Hidden Highlights 08.06.06: Issue #49
Posted by Prag-Thomlison on 08.06.2006
Victoria screams about history, Refs rule ECW, the Newly Franchised Naturals learn a lesson, Regal takes Finlay’s breath away, and readers go as far back as the Snuka/Muraco cage match. All this, plus the triumphant returns of the Great Positivity Debate!!!
Hidden Highlights
By JP Prag and James "JT" Thomlison
Issue #49
Intro
Hello everyone who forgot to get their suit dry-cleaned before a wedding, 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 then there is James "JT" Thomlison who… happened to show up on the Triple Threat this week… man, he just keeps managing to pop up.
We bring you Hidden Highlights with one goal in mind: to appreciate all those little things that make a huge difference. JT?
JT: Good afternoon all, and rest assured, I am going to Bound For Glory, and I WILL get "MY SIGN IS A HIDDEN HIGHLIGHT" on TV. Just got my ticket yesterday, and I am sitting:
JP: Good job. If the co-author of this article can't do it… well, let's just say it would be sad. By the way, have you noticed an interesting trend around here?
JT: Hidden Highlights has done a great job of recruiting new talent. Too bad this will make me look like a total ass later in the column.
JP: No kidding. Luckily, none of them are as awesome as us, so we have no fear of being usurped.
JT: Usurped? What is this, some Greek myth where the father always has to eat the child otherwise the child will kill and replace him.
JP: Wasn't that Roman?
JT: I don't know, do you know?
JP: No, I don't know.
JT: Wait, what are we talking about?
JP: I'm not sure anymore.
JT: In that case, why don't we get started?
JP: Probably a good idea. On with the Hidden Highlights!
Hidden Highlights for WWE RAW: Monday, July 31, 2006 by JP
JP: Just for the record, it is not illegal to smoke Cuban cigars in the United States. It is illegal to import them (without a licensed visit to Cuba) or to buy, sell, or trade them within the borders of the United States. I guess having three boxes could have meant they were nabbing Triple H on an attempt to illegally distribute charge, but that will never hold up. Probably why WWE mobile said he was released the next morning.
(3) Mmmmm… watermelon:
Ok, so the title is an inside joke that only three people will get. Besides that, our opening Hidden Highlight is going to one Mr. Randle K. Orton. During his… ummmm… interesting… no… time consuming… yes… segment of Orton knows best, Randy had his new cast of characters out. Towards the end of the segment, he started to proposition "Brooke" and was holding her hand. Just before he went in for the long kiss, he stuck his tongue out in a derogatory fashion. Oh that Randy Orton, always adding up additional sexual harassment charges.
By the way, I don't blame Randy for the rest of that segment, though I'm sure Randle will tomorrow.
(2) It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a… frog?:
In your semi-main event, Rory McAllister of the Highlanders took on Johnny of the Spirit Squad. After a short while, the Spirit Squad decided to start to cheat and tried to his Rory with a megaphone. When caught, the Squad started playing toss the megaphone and adlibbing what to do with it. I will give props to Mikey who decided to use the megaphone as a backscratcher when he got it. Definitely funny and unexpected stuff! Good thinking there.
(1) Remember when we were special:
Earlier in the evening, there was a divas tag match as Trish Stratus and Candice Michelle took on Mickie James and Victoria with Torrie Wilson as your special guest referee. I picked up on it a couple of times, but during the match I head Victoria screaming whenever anyone had the upper hand on Candice "You miss me now Candice?" Oh that Victoria, never forgetting her history and storylines! And what is that magical word? Continuity! Victoria and Candice were a team for quite some time, and since Candice has struck out on her own, of course Victoria would want revenge. Thank you Victoria for always making the storylines and history flow. THANK YOU!
JT: Now if only we could get Victoria on our TV more than twice a year. Seriously people, we're positive around here, but that doesn't mean we don't have our own hopes and wishes. Victoria could be in this column a lot more if they'd let her. I'll also give some props for somebody in the SS not named Ken D. getting some HH love.
Hidden Highlights for ECW on SciFi: Tuesday, August 1, 2006 by JT
JT: Wow, this may have been one of the best ECW shows ever. I'd recap, but you all saw it – and if you didn't, shame on you – so let's get to it… Okay fine, I'll mention that the opening video shows ECW guys doing something to WWE guys (nice touch), and did anyone catch the signs that said "Vince Fears New Jack" and "Fertig has AIDS" (a nice little touch to his vampire suck blood angle)… oh, and I noticed Show has his wife's name tattooed on the back of his neck. HH all around!
(3) Steve Cook loves Refs, pt. 1:
When the Dreamer/Sandman vs. Knox/Test tag match started, the first two men in were Dreamer and Knox. As Dreamer went for his first pin, Test interfered, causing Sandman to come in to counter act that. So, as both sets of men went at it, Dreamer and Knox ended up on the outside, and Test / Sandman remained on the inside. What I liked about this was that the ref stayed in the ring despite Dreamer/Knox being the legal men! Why? Because it's ECW Rules, meaning that he needs to be in the ring in case there is a pinfall – even if it comes from a non-legal man. To take it one step further as evidence, when Sandman jumped on Test (on the ground) to begin hammering away, the ref even hopped down to the ground to check on Test's shoulders. I know a lot of people are a bit disappointed with the fact that they are not ALL ECW rules matches, but I say if that's how it's going to be, might as well make the most of it. Nice to see the ref's selling the rules as best they can (or for that matter, even appearing to have a purpose in a no rules match).
(2) Steve Cook loves Refs, pt. 2:
As they show the replay of CM Punk planting a flying knee on Justin Credible and subsequent Bulldog DDT (different angle than the live version), you can see the ref in the background with his finger in his ear. Now, we know that the ref's have an earpiece, and seeing this just made me wonder if he was doing so because he was getting word from the back "okay, the match is ending now". Even looking deeper into it, it made me realize that you rarely catch the ref with his finger on the earpiece. Was it too loud in such a small arena with so many people? Either way, it was one of the behind-the-scenes touches that we never really get to catch on TV because they're so careful, so I found it cool.
(1) Steve Cook loves Refs, yup, pt. 3:
You'll have to check back folks. I just realized that #3 and #1 were the exact same thing only worded differently, and since my little notes have already been erased, I have to go back and watch!
JP: I'm just trying to figure out all the new refs names that we've seen all week. There is blonde brillo head, 80's mustache guy, fatter than others guy… there are a lot of them!
Hidden Highlights for TNA iMPACT: Thursday, August 3, 2006 by JP JP: All right, I'm confused as hell. I saw that guy in the sting mask and red hoodie in the opening credits. I saw Jarrett running around the building and in the ring. And then I saw Jarrett as that guy. What the hell?
(3) You don't get off:
After the Newly Franchised Naturals made short work of their nemeses in AMW, Scott Steiner and Jeff Jarrett (SEE!) came down and helped beat up the NFN before throwing them out of the ring. After they were beat down, Shane Douglas came out and could be seen in the corner of the screen. Now normally you would think that he'd come out to check on his guys, but that was not the case. Shane could barely be heard yelling at the Naturals, saying there was no way four guys should have been able to take them. Oh, classic Franchise! He stayed in the moment and character perfectly, despite not really being on TV.
(2) Doc, it's the Libyans!:
As the five competitors were coming out for their match-up to be the number one contender to the X-Division title, the announcers were running down the competitors much as Senshi did. When Kazarian came out, Mike Tenay also started talking about the Flux Capacitor and the truck went to a clip to take a look at it. But did you notice something about that clip? Kazarian had long hair! The clip was from his first run in TNA. Since his return, he has not actually hit the move on TV, so they don't have an up-to-date clip of him. Very funny.
(1) Get out!:
Toward the end of Jim Cornette's speech, he dismissed everyone in attendance, and all the wrestlers and referees started to leave. But did you notice who else left? That's right, it was SoCal Val! I thought it was great that when Cornette told everyone to get out that she (along with some production people) left to. That gave the kicking out a much more interesting feel than just the normal wrestlers leaving. Good call by whoever decided to have her walk, and if it was SoCal Val herself, welcome to Hidden Highlights!
JT: Gotta love past footage. And just a reminder folks, I will – despite all previous failed attempts (which we appreciate) – get our sign on TV at Bound For Glory!
Hidden Highlights for WWE SmackDown!: Friday, August 4 2006 by JT
JT: JBL is great. That is all.
Just kidding, but JBL is great. The shame is that since everybody hears him, there's nothing really Hidden about anything he says. Therefore, he gets love in the intro! A new Tag Team debuted, Dave silences Kennedy, Lashley is back, Chavo speaks, King Booker was… well, King Booker, and man, is Vito getting himself over or what??? I also want to say I enjoyed the main-event, the booking that is. Most matches are always leading somewhere – to some feud, to some later match, to something – and we oft forget that there is supposedly a "booker" in the back. This match (which I believe is not leading to anything) reminded me that there is a supposed figure in the back who has to make the card, and whoever "he" is felt that we would be entertained by this completely random match. Now on with it!
(3) Nice job, rookie!:
After Elijah Burke finished off Scott Wright, we all saw Terkay have his way with him post match. Then Burke went and actually raised Terkay's hand, and even pointed at him! I know what you're thinking. "So, JT, …AND??? Who cares? What does it matter?". No problem, I'll tell you. You have to remember that Burke is only the corner/cut man, while Turkey is the actual competitor. Burke's entire job is to get his guy over. So, despite the fact that he won the match, he made sure that the attention and *kudos* were given to the "main guy" as opposed to celebrating for himself. I thought that for a guy whose only been around for a little over a year (OVW), this was a great example of staying in character. His job is to put over Terkay; that's exactly what he did.
(2) Support your local turnbuckle!:
I'm not sure if anyone has been paying attention, but ECW always has black ropes. SmackDown! on the other hand has sometimes black, sometimes blue. Now, I assume this to be some sort of timing issues with resetting up the ring for SmackDown, etc. If they're pressed for time, I suppose at the very least they ALWAYS make sure that the ring apron is switched out. But tonight for the first time I noticed another little change that had to be made. During the Batista/Kennedy match, for whatever reason, I made the mental note that this week, the ropes were black, which drew my eyes to the corner. The turnbuckles! They were now WWE turnbuckles. I don't recall offhand if ECW turnbuckles are plain black or say ECW but the point is they do NOT say WWE. I had never thought about the turnbuckles before, but now I know that if pressed for time, there are two things that MUST be changed by the ring crew, not just one. More on that later in the Reader Write Ins!
(1) My name is [insert], and we both love to fight!:
During the opening match, Regal took the offensive over Finlay quite quickly. Right before he went for his first pin attempt, you could see for just a second that Regal sent his knee into Finlay's throat. He then immediately went for the pin. Now, I've never been in a ring with a 300 pound man attempting to pin me, but I'd have to suspect that kicking out has to involve some sort of breath. It seems to me that you'd be giving one big exhale as you kicked out. If you don't have any breath in there though, that would make the kick out that much harder! These two know each other so well, Regal was looking for any advantage he could over the Irishman. Man, has this little mini-feud been fun or what? I could watch these guys for days.
JP: I may have been ahead of the game this week, but ahead of the game for TV watching means one day behind. SmackDown!, I'll watch you soon, I promise! Besides, it was preempted here in Philadelphia until Saturday, so I'll be watching you… sometime.
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: Let's go right to the base. So, *GENERAL WARNING*:: some parts of the following Reader Write-in Hidden Highlights may be edited for grammar, spelling, and English translation…
Wow, the old RWHH well seemed a little dry this week? Have we offended you people!? Have you grown tired of our constant refusal to get off our busy asses and answer your email!? Has JP finally stunk up the place above and beyond repair!?
JP: Why is-
JT: Hush! I'm ranting! Not really ranting; more like scolding encouraging the readers to remember that this column is lost without them! LaFave? RC? Beuller? Anyone? Where you guys at!?
JP: Um.... RC did email us. And actually, as I mentioned, Mike got his own column here on 411, so that could be it.
JT: I know, but he said, and I quote:
Mike: I'll still send you guys stuff though, I mean, Hidden Highlights w/o Mike is like hamburgers w/o ketchup, i'ts just not as good.
JT: Well, now THAT lasted real long didn't it... I kid Mike. Grats on the column and welcome to the 411. Now, onto the letters we did get!
First, my apologies to Martin Fallon. I accidentally flagged his message as spam (stupid laptop keys!), and he was thus deleted. But this is essentially what he said:
JR slipped up during the Tag Match and JR said "In comes Ken Do-…Kenny". Do you guys think this was a mistake by JR of almost breaking kayfabe, or that the E is trying to put Ken Doan in our subconscious for the inevitable SS split?
JT: I think it most certainly could be both to be honest Martin. It was perhaps a slip, but at the same time, it does kind of foreshadow what's to come. So I'd say pick which one you prefer and roll with it! Jared S. pays real nice attention to when Shawn Michaels has a microphone (who doesn't?):
During the opening promo when Shawn talks about DX fooling the McMahon's a few weeks previously that Stephanie had gone into labor, ole HBK shrugs and admits "that...was a lie" - and quickly looks up and mouths the words "sorry."
The good christian asking for forgiveness from the Heavenly Father after a little discretion of dishonesty - obviously a little HH for those who know Michael Shawn Hickenbottom's real life beliefs.
JT: A bit obvious, because he's done it a few times actually, but still, HBK is the man, and I will take any and all opportunities to give him some kudos in this column, so this HH makes the cut! Jim N. was at the SD/ECW Taping I went to, and gives us a nice little bit of "you had to be there" info:
And in regard to the HH about the turnbuckle falling off during the ECW show, I'm surprised the damn ropes stayed together. JT can tell you that they ended Smackdown with about 12 minutes to go before 10pm, and it was a crazy mad dash to change the SD ring to the ECW one. They had like all the stagehands and SD refs working like crazy trying to get it ready, and when Mike Knox was on his way to the ring, they were still finishing up. I honestly wondered if the whole thing was gonna blow on live tv.
JT: I had never heard of them taping SmackDown! first, considering ECW has to run the same night. So, after the couple of dark matches, they started SmackDown! right at 8:00 p.m. and I thought "Wait…isn't ECW on at …well, this should be interesting." I suppose that's more love to the crew. And I have no idea if there was some sort of special pyro, but they actually announced to us to please enjoy the "great pyrotechnics" (which they've never done at any show I've been to)… all I know is that it was three times as loud as Survivor Series. People anywhere near that part of the arena (ground level) must have gotten their eardrums blown. You with me on that Jim? Didn't it seem insanely louder than usual? Especially Batista's. Next up is Matthew M., who sent a two-parter for us:
I noticed a couple of Hidden Highlights during the ECW show, I believe. During the CM Punk/Justin Credible match, I noticed that after Justin Credible had worked over Punk's back a little bit, Punk shot back with a couple of kicks to Credible's thighs... and after every kick, he would clutch his back. I consider that some pretty decent selling seeing that kicking like that would probably put a little stress on a sore back. I could be wrong.
JT: To some, you may be, but not to me. Selling – and the appropriate time for it – is a very debated point. I personally think that when it comes to selling (not no selling, just selling), anything that isn't TOO outrageous, no matter what point in a match – be it two minutes, twenty, or a week later – is always a good thing. Lashley sold his knee injury consistently for almost a month, and I thought it was a job well done, as it was with Punk here.
Also, I noticed that at one point Justin Credible pulled a rolling single leg Boston crab out of the bag. Now, I wasn't big into wrestling during the ECW heyday, so I don't know if he used it regularly in his former life... but I know for a fact that his former tag team partner (Lance Storm, babeee!) used the rolling single leg Boston crab as his finisher in WCW (called the Canadian Maple Leaf) and used it more than once in the WWE. I thought that it was kind of neat for Justin Credible to sorta pay homage to The Impact Players by using a move Lance Storm used regularly.
JT: From what I've been able to find, I have no idea if it's a regularly used move by him, and I can't even say for certainty that it was intentionally done for Lance Storm, but either way, it's a good catch. We've said from day one things don't have to be on purpose, and that is a very nice little call. The only thing I didn't like was that it reminded me of the fact I miss Lance Storm. Finishing us off for ECW is Tammie O., who is thanking her lucky stars that this isn't JP's week for R-
JP: I SEE where this is going! Not funny, mister. Not funny at all. Tammie knows that when I say-
JT: I don't think we need to finish that statement…
JP: Well I think we do! As I was saying, Tammie knows that when I say, "I'd love to get to know you a little better… over dinner", that it's completely innocent.
JT: I'm sure she does. Now, if I may proceed with Tammie's comment:
During ECW last night, when Sabu was leaving after his match he stopped at did some more of that finger pointing up in the air thing he does. The hidden highlight is that while during one of these if you watch closely you can see that with his other hand he pointed to his head with his thumb - just like what Rob Van Dam does. Great hidden highlight showing his support and association with RVD.
Much love again to you guys and the BEST column on the net
JT: I'll be honest, I didn't see it; and since this is my job, that makes this a great call. And no, I did NOT put this in because she called us the best column on the net. I'm serious! It really was a great call. I've purposely been paying close attention to Sabu to try and find one, and I haven't. This was great. We know based on the circumstance that they are roadies. Especially cool now that we know RVD will soon be back. Thanks Tammie, and sorry for-
JP: I said it was innocent!
JT: *sigh* I'm sure it was. As if it couldn't get worse, PokemasterKatie was the last one to hit us in the email, and she's all over the place, so there is no section to put it in, so it goes here:
I miss Jericho too. If he hadn't left, he would've had an awesome feud with Carlito! But then Triple C had to cancel the Cabana to focus on his wrestling some time after Y2J was fired--there goes that war. But I have to admit Carlito made a smart decision...I love seeing his flippy-flippy action nowadays~
JP: Oh, hello Katie, and Carlito eh? Well I lo-
JT: Thanks, guy. It's my section. Sheesh. Well, Katie, I'm glad you appreciated the Jericho segment, because any appreciation at all is certainly better than how badly JP no-sold it.
JP: I said marking out is fun! Dude, I read that at 2am and there was NOTHING left to say. You had already used up 47% of the words in the dictionary, and I thought, "All right, time to end the article!"
JT: Yeah… because that's what I was going for… anyway, Jericho vs. Carlito could have been gold, and I sometimes hate that I wish Y2J the absolute best because I really miss him and would love to see him around. Katie, can you imagine the crowd pop he'd get right now?
JP: …and speaking of po-
JT: We are NOT going there… Katie still has much to address, as do I, so just go away or something until I'm done here. Please continue K:
-This first HH is from Wrestlemania XX! You'll spot it easily once you know what you are looking for. During Cena vs. Show, take a closer look at Cena's armbands. One of them is bright green...and sports the famous Mario Super Mushroom! Guess Cena prefers Nintendo...respect points go to him for that.
JT: And in one single swoop, Katie might have found a "more hidden-er highlight" than we or any of you ever have. Who didn't grow up on Mario? … okay, that question doesn't apply to you sixteen year olds, but for most of us, the Mario Mushroom is as recognizable as Rey's mask. Excellent call.
-When Maria was interviewing Cena last week, he made the international sign for her to call him before the commercial (and even mouthed it)! For John's sake, I'm hoping CM Punk hasn't been witnessing those Cena/Maria hints. If he has, it's all over. :p
JT: Well, Cena was even given the freedom to smack Steph on the ass after she was married to Trips, so either A. He's lucky, or B. Someone in the back thinks that it's funny as he's the golden boy. I wonder which one it is.
-When Steiner's music hit, the Naturals scampered to the face ramp, thinking they would be safe...look who just broke the fourth wall! On the same note, the faces and heels were on their respective sides of the arena during the Cornette meeting, AND when Zybyzko made his announcement, he was on the face ramp. Not bad!
JT: Looks like Larry Z got a little lost! Good thing Raven wasn't there to correct the situation.
-"You guys are dismissed---and by that, I mean go back to the locker rooms." Dismissed can be another word for fired; and after his encounter with Eric, I guess Cornette didn't want him to have a panic attack.
JT: Okay, you're looking a little deep into it, and at this point, that would seem to be speculation, but JP swears to fire me if I don't acknowledge any and all comments from the ladi-
JP: I didn't even have any say this week! What are you talking about?!
JT: Sure you didn't. Go ahead Katie:
-The fact that they actually painted the DX on Titan Towers (I read that a few witnesses actually spotted this while driving by!)...but didn't mention a word of it on Raw. I bet Vince knew that was too embarrassing to talk about live (strange that the announcers didn't mention it--doesn't Lawler have a laptop in front of him during Raw?).
JT: I include this for one reason. I work at a bail bond company so we hear about dumb ass crimes all over the country. Some jackass got arrested for running all over town spray painting DX on random things like cars and buildings. For goodness sake, let's not take it THAT seriously, m'kay? Moving into Impact this week is Ben G., who practically read my mind:
During the X-Division 4-Way between Sonjay Dutt, Petey Williams, Johnny Devine, and Shark Boy, Dutt is in the ring against I believe Devine. It could've been Williams, but either way, it was one of the two heels. Sonjay is mounting an offensive streak, and after taking down his opponent, Dutt gets a big grin on his face, stomps on the canvas, and does the Ultimate Warrior rope-shaking and proceeds to land a HUGE Spine-Buster on Devine or Petey.
Now, it's been pretty well documented on the IWC that WWE's own Batista isn't a big fan of TNA's X-Division, particularly AJ Styles. Since Styles isn't currently in the X-Division, it's up to his old buddies like Sonjay to defend it. I think that Dutt's little rope-shaking followed by the Spine-Buster was perhaps a little dig at Big Dave, maybe sending him a message that yes, along with all the flippy moves and Enseguris, the X-Division guys can "tell a story" in the ring just like Batista.
JT: When he did that, big Dave's interview immediately popped into my head. Obviously I can't be 100% sure, but I have little doubt in my mind that it was anything other than a direct shot at Batista. I mean, considering how they OPENLY call out WWE all the time, I see no reason why they can't send some subtle shots as well.
JP: I know you are tired of me interrupting…
JT: You got that right!
JP: … But when it comes to Sonjay Dutt, two words come to mind: wasted motion. I know we are the most positive article in the IWC, but when I compare Sonjay Dutt to Jay Lethal, I'm going to give my Hidden Highlights to Lethal because every movement leads into the next move, while Sonjay does a lot of things that just require flipping or shaking. It kind of gets to me about him. He's going to make a save attempt on a pin and does a standing moonsault instead of just kicking the guy. Moonsaults take time! And you only have three seconds. Sonjay actually made Batista's point several times over the past two weeks, while guys like Jay Lethal, Petey Williams, and even Shark Boy proved Batista wrong. So I'm going to give the X-division love to the other guys and say they have done more to show there can be a story in a high flying match than Dutt has ever done in all his matches combined.
JT: Wow… that was… awkward. Moving on, Brian also has some clarification for me:
… is called the ‘shaka'. I'm an East Coast boy who lived in Maui (Hawaii, baby!) for a couple of years after college, and one of the first things I noticed out there was the liberal use of this ‘shaka.' It was just like a normal, everyday greeting tool for them, the same way we might wave to say ‘hi' or ‘bye'. Matter of fact, you could use the shaka for just about anything out there and it was perfectly acceptable, and yes, even had some meaning. ‘Hang loose' might be generally agreed upon. Relax. No worries, be happy; that type of thing.
I recently moved back to the NY, and let me tell you: people look at me strange all the time when I give them ‘big shakas' (not to be confused with the other two-fingered ‘shocker', which I use to greet some of my lady friends.)
So basically, you don't need to be a gnarly surfer dude to extend the thumb and pinky and give someone the shaka. They should thank you for it.
JT: Well, there you go. Thanks Brian, and yes, I imagine walking down the middle of the street in Brooklyn shooting people the shaka would seem a bit off. And before we leave RAW, Tyre D. added this:
I really like your weekly article! It has me looking for hidden highlights and I saw one this week on Raw when Matt Striker was listing off the H's in the dictionary he gave the Rottweiler symbol when saying Homicide. Hope you caught it
JT: I have to be honest. I have absolutely no idea what he said, but I figured put it in, just in case JP knows, or one of you know. There's clearly some random piece of wrestling history or some sort of symbolism I'm just not getting. But Tyre is speaking French to me. Sorry TD.
JP: Well according to Obsessed with Wrestling, the site JT happens to be co-editor of, the Rottweilers were a faction in ROH of which Homicide was a member. And they had a sign, and Matt Striker most likely watched some ROH tapes or wrestled against some of their members in other promotions (only having made a couple of appearances in ROH).
JT: You just had to make me look bad. Taking us to the SmackDown! side of things is Andrew D, who wants to - and I believe this is the second week in a row from the readers - show Michael Cole some love!:
This is a HH that I didn't see mentioned last week and it was a very quick one that I barely noticed. During the Diva match Cole and JBL are commenting on the women (or at least their assets). But at one point when they are talking about the women's chest JBL comments on them barely being able to fit into their bras; Cole then made a remark along the lines of "you would have that sort of problem too". I cracked up big time seeing as in his final days JBL was startin to get some pretty big man breasts and i thought it was great for Cole to reference that, even though JBL totally ignored or missed it.
JT: Surprisingly, the tag team of JBL/Cole has gotten some hate thrown it's way, but I personally feel that they are fabulous together, and this is a perfect example of why. Cole and Tazz may have shared different opinions on things, they were still buddies. Not these two. To JBL, Cole is a skinny little wimp. To Cole, JBL is a self-serving, completely ridiculous (and biased) jerk. I love it! I want one! How much do they cost! Up next is Yvan C., who's batting a thousand!
This one is a production HH. During the very short Chavo interview, there was something weird about the layout of the set. In general, lighting is something that is normally kept off-camera and is simply there to enhance the shot. However, in the top right side of the shot, there it was… As clear as day and staring you right in the face… A strange blue spotlight. At first, it seemed out of place, but I quickly realized that it made perfect sense. After all, this is Smackdown, and they gotta represent the brand, right? Here's another reason this one was particularly important… Do you think the blue light would have been there if Chavo was at home or in a studio somewhere else? The use of the blue light was a subtle foreshadowing for the fact that he was actually in the arena, as was confirmed by his appearance later in the show.
JT: See, this is something that I think is not only for the viewers at home, but also a way to tease a live crowd with a "is he, or isn't he" type feel. Good stuff by the people you never see (except for last week!)
Also a note to James Mitchell (I swear, that's his name). FYI, me and JP are looking into your suggestion, and you may see something real soon, so thanks! Kicking us off on the Classic this week is NearlyFamous, who found the Raphael Palmero of the WWE:
If you watch the easter egg that goes with the Snuka/Muraco cage match, you will see Snuka execute possibly the first no hands plancha in WWF/E history on Muraco. You will also see Snuka tear up Muraco and totally dominate him before the locker room (headed by future Roddy Piper victim Frankie Williams) hold him back. Muraco (in a great move) steals the house mic before it gets yanked up to the ceiling and bloodies Snuka with it. As the locker room and officials break up the melee (and as the big red X censor signs appear on the screen), you'll briefly see a bow tie clad man in a white hospital jacket and glasses come in and help lead Snuka to the back. That man? Dr. George Zahorian, the villified whistle blower that almost brought down Vince's empire during the much lauded steroid trials! If you're not certain, go frame by frame as he faces the camera before turning around to walk to the back. You can faintly make out the "Zahorian" on his jacket. Oddly enough, about 5 seconds after he is shown on camera, the big red X comes up to censor the screen once again. I don't really remember spotting Mr. Z at ringside any other time and if it was a fairly common occurrence, I apologize. I just found it funny that an errant censor sign came up to cover a future thorn in the side on the mighty Vince
JT: It's a good thing I know what he meant by easter egg, because at first I was like "eh?". But that's great. A big X over the man that almost destroyed the other Evil Empire (and I kid, BoSox fans. I'm diehard Yankees so burn in Hell there) – years before his multi-million dollar heel turn. It's almost like "unintentional continuity".
JP: ooo, I like that term. And I am a Red Sox fan, so you better watch it!
JT: We all knew you would like the term, now, if I may. Jokertoomanydamnnumbers just realized something about the Great American Bash:
I got to see GAB live here in my hometown of Indianapolis, IN (insert cheap pop), and noticed a HH during the main event. Earlier in the evening, The Great Khali's walk-in on the Punjabi Prison match was completely telegraphed by the fact that my section was FLOODED with security guards. So it wasn't much of a surprise when 5 minutes later Khali comes walking out and passes by us at about 5 feet (the man is HUGE, btw). Later on, in the Rey/Booker match, we're waiting for the inevitable Chavo run-in when security again comes flooding out into our section. So, since we had already seen this happen once and knew what was coming up, everyone turned and looked at the door waiting for Chavo. The Hidden Highlight? Chavo didn't come through our section, and didn't leave through it either. My entire section got swerved by security.
JT: You know, I've noticed this before and it's almost made the column a time or two. There was a PPV sometimes recently, and two big security came down, made like four people get up and back up, and then they sat in their seat with their back to the show; leading me of course to believe that something was going to happen there. A half hour later, still nothing, they got up and left. I remember thinking how pissed I'd be if I was the guy that had to give up my seat for nothing. Either way, I'm not sure the security guys have ever got credit on HH, so cheers to them!
RC did indeed chime in to call me out, ask a question, and show some love:
1) Chris Jericho's last match wasn't on Summerslam. He had a pretty good match with John Cena the night after on RAW where he subsequently got fired (kayfabe).
JT: Oops! Yet again the Co-Editor of OWW gets called out for not fact checking. Man, I completely forgot that match and it was (kayfabe) the whole reason he was gone! My apologies to all. Next time you read it, pretend I said "Last PPV Match".
2) Where has the Classic Hidden Highlights section gone?
JT: An excellent question. Due to our busy schedule, JP and myself decided to shorten the Classic feature from an exclusive section to a more RWHH oriented part of the column. So now, we use the Classics you send in and incorporate them into the Reader Write In HH Section!
3) Finally a GREAT issue of HH again :) I really liked the HH's this week (well, except for the first two of smackdown but I guess those weren't meant as HH so I have no probs with that although I wonder how the hell he managed to see the titantron when he looked to be sitting to the side of it hehe).
JT: Thanks for the kind words. The answer to your question is I couldn't see the Titantron, so when I wanted to see what was on it, I would simply look at the overhead screens hanging from the ceiling. Finally, Ernest S. White, United States Navy affirms the greatness that is Jericho:
I was reading your comments about the Jericho Cena Match from SS05 and let me say that being there live, it was off the charts. True I was sitting exact opposite from the entrance upper tier with my WWE Championship Belt (Eddie memorial belt model) trying to start a lets go Jericho chant in my section when suddenly those dueling chats you talked about took over ther entire arena. I mean it was loud and there wasn't a person not involved. If some little child had never spoken before their first words probably would have been "Lets go Cena/Jericho" on that night. It was a great atmosphere and great reminder of why I love wrestling as a whole. I'll truly miss Jericho because as he showed at ECW ONS that year and at the SS match Y2J was truly here to save those of us who really loved Wrestling.
JT: First Ernest, thanks for reading. I was not aware we were a hit on aircraft carriers (or destroyer, etc)! Now, as for your story, I am so jealous. I bet it really would have been bananas to be at that event for that match. And while we're showing some love for A. Chris Jericho, and B. Live shows, let's not forget that there was a third (and oft overlooked) piece to that puzzle - John Cena. Kudos all around to Y2J (Yes, we still miss you!), Cena, and the crowd. And kudos to the Navy! Hidden Highlights supports all!
JP: That we do! And if you are in a dangerous part of the world right now, get home safely so you can enjoy Hidden Highlights for years to come!
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: It's time for the return of…
THE GREAT POSITIVITY DEBATE
JP: Except this time with a twist or two or seven.
For those unfamiliar with the Great Positivity Debate, you can read the first one where JT and I proved we have the most positive article in the IWC over Meehan, or the second one where the Shimmy's Andy Clark completely decimated Bayani Domingo and showed that he should have won Rant Wars II.
I've been thinking for a while that we needed a Part 3. I would entitle it:
THE GREAT POSITIVITY DEBATE III: THE SEQUEL NOBODY ASKED FOR
Here's the basic idea. Eight authors will compete in a competition that is judged on writing style, believability, conciseness of argument, staying on topic, conviction, and persuasion. You the readers decided who moves on to the next round, and who hits the showers (if anyone in the IWC actually showered).
Each week two of 411mania's best will compete against each other. The opening round will have four questions, the semi-finals six questions, and the finals eight questions. The winner of the finals will then go on to face Team Hidden Highlights in the ten-question finale of THE GREAT POSITIVITY DEBATE III: THE SEQUEL NOBODY ASKED FOR, hosted by TGPD2 winner Andy Clark.
As an added bonus, each person eliminated from the competition can submit their questions for the TGPD3 to Andy Clark, and Andy will select the best of the bunch to use in the actual competition.
But for the coming seven weeks, JT and I will be deciding the questions. So beware, because we know how much trouble it can really be to stay positive.
Now, you must be asking yourself, "Self, who is going to compete?" Glad you asked. Your starting lineup is:
Stephen Randle – Writer of the Wrestling News Experience every Monday and often forgotten co-editor of the Wrestling Zone, Randle has often claimed that he can be the most positive writer in the IWC. This tournament is his chance to put up or shut up, and get out of the shadow of the monster known as Larry Csonka. Plus, he's Canadian.
Sat (of Rajah and Sat fame) – Tired of arguing among themselves, Rajah and Sat created the High Road/Low Road in order to show the two sides of today's hottest issues in the IWC. Having to constantly deal with the negativity of Rajah, Sat is here to spread his positivity wings and prove he can hang on his own. But he'd also like to show that Hidden Highlights isn't the only successful team series around here.
Mathew Sforcina – By IWC standards, Sforcina is a veteran who is often overlooked. His acclaimed series Evolution Schematic has covered a variety of wrestlers, events, and gimmicks from the kayfabe perspective over many multi-part issues. This style of writing was stolen re-appropriated by JP for his premier article In Defense Of…. Sforcina is here to take back what he rightfully created and get the respect that all his hard work deserves.
Will Helm – If Sforcina is a veteran, than Will Helm is an Ancient One. Helm is currently known for his widely read Misunderstood Masterpieces over in the Movies/TV Zone, though he has been around for much longer. Helm is here to show that he can still take on all the young blood, and prove the Movies/TV Zone superiority to all over Zones.
Jordan Williams – Pioneer of the new Games Zone here at 411mania, Jordan writes Working Title and other video game reviews. But Jordan first made his name as a Reader Write-in here in Hidden Highlights (like Andy Clark before him). More importantly, his long standing feud with JP trying to stealing his girlfriend has grown infamous in the pages of Hidden Highlights, and Jordan is seeking one final moment of revenge while trying to bring pride and honor to the new Games Zone.
Jeff Small – One half Heat Recapper one half Small for All News Reporter, Jeff Small has come a long way since burying the hatchet with fellow Heat Recapper Slimmer. But Jeff still contends that he has the best article appearing every Sunday here at 411mania, and you know we can't have that.
Julian Williams – Julian Williams is among the newer crop of 411mania wrestling writers looking to make a name for himself. He was able to steal a simple gimmick that Steve Cook used for backup and make it into a successful weekly column—the Top 10—enraging people to write in their own Top 10 lists in contradiction to his every week. Julian is here to prove he's more than just a gimmick, and certainly no Steve Cook rip-off.
Steve Cook – Not-so-famous news reporter Steve Cook has been writing his News from Cook's Corner for a while, so long that he got promoted from Sunday to Thursday nearly eight months ago. When he lefts Sunday's, his cold war with Hidden Highlights came to an abrupt end, and he is ready to reignite it for one last blaze of glory. Steve also seeks to reclaim what was stolen from him by the other writers in the tournament, and show his superiority as a news writer.
And here are the brackets:
Good luck everyone! Randle and Sat, we'll see you next week!
JT: Did Csonka really turn this down? Not cool LC. You non-positive son-of-a-bitch.
Larry: I'm busy.
JT: I'm sure, because we all need the update on when someone from TNA showed up 17 minutes late to the taping.
Larry: Are you trying to be funny?
JT: No, I am being funny.
Larry: We'll see by the time I edit this.
JP: Ummm… JT, Larry is just re-writing history (again). I never asked him to join the competition.
JT: Oh… so I just looked like a total ass… again… At any rate, good luck to the competitors, and we'll see how it goes. Oh behalf of JP and myself, we look forward to facing the best. And don't forget people, it's YOUR VOTE that will determine this. So we need you to vote more than once; every week in fact. Read the answers, pick your favorite, and ride them to the end. JP and I can't wait to see who it is.
Exit, stage left!
JT: Sorry kids. Kornheiser is still out and won't be back until Monday, so the best I've got is see you next week, my little Tulips.
JP: Tulips?
JT: I said he's out until Monday! I got nothing. Thanks for joining us, knuckleheads.
JP: Maybe you should just stick with one catch phrase and call it a day.
Thank you for joining us for the forty-ninth 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 50TH ISSUE of the reader approved most positive article in all of the IWC: Hidden Highlights! Until then!
