Hidden Highlights 10.22.07: Issue #112
Posted by JP Prag on 10.22.2007
Jay Lethal hooks his own leg, Jerry Lawler steals from the internet, Scott Armstrong learns not to touch Kane, Samoa Joe perfects the Diamond Cutter, The Great Khali knocks out my satellite reception, Brooke Hogan’s choreographer tries to teach her basic math, and more!
Hidden Highlights
By JP Prag
Issue #112
Hello everyone who discovered that they make special Peeps for Halloween and can now not wait until November 1 when they go on sale for 25 cents a pack, and welcome back to Hidden Highlights!!
Hidden Highlights, they are about the little things that make the product great. They are about showing the positive motions all those involved in wrestling do to make a better show. William Regal may bend his opponent's hand backwards just a little bit harder to dish out the pain. Christian Cage may reference a piece of obscure history. Tazz may bring realism to the product by describing an abdominal stretch in detail. The camera operator may take a low shot looking up at the Great Khali to make him look like a true monster. These are all examples of what Hidden Highlights is about.
Every week this article spotlights Hidden Highlights from the biggest shows on television (RAW, ECW of SciFi, iMPACT, SmackDown!, and a PPV or television special if there is one), delves into the past to find the ones never recorded before, and goes beyond to small shows, live events, tapes, and the indy scene to see what no one else sees. This article may have an author, but it is just as much written by the readers and true fans of professional wrestling—those who love what they watch and want to tell the world what they have found.
I am JP Prag, and I bring you Hidden Highlights with one goal in mind: to appreciate all those little things that make a huge difference. Brandon?
Brandon: [Brandon is not here and seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth]
JP: Oh, that's nice. Well then, I hope he's all right, wherever he is. Meanwhile, I'm just rather POed. Guess I'm running this issue myself. Oh, and Brandon, your disqualified from the rest of the contest. I said timing and deadlines was a big part of this. I also told you I wake up at 4am on Mondays. If in 30 hours I don't get a draft from you, nonetheless an e-mail saying you are running behind, that means I can't trust you. If I can't trust you, I can't have my work dependent on you. Therefore, we'll be starting a new direction next week. I hope nothing bad happened to you so I don't seem like a complete dick, but I have no idea so therefore I have to assume I'm just abandoned. Guess I'll find out soon enough. In the meantime, let's get on with the Hidden Highlights!
Sunday, October 14, 2007 by the Readers via JP
JP: Although Bound for Glory has been very well received, we only got one write-in from it. Yet No Mercy has been pretty much hated, and I have even more on it this week.
(1) Keeping the pressure… on myself:
Our one comes from another Brandon, Brandon Sloss
Bound for Glory the X-division title match: Jay Lethal hit the sweet Lethal Combo from the second rope; the Hidden Highlight happened during the pin. Not only did he hook the Fallen Angel's leg, but he grab his own to ensure less a chance of the kick out. You can see it really good when they do the replay.
JP: Jay Lethal has been incredible in the ring and it has been a pleasure to watch him grow in TNA since his premier.
Monday, October 15, 2007 by Brandon JP
JP: I'm writing this really late during Game 7 of ALCS, plus I'm running completely on memory because I didn't take any notes during RAW. So you must forgive me if what you see below is not the best!
(3) Oh that leg of mine:
Jonathan Coachman was once again in charge to watching after that little tyke Hornswaggle as the latter was running amuck in the back. All through the chase, Coachman continued to see his knee injury from the a couple of weeks prior (hence why he had his cane). The best part had to be when he mounted a bicycle and after every SLOW pedal he let out an exasperated grunt. Good selling all night from the Coach.
(2) The King reads the internet:
This had to be one of my favorite "WWE stealing from internet" moments ever. During the Brian Kendrick vs. Rory McAllister match, Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch joined Jerry Lawler and JR on commentary. Not too far into the match, the King ask Murdoch if he would mind if he called their team the "Redneck Wrecking Crew". Now where have I heard that name before? Oh, right! On 411mania.com, where it either originated or grew to prominence. Thanks for catching up to us from eight months ago there, King, and stealing to boot. Hey, Finks Payload guys… good work.
(1) Because Santino is that good:
Now, I really don't have anything specific to add, I just really like Santino Marella. I'm always amazed by the little phrases he throws in, how he gets the crowd to hate him, how he still checks Maria out, and how he manages to work the Condemned into every promo. Of course, I could actually give this Hidden Highlight to Maria like I was planning to do anyway. After the great Santino one his match by holding on to the bottom rope, the King and JR reckoned that she didn't seem to mind how Santino won the match. Guess those two weren't paying as much attention as I was. After the win, Maria has a slight look of sadness, mouthed "Why'd you do that", tried to ask Santino about it (who in turn hushed her), and then tried to put on a brave face. There was a great story there that those two missed, but I caught it all.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007 by JP
JP: As discussed in great detail in The Hamilton Ave Journal, ECW began the next phase of its existence with a "talent exchange". This, somehow, led to a nearly 15-minute (actually 30 with all the opening interview stuff) opening contest that, despite being a handicapped match, was actually really good. So good, in fact, that I caught this…
(3) Kicking it old school:
Late into the match, CM Punk had John Morrison in a Boston Crab, but Morrison managed to escape by making it to the ropes. Although the hold was broken, CM Punk was still hurt from earlier and tried to crawl his way to his own corner to tag in Kane. Morrison quickly noticed this, ran up behind Punk, and then did a spin kick to his upper chest, actually pushing Punk backwards instead of towards his own corner. How smart of Morrison was that? Normally guys trying to cut someone off just kick them or elbow them, but that can give forward momentum. So even though Morrison was behind Punk, his kick moved in the direction that would take Punk away from his tag team partner.
(2) I don't like to be touched:
After delivering a chokeslam to the Miz, Kane got the 1-2-3 and the win for his team. His music hit, and referee Scott Armstrong came over to raise the victors hands in… errr… victory. As Armstrong put his hand on Kane's wrist, Kane gave him a look of death, and Armstrong slowly pulled his own hand away. I thought this was a great sequence of events. Kane never likes to have his hand raised or be touched because at the end of the day he is still an evil monster. But Armstrong has only worked in ECW and has not had to deal with Kane before, so of course he would not know that. It was great of Kane to react to Armstrong's honest mistake the way he did, and even better of Armstrong to pick up on it react accordingly.
(1) Maybe we should keep some Purell® around here
As part of the ECW/SmackDown! trade beginning, Vicki Guerrero and Armando Estrada were meeting in the latter's office (which turned into the former's office on Friday). Guerrero introduced a tag team for the show in Jesse and Festus, and Festus spent a good deal of time shaking Estrada's hand. After the two left and the show started to fade to black for a commercial, I caught Estrada wiping his hand on his jacket, like he was trying to get rid of the germs of Jesse! How amazing is Estrada that he would do such a simple motion to show how disgusted he really was without ever saying a word about it?
Thursday, October 18, 2007 by Brandon JP
JP: Again, my memory and Game 7 of ALCS. But just a note to Csonka: That "Fans Revenge" sign has been in Cornette's office for a VERY long time. Thanks for reading Hidden Highlights, where we've discussed it more times than I can count
(3) Dressing up:
Since Gail Kim premiered in TNA she has generally been… scantly dressed. Dressed being a very lose term. Now don't get me wrong, I've quite enjoyed it. I really enjoyed it at the TNA house shows I went to. Ah Gail…………… Ahem… I digress. During the parade of champions, Gail came down to the ring to accept her newly one championship. But did you happen to catch how she dressed? She was not just fully clothed, but really dolled up. I enjoyed that she brought a lot of class to the ceremony. She considered it a very special occasion, and she dressed up to show her appreciation.
In the main event, Christian Cage and Samoa Joe fought a great free TV match for the wildcard spot in the Fight for the Right Tournament. Or the Fight for the Right to Fight for Right Wildcard matchup. Wow, that was easier to type than I thought. Anyway, late into the match, Cage got up on to the second rope and attempted a flying splash, which in turn Joe turned into a diamond cutter! I have not seen that level of quickness of a cutter since DDP was running the "out of nowhere" gimmick with the move. Doing anything in midair is simply amazing, and the pulling off that move was so flawless that it deserves to be recognized.
(1) Edge on iMPACT:
I have to hand it to TNA. Although the WWE owns 90% of all of the wrestling video footage out there, they manage to find that missing 10% and exploit it. Last week they showed video of Tomko in Japan, this week they took it up a notch. During a commercial for Christian Cage's new DVD "Instant Classic", they started showing matches from early in Christian's career. And who should get a few moments of on-air screen time? Why none other than Christian's brother Adam "Edge" Copeland (then known as "Sexton Hardcastle"). Every once in a while TNA manages to pull off those little tricks that give me a giggle.
Friday, October 19, 2007 by JP
JP: Ok, I'm still really confused. Finlay and Rey Mysterio were fighting to be #1 Contender, their match ended up in a No Contest, and the Undertaker became #1 Contender? That's just not right. That makes even less sense than why Shelley and Sabin couldn't have their match next week and how Joe and Cage got in there in the first place. I'm about logic people! Logic and continuity! I love those things, seriously. Which is why I love things like this…
(3) Run away, run away:
Early in the evening, Chuck Pulumbo and Chris Masters continued their epic feud in the ring. Shortly after the match got underway, Pulumbo knocked Masters down and Masters rolled out of the ring on the far side of the camera (audience view). Michelle McCool happened to be standing right there. Instead of just sticking around and then staring at Masters when he got up, as soon as he rolled out of the ring McCool gave a little yelp and RAN AWAY! Now that is smart thinking by McCool. She knew that Masters could not be trusted and would try to hurt her, so she ran away as soon as she could instead of being a deer in headlights.
(2) The day the satellite reception died:
This is way more of a personal Hidden Highlight that anything you saw. The opening match saw Kane take on the Great Khali, and the action quickly spilt outside the ring. After being disqualified, Khali continued the carnage by dismantling the announcers' station. As he took off the top piece and through it at some wires, all of a sudden my feed of the show cut out and it went to snow! It took about two minutes before the transmission came back, and even then the sound was not there, just snow. It was totally a coincidence that probably only happened in Rhode Island, but it was such a coincidence that it made the segment work so much better for me.
(1) I had to return my rental car because the steering wheel was on the wrong side:
That's why Jerry Lawler said on Monday, and I chuckled a little bit about it. But what struck me was on Friday Night when Deuce-n-Domino made their way to the ring. Per usual, the duo with Cherry came out in their own vehicle, except their car had the steering wheel on the left side, like they were still in America. Where oh where did they ever find a car like that in England? Major props to whoever in production has the job of tracing down cars for the wrestlers to use because that could not have been an easy thing to find.
Sunday, October 14, 2007 by JP
JP: Hulk and Linda suddenly realized that Brooke was a spoiled brat who had no idea how to do anything in life, so they gave her control over thousands of dollars. I think Brooke spent more money this episode than I made in my first year out of college. And that was only three and half years ago! Inflation isn't that crazy.
(3) What's your name?:
After maxing out her credit card (oh the humility!), Brooke returned how to call up the credit card company (the irony that Master Card would sponsor her after this is not lost on me) to see how much she owed. When the folks on the other end asked who she was, she said, "Brooke Bollea". This was one of the rare times the Hogan's true last name has been mentioned on the show, and thought it was worth the call out!
(2) You know you are in trouble when…:
You know you are in trouble when your choreographer is showing you how to do basic finance. First off, I would like to say how impressed I was with the choreographer's basic business sense, frugalness, honesty with Brooke about what she didn't need, and willingness to work with less. More often than not, when you get people in the industry in a position the choreographer was in, they just take advantage as much as possible and try to get as much money as they can. Instead, this guy actually cared and tried to put things back in perspective and actually scale things back to create longevity. If this guy is legit in any way, Brooke should keep him around forever. He is a rare honest person who is not trying to screw anyone over, and deserves kudos for doing a good job with the situation.
(1) You should still pay for that:
Of course, even with having all of these expenses, there are many things Brooke is not even taking into account. She is getting room, board, and transportation for free, which is a huge break almost no one gets. Heck, when my brother moved home after college my parents started charging him rent, as they should have. But what Brooke got more than anything was a promotional appearance and introduction by Hulk Hogan. Do you know what one night of Hulk Hogan costs? Ask Vince McMahon, he'll tell you. Brooke has no idea how much of a deal she gets for using her father for free. He should start charging her, too, for all of these personal appearances!
Hidden Highlights are not just about what was written above, but about what you have seen as well. This article strives to not only spotlight the best Hidden Highlights, but to engage you, the viewers, and make you the best audience in the world.
JP: A lighter fair than normal this week. What happened to all my readers from Britain? I thought I would have got TONS of live notes from you guys. Anyway, *GENERAL WARNING*:: some parts of the following Reader Write-in Hidden Highlights may be edited for grammar, spelling, and English translation…
We'll kick it off with first timer Hugh Davidson:
Firstly, I noticed a few weeks ago on Raw after the Highlanders turned heel their kilts went from being the traditional tartan to black with a tartan sash. Being from Scotland this stuck out as a nice touch putting over that they were now EVIL!!!!!!
JP: I absolutely noticed this as well and have actually been waiting for someone to write in with it. I saw it on their first week and went, "Oh, black kilts, they're evil now."
Secondly at No Mercy during the pizza eating contest Matt Hardy had at least 2 more pizza boxes on his pile than M.V.P. This stunk of M.V.P trying to get one over on Matt before he even started. Although it could have just been where the boxes from the 2 pizzas they were about to eat went because they were gone when I looked next. But it still seemed suspicious to me.
JP: It would not surprise me if MVP himself moved them there while they were setting up!
Also a couple of signs that I liked because they were just so damn funny: During the CM Punk/Big Daddy V match there was a sign in the crown that said 4 simple words "Put a Shirt On" obviously this was meant for Big Daddy V who's jiggling is as hypnotic as disturbing. Then on Smackdown this past week there was a sign that said "Khali Needs a Hug" in this day who doesn't?
JP: Man, lots of people must have watched No Mercy to still be getting write-ins on it. That's just crazy. But yeah, I saw the "Khali Needs a Hug" sign and had a little chuckle at it. Still at No Mercy (seriously? Send these things in early, we'll use them all!) is James Walton from Brampton, wherever the heck that is:
Did anyone notice the difference in hunter's two Intros as champ?
In his first Title defense against Umagalagahla, at the entrance way and through his entire walk to the ring, Hunter actually -Wore- the belt around his waist.
Though during the match, Umaga "injured" Hunters ribs and lower side area…
Cue Hunters Second Title defense against Orton. At the entrance way and walking to the ring Hunter carried the belt over his shoulder.
I'll Take "Subtle Selling" for $200 Alex!
After all, would you want to lug a 20lbs belt around your waist and abs if you had injured ribs?
JP: And I'll take I needed to edit that write-in way too much for $500, but the sentiment was true. Seriously, learn when an ellipse is appropriate, and more importantly when to capitalize. Ok, let's take a totally different path with Pete M:
It was a Smackdown house show before the brand split. I don't remember who Orton teamed up with exactly but they were wrestling the Dudleys. There was one loudmouth in the crowd that with every match, tried to get a "you suck c*ck" chant to no avail. It wasn't a huge crowd so you could clearly hear this goof every time. Why security didn't do anything about him is beyond me but I digress...
[JP the Editor's Note: THAT is how you use an ellipse]
Well Orton's match comes around and about 1/2 way through it Orton hits a big move on D-von and poses. Buddy starts his chant. Orton grabs the top rope and looks outward to this clown and loudly yells back "WHAT IS YOUR OBSESSION WITH SUCKING C*CK?" The entire house broke into applause and laughter. Bubba Ray was roaring on the apron and D-von was trying his best as well not to laugh keeping kafabe in the ring.
Not another peep out of that guy the rest of the night. Kinda disappointed though because JBL was next and I'm sure he would have tore buddy a new one if he had of tried that with him. Telling the plump chick in the front row though: "One word honey, TREADMILL" was great too.
JP: JBL is tremendous, but you are not the only one who has love for Orton. I heard from a friend of his this past week who has been very happy with our coverage of him in these pages. Hopefully we can show Randy that not everyone in the IWC hates him and that some people recognize the work he puts into his performance. Zack Rizza send this to me before it was posted on the news section, so I'll repeat it here:
This site is talking about the WWE's world tour and all the stops they were at, but go to "Day 2". Another "SAVE_US.222" message is seen when clicking the "2" in "Day 2"
JP: This is either going to end really good or really, really, really bad. But we'll stick with good in Alex Levine:
Referee Scott Armstrong continues to count the double-knockout in the Morrison v Miz match all the while keeping an eye on Big Daddy V as he approaches the ring. He doesn't break his count until the last possible moment to try to prevent V from entering the ring. I like the little touches the referees bring. He didn't just assume V was going to attack (maybe V was going to do commentary).
When V finally entered the ring, Scott called for the bell the second he touched Miz, and even had the look on his face that just said "That's it, it's a washout". Didn't do one of those over-dramatic DQ bells a-la Earl Hebner, just a That's It type DQ bell.
JP: That's two points for Scott Armstrong in the same night! Does it show that this guy used to be a wrestler and grew up in a wrestling family?
Sadly, that is it for this week. I'm sure you'll make it up to me by having hundreds of e-mails I couldn't possibly make it through.
Do you have a Hidden Highlight from this or any week in history that you would like to share? Please e-mail this article at lookforme@mikefine.com with your thoughts! Send them by Saturday afternoon to be considered! And remember, they can be from any show, live or taped, or any house show, or anything you saw… readers just like to know!
JP: Second week on the job here, how are you holding up ?
Brandon: You fired me at the beginning of the article, remember?
JP: Oh, yes. Well all right, we'll… I mean I'll… get ready for next week, so JP, nice work again!
In the meantime, be sure to catch my very own Saturday morning news report: The Hamilton Ave Journal. The Hamilton Ave Journal is the only wrestling news report focused on the business of wrestling. JP Prag: changing the way you view the world of Professional Wrestling since 2005.
Thank you for reading the 112th ISSUE of Hidden Highlights! Be sure to drop a line with all the other Hidden Highlights not covered this time around and everything you catch in the week to come.
Until then, you have just experienced the most positive article in all of the IWC: Hidden Highlights!
