The show started with a mini USO tribute. They then went on to saluting the troops.
Vince comes out of a tent and down the ramp with his normal strut. He gets in the ring and takes a mic. He says they’re there to entertain them and santa will be there within the hour. Santa is in a quandary because he doesn’t know what to give the negative media types who refuses to tell their story. Vince doesn’t understand that because they are doing and accomplishing so much. When called upon the men and women of the armed forces get the job done. Vince says the media should stop telling their stories and tell the stories of the troops. He thinks Santa should give them a great big bag of reindeer poop.
He then announces an Army BRAT - Lillian Garcia. Lillian comes out wearing very little in the cold weather there. It’s a little two piece Santa type outfit with camo. Vince gets them on their feet for Lillian to sing the National Anthem as beautifully as she ever does. What a voice that woman has! The crowd is already going wild.
- Commercial
Shows the wrestlers arriving. Lots of signings and wrestlers talking to the troops. Big Show talks about how it is great to be able to do this. (Nice to see they were able to outfit Show this year. Last year his protective gear was way too small.) Shows HHH talking to an injured soldier.
Carlito comes down to the ring. The crowd seems quiet, but it’s hard to tell. Big Show comes out next to huge pop.
Show advances on Carlito who hides behind the ref. Show gets his hands on him and tosses him around. Carlito rolls from the ring but Show brings him back in by his hair.
Carlito goes on the offensive and gets the upper hand. Carlito climbs, but is caught midair by the throat. Show Chokeslammed him for the win.
Show walks around and celebrates with the troops.
- Winner: Big Show
they showed videos of mine fields. The troops talk about how scary the mines are. They talk about how they are slowly clearing away the land mines. They showed an anti-personnel mine that’s defunct. They talked about controlled detonations and showed the wrestlers how they do it.
- Commercial
Coach is in the ring to announce Santa. Out comes someone in camos trimmed in white fake fur. Actually it’s kinda cute, even though he’s too thin to be Santa Claus. The announcers are saying they don’t believe it’s the real Santa.
Santa says he’s known Vince since he was an evil little boy. Vince has grown up to care about the troops, but Santa says, “How cares. If this place was any better, it would suck.” He says Santa had to use a porta-potty, and his poor reindeer. Santa is cancelling all holidays and all leave (huge boos to that).
He gets cut off by what looks like ‘real’ Santa, red suit and all. Coach is confused, there can’t be two Santas. Real Santa went for a cheap pop. He says there’s only one way to prove who the real Santa is - a No Holds Barred Match. Coach calls for a ref
Bad Santa jumps Folly-Santa. Foley fights back on Bad Santa. He uses his sack to knock down JBL-Santa. Foley reaches into his sack and pulls out salad tongs and uses them on JBL’s chestnuts. Foley pulls out his padding and hit JBL with it. JBL missed the Clothesline From Hell. Foley hits a DDT and pulls out Mr. Socko. Mr. Socko goes for the Mandible Claw and JBL taps to it.
- Winner: Mick ‘Santa’ Foley ‘Claus’
Cena and Trish do a brief video bit where they meet a bunch of locals. They answered a lot of questions for the local media. Cena says his trip has been unbelievable and he will go home with nothing but positive thoughts.
- Commercial
WWE Rewind is Vince firing Bischoff.
A video bit of Rita Cosby going with WWE to afghanistan. It was very well done. JBL, Vince and HHH all said how great Rita and MSNBC were on this trip. Showed Big Show dancing with a tiny little female soldier. He asked her, “Come here often?” She was barely taller than his navel. Show is so personable. Just seeing how all the wrestlers interacted with the troops warms my heart.
- Commercial
Shelton Benjamin comes out to decent pop. Snitsky comes out to face him.
Snitsky pushes Shelton’s face aside, Shelton fights back until Snitsky throws him like a rag doll. Snitsky goes to a corner and pulls the padding off the top turnbuckle. Shelton counters a Vertical Suplex. Shelton then hits a Flying Forearm and a kick to Snitsky’s face. Shelton strattles Snitsky and throws a bunch of punches.
Shelton goes for the Big Splash, but hits the exposed turnbuckle. He then gets a boot to the face. Snitsky pins him for the win.
- Winner: Gene Snitsky
Shows a place where soldiers can go 24/7 for coffee. Names are carved all over the walls. Soldiers who have visited.
- Commercial
Cena comes out and the crowd goes wild. Masters comes out to face him. Masters tries to do his normal entrance, but it just misses something without all the pyro. (It was great to see him try though.)
‘Cena’ chants. They tie up and Chris gets the upper hand. Cena gets a Side Headlock on Chris who throws him off and gets a Shoulder Block for it. Cena gets a two count.
Cena hits a Drop Toe Hold and gets a Reverse Chin Lock on Chris. Chris gets out and runs for Cena who lowers the top rope sending Chris to the outside. Chris gets the upper hand on the outside and keeps it when they return to the ring. Chris locks on the Reverse Chin Lock. Cena fights to his feet. But gets caught in the Masterlock.
Cena tries to fight out and Chris threw him to the mat. Chris climbs, but Cena gets his boots up in Chris’s face. They get up and trade punches. Cena hits two Clotheslines and a Belly to Back Sit Down Powerbomb. Cena then hits the 5 Knuckle Shuffle and the FU for the win.
The soldiers go wild. Cena hugs a beautiful female soldier on the way out. I’m not sure who was happier about that.
- Winner: Cena
The wrestlers talk about how touching it is to be over there. Then there’s a video montage set to music showing them traveling around and meeting the troops.
- Commercial
Coach introduces Ric Flair and comments on how bad his life is right now. Coach congratulates Flair on his farewell tour. After what HHH did at SS he should have stayed down. Coach says even he could beat him in the ring, and wants to... Now. And he wants the title. “Kick his ass,” chants the troops. Flair Woooo’s Coach and the match starts.
They tie up and Coach elbows Flair in the eye and then strangles him with his shirt. Flair fights back with a bunch of Chops. Flair drops a knee on Coach’s face and struts. Flair sends the ref off and low blows the Coach. Flair sets up and locks in the Figure Four. Coach taps out quickly.
- Winner: Ric Flair
More video of the wrestlers meeting troops. They talk about rebuilding the country. They talk about how they converted a Taliban school into a building for soldier’s use.
They went to ‘Rocket City’ and learned a lot about what the soldiers are doing there.
- Commercial
More video set to music of the wrestlers meeting the troops and learning a lot about what they are doing over there.
Outback Divas are getting ready for a match. Candice has to stop dippy Maria from entering a restricted area. Trish is lacing up her camo pants that leave very little to the imagination.
- Commercial
Trish comes out in her two piece camo outfit. Ashley comes out next in a two piece Santa type outfit.
Candice comes out in a red and white Santa type outfit, magic wand in hand. Maria is in a blue two piece outfit with tassels between her boobs.
Maria and Ashley start off. They tie up and Maria hits a Side Headlock Takeover. She then kneels behind Ashley to trip her. Maria pins her for two. Candice tags in and says she wants Trish. Candice then flees the ring and body surfs the troops. She gets back in the ring, dances and then lounges on the second rope. Trish pushes her out and lounges herself on the second rope.
Trish does a hand stand and tries to do a Head Scissors on Candice, but gets the lucky ref instead. When Trish is checking on the ref Candice grabs her by the hair and slams her to the mat. Trish fights back with forearms and Chops. Trish gets kicked in the face.
Candice goes over to tag in Maria. Maria is too busy showing off for the troops so Candice returns to face Trish. Trish kicks her and tosses her in a corner. Candice manages to get and elbow up into Trish’s face. Candice climbs and sits on the top turnbuckle. Trish does a hand stand on the first ropes and tries to wrap her ankles around Candice’s neck. Candice pushes her off and climbs down.
Candice misses an easy Clothesline and gets hit with a Front Kick from Trish. Trish finally hits the Head Scissors on Candice then tags in Ashley. Trish flips Candice to the mat by her hair and both girls double team her and hit Elbow Drops on Candice. Candice gets tossed into a corner, but is able to get up and over Ashley who rushes her. Candice rolls up Ashley and holds her tights for the win.
- Winners: Candice Michelle & Maria
Soldiers talk about receiving medals and what they have had to do to survive over there. And how some of their friends didn’t survive. They spoke about a couple of specific soldiers who lost their lives while saving other soldiers. One of the soldiers who spoke about getting a Silver Star was Chris Palumbo, Chuck’s brother.
- Commercial
They showed speeded up video of how they set up the ‘area’ where the show took place. It looks as though the soldiers had a lot of fun setting up for the show and playing in the ring.
HHH comes out to huge pop. He and HBK are having a ‘Boot Camp Match’, whatever that is. What a great old rivalry to show the soldiers. HBK comes out next, also to huge pop. HBK has a video camera in hand - he’s taping the troops. He’s in camos rather than wrestling gear.
They tie up and HHH gets the upper hand and plays up the troops. They tie up again and HHH gets a Side Headlock followed by a Shoulder Block. HBK hits an Arm Drag into an Arm Bar. HBK gets an elbow to the face but then reapplies the Arm Bar.
HHH gets to his feet but hits the mat after a Shoulder Block. A Back Slide gives HBK a two count. HBK gets the Arm Bar on again. HHH gets back up and puts an elbow in HBK’s face that makes him roll to the outside.
- Commercial
HBK kicks HHH in the face, but HHH flips HBK over the top rope and out. HHH goes out and continues to beat on HBK on the ramp. They are on plywood. HHH goes for a Pedigree, but HBK reverses it into a Back Body Drop. HBK tosses a sand bag at HHH. The second sand bag hits HHH in the face.
HBK starts beating on HHH, but the ref pulls him off for some reason. HHH gets up and hits HBK in the face with an empty gas can. They fight their way back to the ring. HBK Chops HHH in a corner. HHH gets whipped to another corner and goes over the top and out. HBK climbs out and hits him in the head with a wet mop.
HHH tosses HBK into the ring post. They get back in the ring and HBK accidentally hits the ref and knocks him out. HHH hits a DDT, but the ref is out. Another ref comes in and does the count, but HBK kicks out after two.
The new ref, Chad, pushes HHH and points to a patch on his arm. The patch is from the First Cavalry. HHH salutes him and then decks him. HHH then dumps the ref out of the ring.
HHH Scoop Slams HBK. HHH climbs, but HBK gets his boot up and HHH hits a prat fall. The ref gets up and starts counting out both wrestlers, even though there shouldn’t be any count outs in this match.
They get up and exchange punches. HBK hits a couple of Clotheslines and a Scoop Slam plants HHH. HBK hits the Flying forearm, Nips Up and hits an Inverted Atomic Drop.
HBK climbs and hits an Elbow Drop from the top. HBK Tunes Up The Band. HHH ducks. HHH sets up for the Pedigree, but HBK counters and sends HHH into the corner for Snake Eyes. HHH then walks into Sweet Chin Music. HBK pins HHH for the win.
HBK goes and celebrates with the troops.
- Winner: HBK
Video of the wrestlers traveling to Afghanistan and visiting with the troops - set to music.
- I could not have gotten every soldier’s name, or every location they visited - so I did not mention any of them rather than slight some. The show was as wonderful as in years past. I think it’s great that they do this every year as it is a huge boost for our troops. I don’t agree with a lot of things Vince does, but this yearly trip makes up for a lot in my mind.
- I would like to wish a Happy Holidays to all the soldiers throughout the world who are fighting for those of us at home. Thanks!
Biggest pop -
I can’t say. Most every one got huge pop, even a lot of the heels. So, I’m not touching this part tonight.
