Hidden Highlights 10.15.06: Issue #59

Hidden Highlights
By JP Prag and James “JT” Thomlison

Issue #59

Intro

Hello everyone who have seen a lot of old friends recently, 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 who is this mysterious we, you ask?

Why none other than JP Prag and James “JT” Thomlison, of course!

We bring you Hidden Highlights with one goal in mind: to appreciate all those little things that make a huge difference. JT?

JT: Well, although they are my second team, they did defeat my Yankees in the first round of the playoffs. That being said, I have to send my congratulations to the 2006 Detroit Tigers, who last night became Major League Baseball’s American League Champions. Ahhhh, Detroit. Great baseball team, great basketball team, great hockey team… and as you’re reading this, I’m *lucky* enough to be attending the LIONS game. Go figure. JP?

JP: It’s always fun to watch an 0-4 team in action.

JT: HEY NOW!

JP: I kid, I kid. Not really. But the Patriots are on a buy week, and the Red Sox have long been gone, and someone else made sure the Patriots did not advance, so this is the least sports related weekend ever in Boston.

JT: That doesn’t happen too often, huh?

JP: Nope, not at all. But it leaves more time to catch up wrestling. Which means we can get on with the Hidden Highlights!

Hidden Highlights for WWE SmackDown! Presents No Mercy: Sunday, October 8, 2006 by JP

JP: There is no way in heck that I’m calling William Regal’s frontal nudity a Hidden Highlight. There is nothing there I would want to highlight in any way. Maybe Cook would like that, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to look at another man’s penis, Cook, if that’s your thing, it just isn’t for me. Now, the PPV was another surprisingly good affair, and I agree that if SmackDown! were on Monday night, it would simply be the talk of the wrestling world.

(3) Get out of the way… maybe… hehehe:

One of the largest complaints about wrestling in general is that moves are often telegraphed either by the wresters of the production staff. For instance, security might move people out of the way when a run-in through the crowd is expected, thus ruining the surprise. The other problem is that sometimes there is fake spot, and you know it isn’t going to happen because neither security nor the wrestlers get the crowd out of the way. Knowing these two things, you needed to turn your attention to Chavo Guerrero in his falls count everywhere match with Rey Mysterio. Chavo and Rey were on the top rope and Chavo was looking to throw Rey off and into the barricade. And what did Chavo do? He yelled at the fans in the front row to get out the way. And as the match went on, the move did not happen and was all just a tease. But because he told the fans to get out the way, it added suspense to the idea that the move could happen. Good thinking by Chavo to play the audience and viewers even though it wasn’t going to happen. It was realism through kayfabe, a very interesting effect.

(2) Perhaps a little cheating:

Earlier in the evening, Matt Hardy (well out of his cruiserweight shape) was taking on Gregory Helms. Late into the match, Hardy managed to roll up Helms and got a two count before Helms kicked out. But that is when I noticed something: as Helms was kicking out, Hardy quickly tried to grab his tights to keep him pinned! This was fantastic in line with Hardy’s slow burn to turning to the dark side to win and also put over just how much he wanted to beat Helms after everything that happened. Subtle and interesting indeed.

(1) Smart Escape:

Another bit of subtlety came in the WWE Tag Team title match as KC James and Idol Stevens (Teacher’s Pets / Straight A’s) challenged Brian Kendrick and Paul London (The Hooligans / A Clockwork Not So Orange). Somewhere mid match, London attempted a sunset flip on Idol Stevens. Now, normally a sunset flip either happens, the person being flipped sits down to block it, or the person being flipped punches the other person in the head. But not this time! Idol Stevens did something so incredibly smart and simple that the announcers 100% missed it. Stevens simply punched London’s hand on his leg and London was forced to let go of the hold. Super kudos go to Idol Stevens for doing something so smart yet incredibly effective to break up a wrestling move. Old School.

JT: What a good show. Really enjoyable, and for all the reasons you mentioned and much, much more. I’ll have more on that later (as this was a SD PPV). But for now, I give my thanks to JP for taking the Sunday duties (I was quite tipsy by that point, having needed to drink away my sorrows for that devastating Lions loss), and give him kudos on some good calls.

Hidden Highlights for WWE RAW: Monday, October 9, 2006 by JP

JP: RAW was like the best history show ever! Men like Arn Anderson, IRS, Ted Dibiase, and Roddy Pipper showed up. Video clips from two years ago explained today’s characters (Randy Orton). Announcers got to talk about things like the Radicals, Horsemen, nWo, the inVasion, and tons more. It was actually really great and refreshing. It’s a shame that since there was no jump in the ratings they are going to think that doing those things does not help the show. Ah well, it added to my Hidden Highlight pool for one night! The only thing that would have made it better is if someone mentioned that John Cena’s original theme song actually challenged the Undertaker (who he never beat). You remember:

So.. You think you’re untouchable?

Word Life. This is Basic Thuganomics.
This is ba-Basic Thuganomics.
Word Life. I’m untouchable but I’m forcing you to feel me.
Word Life. This is bas-Basic thuga-thuga-Thuganomics.
Word Life. I’m untouchable but I’m forcing you to feel me.

Whether fighting or spitting.
My discipline is unforgiving.
Got you backing up in a defensive position.

An asskickin anthem.
Heavyweight or bantam. Holding camps for ransom.
A microphone phantom.

Teams hit the floor, its the new fight joint.
Like a broken needle, kid you missin’ the point.
We dominate your conference with offense.
That’s no nonsense, my theme song hits,
Get your reinforcements.

We strike quick with hard kicks, duckin’ nightsticks.
Bare knuckles makes you fight this, beat you lifeless.
Never survive us, you’re forgot like Alzheimer’s.
Two-faced rappers walk away with four shiners.

The war rhymer, turning legends to old-timers.
My insides is like a viper biting through your one-liners.
New Deadman Inc, and we about to make you famous.
Taking over earth and still kicking in Uranus.

Word Life.. This is Basic Thuganomics.
This is ba-Basic Thuganomics.
Word Life.. I’m untouchable but I’m forcing you to feel me.
Word Life.. This is bas-Basic thuga-thuga-Thuganomics.
Word Life.. I’m untouchable but I’m forcing you to feel me.

You ain’t advanced enough to process potential for medical concepts.
The objects are foreign, like block tests, arts and sex
Are complex regardless of your finesse and your fitness
It’s a condition of business.

Your lame vision of an underground physical image.
I’m underneath to undermine your whole typical image
With the precision of percentages, and the collision of sentences.
Poetry, beats and mics, we untouchable like Ridges
Sluts with no prevaceses, streets unite.

We rock brighter with dumber beats.
Yo cats couldn’t come this hot if they burst off in the summer heat.
But get two tapes, kill your birds the first time.
Your friendly state worthy of my filler or worse rhymes.

I’m better than knights, check the veteran stripes.
Leave you beside yourself in fear, I’ll kill you and bury you twice.
Despite the cover of night, tracking your flight.

Like Guerilla Warfare, where the grass is dense.
Approaching me is a quick way to get referred to in the past tense.
Said that, when the lights or mic is on.
The crowd is dead, like it in the mission when you’re on the titantron.

Word Life.. This is Basic Thuganomics.
This is ba-Basic Thuganomics.
Word Life.. I’m untouchable but I’m forcing you to feel me.
Word Life.. This is bas-Basic thuga-thuga-Thuganomics.
Word Life.. I’m untouchable but I’m forcing you to feel me.

Good times.

(3) I’m keeping my eye on you:

This one is about Trinity. And sadly, no, it is not about her outfit. And what an outfit! Caution tape is way hotter than hand prints. Anyway, after Melina pinned Torrie Wilson, Melina went up the ramp while Torrie Wilson went after my girl, Krystal Marshall (screw you WWE, I’m giving these girls last names). Now, while most of the other girls watched on, content in their obliviousness. But not Trinity. She actually turned around to make sure she knew where Melina was at all time, just to be on the safe side. Smart thinking by Trinity; how could she trust that Melina was not going to come back and attack her or the other girls?

(2) Not colors… clothing!:

As you know, a lot of times in the past we or the readers have highlighted colors and their meaning, especially when referring to the brands. Now, I don’t need to point out the color choices in the crowd on Monday night, I’m sure you saw them. Now, what I am going to point out is clothing—but not colorful clothing, but choice of clothing. For the opening match of hour two, DX was taking on Trevor Murdoch and Garrison Cade in a come-as-you-are street fight. First, kudos to everyone for dressing in street clothes. What was interesting was that both HBK and Cade were wearing cowboy boots. What was more interesting is that they were wearing THE SAME PAIR of boots (or boots that looked amazingly alike). As a matter of fact, Cade and HBK were wearing the same clothes, same hair, and were pretty much looking the same. I thought this was a great homage to the time when Cade was supposed to play “HB Cade”, an HBK look-alike. I’m not sure if this was Cade’s idea or someone else’s, but it gave me a fair bit of a chuckle.

(1) Keeping Control:

During the opening segment, the champion showcase began with a fight between John Cena, King Booker, and the Big Show. As the fight started to get out of control, the refs came down to break up the crew. This is two part: in part one the RAW refs held back Cena and the SamckDown! refs held back King Booker. Obviously the refs wanted to keep their champions safe, and that’s why they wanted to keep their guys in line. But did you notice what was missing? This is part two; no ECW refs came back to hold the Big Show back. This speaks a lot of ECW. Not only were they not so worried about Show because he is so dominant, but it reinforces that ECW is the outlaw, the land without rules. So of course the refs would let the Big Show go, because that’s Extreme.

JT: Those were excellent Highlights, especially that last one, and I’ll give you another one! In our very FIRST issue of HH, you gave Edge kudos for being in street clothes for a street fight, and it has come full circle. You see people? We are good at what we do! I also find it beyond hilarious that you quoted the entire lyrics from a song just to point out one line. I love it! Why? Because that’s exactly what I would have done.

Hidden Highlights for ECW on SciFi: Tuesday, October 10, 2006 by JT

JT: CM Punk kicked us off with a win over Dupree, Dreamer and Thorne still can’t make nice, and a six-man main event! Man, that was a short intro. Well, I suppose I could talk about how Holly is a beast, but I’ll spare you and we’ll just get to it! Actually, you know what I did love. He may be a super heel, but now that we know the match between the three champs has been announced for Cyber Sunday, Big Show got a huge face pop tonight! The lines are being drawn, and it’s not just between the wrestlers. It’s between the fans as well!

(3) Yeah, I took a personal day off work. Deal with it.:

Okay, so this will be a completely lame, weak, personal Hidden Highlight; JP will yell, the fans will riot, and 411 will fall apart at the seams. But, as Larry so eloquently put it in Tuesday’s news column, “It’s my column and I will talk about whatever the hell I want”. Some of you may have noticed (if you used to watch) and some of you may not, but the Extreme Strip Poker was filmed in none other than the ByteThis studio! Trust me, I’d recognize that room anywhere. With having a special ByteThis last week and now this, it’s just been like a little trip down nostalgia lane for me. I know it’s irrelevant, but I think it’s good that they’re at least putting that studio to use. I know, you’re all thinking “JT, this is the stupidest and most pointless paragraph you’ve ever written in your entire life”, but hey, it’s my home; where I came up! Just look at it like this: No ByteThis, no JP tapping me for this. Would you have Hidden Highlights? Probably. Would it be as great? Well, of course not! I mean, come on, can you imagine Hidden Highlights without JT?

JP: Oh, can I eve-

JT: Alright, alright! You don’t have to take every easy shot!

JP: That’s the point. They’re easy. I suppose next you’d like to thank Cook for “getting you your job” here.

JT: Actually no, he likes to turn into Spoiler Susan and ruin the party when he gets drunk, and let’s just say he may or may not have gotten drunk last Tuesday.

JP: …tell ya none of the Divas got naked before you saw it?

JT: Nah, actually he told me Ortiz knocked out Shamrock.

JP: Ummm, you DID know that Shamrock had no chance and would lose, didn’t you?

JT: Well, yeah… but, I mean… that’s not really the… you know what, I have more HH to do!

(2) Where is he?:

You know what, this week I’m going to go with another weak one, just because it NEVER gets credit yet is one of the most consistent “little touches” in ECW. So consistent, that many of us may take it for granted and forget about it, something that’s a no-no around here and also something that even I am guilty of. Whenever Sandman’s music hits, they always start to shift the camera’s around, and also go to different cameras, selling the fact that they are “looking for him because he could be anywhere”. Now, we all know that they know where he is going to come out, and they could just not go to him until one of the cameras “spots him”. Again, it’s the little things like that by the production and camera crew that add to the overall enjoyment of the show.

(1) Wait, did he really just hit him?:

During the CM Punk vs. Dupree match, CM got a little momentum, and threw Dupree against the ropes. He then went airborne for and connected with a Leg Lariat. Now, if someone described the move to me, I would have assumed that when people usually do it, the safe way is throw your leg up in the air and let your opponent simply “run into it”. Not Punk. He actually throws up the leg and then makes a kicking motion to send his calf towards Dupree. I’m sure he pulls back a little at the end, but because of time and Dupree selling, you don’t see it. Nice little job by CM Punk (and to an extent, Dupree) for giving the impression that when the kick makes contact, there is actually some force behind it.

JP: Those weren’t as weak as you were setting them up to be, but it did lower expectations so that when you said them they sounded even better. That’s pretty manipulative JP, I’m surprised!

Hidden Highlights for TNA iMPACT: Thursday, October 12, 2006 by JP

JP: The next generation of iMPACT began with the new booker fully entrenched (you might have head of him, Vince Russo?). Let’s see, twenty minutes of show without a single match, racist commentary, and interrupting matches for backstage segments. Yet the guys delivered in the rings, the interviews were serious, and there was tons of action and fighting in that twenty minutes. What does that mean for the future of iMPACT and TNA? I don’t know, I’m not a fortune teller, I just like to watch and see where it goes. And then I find the Hidden Highlights that matter the most.

(3) A little extra damage:

During the second actual match of the night, the X-division took it too each other in a fast contest. Late into the match, Sonjay Dutt was tied up in the tree of woe with Petey Williams standing in his crotch singing “Oh Canada”. What the cameras missed (and that I barely saw as they were pulling out on the show) was that Alex Shelly was actually holding Dutt’s neck down in order to inflict a little more damage. Good work by Shelly and excellent team work there, just not by the camera that time.

(2) Sanctions:

Well, since it wasn’t a match at the end of the night, I guess I’ll call it a challenge as well. Anyway, Jeremy Borsah was making the introductions for the challenge between Samoa Joe and Christian Cage. And did you catch was Borash said in the introduction? He called it “unsanctioned”. I thought this was a great touch by Borash to fully enforce that this wasn’t a match, TNA did not support it, and anything that happened is fair game. Good call (pun intended) by Borash.

(1) Intensity:

I may have talked about this before, but I’ll do it again because it is on point. There’s a big difference between just saying things in a forceful voice (“I’m going to destroy you!!!!!”) and saying something with intensity, passion, and meaning. As a former stage actor, what my director always said was you shouldn’t be thinking about what you are going to say next or where you are supposed to walk. You are supposed to be the character and think what the character would be thinking in that moment if it were real. That type of thought process makes your character come across believable to anyone watching you. Well, you can tell Samoa Joe went to that same type of school, because his promo at the beginning of the night was nothing by passion and believability. If you were to mute the TV, you could see him sweating, his eyes swelling up, and his veins popping out. These little bits of physical reaction made the promo that much more meaningful, and that is what the audience reacted to most, not just the words.

JT: And during that excellent promo by Samoa Joe, Christian Cage debuted a new shirt, which means of course that (as Cook and Csonka know) TNA has just managed to cost me another 25 bucks…. In addition to the 54 bucks I just spent for my Kurt Angle shirt (we’ll get into that next week). My only question is how many colors can Sting incorporate before BFG? And more importantly, why haven’t our color loving asses talked about them?

JP: Because there is nothing Hidden about-

JT: Thank you!

Hidden Highlights for WWE SmackDown!: Friday, October 13, 2006 by JT

JT: How nice was it to see Benoit back? He was really looking refreshed and I for one am glad he’s back… and your new United States Champion! Kane debuts, Vita (whoops, typo, but that’s actually kind of funny so I’ll leave it) and Regal continue to hate each other beyond reason (in good fashion, too [see what I did there?], because Regal was on his game big time), Rey beats Noble in an effort to continue the feud with Chavo, six-man action that sees Jimmy Wang Yang get his victory, and Dave has again fought his way into a title shot! What do you mean they won’t have the title change hands? Who cares it’s on free TV next week? Tell that to Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar!

(HONORABLE MENTION):

JP: You know, what the heck is with you and you’re little added HH lately. I mean, the format calls for thre-

JT: LOOK. I had ELEVEN Hidden Highlights. I managed to cut it down to six; then four. Now, I just can’t decide, so deal with it! I am not in the mood! This is la-

JP: Okay, okay okay. Calm down. I was just curious. By all means, continue.

(HONORABLE MENTION) I’m a Guerrero, bitch:

During Rey Mysterio’s match with Jamie Noble, Noble had the advantage on Rey. To be honest, he was beating him down. All of a sudden the usual “Eddie” chants started up from the crowd. They went to a shot of Chavo and Vicki, and you could see Chavo almost egging on the crowd and mouthing “That’s what I want”. You have to remember, Rey and Eddie were the best of friends; Hell, they were family. But now, anytime Eddie is brought up, Rey is reminded of Chavo and Vicki, who have screwed him as of late. As we all know, this current dilemma has cost Rey a few matches, so naturally Chavo would want Rey to have any reminder of that he possibly could. The more in Rey’s head Chavo can get, the better. Classic Guerrero. Chant “Eddie”, Rey is reminded of the whole drama going on, so to Chavo, by all means, remind, remind, remind. Not only classic Guerrero, classic heel. Kudos to you Chavo.

(3) It’s always sunny in Philadelphia:

I’m going to have to give some love to Vito (or whoever in the back “Made it so” (“#1”, and if you don’t get that joke, then… well, you’re not as lame as me). I actually had a similar highlight for Slick Johnson a couple of weeks ago, but there was a voice in my head that thought better of it; but I’ve seen it twice now, so I’m going for it. When Vito came out, he was wearing a longer dress than usual, and also a fur “wrap” I guess you’d call it (I’m a guy, I’m not privy to these things). Well, let’s not forget that it’s now the middle of October, and it’s starting to get cold! He has to make sure his shoulders and legs are warm! You can’t go wearing a tiny club dress in the middle of Jacksonville when it’s 76 degrees. Yeah, I went there. So Jacksonville was probably not the best example but the point is its becoming winter and Vito’s wardrobe is reflecting that!

(2) Wait! Gimme that back! Gimme that back!:

After Kennedy announced he would take on “anyone” for his U.S. Title and the chance to go to RAW, he handed the belt to the ref and stood there awaiting his opponent. Then Benoit’s music hit, and as soon as it did (in addition to the shocked look on his face) Kennedy attempted to grab the belt back from the ref. It was as if he wanted to see it one more time because he knew that by facing Chris Benoit, it might be the last time he sees it for quite a while. Great little move by Kennedy that really put over what a beast Benoit really is.

(1) Everyone needs to get over… ever rednecks:

During the six-man tag match, both Idol/James tried to attack London (late in the match), but he ducked and threw them over the ropes and outside the ring. He then jumped onto the top rope so that he could jump outside on top of both of them. Well, for that split second pause that he sat atop the rope, he yelled out “YEE-HAW!”. Now, he clearly doesn’t do this usually, but obviously this match was designed to get Jimmy Wang Yang over, and a little cowboy cheer like this will help to do just that. You may have also noticed that as soon as JWY won, London/Kendrick IMMEDIATELY left the ringside area so that he could celebrate – in style – all by himself. I just felt this was a nice little move by (at first) London and then the veterans (at least London is) to do everything they could to get the new guy over.

JP: I actually did get that #1 joke, so I am completely lame. And did you notice how many times we’ve mentioned Idol/James this issue? Weird…

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: We’ve had a serious shortage the last couple weeks. I think that this pertains to the fact that I include 93% of the emails we get, and you include 47%. Remember JP, we don’t respond to people, except for in this column. That means we need to try and get everyone in or else they’re going to stop writing because we (you) try to exclude them because you’re in rush to get the column do-

JP: Ummm… no, that’s not how it works, JT. By including only select ones you keep this section to a reasonable length and make it a privilege to be selected. You also freshen it up by putting different readers in there. Besides, you are totally exaggerating with those numbers (and you know I hate when people exaggerate numbers)!

JT: Am I? Go back and read the last 20 issues people, you’ll see the proof!

JP: …you just sucked me into that so you could plug the column even more than we already do so that more people will write us didn’t you…?

JT: For once in your career here at 411, I am indeed…. Guilty.

JP: You have no shame.

JT: For the second time in your career here at 411, I am indee-

JP: Enough. We get you. Will you start already?.

JT: So, *GENERAL WARNING*:: some parts of the following Reader Write-in Hidden Highlights may be edited for grammar, spelling, and English translation…

Getting us started this week is possibly one of the best HH we’ve ever gotten here! Honestly, reading it, I literally laughed out loud. Starting with No Mercy, Barry H. isn’t asking us. He’s telling us:

Howdy,

Now, this might be off the norm, but I want to bring up the best hidden highlight of the night at No Mercy.

CHRIS FREAKING BENOIT!

No one knew he was coming… he was hidden… they popped him in there.

Case closed.

JT: HAHAHAHAH! I have no arguments JP, you?

JP: Eh, I could but I don’t really want to. It wasn’t exactly Hidden Highlight in the traditional sense, but I was still completely shocked when Benoit came out (and surprised on Monday again, which is cool). And he did say “case closed”, and I love In Defense Of… references!

JT: My thoughts exactly. JP and I often ramble on for the sake of better explaining something, but no explanation needed here. I don’t think there was a person on the PLANET (you know what I mean, besides the obvious) who was expecting that. Good stuff, and certainly made for a more enjoyable evening. After all, that was a DAMN FINE match. Getting us into RAW this week is Crock, who enjoyed last week’s Family Reunion:

Just wanted to drop a line and say a few things about the Family Reunion Raw Monday night.

First of all, with what happened to Willie Regal Sunday, It was kinda funny watching him come down to the ring on Raw. When his robe started coming open he immediately looked down and closed it up. Now, I don’t know if that’s because of Sunday or not. But knowing Regal it probably was.

JT: Like you said, “knowing Regal, it probably was”. There isn’t much to say about Regal that hasn’t been said. He is a veteran, and he has been a major part of the resurgence of Smackdown. I would almost bet MONEY that it was done on purpose.

Next we had the 6-man tag. Everybody is outside of the ring for a confrontation and the first thing Finley does is reach in and grab the shillelagh. That fits (no pun) perfectly.

JT: Finley is great. As Barry said earlier – Case closed.

Finally, now I know this wasn’t hidden because it pointed out by announcers but, when the enforcer ol’ double A comes running around the ring to confront the cheerleaders, he’s taking off the glasses. That was almost worth the whole show

JT: I have to admit, I marked a little when I saw Arn take off the glasses. The announcers did mention it, but it was still a great move on his part. Kind of a tease though. I was a little bummed when he did that and then didn’t get to beat some ass. Oh well, those are the breaks I suppose. And thanks on the compliment, Crock, we really do appreciate it. This is a big site, with a lot of writers and a TON of columns, so it really does mean a lot to us.

Now, to give credit where it is due, Ananta G. had some good one’s, but we never get to correct anyone around here (in fact, it’s usually the opposite), so I am only including this one:

1 – No Kane footage in the RAW video, so we know who was losing.

JT: I do believe you mean the new RAW opening video package, and the truth is that Kane was indeed included on that video. It was very, VERY brief, but for about a half second he was there, probably to throw us off (I remember it because I thought to myself “he’s probably losing, and that’s probably to throw us off, good stuff). It’s good you’re watching AG, just watch a little harder bud! And you’re right, Lillian was good, and we should definitely give Kane some love on his way out of RAW. He does what they ask on infinite levels, and has been around for quite some time. He’s a veteran who doesn’t bitch; rare in these days. Speaking of Kane, Pokemasterkatie has something from him from a month ago which apparently didn’t get through (or JP chose to ignore… you decide):

JP: I would neve-

JT: We know, pimp. We know. Katie had this to say:

This one is when Kane attacked the Highlanders after they complimented him. It was very quiet, but Kane did thank them when he leaned over. I could’ve sworn I saw a smirk on his face as he said it, too! That is so like him: kill first, talk afterwards.

JT: See people? Kane = consistent. I don’t even need to see it. I have no doubt that he did most certainly have a smirk on his face. Like Regal, Kane brings the little things as a veteran that add to a show. For the record, I’ve ALWAYS been a Kane fan, even when he’s in the depths of jobber-ness. Hopefully he takes some good time off to get healthy and spend time with the family, and returns strong on SD. More from PMKatie later. For now, let’s go with George R.:

There has been a lot of talk in the column about color and specifically the
shirt and ties of JBL. On the RAW Homecoming special I noticed something about JBL’s shirt and tie color choice. He had on a purple shirt and tie. To me this shows he was in sync with the show. The show blended RAW, Smackdown and ECW. We know Red is for RAW and Blue is for Smackdown. When you mix red and blue you get purple. So a blending of the shows a blending of the colors.

JT: I actually put this one in because it was one I noticed. I know we try to avoid the colors, but that doesn’t mean that the readers have to! I noticed this IMMEDIATELY by JBL, and I am glad we get to give him some love for it. Sadly, though, we have NO RWHH love for ECW OR IMPACT… what’s the problem people? Is October a bad month for you? Do you hate us now? WHAT’S GOING ON!?

Just kidding, I know we all get busy weeks, so we can move on because kicking us off for Smackdown this week is regular RC, who has been on a ROLL since he got back:

Also, I caught that Matt Striker HH (no. 2 in your ECW list this week) and wanted to send that info in but forgot. The reason I mention this is because I found it to be funny (and a HH) for a slightly different reason that yours (him being smart). During the entire match Striker had this thing going on where he was telling Big Show what to do. Now normally heels co-exist pretty good when it comes to heel antics but Striker’s gimmick is that he is smarter than the rest, not only the faces. So he views Big Show as dumb (not only because everybody is inferior to Striker but perhaps because Big Show is a big dumb giant; the stereotype of giants) and that’s why he waved for Big Show to come in and break the pin attempt. We know heels always break the pin attempts if they can and Striker knows this as well, but since he regards Big Show as dumb he HAS to tell him what to do, just in case. Another evidence of this was when he wanted to throw Sabu or Sandman head first Show’s boot but instead of commanding Big Show to put his leg up, he asked in a nice way so that Big Show would surely understand (I think he said “May I use your boot?”).

JT: Actually RC, I had to include this because I honestly thought the exact thing, had it on my list, and it almost made the cut. But I figured, we could still get it in, and I would be allowed to take my leap into the past from earlier. Besides, Striker is a walki-

JP: Oh for goodness sake, we get it! Do you have to say it ever week?

JT: …I was going to say that Striker is a walking, thinking, intelligent wrestler, actually…

JP: I’m sure you were… if only eye-rolling was something you could reflect in text.

JT: You know, isn’t it you who always yells at me for interrupting your RWHH?

JP: Yeah, it’s funny. I’m getting upset reading myself doing the interruptions. It’s almost as if ***I*** didn’t actually say these things and someone just wrote them in for me. Very peculiar…

JT: Errrr… I’m going to continue here. At any rate RC that’s a great call. Striker – despite his status on the card – always makes sure he brings the goodness in the little ways, and as long as he continues to do so, we will continue to give him dap for it. Now use your spell checker before you email us next time. We’re not editors you know!

JP: But, you are an ed—

JT: He knows what I mean! As you know, before we head off, we always have some Classics and some random/other ones, so we can’t forget those! Like this one from Bernard, who… well, read:

In the ECW episode of October 3rd Ariel gets put on the commentary table to tease Joey Styles. Take a good look at the fan left from Taz, behind the boarding, when he sees Ariel lying there. He is a bit too excited.

JT: Uh… okay! Wanted to get first timer Bernard in, but honestly, I’ve got nothing! We’ll take your word for it! Could have used a bit better of a description, but hey, the point is you’re looking! You know who else was looking? Jonathan F., whose got a classic for us from 14 years ago!:

How about some Repo Man love? I was watching the Ric Flair DVD, and in the 1992 Royal Rumble, you can’t say that there was anyone in it that was more in-character than the crappy Repo Man. He snuck into the match, snuck around and in the ring, and finally, when he was eliminated by the Big Bossman, rather than react negatively or angrily, he reacted … sneakily. As far as I could tell, until he was off-camera, he was still sneaking around the ring, probably all the way to the back. He may not have been the best wrestler, and he by far didn’t have the best gimmick, but you have to love how well he played out his gimmick.

JT: I certainly can’t fault good old Barry Darsow. Most of you probably know this, but for those that don’t, Barry Darsow AKA Repo Man was actually played by:

Yup, the guy who was also Smash in the tag team Demolition. He was also Blacktop Bully, Hole In One, and numerous other gimmicks. They may have been lame, but they were always entertaining, and you don’t stay in this business for as long as he did if you didn’t have the skill to deal with the cards you were dealt and run with it. Oh, he also happens to be an 11-time Tag Team champion, something nobody seems to talk about when the accolades of other multi-time tag teams is discussed (primarily because a lot of it was indies and even when not, was with different partners). Nice job Jonathan. As promised earlier, we also have pokemasterkatie from earlier, who has some goodness from last year:

Here’s what I thought was a really good one from last year–the three man tag with Cena, HBK, and Hogan. When Shawn finally announced who was the final member, you couldn’t miss what Cena did: drop down to his knees, shock and awe on his face. Of course, nearly everyone was expecting Rocky (*cries*)…but Cena’s a big Hogan fan (I’m sure he waited his whole life for that moment!). Made me wonder if he wasn’t told by anyone who his second partner would be!

JT: To be honest, I’m pretty sure Cena knew whew it was, but the fact you’re thinking positive is awesome! Lord knows myself and JP are both guilty of putting the positive spin on something …or at least, some guy who sends us hate mail once in a while thinks so. Point here is that whether it’s true or not, it was great for you, which is exactly what we’re trying to do here. Thanks PMKatie!

JP: Yes, indeed. Thank you Katie. And you know, I happen to-

JT: One week off. Take ONE WEEK OFF from harassing the ladies and I’ll be happy.

JP: I’m not harassing, they love me!

JT: …I’m sure they do. Thank goodness (again) we’re almost done.

Lastly, I’ve got to give some love to Bobby, who has entirely too many numbers after his email name. All he gave us was this, but it’ll work:

I just got one, during the Benoit/Shelton match. Beniot germaned Regal and JR said he’s in for a “radical experience”. He was of course in his first time in the WWE a part of The Radicals.

JT: That he was, that he was. Excellent catch of continuity. You know JP will love it. Oh, and thank you for the Maria ass shaking. That was excellent. Also, thanks for the love. We’d print it, but we’re humble around here. Or, rather, we at least like to give that impression. And at least we share the Yankee hurt together, as opposed to the Lions, where I’m apparently the only man on the planet who still likes them. I thought I was done, but days later, Bobby had to add this to send us out this week:

I already sent one this week but I’m back with another. During the main event of JBL Presents: King Booker’s Friday Night Smackdown! JBL and Booker were dominating the announce booth and while something in the ring was happening JBL brought up G.I. Bro, King Bookers old WCW name for a short while. Booker than reminded us all that G.I. Bro was a real American hero.

JT: The important thing to remember here is the Real American Hero part. That WAS G.I. Joe. I’m actually a bit surprised that two men of their age paid any attention to that; which of course makes it even more glorious that they do. I mean, after all, this is Booker and JBL we’re talking about here. G.I. Joe WAS the real American hero. Another great thing is that it wasn’t even a necessary comment. The JBL comment about G.I. Bro was already funny enough, and Booker stepped up and made it even funnier.

JP: I just like Bobby’s new title for SmackDown!. I think I’ll have to use that one again in the future. Look for that in the title of the SmackDown! section next week!

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 [email protected] 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

This week, JP has something for That Other Section.

JP: Well, not so much. Just that Randle decided to go it alone against us in The Great Positivity Debate 3: The Sequel Nobody Asked For. So look for that battle in a couple of weeks!

In the meantime, readers and fellow combatants, start sending your questions to the host of TGPD3: Andy Clark.

JT: I’m actually going to refrain from shit-talking here. Randle is a fixture at 411, has been for a long time, and did a damn fine job in TGPD tournament. Out of the eight people we selected, he was second on my “makes me nervous” list.

JP: Who was your first?

JT: Cook, of course.

JP: Hahaha, that was indeed funny.

JT: Yeah, couldn’t resist.

Exit, stage left!

JT: Have a great week and root for the Lions, my little… Lions…

JP: Don’t listen to JT. I’d like to see the Lions go completely without a win the entire season just to watch JT get more and more sad. Yeah, I’m a pretty mean guy sometimes.

Thank you for joining us for THE 59th 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 reader approved most positive article in all of the IWC: Hidden Highlights! Until then!