Hidden Highlights 05.26.08: Issue #143

Posted by JP Prag on 05.26.2008

JR turns politically correct at Judgment Day, Katie Lea makes a $20,000 proposal, the Miz has to use his other hand to protect his head, TNA once had a four sided ring, Chuck Palumbo keeps kayfabe alive, and more!

Hidden Highlights
By JP Prag

Issue #143

Hello everyone who has missed the sweet touch of your own bed, 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.

JP: I think the entire intro will be taken up to what this week guest co-host does. Let's see here:

AWA on ESPN Classic Report (Wrestling)

Sprawl and Brawl Video Review (MMA)

Strikeforce on NBC Report (MMA)

Five Rounds of News (MMA)

MMA Zone News, Specials, and Interviews

DVD Reviews for the TV/Movies Zone

Did I forget anything? I'm sure I did, but if I did he'll be sure to remind me. No, it's not Larry Csonka, it's Randy Harrison! Randy?

Randy:I'm near-death so let's get this dog and pony show on the road shall we? And thank you for the more than generous plugging of all of my various works. Though I don't see the PRIDE or DIE retro-reviews up there. Tsk tsk, my friend.

JP: I try, I try, especially when my guest co-hosts are about to die. So let's get on with the Hidden Highlights!



Sunday, May 18, 2008 by the Readers via JP

JP: I had even less time to make a logo this time than last week, and you only had a few seconds to watch the show.

(1) Politically Correct:

We got this ONE from Josh Noble:

As HBK was applying his "Reverse Figure-4", JR also referred to it as a "variation of a Native American Deathlock". As far as I'm aware, the reference has always been the "Indian Deathlock", and I find this interesting in light of the recent incident with Michael Hayes and Mark Henry.

Randy: I guess JR doesn't want to take sixty days off from work to go sell some extra barbecue sauce. I can't wait until they begin to call them "Persons with heritage and roots tracing back to Ireland" whips and various other politically correct deals. Though after watching Impact this week, maybe Brother Ray needs some sensitivity training.



Monday, May 19, 2008 by JP

JP: May 19th. NEVER MENTION MAY NINETEENTH! Luckily Kane is not on RAW otherwise he might destroy people. Not only was it the day that Kane's mother and adopted parents were burned to death by his half brother the Undertaker, but it was also the day in 1997 when it was reveled that Paul Bearer was his father. Man, what a bad day for Kane.

Aside from Kane, it was also a bad day for the now former GM of RAW William Regal. So how long in advance did they know they were going to suspend William Regal? If Teddy Long is the new GM or RAW, he quit SmackDown on Friday (taped on Tuesday). My guess is that they have known for at least two weeks. That's right, Wellness has an incubation period.

(3) Fly swat:

The opening contest saw the coming back from Wellness Jeff Hardy take on the Samoan Bulldozer and only Samoan in the WWE doing a Samoan Drop, Samoa Umaga! Late into the match, Jeff Hardy went for a whisper in the wind but Umaga would have none of it. Not only did he sidestep the move, but when he was off to the side he actually turned around and pushed Jeff Hardy to the mat just a little bit faster. I believe I've picked up this on Umaga before, but its one of those little things he does do well that it was worth noting again.

(2) What was that?:

Out back, WWE Women's Champion Mickie James was chatting with Katie Lea Burchill (who promised that if John Cena came out with her and her brother, he'd have a real good time. Don't cross swords, Mr. Cena!). Anyway, Katie Lea blatantly accused Mickie of sleeping her way to the top and then snuck in a line that I barely caught. Actually, her accent masked most of what she said, but I heard a strong reference to "$20,000 girls". And who is our favorite $20,000 a weekend call girl? Why none other than Ashley Masaro! Katie Lea was able to sneak that comment and backstage comment in there with subtlety.

(1) Not going anywhere:

Shortly thereafter, Chris Jericho was taking on Batista for the right to face Shawn Michaels in a stretcher match. Yeah, not the best prize I've ever thought of, either. And poor Jericho! The man has lost to Orton, JBL, Michaels, CM Punk, and Batista since coming back. Actually, the only person he has decisively defeated is Jeff Hardy! True, he holds wins over Punk and JBL, but they also holds wins over him. I don't mind his losses to CM Punk and MVP so much, but Jericho has not won any serious matched. The man could inject some well-needed new blood into the main event… if only he could win a match.

I'm sidetracked, and JT was obviously pulling voodoo magic to make me talk like that. What I meant to say was late in the match, Jericho was on the outside Batista managed to knock him with some strong momentum into the announce table. When that happened, I caught something very interesting. Jerry Lawler was actually holding up the announce table so that it would not push backwards when Jericho hit it! I'm not sure if a 230 lbs man can actually stop forward momentum like that, but it was a nice effort anyway!

Randy: So, ummmmm...you wouldn't happen to have 20 grand I could borrow would you bro?



Tuesday, May 20, 2008 by JP

JP: Over in the land of extreme, ECW prepared for One Night Stand, a PPV they used to control but now just have one mid-card match on. That's like when nWo Souled Out became a WCW event. I still don't know what problem people had with the first Souled Out. I liked it with the exception of Nick Patrick being the referee for every match and no-finish for the main event. The point was it was a gimmick of a show and it outlined that the nWo was a separate organization and could run its own shows. I mean, look, it had Eric Bischoff and Ted Dibiase doing commentary, Masa "My Hero" Chono vs. Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero vs. Syxx in a ladder match, and the Steiner Bros. vs. the Outsiders. Of course, the next year featured Norman Smiley on PPV, and it is hard to argue with how awesome that is.

(3) Slide to the left:

During the opening promo, Armando Estada let us know that one of the four former ECW Champions in the ring would become the number one contender by winning a fatal four way Singapore cane match at One Night Stand. I'm surprised no one mentions that Tommy Dreamer's one reign was 10 minutes long. Anyway, as a little preview, the GM announced a tag match featuring the four competitors who were standing in the order (from audience left to right) CM Punk, John Morrison, Chavo Guerrero, and Tommy Dreamer. When Armando announced the teams, CM Punk and Chavo Guerrero then literally switched sides. The move was so smooth and nice that I really have to point out the visual affect it made. Also, it was smart to start the teams separated so as not to give away that the obvious tag match was coming.

(2) It still hurts, dufus:

The opening match saw the Miz take on ECW Champion Kane. After losing my DQ, Kane was none too happy and decided to decapitate the Miz (thanks for the line, Adamle). The Miz's partner John Morrison then ran down and dragged Miz from the ring. Then, as the Miz was announced the winner, Morrison took the hand the Miz was using to hold his head and raised it in the air, showing the Miz was the winner over the champ. But to Miz's credit, he did not just left his hand be taken away but quickly replaced it with his other hand. I mean, his head still hurt! He even told us before the match he had a headache (FORESHADOW!).

(1) Too close:

In the main event, the aforementioned former ECW champions did battle. At the end of the match, John Morrison (do you like how he is mentioned in every Hidden Highlight and yet none are about him) was tied up in the tree of woe. Chavo tagged himself in as Tommy Dreamer was coming in for not-so hesitation dropkick. Morrison managed to sit up so Tommy missed the kick. Chavo then came in for the Frog Splash and the 1-2-3. Ah, but not so fast! After Chavo landed and went for the pinfall, the referee refused to make the count. He pointed to Chavo's foot and noted that it was under the bottom rope. As soon as Chavo moved it, the referee made the count. Nice call there by the ref! A foot under the rope counts just as much as foot under the rope. Don't believe me? Just ask Sid Vicious or He Who Shall Not Be Named.

Randy: Who would have ever imagined that by looking like a jackass on various incarnations of the Real World and parading around the house with a plastic belt that Miz would actually get a job doing the real thing and, here's the kicker, be GOOD at it. That very thought shocks me on a daily basis, though it also gives me hope that someday I could be a writer for the New York Times or something because if someone who acted as retarded as Miz could be a success, there HAS to be hope for me.



Thursday, May 22, 2008 by Randy Harrison

Randy: The road to Slammiversary continues and like always with Impact, the Hidden Highlights are few and far between. Not because it's a bad show or because the workers don't put up the HH goodness, but rather because West and Tenay prattling on at ringside tend to beat EVERY point to death to the point that the only things that could possibly be hidden are the Knockouts' bewbies. The best example of that is the ODB/Angelina Love match and the aftermath when they literally spelled out everything that was happening like everyone watching was six years old. I still managed to find three pretty good ones though, so let's get to 'em!

(3) Devotion to a dead gimmick deserves a little something something:

It may not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but I noticed in the opening match that Referee Slick Johnson's shirt was not tucked in, which is very rare and very odd for a referee. That little oddity (not named Golga) led me to notice that even after all of this time, he's STILL wearing the short shorts that he was wearing during his "soccer referee" gimmick that he was running with during the old FSN shows. He even still has the little high socks that most of the soccer referees wear, which is another neat touch. I don't know if he's doing it because he's a stickler for continuity or because it's just more comfortable for him, but it was kind of cool to see him still sticking with it, even though it probably hasn't been brought up on TV in years. There was even a highlight within the highlight when he showed up later in the show and his shirt was tucked in which was cool because a couple of times when it was untucked it looked like he wasn't wearing pants. And wait, it's even better because when he came out with the angle at the end of the show, it was untucked again!! That shirt has some magic powers!!

(2) Back to the roots:

This one is probably a little odd, but to me it was really awesome to see the old TNA four-sided ring in the King of the Mountain video package. It was only in there for a few seconds and only once in the whole package, but it was still fun to see since I like the old-school four-sided ring more than the current six-sided model. A good throwback to the roots of TNA back in the weekly PPV days and a fun little chance to take a trip down memory lane. That being said, I stand by my conviction that TNA could have kept the four-sided ring and just moved the hard camera to shoot over one of the ringposts to make their product look different, but that's neither here nor there.

(1) As The Angles Turn:

I get that they were doing it as a play on the old soap opera As The World Turns, but at the same time this one made me laugh REALLY hard because it seems like every week either Kurt or Karen seem to be turning on someone, so it actually ended up having a better meaning as the two of them turning on everyone, rather than as a title for their marriage reconciliation nonsense. And of course, the video package led to Karen pulling a "swerve" on Kurt and leaving him hanging, and then trying to keep AJ from getting hurt even worse. Kurt turned on Karen again and WAFFLED AJ with the chair, making it nearly nineteen turns for the Angles from the beginning of the show to the end. As we all know, this will probably end up with Karen and AJ getting together and then Karen turning on AJ to re-join Kurt or something asinine like that, but for getting me to laugh while I feel terrible, the double entendre behind As The Angles Turn was THE Hidden Highlight for me this week on Impact.

JP: I'm going to give Karen some props for getting in there and protecting AJ and getting blood all over her hair, chest, and shirt. I mean, the blood was sticking to her everywhere, and she didn't flinch for an instant!



Friday, May 23, 2008 by Randy Harrison

Randy: Smackdown's all set for One Night Stand and they put together a very solid show. Vickie Guerrero announced TLC to finally clear up the World Heavyweight Title picture and Teddy Long dropped by to air some dirty laundry. Could I find three Hidden Highlights on the Friday night delight? We shall soon see...

(3) Teddy's too cool (or too scared) to care about looking neat:

Something that made me laugh for the entire VIP lounge after Batista showed up was the fact that after MVP had threatened Teddy Long and grabbed him by the tie to keep him in the ring, Teddy got so caught up in everything happening between the two Smackdown superstars that he forgot to fix his tie. For the rest of the segment it was just kind of hanging loose while sticking straight out from under the top of his jacket. I know that if I was going to get my ass kicked by someone twice my size and I got saved by someone three times my size, I'd definitely not be that concerned about whether my tie was straight or not. Knowing Teddy though, he probably just didn't want to sweat it and kept his cool to frustrate MVP even more.

(2) Even Chuck Palumbo can have a moment in the sun:

In the Finlay/Palumbo match, BikerChuck actually managed to sneak in a Hidden Highlight when he wrapped Finlay up in a reverse chinlock early in the bout. Rather than calling the next spot sequence immediately after he grabbed the hold, he took an extra second to turn his head away from the hard camera and used his body and his longer hair to keep the fact that he was talking obscured. In this day and age where kayfabe has been killed and cremated with the ashes sent into outer space, it was nice to see someone go that little extra mile to keep protecting the business. Kudos to you Mr. Palumbo for the Hidden Highlight, as well as the surprisingly good power match against the tough Irishman even if you ended up coming out on the short end of the stick.

(1) I guess we know who the REAL MVP is:

Granted, I don't get to watch Smackdown every week so this one might not end up counting but it was yet another little chuckler for me to round out the show. Before the MVP/Batista match, MVP did his usual entrance and when he got to the bottom of the ramp, he even did his little pose that he always does, but this time he didn't get the pyro that I always remember him getting. He made his way into the ring and it was time for "The Animal" to enter the arena. When it came time for HIS pose, the pyro was flying like it was the East River on the Fourth of July. I don't know why it made me laugh like it did, but it just seemed funny to see the guy that is the self-proclaimed MVP of the blue brand get put in his place by the production crew.

JP: But MVP still has the awesome air tunnel! I've seen in inflated three times now and still love it!




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: Due to time constraints, I've cut this one short again. So, *GENERAL WARNING*:: some parts of the following Reader Write-in Hidden Highlights may be edited for grammar, spelling, and English translation…

On the way to Judgment Day
Peter Clay
had this to say

(I couldn't resist):

They played a video package during ECW hyping HHH v Randy Orton at Judgment Day (it may have been on Smackdown too, but I haven't seen it yet). I like the fact that in this package, they reused part of the music from the video package played just before the WWE Championship match at Wrestlemania 24. Its kinda like giving the feud its own theme tune. A nice touch.

JP: I'm sorry; I still have the song I just wrote for you stuck in my head. I think ReY will snap me back to reality:

Roddy Piper was on Jimmy Kimmel. He was there as a birthday surprise for his cousin Sal. He is a big Piper fan. So as Piper and Sal are at Hooters, who crashes the party? Santino, who was wearing a Mr. T t-shirt. Marrella is truly a HH machine knowing how Piper really hated T during their feud 20+ years ago.

JP: You see! If Piper can sell his ear injury from 20 years ago, Santino can remember Piper's hatreds and use them against him! Peter Rybak chose to use this one against me:

Caught a hidden highlight from the May 19 edition of RAW. During the main event Randy Orton missed a dropkick & J.R. said '1st rule of dropkicks: make sure dropkick connects with person you're trying to hit.' Thought it was a nice little Fight Club referrence.

JP: Or just a good dig in general. I'm no JR fan, but every once in a while he pulls out a little sarcastic comment like this that I quite enjoy! Joe from Delaware enjoyed some other stuff, too:

During last night's RAW (5/19) when Ken Kennedy was in the ring with William Regal, did anyone notice that Kennedy just might be a fan of Meatloaf of classic rock in general? When he asked Regal for a match against him, he quoted a line from Meatloaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" when he asked Regal, "What's it gonna be boy? Yes, or no" Whether this makes HH or not, I thought it was still pretty cool to hear him reference that. Lol

JP: Hahahaha! I need to go to USY dance now. For those of you who don't know what USY it, think B'nai B'rith. For those who don't know what that is, just think of a junior high school dance. For those without a frame of reference for that, please come back in five years. I know Dan Nyman will be here:

During the Regal/Kennedy match, after Regal went outside the ring to get the brass knuckles, if you looked behind Regal as he picked up the knuckles and began heading back to the ring you'll notice that the moment Regal turns towards the ring the Spanish announcer ducks as if Regal was potentially going to hit him with them.

JP: If you were a Spaniard would you trust a Brit with a weapon?

Randy: Would you trust a Brit with a weapon? Seems like someone wants their own sensitivity break. You should have said, would you trust someone who was born in a country whose government is overseen by a ruling monarchy with something that could potentially cause bodily harm to another human being? See, that's politically correct AND incredibly convoluted!!


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 [e-mail] 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: Do I even need to thank you anymore? You've done a great job on all of your appearances in these pages. I'm taking a nap…

Randy: Well, thanks again for having me and you know that I'll be glad to come back anytime you'll have me. I relish the opportunity to be (mostly) positive while watching wrestling because lord knows there isn't much to be positive about when you're watching the death march of the AWA night in and night out.

JP: But I do look forward to the day Larry Zbyszko captures the title! Oh wait, Vince owns that footage… never mind…

If you are looking for something Vince doesn't own, be sure to catch my very own Saturday morning news report The Hamilton Ave Journal: the only wrestling news report focused on the business of wrestling.

Thank you for reading the 143rd 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!