WWE Announces Broadcast Details For 2023 Tribute To The Troops

WWE will once again be paying tribute to the men and women of America's fighting forces.

WWE has announced the 21st edition of "WWE Tribute To The Troops" will air 8 P.M ET on Friday, December 8 on FOX. The event is set to be staged in Providence, Rhode Island at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Whereas previous installments have been pre-taped to air at a later date, this edition of the show will be broadcast live as a themed episode of "WWE SmackDown."

The show has been an annual fixture in WWE programming since 2003. The first seven iterations were staged in Iraq and Afghanistan at US military stations, but since 2010 the show has been staged on domestic soil. The event in 2020 was the first and only of its kind, held behind closed doors in WWE's "ThunderDome," although service members were in attendance via remote stream. 

Bruce Prichard credited John "Bradshaw" Layfield for the conception of "Tribute to the Troops." He said that from the beginning they wanted to be able to stage shows for those on the frontlines, who otherwise wouldn't have access to wrestling. WWE has since been recognized with several honors for their devotion to the US military services, including an "Exceptional Public Service Award" in 2006 – which McMahon immediately presented to JBL. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama both made appearances during shows throughout their terms, and since 2015 the WWE has been producing commemorative title belts for service members who help put the show together and as a token for their service to their country.