CHEAP HEAT: TRIBUTE TO THE TROOPS; LOOKING BACK AT 2007

by Matt Loede, Let's Wrestle

While each and every year WrestleMania is the WWE's biggest money-maker, no show that the comapny puts on may be bigger than that of the "Tribute to the Troops" show, which the comapny aired on Christmas Eve this year in place of RAW on the USA Network. The show takes place in Iraq, and is put on for the men and women that proudly serve our country and have served our country since the war began. The WWE decided five years ago to fly their talent a whopping 22 hours to Iraq to put on the show, and it has been a hit ever since.

It seems to be the one time of the year that the WWE comes out in a positive light, where the media actually gives the company credit for doing something right. Put it on the level as if the NBA flew the Lakers and Cavs over to Iraq to play a game, or the Yankees and Red Sox in baseball. Can you imagine players from the "Big 3" and their reaction when they would be told they were going to be flown to Iraq to play a game for our troops? While I am not saying that each and every roster member that goes on the trip loves it, there is a genuine feel to it that the talent wants to give back, and once they are over there they seem to embrace the troops like nothing I have ever seen.

The show is second-fiddle to the fact that the company is there, and they are trying to just entertain. Most of the babyfaces win the matches, and even the heels seem to have problems being all that bad despite the fact that is the character they are being paid to be. The show is full of highlights of the trip, from the plane ride over, to the interaction with the troops. If you have not seen it, I would say it's right on par with Mania, and in the end means a heck of a lot more than just another wrestling show.

- There were no TV tapings this past week, as RAW was the "Tribute to the Troops" show, ECW was a "Best of 2007" (as if there is such a thing) and SmackDown will be along those lines of ECW as well. The company did return to action as all three brands had house shows starting Wednesday night, and it will conclude with tapings for TV over the weekend. They will not have live shows on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. The RAW that will be shown Monday night will be taped over the weekend, and it will be highlighted by Ric Flair and his on-going "win or retire" storyline vs Triple H.

- The first PPV of 2008, the Royal Rumble, will take place January 27th at Madison Square Garden in New York. The show will be an instant sellout, and for some reason the company has held off putting tickets for the show on sale till this weekend. Tickets will go on sale through Ticketmaster starting at 10am on Saturday the 29th.

- With 2007 coming to a close and this being the last report of the year, I thought it would be good to do a little "Stories of the Year" top 10 list - so here we go:

1. Chris Benoit Double Murder/Suicide - Could be the biggest story in the history of the sport. Shook the foundation of how things in wrestling are looked at, and still today hard to fathom.

2. Main Eventers Injured - The list is alarming: Triple H, Undertaker, Edge, Shawn Michaels, John Cena. No star was bigger than Cena, as the company was able to overcome each of the other injuries without much of a hitch, but Cena's injury really changed things. It was good to see him on the Tribute to the Troops show this last week, and in the end maybe the injury in the long run will be a refresher for his character.

3 . WrestleMania 23 Sells out Ford Field - While the event lacked the man who helped sell out the Silverdome 20 years ago, Hulk Hogan, the event was still memorable for all the right reasons. Two great main events with Cena vs Michales and Batista vs Undertaker, and the Money in the Bank was memorable as well. A great card overall and a great venue.

4. ECW all but Dead - Like it or not, ECW of today is not even close to that of last year, when you at least at RVD, Sabu, Sandman and a few others that were originals. Now you have top guys like C.M. Punk, John Morrison, Big Daddy V, and Mark Henry. Change is not always good.

5. The Vince McMahon Death Angle - It was a shock angle that was scrapped when the Benoit murders/suicide took place. It was a distasteful angle anyway, and some thought it was fate that a real life wrestling death took place while a fake one was going on.

6. The Rise of Jeff Hardy - For years many thought that Hardy had what it took, but his out of the ring issues always seemed to hold him back. Plus many questioned his true dedication to the sport long term. Now he seems as focused as ever, and it's paying off.

7. The New Substance Suspension System - Back in August the company made waves when they suspended 10 guys, including big names like Jeff Hardy, Booker T., Umaga and others. It made an impact that hopefully these guys will finally get it.

8. Mr.McMahon's "son" - Yes, a pretty interesting storyline till the end, when the kid ended up being Hornswoggle, the pal under the ring of Finely. Since then, he has had a big role on TV, playing a big part in making McMahon's as well as Coach's life tough. The storyline should have belonged to Mr.Kennedy, but he blew it by not stepping up.

9. RVD and Booker T. Say Good-Bye - Two great long-time WWE guys decided that they had enough, and took the high road out. RVD did come back for the RAW 15th Anniversary show, but don't expect a full-time return. As for Booker, he's now in TNA.

10. RAW 15th Anniversary - A mega show that turned out to be better than the Armageddon PPV that took place six days later. It was great to see some of the old stars, and while the show went three hours, it seemed like with all the great highlights and what went into the show, it could easily have went longer.