WWE Raw Tribute to the Troops Report 12.25.06
Posted by Nick Marsico on 12.25.2006
WWE visits Iraq for a special Tribute to the Troops in Baghdad.
WWE RAW 12.25.2006
‘TRIBUTE TO THE TROOPS'
Merry Christmas everybody. I'm Nick Marsico, former SmackDown recapper and current writer of the Friday news column, the News to Start Your Weekend. I'm here with you tonight for WWE's Tribute to the Troops show from Baghdad, Iraq at Camp Victory. We start things with WWE Champ John Cena and one half of the Tag Champs, Edge.
John Cena vs. Edge
"CENA" chant starts us off and John grabs a side headlock. He gets a takeover, but Edge stands quickly, but Cena counters a backdrop into another headlock takeover. Edge pushes out but takes a running shoulder block and it's into a chinlock for Cena. Edge backs him into the corner, but doesn't break clean, punching the WWE Champion in the face. Edge takes control with a forearm and a side headlock of his own, and he takes down the champ with a shoulder block, but he runs into a hip toss and a scoop slam which get Cena 2. Irish whip into the corner but Edge moves and hits Cena with a DDT. Edge takes control in a corner and goes up for the 10 punch, but only gets 3 before Cena hotshots him onto the top turnbuckle. Irish whip and Cena gets the fisherman's suplex for 2. Edge kicks Cena in the face off an Irish whip and takes John down with a clothesline. "YOU SUCK" chant for Edge, and he keeps Cena down with a couple elbows to the head. He keeps on the pressure and multiple jabs and a haymaker take Cena down again, but it's only enough for a 2 count for Edge. Cena out to the apron and they trade punches. Cena goes up top only to be met by Edge, who punches him off down to the ground outside of the ring. Edge gets a baseball slide to the outside of the ring before the commercial break at 7:01.
Back at 9:33 and Edge is still in control with a body scissors on Cena in the middle of the ring. He's got a chinlock as well, and Cena powers out of the holds, but Edge transitions into a side headlock. Cena knees out and hits the Throwback, and both men are down. Cena charges but he meets a bit boot from Edge, and that gets a near fall. Edge is fed up and goes for a chair, but the referee takes it out of his hands allowing Cena to get a roll up, but the referee is busy with the chair. Edge kicks out at two and levels Cena with a clothesline. Edge gets a two count, but Cena starts to fight back only to be met with a spinning heel kick by Edge for two. Edge locks in the CAMEL CLUTCH~!, and it gets a "USA" chant from the troops. Cena is able to stand and fall back with Edge on him, and once again both men are down. They both get up at 9 and trade punches with Cena getting the best. A pair of flying shoulder blocks get two and the Protobomb leads to the 5 Knuckle Shuffle. Irish whip into the corner and Edge gets caught on Cena's shoulders, but he gets out of the FU and hits the Edgecution DDT, but Cena kicks out at 2. Edge climbs up top and Cena catches him, but Edge gets out and takes Cena down with an electric chair drop. Edge sets up for the Spear, but Cena dodges and Edge hits the corner, allowing Cena to hit the FU and pick up the win.
Winner: John Cena at 16:31.
A video package shows General George W. Casey, Jr. makes a speech thanking WWE for visiting the troops.
The 410 MP Company wishes their families a Merry Christmas, and a package shows pictures and video of McMahon and Co. having fun with the troops.
CM Punk and Shelton Benjamin wish everybody at home Merry Christmas. Benjamin doesn't appear happy, but then, he never does.
Staff Sergeant Victor Chamberlain is manning the "troop cam" from the crowd.
CM Punk vs. Shelton Benjamin
Shelton doesn't get an entrance. Quick arm drag by Punk gets a pop from the crowd. Punk floats out of a scoop slam and gets another, and Shelton gets in his face, so Punk pushes him down. Irish whip and Benjamin slides out of the ring to take a powder, and he tries to walk out, but Punk is out to stop him. Back inside Punk unloads the forearms in the corner, but Benjamin gets a kick in and tosses Punk shoulder first into the ring post, then does it again into two opposite corners. Shoulder breaker by Benjamin and he grabs an arm bar. Punk fights out with right hands, but Shelton takes him down by the hair and gets a quick two count. Keylock by Benjamin and Punk once again fights to his feet and elbows out. Irish whip reversed and Punk gets a leg lariat. Clotheslines and forearms for Punk and he gets the standing MMA knees and the climb up knee in the corner leads to a bulldog for 2. A black hawk helicopter flies overhead and it gets a pop, and meanwhile, Punk climbs up top, so Shelton meets him up there, jumping straight up and hitting Punk with a superplex for two. Punk dodges the Stinger splash and rolls Benjamin up for the win.
Winner: CM Punk at 4:48.
Up next, The Undertaker versus Johnny Nitro.
Camp Scania wishes everybody happy holidays, and one guy hits the FU on another.
1, 2, 3 Battalion Mortars wants to wish everybody at home a Merry Christmas.
Johnny Nitro w/Melina vs. The Undertaker
Nitro and Melina still have some paparazzi following them, and Undertaker's entrance may have been his shortest ever. Nitro runs around the ring ducking ‘Taker to start, and ducks a punch and pounds ‘Taker in the corner. Undertaker LAUNCHES him by the throat into that same corner and then takes Nitro down with a headbutt. An armwringer sets up the Old School ropewalk, but Nitro is able to get out of the Last Ride and gets an enzugiri. He hangs ‘Taker over the top rope and a dropkick pushes the Deadman into the corner. Irish whip reversed and Undertaker gets a big clothesline. Irish whip into the corner sets up the Snake Eyes and a running big boot, and here comes the choke slam. That sets up the Tombstone, and that's all she wrote.
Winner: The Undertaker at 3:55.
Earlier in the day, Lilian Garcia sang the National Anthem.
Season's Greetings from Camp Liberty.
Specialists Jeffrey Braddey, Nicholas A. Root and Sergeant Terrence Devine and others talk about their fears, and a clip of a mortar attack nearby is aired. WWE employees discuss what they saw and experienced. 14 soldiers were injured in that attack on December 7.
Up next, ECW Champion Bobby Lashley takes on Hardcore Holly.
Camp Delta says hello from Iraq.
Bobby Lashley vs. Hardcore Holly
Holly gets no entrance. Tie up in the corner leads to a clean break from Lashley. The champ gets a military press slam and Holly backs off. Test of strength, but Holly kicks Lashley and whips him, but Lashley gets a shoulder block. A snap suplex gets two for Lashley, and a delayed vertical suplex gets him 2 more. Lashley punches and kicks Holly down in the corner and Holly bails again, so Lashley follows him out and gets tossed into the ring steps for his trouble. Back inside Holly takes control with a snapmare and rams Lashley's shoulder into the top turnbuckle. Arm bar by Holly and he wraps the champion's arm over the middle rope. Back to the arm bar, but Lashley stands and gets an overhead belly to belly suplex. Lashley gets a shoulder block, clothesline and reverse elbow and then takes Holly up for a torture rack and drops down to his knees. That gets two, and a snap suplex gets another near fall. Holly takes over in the corner with a hard chop, and Lashley gets a sunset flip out of the attempted Alabama Slam and the running powerslam finishes it soon after.
Winner: Bobby Lashley at 6:25.
Captain Ferass Hashm Naama is a part of the Iraqi troops fighting against terror with the US troops, and explains some of the situation going on.
Lilian Garcia, Edge, Jeff Hardy, Carlito, Bobby Lashley, John Cena, Torrie Wilson, Chris Masters (and his soon-to-be brother in law), Johnny Nitro, Melina, Kristal, JBL, Maria, Undertaker and Randy Orton talk about their experiences in Iraq visiting the troops and what it means to them.
Umaga versus Jeff Hardy is next.
447 AEG in Sather Airbase thanks WWE for coming.
Umaga vs. Jeff Hardy
Hardy ducks a clothesline but runs into a back elbow. Umaga misses a cross body and Hardy goes for a sunset flip, but Umaga blocks and tries to sit on Jeff, but Hardy moves and hits a low front dropkick. Another one knocks Umaga out of the ring, and a baseball slide leads to a slingshot over the top, but Umaga catches Jeff and throws him back first into the ring post and then flings him into the ring steps. Back inside, Umaga knocks Hardy down with a headbutt and then hits a leg drop. He kicks Hardy a couple times and locks in a nerve hold, but Hardy fights out only to run into a Samoan drop. Umaga misses a splash from the top rope, and Jeff hits three clotheslines and a dropkick, and those can't get Umaga down. The sitting jawbreaker doesn't work either, but the Whisper in the Wind does. Hardy blocks the Samoan Spike with the Twist of Fate, but only hits knees with the Swanton. Umaga drops Hardy in the corner and hits the running butt splash. That sets up the Samoan Spike.
Winner: Umaga at 5:52.
Art Myers, the director of entertainment for the US Military, tells us about the 2.6 million letters that were sent for all of the troops from the ‘A Million Thanks' organization run by Shauna Fleming. He presents the 2.6 millionth letter to First Lieutenant Shannon Terry.
Carlito shares an apple with one of the female troops, but up next he has a match with Randy Orton.
Randy Orton vs. Carlito
Side headlock starts off for Orton, but Carlito reverses it into one of his own. Orton backs Carlito into the corner and lets some punches fly, but Carlito turns it around and gives Orton his receipt. Arm drag from Carlito and he holds an arm bar as the crowd begins an "OLE, OLE, OLE" chant. Dropkick by Orton and the Garvin Stomp gets Randy back into control. Irish whip and Orton hits a spinning side slam for two. It's time for the CHINLOCK~! from Orton. Carlito fights out with a backdrop, and both men are down. Up at 5 and they trade punches, with Carlito getting the best of it, and follows up with the knee lift/clothesline combination. Irish whip reversed and Carlito hits the springboard reverse elbow for a near fall. Orton gets the neck snap backbreaker, but Carlito blocks the RKO. Orton grabs the ropes to block the back cracker and tries to use the ropes to steal a pin, but Carlito rolls him up from behind and grabs the tights as Orton argues with the referee, and that's enough to finish the match.
Winner: Carlito at 5:07.
Santa is here with Kristal, Maria and Torrie, and up next they're going to give out some gifts.
Michael Cole hosts a package that shows everybody setting up the arena used for the tribute show.
Here comes Santa Claus! He calls Santa's helpers, Kristal, Maria and Torrie. Torrie's been a bad girl all year, and apparently Santa approves. He offers for her to sit on his lap later. They all give out some gifts to the troops, some t-shirts, the new SmackDown vs. RAW video game and even a pair of Torrie's bra and panties, but Chris Masters is here to interrupt them. He hates Christmas, and he does not believe in Santa Claus. He challenges any troop to the Masterlock Challenge, but he also wants to take on Santa. "SANTA" chant from the crowd. Masters beats Santa in the Masterlock Challenge, and now he wants one of the troops to take the challenge – and he picks one of the smallest guys there, Jose Avila. Santa reveals himself as JBL and interferes, and Jose Avila becomes the first man to ever break the Masterlock, and JBL finishes the job with the Clothesline from Hell on Masters. JBL poses with Kristal, Maria and Torrie.
The show closes with a package showing everything that happened during WWE's visit.
Merry Christmas once again, everybody. I'll see you Friday morning for the news, and Arnold Furious will be back here next week for the New Year's Day RAW, presumably.
