-Today, Project 45 goes back to 2010 as we look at the Tribute to the Troops from that year.
-The WWE 2010 Tribute to the troops was recorded December 11, 2010 from Ft. Hood in Killeen, Tx. A one-hour version of the show aired on December 18 on NBC and a two-hour version of the show aired December 22 on the USA Network. President Barack Obama with a message to the troops thanking them for their service and sacrifice.
-Shots of the WWE Superstars entertaining the military over the years.
-Tribute to the troops intro.
-Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler welcome us to Tribute to the Troops and Ft. Hood.
-15 man Battle Royal: John Morrison, Mark Henry, Ezekiel Jackson, Chavo Guerrero, Sheamus, Daniel Bryan, Chris Masters, Cody Rhodes, Vladimir Kozlov, Santino Marella, The Nexus Justin Gabriel, Heath Slater, David Otunga, Husky Harris, and Michael McGillicutty are the participants. The Nexus gets up on the apron but are hesitant to get in. They finally do and the other superstars surround Nexus as the bell rings. The other superstars all attack Nexus. Nexus all retreat under the bottom rope to the outside. Everyone else pairing off and forearms are flying. Masters trying to get Sheamus in the Masterlock. Sheamus gets out and eliminates Masters. Sheamus dumps Bryan on the apron and Bryan punches him away. Bryan starts to go up top, but Sheamus knocks him back to the apron. Jackson knocks Rhodes over, but Rhodes holding on and reaches up and grabs Jackson by the head with his legs and Rhodes and Guerrero eliminate Jackson. Sheamus trying to eliminate Guerrero, who elbows Sheamus to try to avoid being thrown out. Marella trying to throw Morrison out and gets him on the apron. Morrison gets back in the ring. Marella hits the Cobra on Guerrero, Morrison, Rhodes, and Bryan. Everyone still in the ring down except Marella. Sheamus gets up and hits Marella with a double ax handle. Henry up and he and Sheamus face each other. Sheamus attacks Henry and when he does, the Nexus come in and attack both men. They then attack all the other men in the match while those men are all down. They eliminate Marella. Then they eliminate Kozlov and Guerrero. Rhodes tries to suck up to the Nexus, but he gets thrown out as well. The people left in the ring line up and go at it with Nexus except for Sheamus, who lays back. Bryan eliminates Gabriel. Sheamus hits Bryan with a Brogue kick and eliminates him. Henry hits a three point stance on Sheamus. Morrison eliminates Otunga. McGillicutty and Harris throw Morrison to the apron, but he hangs on. McGillicutty hits him with a forearm shot to eliminate Morrison. Henry then eliminates Slater. Henry then eliminates McGillicutty and Harris. Sheamus clips Henry while he was eliminating Harris. Sheamus attacking Henry on the ground. The crowd boos Sheamus. Sheamus goes to run Henry into a turnbuckle, but Henry blocks it. Henry with a forearm to knock Sheamus down. He follows that up with a clothesline and the crowd is cheering Texas native Henry. Henry rushes Sheamus, who gets his boot up on the charge. Sheamus goes up top, but gets caught and Henry grabs him and throws him over the top rope to win the battle royal. The crowd cheers him wildly.
-Taylor Swift wishes the service members Happy Holidays.
-Diddy Dirty Money performs I'll be missing you live.
-Miss USA 2010 Rima Fakih is introduced. She is the guest ring announcers for Kofi Kingston and The Big Show vs. Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler: Ziggler and TBS start and Ziggler tries to attack TBS, who headbutts Ziggler to the mat. TBS picks Ziggler up, puts him in a corner, and slaps him in the chest to knock him back down. TBS then steps on Ziggler's stomach and Kingston cheers in the corner. TBS throws Ziggler into the corner and then scoop slams him out of the corner. Kingston tagged in and does a float over leg drop to Ziggler from the apron. He gets a two count. Swagger starts to come in, but the referee warns him to stay on the apron. Kingston with an arm bar to Ziggler. Ziggler gets up with a knee to the stomach and an elbow to the back of the head. Ziggler with a shot and an Irish whip. Kingston ducks a clothesline attempt. He blocks a shot and monkey flips Ziggler halfway across the ring. He then hits Ziggler with some corner mounted punches. Kingston then flips Ziggler out of the corner and Irish whips him. Kingston goes for a dropkick, but Ziggler holds on to the ropes. Ziggler backdrops Kingston to the apron. Swagger tries to come over. Kingston kicking at him. He kicks Swagger off the apron and buries his shoulder into Ziggler's midsection and tries for a springboard. Swagger grabs his leg and pulls him off and Kingston hits the apron head first and falls to the floor. The Big Show complains to the referee, who gets The Big Show out and then starts counting Kingston. Swagger rolls Kingston back in where Ziggler gets a two count. Ziggler with a rear chin lock that Kingston tries to twist out of. A Kofi chant goes out as Kingston gets back to his feet and hits Ziggler with some shots to try to get out of the hold. Ziggler with a shot and goes for the famouser, but Kingston counters into a powerbomb. Swagger and The Big Show both tagged in and Big Show clotheslines Swagger down. Big Show with an Irish whip and a back kick to Swagger. He gets Swagger in a corner and splashes him and then hits a running shoulder block to knock Swagger to the mat. Ziggler comes in and Big Show tosses him up and then plants him. Kingston then clotheslines Ziggler to the outside. Big Show then choke slams Swagger and pins him.
-Kobe Bryant is shown wishing the troops Happy Holidays.
-Trace Adkins performs I got my game on.
-R-Truth and Eve come out to the ring singing What's up. He is taking on Ted DiBiase Jr, who comes to the ring with Maryse. The bell rings. R-Truth ducks a clothesline attempt. R-Truth gets DiBiase in a corner and kicks him. DiBiase reverses a corner whip and R-Truth jumps up to avoid the charge. R-Truth with a spinning heel kick to knock DiBiase down. DiBiase up, but gets hit with a right hand by R-Truth to go back down. DiBiase reverses an Irish whip, but R-Truth gets his boot up on the charge. R-Truth rushes DiBiase, who hits R-Truth with a stun gun. DiBiase then drops a knee on R-Truth at ringside. He then gets R-Truth down on the mat. DiBiase with a headlock. The crowd urging R-Truth on with a What's up chant as he makes his way back to his feet. R-Truth with a back suplex to break the hold. Both men down and a double count going. Both up and R-Truth blocks a shot. Back and forth in the center of the ring. R-Truth with a series of clotheslines and an Irish whip. He then hip locks DiBiase down. Maryse gets up on the apron to yell at R-Truth, who comes over to her and the referee is yelling at Maryse to get off the apron. Eve comes over and yanks Maryse off the apron. DiBiase comes up behind R-Truth looking for Dream Street. R-Truth counters with a Jaw Breaker. R-Truth with a shot and a scissors kick to pin DiBiase.
-Diva's Santa's Helper match. The Bella Twins Nikki and Brie, Natalya, and Kelly Kelly vs. Alicia Fox, Melina, and LayCool Layla and Michelle McCool: Fox and Nikki start. Fox with a back elbow and a wrist lock. She then hits an Irish whip and a backbreaker on Nikki. She gets a two count. She then corner whips Nikki into the heels corner. Melina tagged in and she kicks Nikki down in the corner. Brie tries to come in to save her sister, allowing all of the heels to attack Nikki when the referee cuts Brie off. Melina drags Nikki to the center of the ring and hits her with a stiff looking forearm. Melina then with a corner whip to Nikki. She then gets Nikki in the corner, but Nikki comes back with a snap mare to Melina. Kelly and McCool both tagged in and Kelly hits a Thesz press on McCool and slams her head down on the mat several times and I can't believe that I just wrote that last sentence in my notes for this episode. Kelly ducks a clothesline attempt and comes back with a spinning headscissors to McCool. Kelly with a kick to McCool and then rams her face into the mat several times. Kelly with a boot stomp to McCool and goes to cover her, but Layla comes in to break up the pin attempt. All 8 Divas in and take turns throwing each other out. McCool throws Natalya out, only to get slapped by Kelly and Kelly hits a face buster to pin McCool.
-The cast of 30 Rock wish the service members a happy holiday season.
-Earlier today, Sherri Shepperd is shown coming out dressed as Santa with Hornswoggle dressed as an elf. They throw out gifts to the crowd.
-Former president George W. Bush with a holiday message for the troops.
-Diddy Dirty Money back out to perform coming home.
-Lindsey Vonn, USA Olympic Gold Medalist, thanks the troops for their service.
-William Grimsley, the Commander of Ft. Hood, is in the ring. He is going to take on Kane in an open arm wrestling challenge. Referee Mike Chioda gets them ready. They lock hands. The Major General tells Kane if he is scared, he can back out. They start. The Major General with an advantage. Kane coming back. Kane with an advantage and the Major General tells him he can quit at any time. The Major General coming back. Edge's music hits and Kane lets go. Edge comes out and gets in the ring. Kane grabs him by the throat. Edge slips out, ducks a clothesline attempt, and spears Kane. Edge and Major General Grimsley then celebrate.
-Cedric the Entertainer comes out to entertain the troops.
-Jimmy Fallon is shown making some jokes until the Miz comes in and scoops slams him and says Happy Holidays everybody.
-Trace Adkins performs Whip a Man's ass for the crowd, which loves it.
-General George Casey Jr, the Army's chief of staff, thanks WWE for Tribute to the Troops. He also thanks the troops for their service and sacrifice.
-6-man tag team match. Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, and John Cena vs. Wade Barrett, Alberto Del Rio, and WWE Champion the Miz with Alex Riley: The crowd loses its mind when Cena comes out. The Today Show cast wish the service members Happy Holidays. A Cena chant goes out as the match begins. Cena and Miz start. Cena with some right hands and runs Miz into a corner turnbuckle. Cena with a corner whip and a bulldog. He gets a two count. Cena with an Irish whip, drops his head too early and Miz kicks him in the face. Miz with a right hand and Del Rio tagged in. Del Rio with a running kick to Cena's ribs. Del Rio beating Cena down in the corner as the Cena chant goes out again. Barrett tagged in. He kicks Cena, who comes back with some right hands and a double clothesline and both men down. Mysterio and Orton try to get the crowd into the match. Orton tagged in. He clotheslines Barrett. Another clothesline to Barrett, who comes back with a clothesline attempt that Orton ducks. Orton then hits a power slam to Barrett. Barrett rolls out to the apron. Orton grabs Barrett and does the ropes DDT. Orton briefly does his Viper routine and goes for an RKO. Barrett pushes Orton off towards the heels corner, so Orton punches the Miz and Del Rio off the apron. He then turns around and runs into a big boot from Barrett. Barrett starts stomping Orton. The Miz tags in and he takes over stomping Barrett. Alex Riley looking on from the outside as Miz gets Orton in a corner and kicks him. A Randy chant goes out. Miz yells out at the crowd and runs towards Orton to do a corner clothesline, but Orton comes out of the corner and clotheslines Miz down to the mat. Mysterio tagged in and gets Miz down and then hits a crossbody off the ropes for a two count. Mysterio with a tilt a whirl headscissors to set Miz up for the 619. He goes for it and Riley grabs his legs and pulls Mysterio out of the ring. Barrett tagged in and he comes out and drives Mysterio into the ring apron. Cena and Orton encouraging Mysterio from their corner. Barrett with a corner whip and a backbreaker to Mysterio. He gets a two count. Mysterio jumping to make the tag, but Barrett grabs his leg before he gets there. Barrett drags Mysterio back to the heels corner and Del Rio tagged in. He kicks Mysterio while he is down on the mat. Del Rio with a back suplex. He gets a two count as a USA chant breaks out. Del Rio with a sunset flip. Mysterio rolls through and delivers a dropkick to Del Rio. Del Rio up and kicks Mysterio. Del Rio with an Irish whip and a back elbow to Mysterio. Barrett tagged in. He punches Mysterio in the face until referee Mike Chioda pulls him away. Barrett argues with Chioda. Barrett puts Mysterio on the top rope. Barrett sets up for a superplex, but Mysterio blocks it. Mysterio knocks Barrett off the ropes to the mat. Mysterio then hits a crossbody to Barrett. Cena and Del Rio both tagged in. Cena with a shoulder tackle. Then another one. Scoop slam to Del Rio. U Can't See Me. 5 knuckle shuffle. He goes for the AA, but Miz comes in to break it up. Orton comes in and slams Miz down. He goes into the Viper routine. Orton sets up for the RKO, but Riley pulls Miz out of the ring before he can hit it. He then hits a backbreaker to Barrett. Cena pushes Del Rio into the ropes and Mysterio hits Del Rio and Barrett with a 619. Barrett gets an RKO and Del Rio gets an AA and Cena gets the pin. The faces celebrate in the ring. The fans love it. They sign off from Ft. Hood with a highlight package.
-Final Thoughts: This is a great tradition that the WWE does for the armed forces every year and an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.