Hidden Highlights 03.16.09: Issue #185

Posted by JP Prag on 03.16.2009

Maryse puts her knee right into Melina’s back, Christian looks off into the distance at the perfect time, the cameraman is confused by what tunnel Sting and Eric Young would come out of, the Bella Twins wear slightly different shades, and more!

Hidden Highlights
By JP Prag

Issue #185

Commentator: Previously, on Hidden Highlights…

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Commentator: The long lost past came back for a moment in the sun.

Nikolai Nygard: I gots me a reference.

Commentator: The present, though, also brought some ideas to the surface.

Maryse is Hot: "That is why Maryse won a Hidden Highlighter of the year award and why we'll continue to watch her very closely as this year goes on."

Yeah, THAT'S why you'll be watching her closely. Sure. You know you're watching her closely for the same reasons every other guy does! LOL

Ghost of JT: Oh believe me, JP doesn't watch any girl for the reasons every other guy does.

JP: Hey! Who are you to talk? Didn't you end up in [CENSORED] following around a [CENSORED] all [CENSORED] after last year's [CENSORED]?

Stenographer: Ummmm… I think I can confirm that…

Commentator: Then there is a re-interpretation of the present.

Deadpoetic: "JP: Over on iMPACT, Dr. Stevie was in and with his favorite patient Abyss. Abyss was telling an interesting story about the parables of Tom and Jerry. But did you happen to catch who Abyss' friend was who told him of the inner workings of the cat and mouse team? It was "Huey", a subtle reference to the Baby Huey cartoons."

Sorry to tell you that you are wrong JP, however Abyss' friends name is Huey as in Mick Foley's youngest son. Abyss is a notorious suck up and that was his shout out to get in even better with his "new boss." Also I could see Abyss and Huey having conversations...

JP: An interesting theory there. Since Foley really doesn't have any say in the company, though, I'm sticking with my theory. Besides, Abyss has already given many indications of his love of cartoons, especially for Family Guy!

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





JP: Hello everyone who has spent the weekend far from home and have yet to return, 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 up to 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!


Classic Hidden Highlight

JP: We'll kick it off this week a wee bit in the past (despite that some may not find the past relevant to today). Plus, it brings the return of an old contributor!

fixxer315: I decided to repay some of the love you showed me with a HH that I had on my mind for a few months, but never got around to stating.

JP: Ah, so something from the Royal Rumble 2005!

fixxer315: In the SD title match, it was Show v. Angle v. JBL. At the time, Show was the face, while JBL and Angle were the heels. The match starts out with Show pounding the snot out of JBL while Angle waited outside. At one point, JBL is getting chopped in the corner, and he is desperately trying to wave in Angle to try to get some help. IMO, that showed great presence of mind on JBL's part, and was also suited for the quasi-cowardly character who often relied upon others to do his work. To top it all off, Angle doesn't even bother to get in the ring for another minute or so to break up a pin. Simply awesome.

JP: Oh that JBL, always up to some mischief!


Classic Hidden Highlight

JP: We move a little closer to the current time, but not anywhere near the size of the last event.

Jasper Gerretsen: ROH Injustice II (January 17th, 2009): In the opening match Brent Albright wrestled "Addicted to Love" Rhett Titus to seek retribution for some disparaging remarks Titus had made backstage. A few minutes into the match Albright hit a delayed vertical suplex, and while he kept Titus up he took a moment to pull down on the side of Titus' tights, tightening them around the crotch. This was just a perfect William Regal-esque move to punish someone who's basically a bastard lovechild of Rick Rude and Val Venis.

JP: Oh that's just a mean thing to do! Hitting below the belt is one thing, but continually pulling below the belt, that's just wrong.


Recurring Hidden Highlight

JP: In present time, some things have been going on without much notice.

Deadpoetic: Ever since Triple H tore his quad for the second time (while giving a spinebuster) he pats his upper thigh after each time he puts the spine to the pine... Slobberknocker of a HH if I do say so...

JP: I have no idea what "spine to the pine" means, but Triple H's actions almost sound like an OCD disorder. Perhaps he has created a situation in his head where he cannot perform the move without patting his thigh; it's actually become a compulsion? I have something similar with bottled drinks where I have to tap them against tables. In my head, I cannot open the bottle unless I do so.


iMPACT – Retro 1 Week

JP: Just last week, another recurring Hidden Highlight was found.

Christopher Alden: I finally got around to watching Impact, and something just hit me. I knew that the font that Jeff Jarrett's name is written in his entrance video looked familiar, but couldn't quite seem to place it until today. Specifically, it's the same font as is used in the Guitar Hero logo! Somehow, that seems appropriate for TNA's resident guitar-swinging hero...

JP: I hope no one come the video game company recognizes that font. That thing is trademarked!


RAW

JP: Moving ahead to RAW, we get one that's been around for a bit, but deserves some love anyway.

SR: Since you mentioned a few weeks ago that production often needs more recognition than it gets, here's something I noticed last week and again tonight:

During the Money in the Bank qualifier, they always make a point to show the briefcase before the match, but even during the match, they keep the blue spotlight on it as a nice reminder as to what they're fighting for.

JP: It's not a big one or one that is particularly "hidden", but I like pointing out all those little things production does on a regular basis because they deserve the kudos.


RAW

JP: Sticking with SR, though, we'll get a top notch Hidden Highlight.

SR: I've been wondering for a while what happened to the William Regal Award in the column. Best thing that I noticed from Raw tonight was during the Divas match, when Maryse had Melina in a hold pulling back on her head, she shifted to put pressure from her knee into Melina's back, to add to the pressure.

JP: SR, this was the number one thing I wrote down. People may say I'm just purely enamored with Maryse, but it is her ability in the Hidden Highlight department that truly won my heart.


RAW

JP: But SR, you weren't the only one who saw something from the production crew.

Jasper Gerretsen: When John Cena showed the security camera footage of Vickie Guerrero and Big Show, it was not only in black and white, but also in the traditional 4:3 aspect ratio in stead of the 16:9 ratio that's used for WWE's programming these days. This was a very nice touch of detail to make it seem like the footage was actually shot with a bog-standard security camera in stead of one of WWE's high definition cameras.

JP: Now that is a great touch! Being a guy still on the standard aspect ratio I did not realize this was happening. Thanks for the great insight on what the production crew was up to!


ECW

JP: Over in the land of Extreme, Jasper decided to stick around.

Jasper Gerretsen: ECW opening video: Christian has been spliced into the ECW opening video now. The first time he appears is during the opening line of the lyrics: "I heard you were looking for me". As these lyrics hit, the video shows Christian in the ring post pose part of his entrance, with his hand over his eyes as he looks out over the crowd.

JP: It must be production week central around here! Far be it from me to deny Christian Cage a spot in Hidden Highlights due to my personal feelings towards him (and I do mean personal, from when I met him). That is truly a nice touch, though, with the timing. We've seen stuff like that before, but that doesn't mean it is not worth pointing out.


ECW

JP: What is really extreme is the extreme vixens we get around this place!

Rachel Pritchard: John Morrison didn't wear a shirt when he accompanied The Miz to ringside for his match against Primo. At first I thought it was odd, but then it hit me - it makes perfect sense. Morrison is very, very proud of his body, particularly his abs, so of course he'll come out shirtless if he's commentating, even though he usually (?) wears a jacket or a shirt on making his entrance when he's actually competing. If he did that without having a match, he wouldn't get to show off.

JP: Well the guy did take off his shirt at Valentine's Day dinner! Of course, you have to give it up to the ladies of Hidden Highlights to point out John Morrison lacking a shirt. You see, this is why even men have body issues nowadays! Ah well, wait until you see what the girls come up with later in this column!


ECW

JP: The big match on ECW this week was a fun battle royal to find the seventh entrant to the Money in the Bank Qualifying Match.

Billy Stewart: On ECW broadcast (Mar.9/09), during the battle royal, when Jimmy Wang Yang is eliminated, he is referred to by Matt Sryker as a young dragon. This is a reference to the tag-team Yang was a part of in the dying days of WCW, "The Jung Dragons".

JP: Matt Striker has actually made that reference before, but that does not make it any less good. Besides, we haven't had enough Matt Striker love recently. This column should be nothing but Matt Striker, Maryse, John Morrison, and William Regal. Get on it, people!


iMPACT

JP: Jumping over to a little non-WWE action, iMPACT was filled with some Main Event Mafia time. For the main event of the show, Kurt Angle and Sting picked their own representatives to fight it out in the ring. Sting's representative Eric Young came out to Sting's music and entrance lights, and that's when something interesting happened. Sting's entrance went off as normal, including the lighting of the "heel" tunnel. The camera, too, was looking down the tunnel waiting for Sting and Eric Young. But the two actually came out the "face" tunnel and the camera had to scramble to get over there and capture it.

I like that the camera had to work to find what was going on and that it wasn't pre-planned. That made the entrance feel a bit more impulsive instead of pre-planned.


SmackDown

JP: As promised, the lovely ladies of Hidden Highlights are back! And this one is just in time for SmackDown…

Rachel Pritchard: Kofi Kingston looked different on his entrance for his match with Edge. Why? Because he wasn't smiling. Nice job by him to look pissed and sell how he was mad about being cheated out of his chance to win the World Heavyweight Title back at No Way Out, which of course was what the match was all about.

JP: Now if only someone would allow Melina to not smile. I've never seen another human being look so out of place smiling in my entire life!


SmackDown

JP: When you haven't had enough of the ladies, why not have two of them?

Rachel Pritchard: The Bella Twins - for the first time in my experience - were not wearing the same clothes. Yes, they looked similar, but one was wearing pink and the other was wearing red. This plays very well into the dissention that seems to be growing between the two of them as to which particular pair of Tag Team Champions they want to be hanging around with.

JP: Like I said, you weren't the only lady to pick that up. Try not to be jealous, but Tammy also gets a steal here.

Tammy: On Smackdown during the latest installment of the bizarre love triangle between the Colons, the Bellas and MnM the split between the Bellas became more obvious. While the Bellas have always been dressed identically, there was a slight difference this time. The Bella who is happy with her Primo is wearing a red shirt, while the Bella who looks more fondly at the Chick Magnet is in pink.

It's just a subtle change, but a good one. I don't normally like to give props to the girls but this time I think I have to.

JP: I honestly did not notice, which is a shame because I'm the one who usually picks up on these clothes ones. It also didn't help that I was watching it on my SlingBox a thousand miles from home, so the colors weren't exactly up to 100%.


SmackDown

JP: Of course, there was actually some wrestling involved in that little match.

mpl: In the Colons / Miz & Morrison part XVIII (Electric Boogaloo), Primo's Diving Headbutt spot showed the younger Colon has some style.

Perched on the 2nd turnbuckle, Young Primo did a quick little "Ave Maria" prayer, crossing himself and casting his eyes to heaven before doing a damn fine deadfall headbutt. His sell of 'well that could have gone worse' *after* wasn't uncool, neither!

JP: I'm still confused why the second child would be called "Primo", which would mean first. Those Puerto Ricans, always doing things backwards!


SmackDown

JP: Finishing us off this week is a bit about the man who is trying to come up with a much more evil nickname.

captaincurry72: During the Matt tells all segment, the shirt he wore (which was pretty nice) said "A Royal Way of Life" and "Born A Rebel, Die A Rebel" (I think). The Royal way of life was a nice play on his new heel turn or lifestyle as a wrestler and it was at the Royal Rumble, while the second text also describes his rebellion nature against his brother. I guess his heel turn means Matt Hardy no longer "will not die?"

JP: Oh no, you have no idea what you've done!

Andy Clark: Andy Clark will not die.

JP: Gosh Andy, it's been like three years! Let it go already!

Andy Clark: Andy Clark… will… not… die.

JP: Of course, Andy, of course. You are still writing articles so you are not dead.

Andy Clark: Andy Clark… WILL… NOT… DIE!!

JP: Yes, I just said that you are not dead. I suppose it will happen some day…

Andy Clark: ANDY… CLARK… WILL… NOT… DIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

JP: Ladies and gentlemen, Andy Clark! He just won't die.


Well everyone, that wraps up this week's show. Thank you for reading the 185th 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 Thursday 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!