This Day in Wrestling History (Dec. 25): Tribute to the Troops

First presented on Christmas night in 2003—13 years ago today—WWE’s Tribute to the Troops is an annual show presented around Christmas as a thank you to the servicemen and servicewomen around the world who have and continue to make the sacrifices necessary to keep us safe.

The show, the brainchild of John “Bradshaw” Layfield, was presented in its first few years from Iraq (2005’s edition emanated from Afghanistan) before moving stateside in 2010, where the show’s remained ever since. The show aired as a special episode of Smackdown in 2003 and 2004, then becoming a special episode of RAW from 2005 to 2007. Since then, the show has aired on both NBC and the USA Network, with USA airing the full two hours during the network’s annual “WWE Week”, and NBC airing a one-hour edited version from 2008 to 2014.

Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama have made appearances on the show through a pre-recorded message. The show has received awards from the USO, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, and the Air Force’s Morale, Welfare, and Recreation service.

The above playlist contains highlights, matches, even full editions from its entire history, including the recently aired 2016 edition. Enjoy!