, which always adds fuel to the feud. Kicking us off on the SmackDown! side of things is some person who simply calls themselves babyeater. I was a bit nervous at first, but it turns out he or she had a pretty good HH!:
And the other one was when Finlay was coming out for his match against Hardy, JBL said hes going to see World Cup this weekend, and Michael Cole said something like "They're gonna let you back into Germany?" I thought it was just Michael Cole being a smartass to his partner, but my friend pointed out that he was probably referring to JBL's Nazi stint in Germany a while back.
JT: We may have a Hidden Highlight first ladies and gentleman… I'm trying to figure out if in the forty four issues we've done here, has Michael Cole EVER gotten any love? Not sure, but he definitely deserved it for this. I actually caught this, and the first thing I pictured when he said it was JBL marching around the ring giving the ol' wave. Nice job by Michael Cole to actually get a shot in against the man constantly abusing him.
JP: We've given Michael Cole some love before… I think… at least in my notes I have… I wrote stuff down about him… he does stuff!
JT: Uhhh… yeah. Anyway, you know, Steve Cook is always hounding the refs. He's like the Mark Cuban of 411, so he will definitely appreciate this HH from Michael V.:
I've got to mention real quick that Booker must read HH, because he AGAIN did the awesome Macho Man Spin before the cage match with Lashley! Anyway, to my point this week - here's a little one that nobody mentioned about last week's Smackdown. During the match between Kennedy and Gunner Scott: I think it was Kennedy that went for a pin, but Gunner's left shoulder was still up. Instead of the ref just jumping down and counting per the script, like they seem to do WAY too often, the ref stuck his hand under the shoulder blade, and refused to count until Kennedy forced Gunner's shoulder down. This was a great show of attention by Jimmy Korderas, and I wish they'd do it more often.
JT: Michael is right, FAR too often they will just drop down and start the pin. Nice to see the veteran refs stepping up once in a while and enforcing the *little* things that are so oft ignored. Katie chimed in with quite a few. Some I understand, some I do not:
Ever since JBL replaced Tazz as Smackdown's color commentator, I've noticed his hat is on the table rather than on Bradshaw's head. I've yet to come up with a good explanation for it, but it's JBL. He'll think of something.
JT: If I had to guess, I'd say it's because the hat doesn't fit over the headset? Perhaps that answer is too easy, but who cares! Like you said, it's JBL!
Nitro once again blocks the cameraman's view of Melina while she does her thing, but that didn't stop DX (or rather Hunter), who repeated the clip right as they get to Nitro blocking the view! Is Triple H on fire or what?!
JT: Yes, Trips was indeed on fire. I especially liked the Trish Stratus "slow motion and repeat" shot of her running down do the ring. HHH should retire, move permanently to the production truck, and do nothing but give me random female hotness.
When Torrie came out for her match with Lita, I don't think she had Chloe with her! I'm betting Torrie knew she was facing a sneaky and powerful Diva, and didn't want to get her dog in the way. Kind of ironic, because Lita loves animals in real life--I believe her own dog has made an appearance or two.
JT: Close but no cigar, Katie! Torrie did indeed have Chloe with her, and when she got to the ring, she handed her off to our favorite HH Diva, Lillian Garcia! But sometimes, it's the thought that counts. Katie ended with this:
Finally, here's a good one from a different show: Pokémon (dunno how many of you guys even watch this animé, but...)! In the latest episode, Ash (the main character) catches an Aipom (that little crackmonkey with the prehensile tail). As the Pokéball shakes in the capture, a quick look at the people in the background reveals the HH: the Magikarp Salesman is among them!
JT: ……um….. I don't speak Russian but sure! Truth is we do have Pokemon over here, and – at least a few years back – it was quite the rage. I know absolutely nothing about it, but I think the point here is that Hidden Highlights are everywhere!
….I take that back… "Pickachu". I know that.
We're wrapping things up this week with a lengthy email from Jay2K, but around here, we're ignore any other letters when it's so close to J-something. So, let's hear what J2K had to say:
First, Geoff from the 3R's wrote in to your last column talking about Edge's new "Sex & Violence" shirt, and mentioned his old tag team from his Sexton Hardcastle days. The other half of Sex & Violence was Joe E. Legend, who had a brief stint in the E as Just Joe, the backstage rumormonger.
JT: Well, I did some checking and the only sources I could find indicated that it was in fact Christian Cage that teamed with Edge to form Sex & Violence, so it looks like the jury is out unless a reader can clear it up for certain!
Second, I haven't seen anyone write in about this, but it's something I noticed back when Smackdown first started pairing Finaly up with the Little Bastard. It was one of the leprechaun's first appearances, I think his second or third. When Finlay pulled up the ring apron to pull the Little Bastard out, there was a green light shining from under the ring. I thought it was a nice little touch, as if there's some little portal or something or other that leads to Leprechaun Land or wherever. Sadly, I haven't had a chance to watch Smackdown AT ALL in the last two months, so I can't say whether or not this little touch has continued.
JT: Well, as great as a catch as that is, I don't think that it is a trend that has continued. I mean, I watch every week, and I'd have to assume that is something that I would notice at least *occasionally*. Either that, or I am horribly losing my touch! Either way, it is indeed entertaining to think of – as you put it – "some little portal or something that leads to Leprechaun Land".
JP: JT, you are losing your touch. The green light was there for the first few weeks, but it is only on the announcer side. When the Little Bastard comes out of the entrance side there is no green light. Please continue, Jay.
Third, I was watching a segment of Heat (the 7.02.06 edition), where Matt Striker is wrestling Snitsky. Early on in the match, Snitsky goes for a big boot and his leg gets tangled in the ropes. Striker capitalizes for a few kicks before the ref comes over to help Snitsky free his leg. While the ref's back is turned, Striker does what any good heel should do, which is attack. He started choking Snitsky with his boot, but here's the hidden highlight: he presses down on his knee with both hands, as if to increase the pressure. It was a nice touch, with Striker doing anything he could to keep the big man down.
JT: It's amazing how Striker keeps getting into this call yet I never see him on my television; also impressive is that he does so with seemingly really GOOD HH's. Little gestures like this one are excellent ways to sell not only yourself as an intelligent opponent (teacher anyone!), but also sells the dominance of the big man you're facing.
That's all I got, apart from noticing that Shelton Benjamin's new little medallion thing seems to have the Thundrecats logo on it. Dunno what THAT means.
JT: Uhhh… guess that means Shelton digs on the Thundercats – who are of course awesome! Now if only I could get a live action movie! Thanks for closing us out J2K, and also to all who contributed! Until next week.
JP: Oh, and this is a good follow-up to anyone not sharing the love of any recent Hidden Highlights, reader response rates have been increasing at like 12% a week (sorry Small, I know you wish you got a letter or two). So more people are enjoying the awesomeness of Hidden Highlights, and JT and I are always happy to read more insightful observations from all of you. So keep them coming, we'll keep reading, and probably do a lot of printing. As for replying? Well, we're working on it.
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!
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, JT has something for That Other Section.
JT: I do?
JP: Sure you do!
JT: Are you sure?
JP: Yep. And I know exactly what it is.
JT: Maybe you could… refresh my memory?
JP: As promised, you are going to provide two Classic Hidden Highlights from ECW One Night Stand I.
JT: Oh… I thought you forgot about that… guess not eh?
JP: I forget nothing! And you might as well throw in one extra! Besides, people are feeling kind of down about the new ECW, so maybe helping them remember the old will make them feel better. Now, without further ado…
JT: Could we do this, I don't know, next week? You kind of caught me off guard here!
JP: Oh, I suppose. I guess that means it's time to…
Exit, stage left!
JT: No time to even call you my little anythings! We're entirely too late! See you next week!
JP: I return from vacation, JT returns from phone call oblivion, but the wrestling still goes on.
Thank you for joining us for the forty-fifth 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 reader approved most positive article in all of the IWC: Hidden Highlights! Until then!
