Hidden Highlights 08.04.08: Issue #153

Posted by JP Prag on 08.04.2008

Layla El avoids the wraith of Kofi Kingston, Colin Delaney becomes the Wildcat, TNA takes over the second floor of a hotel, Edge gives Mick Foley a hug goodbye, John Cena somehow gets cheered on Saturday Night’s Main Event, and more!

Hidden Highlights
By JP Prag

Issue #153

Commentator: Previously, on Hidden Highlights…

---

Commentator: Though many thought they were being clever, no one seemed to know anything about anatomy…

BenPhoenix: Hate to spoil the fun but,

'Trapezoid ligament'

The lateral part of the oracoclavicular ligament that attaches to the trapezoid line of the clavicle.

Synonym: ligamentum trapezoideum.'

A-Ron: I guess I'M the one who doesn't know my anatomy! Thanks for the correction, BenPhoenix!

Commentator: This would be the last moment of cordiality as the argument over the new format continued, leading to the comment of the week via JO.

Matt: This format is horrible. I mean, Mr. Kennedy had his wedding band on, and THAT'S a Hidden Highlight?!?!

JO: How does that have anything to do with the format? It's like complaining about the shape of a pear because you don't like its taste.

Also, I like this format a lot. It's much easier to read like this.

Commentator: And while some people like JO made reasonable arguments, others still seem completely lost and never understood how this article was written.

D.M. Bring back Reader Write-ins.

SirCrudNoodles: I also want Reader Write Ins back, cuz some people might not get their say with only 15 Highlights shown a week.

Ghost of JT: Ummmmm… the article is half written by readers, and more if they are better than JP. And besides, JP and JT never presented EVERYTHING that was written in. There has to be SOME quality control.

Commentator: But at least that was a reasonable action compared to others…

Kaiza: I came back to see if you changed the format back to normal, but as soon as I realized that you didn't I left this comment and left. For good.

Commentator: Most were not taken to such extremes, but a new coalition appeared behind the leadership of Peers…

Peers: Let me suggest a compromise -- keep it to 15 Highlights a week, but order them by show like the old format -- that way, you get the best of both formats.

Commentator: Will JP agree to such a compromise? Is this an acceptable solution?

JP: Sure, why not?

Commentator: Uhhhh! Don't ruin the suspense!!

JP: I'm sorry, it's just I'm a reasonable guy, I'm willing to give it a go. Besides, it actually makes the article easier to write because I don't have to rank the Hidden Highlights anymore. Oh, but I wonder if most people realized the best ones were 15 and 2? C'est la vie, the article loses some creativity and insight in the name of blessed order!

Commentator: What about these ideas?

Guest#6943: How about keeping score of each shows performance in the top 15? Might liven up the new format a bit.

Adam W.: Awesome idea about the scoring, furthermore how about colour-coding the HHs for each show?

JP: Yeah, about that… no, I don't think so. Way too much work that I don't have time for. Besides, I'm not Vince Russo and I don't put gimmicks on top of gimmicks. Let's just stick with one change this week and give it a go!

Commentator: Sounds like a plan, since you ruined my suspenseful gimmick completely this week…

---

Commentator: And now, 411mania.com proudly presents…





JP: Hello everyone who got to spend Thursday night hanging out at a bar with one of your musical idols, and welcome back to Hidden Highlights! If you've never been here before, let me tell you what we are doing in these pages.

Hidden Highlights 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. The Miz may hold his opponents hands down to make a pin attempt better. Charles Robinson may let a little tear shed from his eye every time someone mentions Ric Flair. Mike Tenay may tell you about the 17 year history of a visiting wrestler and make them sound huge in one sentence. These are all examples of little things that make the product far better.

Every week this article spotlights the Top 15 Hidden Highlights of the week, whether the be from television (RAW, ECW of SciFi, iMPACT, SmackDown!, and a PPV or television special if there is one), the past, small shows, tapes, or the indy scene.

This article may have an author, but it is also dependent upon the readers and true fans of professional wrestling—those who love what they watch and want to tell the world what they have found. The Top 15 are chosen from what I see and what readers write-in. Whatever is the best is what you'll see!

And who am I? Well, 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.

Now let's get on with the Hidden Highlights!


(RAW) Who is it?

JP: The addition of the show name comes via YT…

YT: At *LEAST* put the name of the show in the header of each HH so I know which ones I can skip and which ones I want to read.

JP: Here to oblige! Let me help you skip all the hard work that the readers and I put in and take away from all the positivity. My pleasure. ::sigh::

Anyway, if you are reading this one, it is courtesy of everyone's favorite pitbull, Jamie Noble!

Nick Noel: You mean some Mike Adamle love! When he was talking about Jamie Noble he referred to him as a "real pitbull". As I recall, Jamie Noble was in a tag team styled with a New Pitbulls type gimmick. Either Mike has put some effort in for the night, or he lucked out there.

JP: I can never tell if Adamle knows nothing or has really been studying, but that isn't the Hidden Highlight *I* was going to do!


(RAW) Who is it? [TAKE 2]

JP: What I was going to say was, while Jamie Noble was out in the ring wondering who the new General Manager of RAW was he said, "I don't who the new General Manager of RAW is, but whoever he and/or she is…"

Only Jamie Noble could get away with throwing in a little "and/or" statement like that! I wonder what RAW would be like with a transsexual GM?


(RAW) I'm playing it safe

JP: Sticking with Jamie Noble related content, after losing the match to Kofi Kingston Jamie was laid out in the center of the ring. Layla looked a little… concerned… and thought about coming in to check on Jamie. But she would not enter the ring until Kofi Kingston was on his way out the ring. Every time it looked like Kofi was about to leave the ring, Layla started to step through the ropes. But when Kofi went back to celebrating, Layla was quick to hide out. I like that Layla did not trust that Kofi would not attack her even though he is a face. She has no reason to trust Kofi and therefore should take every precaution necessary!


(RAW) Family first

JP: Later in the evening, Mickie James and Jillian Hall fought in a contest that saw the Women's Champion win via a quick DDT.

Rick Landis: After the Jillian Hall - Mickie James match up, when Mickie was huggin' her dad, he actually warned her that Katie Lea was comin'.

JP: I wonder if Mickie's dad would want to get involved in storylines like John Cena's dad or Torrie Wilson's father?

Rick Landi: I'll with hold any incest jokes. After all, it is rated PG.


(RAW) Totally serial

JP: Of course, how could we leave RAW without talking about the last Highlight Reel… EVER!

Matt Johnson: Last night on RAW, Jericho said the word "again" quite a few times. The Hidden Highlight is that his promo was all about growing up and not being a clown so instead of saying the word in his trademark jokey fashion, he pronounced it normally. I guess we'll never see fun loving clownish Y2J never, eeeeever, agaiyneeeee!

JP: Until face turn time. Can someone do a count of how many time Jericho, Big Show, and Kane have turned? Chris Lansdel, what are you up to?


(ECW) Don't move

JP: Over in the land of TV-PG Extreme, Ricky Ortiz defeated Chavo Guerrero via DQ when Bam Neely caused some shenanigans involving Chavo and the ropes. When the two realized what happened, they began to thorough beat down Ricky Ortiz until Evan Bourne made the save. But while Bourne was making the save, Ortiz actually completely stayed down and did not move at all! I thought that was a great sell of the beatdown by not even attempting to move or roll out of the way. So many guys want to flop around and "show" they are hurt by clutching at stuff. But sometimes just taking a beating and laying unconscious is the smart way to go!


(ECW) Who is the real Wildcat?

JP: For this one, I'll shut up and let you all handle it!

Jeff Brinson: On the 7/29 edition of ECW, before the Matt Hardy vs. Colin DeLaney match, Braden Walker came up to Hardy while he was warming up in the back. They joked around about Colin's "massive size", then Matt says, "Yeah, he's a real wildcat." Matt could be referencing to Braden's earlier days in TNA as "Wildcat" Chris Harris.

Trevor Alexander: Hardy called Colin Delany a Wild Cat while talking to the former "Wild Cat" Chris Harris. Nice to see the WWE allowing a throwaway reference to his TNA past.

Mike Labbe: Matt Hardy to Brayden Walker "That Colin Delany is a real Wildcat!"

lwcmvp: I am sure a lot of people will catch this but when that fat guy that used to be known as Chris Harris was talking to MHV1 about his match with Colin Delaney, he referred to Colin as "a real wildcat". His old nickname in TNA.

JP: A lot of people sure did pick up on it! But what else did you get?


(iMPACT – Retro) Paging the doctor

lwcmvp: On the 7/24 edition of IMPACT, at the end of the Sonjay in a coma skit. It is overheard over the hospital loudspeaker. "Paging Dr. Sahadi". David Sahadi is one of TNA's producers.

JP: Oh inside jokes, I love you so!


(iMPACT) Give it a while

JP: On this week's iMPACT, the Rock and Rave Infection teamed with Johnny Devine to take on Curry Man, Shark Boy and Jay Lethal. As everyone was getting in the ring, the heels attacked and referee Andrew Thomas had enough. He just said, "Hey! Stop! STOP! Oh what the hell? Ring the bell!"

I really enjoyed that Thomas gave us his though process and showed what a losey goosey referee he really is!


(iMPACT) That's a crazy floor

JP: This one is going to be a little tough to follow. I noticed a strange pattern throughout the night where everyone was mentioning what hotel room they were in and were inviting people to it for various reasons. The two that I really caught were Brother Ray (Room 212) and Lance Rock (Room 222). Well, it appears that floor 2 in the TNA hotel is the place to be! At least for the heels, that is.


(SmackDown) You should take something for that

JP: Changing gears into SmackDown, after Shelton Benjamin lost his match to Mr. "I'm a giant suck up face so chant my name please" Kennedy, Eve was at ringside to find out what Shelton Benjamin was thinking. Benjamin let her know that he was making no excuses, but he was fighting a bad case of bronchitis. As he was walking away from Eve, Shelton then gave a little cough to send the point home! That cough almost went completely unnoticed, but it was the absolute perfect thing to do. Nice work Shelton!


(SmackDown) Still wearing the goods

JP: Later in the evening, Edge came out for his segment on a very special edition of The Cutting Edge. When Edge did make an appearance, I noticed that he was still wearing his wedding ring! I like that Edge is still playing up that the marriage will survive and that's they are just in a rough patch so he keeps wearing the ring.

Oh, what that? Wedding ring ones aren't good enough for you? Fine, fine…


(SmackDown) So long old friend

JP: Edge's guest for the Cutting Edge was SmackDown's color commentator Mick Foley. When he got into the ring, Edge asked Foley for what he needed to finally destroy the Undertaker. Foley let him know is so many words and Edge said that he understood… then proceeded to beat the crap out of Foley.

Once Foley was beat down plenty, Edge started to set him up on the table to take a launch off the top of the ladder. But did you happen to catch HOW Edge set Foley up. He picked him up and actually hugged him before delivering the final blow. Whether it was in character, as a real person, or a combination of both, Edge was saying, "I'm sorry for what I'm about to do" to his real life friend Mick Foley. I was touched by this little moment and how well it was worked into the segment by both players.


(Saturday Night's Main Event) In what order

JP: Oh, you and most of America may not have watched it, but I certainly saw Saturday Night's Main Event… on Sunday morning. TIVO and Slingbox, what would I do without you two?

Anyway, the opening contest saw The World Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase join forces with JBL and Kane to take on John Cena, Batista, and Cryme Tyme. As the match got underway, JR started to talk about all of the players, most noticeably Cody Rhodes, describing him as "the younger son of WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes".

And who would be the older son? That's right: Black Reign! I mean, Dustin Rhodes, aka Goldust! I thought that was a nice little nod to Dustin there, who looks to be in need of a job again.


(Saturday Night's Main Event) Yay?!

JP: Finishing us off this week is another moment from the aforementioned match. Knowing that the show was taped before RAW in Washington, DC this week, I was interested to hear the reaction of the crowd. And boy was I not let down! When John Cena came out, he got all these large cheers (in complete contrast to the boos he received on the live RAW) and even got a "Cena! Cena!" chant during the match. I would have to say there was quite a bit of post-production of this edition of SNME! It's a shame I was one of the few that got to see and hear it.


Well everyone, that wraps up this week's show. Thank you for reading the 153rd ISSUE of Hidden Highlights!

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. The best of the best will be featured among the top 15 next week.

In the meantime, 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.

Until then, you have just experienced the most positive article in all of the IWC: Hidden Highlights!