WWE Tribute to the Troops TV taping
December 11, 2010
Ft. Hood, Tex.
Report by Jordan Johnson, PWTorch reader

This is for the NBC special next Saturday, December 18. The outdoor atmosphere was electric. The number I was told by the people in charge was approximately 50,000 people. Tons of kids were on hand. With so many people wearing military clothing, there weren't a ton of WWE-related t-shirts. Cena gear was obviously number one, with quite a few Rey Mysterio t-shirts and/or masks mixed in.

At different times throughout the event, Trace Adkins and Diddy performed. I am completely unfamiliar with country music, but I was told Adkins played his popular hits. Diddy played his old-school hits, plus his new single. Miss USA Rima Fakih was the special ring announcer for a tag match, and Sherri Shepherd came out with her "personal elf" Hornswoggle and threw out gifts to fans. Cedric the Entertainer also came out and did a ten-minute comedy routine.

I left my notebook in the office, so I may not remember all the matches, especially in order.

(1) R-Truth (w/Eve) beat Ted DiDiase. Still not a huge fan of Eve's dancing, but after interviewing her, seeing her at the press conference, and seeing her come out to the ring, I have to say how beautiful she is in person. A very sweet person.

(2) Big Show & Kofi Kingston beat IC champion Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger. Dolph took a beating here with his bumps and taking Show's vicious chops. The crowd was huge into Show.

(3) The Bellas & Kelly Kelly & Natalya beat Lay-Cool & Alicia Fox & Melina in an eight-Divas tag match. I missed the very beginning of this match interviewing soldiers, so once I got back to my media position, my first thought was "why is Melina working heel?" I don't recall her turning heel on TV, but this will air next Saturday after this week's Raw. Does it hint at a heel turn? The end of this match is fuzzy, but I'm certain Kelly got the pinfall.

(4) Mark Henry won a 15-man battle royal. I truly became a Mark Henry fan these past couple days. What a great guy to talk to. When I asked him who he was fighting Saturday, he said "I don't know if you've heard my entrance music, but it says someone is gonna get their rear end kicked. That's what's going to happen." Others in this match included all of Nexus except Barrett, the tag champs, Rhodes, Masters, Morrison, and Sheamus. The final two were Sheamus and Henry, with Henry military-pressing the King out of the ring.

Kane came out and challenged a two-star general to a match, but said since the general doesn't know how to wrestle, he wants an arm-wrestling match instead. They started going at it, and eventually Edge's music played. The number-one contender ran out with an IBA on (which can get quite heavy while running if he had all the plates in) and gave Kane a spear.

(5) Randy Orton & Rey Mysterio & John Cena beat WWE champion The Miz & Alberto Del Rio & Wade Barrett. Minus Del Rio, this had a big-match feel. Getting to meet and talk to Miz (and him letting me hold the WWE Title) only furthered my admiration for the guy. I was hoping to see a Skull Crushing Finale for the win, but I am also a very smart and realistic wrestling fan. The finish came with a dual RKO and Attitude Adjustment. I think the RKO was on Barrett, while Cena hit his finisher on Del Rio and got the victory.

For the finale, Cena grabbed the mic and did his whole schtick, then said the show wouldn't be a success without a surprise. I fully expected Shawn Michaels, but instead got DX. They came out full force, with glowsticks, music, and crotch-chopping. The main-event winning team joined DX in doing the popular catchphrase.

By the end of the show, it was getting very chilly outside. I had on my uniform, which consists of long pants and long sleeves, so I could only imagine how cold the kids were in t-shirts and shorts. Other than that, great show. Everyone met or exceeded expectations.

***

The Saturday morning press conference consisted of different personalities coming up and talking for a couple minutes. Those who talked included John Cena, Sherri Shepherd, Cedric the Entertainer, Ariel Winter, and Eve. I believe I named everyone. Cole was the MC for the event. Very friendly.

Before the conference started, my friend and I saw Cole sitting on the opposite side of the aisle as us, so we got out picture taken with him. I even had my WWE Encyclopedia with me. I told him since I was a Cole Miner, I should ask for his autograph. He laughed and happily signed his name.

Every one of the six WWE representatives (Miz, Cena, Henry, Kelly, Eve, and Cole) I either personally interviewed or listened to at the press conference seemed genuinely happy to support the troops. It was really pretty special.

Ariel Winter, who stars on ABC's "Modern Family," turned out to be a very young girl. I was expecting a grown woman, so that was a surprise. She seemed incredibly nervous when she entered the press room, but quickly calmed down and sang the heck out of the National Anthem. Diddy and Trace Adkins were unable to make the press conference due to high winds delaying their sound-checks.

I'll never forget the last couple days. Very enjoyable except for the ridiculous comments from some people like "This is so fake." Wasn't it in the '80s when Vince publicly acknowledged that?

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