Professional wrestling’s greatest holiday moments prove that the squared circle has room for Christmas cheer, chaotic matches and even the occasional attack on Santa Claus.
- Tribute to the Troops
- Alberto Del Rio Ruins Christmas (December 24th, 2012)
- The Tale of Ebeneezer Piper (Tuesday Night Titans – December 20th, 1985)
- The Rock’s Twelve Days of Christmas (December 20th, 2001)
- Stone Cold Stuns Santa Claus (December 22nd, 1997)
- TNA’s Incredible Christmas Show (December 20th, 2007)
Unlike most sports and television shows, professional wrestling does not have an offseason. The weekly schedule continues throughout the year, but the holiday season often gives promotions a chance to take themselves a little less seriously.
Storylines slow down. Matches embrace the Christmas spirit. Wrestlers exchange championships for candy canes, trees and gift-wrapped weapons. The results may not always change the direction of a company, but the moments can be unforgettable.
From John Cena saving Christmas to TNA dedicating an entire episode of Impact to holiday chaos, these are six of pro wrestling’s greatest holiday moments.
Tribute to the Troops
Few events captured the spirit of the holiday season like WWE’s Tribute to the Troops.
The idea is credited to John Bradshaw Layfield, who proposed holding a special event for members of the United States military. WWE staged the first edition at Camp Victory in Baghdad, Iraq, in 2003. It aired on Christmas Day as a special episode of SmackDown.
The outdoor setting immediately separated the show from WWE’s usual arena production. Wrestlers performed in daylight for an audience of military personnel, creating an atmosphere that no traditional venue could reproduce.
Over the years, WWE held the event at military bases in Iraq, Afghanistan and the United States. Later editions moved into traditional arenas, but the purpose remained the same. The show honored service members and gave their families a special wrestling experience during the holidays.
WWE held Tribute to the Troops annually through 2023. Even though the event is no longer guaranteed a place on the company’s calendar, its original presentation remains one of wrestling’s most distinct holiday traditions.
Alberto Del Rio Ruins Christmas (December 24th, 2012)
The 2012 Christmas Eve edition of Monday Night Raw opened with an image that wrestling fans were unlikely to forget. Alberto Del Rio had hit Santa Claus with his car, leaving Ricardo Rodriguez frozen in disbelief.
It was completely ridiculous, which made it perfect for a holiday episode of Raw.
The incident set up a Miracle on 34th Street Fight between Del Rio and John Cena. Cena stepped into his familiar role as WWE’s hero, but this time he was fighting to avenge Santa and save Christmas.
The match was never supposed to be a technical classic. It was holiday chaos built around Christmas trees, fire extinguishers, teddy bears and gift-wrapped weapons. Mick Foley, who played Santa, even returned to help Cena secure the victory.
The entire story unfolded in one night. It was silly, self-contained and exactly the kind of wrestling segment that could only happen at Christmas.
The Tale of Ebeneezer Piper (Tuesday Night Titans – December 20th, 1985)
Roddy Piper was one of professional wrestling’s greatest villains. He could make audiences hate him with a few words, then keep them watching through the force of his personality.
That charisma made him the perfect choice for WWE’s bizarre retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
On the December 20, 1985, episode of Tuesday Night Titans, Piper played the role of Ebeneezer Scrooge. Like the character who inspired the segment, he was visited by three ghosts and given an opportunity to change his ways.
Piper did not exactly embrace the lesson.
Instead, he remained the same arrogant villain fans knew. That refusal to change was the joke, but it also made the segment feel true to his character.
The production is unmistakably from another era. Still, it shows how much mileage wrestling can get from the right performer, a familiar story and a willingness to be completely absurd.
The Rock’s Twelve Days of Christmas (December 20th, 2001)
What was The Rock cooking in December 2001? His own version of a Christmas classic.
Before facing Test on SmackDown, The Rock grabbed a microphone and transformed “The Twelve Days of Christmas” into a list of everything his opponent could expect in the ring.
The Great One promised Sharpshooters, Rock Bottoms, People’s Elbows and an ass-kicking all over New Orleans. The crowd followed along as only an Attitude Era audience could.
The segment did not need an elaborate story or weeks of preparation. It simply gave one of wrestling’s most charismatic talkers a microphone and a familiar song to rewrite.
More than two decades later, the performance still feels like a perfect snapshot of The Rock at the height of his powers.
Stone Cold Stuns Santa Claus (December 22nd, 1997)
The Attitude Era produced enough holiday chaos to fill an entire list, but few moments were more fitting than Stone Cold Steve Austin giving Santa Claus a Stunner.
On the final episode of Raw before Christmas in 1997, Santa entered the ring and began insulting fans at ringside. That quickly drew the attention of Austin, who was on his way to becoming the biggest star in the company.
Austin confronted Santa, delivered one final warning and dropped him with a Stunner. The crowd erupted.
The segment captured everything that made Stone Cold unpredictable. It did not matter whether someone was a rival, an authority figure or the man delivering presents on Christmas Eve. Once that person stepped into the ring with The Texas Rattlesnake, a Stunner was always a possibility.
TNA’s Incredible Christmas Show (December 20th, 2007)
WWE has produced more famous holiday moments, but TNA may have created wrestling’s most committed Christmas episode.
The December 20, 2007, edition of Impact did not settle for one festive segment or a single themed match. TNA turned nearly the entire show into a Christmas spectacle.
The card included the following matches:
- Booker T, Scott Steiner and LAX faced James Storm, Robert Roode and the Rock ’n Rave Infection in a Christmas Chaos Steel Cage Match.
- Jay Lethal and the Motor City Machine Guns faced Team 3D and Johnny Devine in a Double North Pole Match.
- The Knockouts competed in a Santa’s Workshop Street Fight.
- Abyss, Black Reign, Rellik and Shark Boy battled in a Silent Night, Bloody Night Match with barbed-wire Christmas ornaments.
- AJ Styles faced Kaz in a Ladder Match where the loser had to wear a reindeer costume.
Several comedy sketches added to the madness. Some landed better than others, but every part of the show embraced the same idea.
Professional wrestling is often at its most memorable when it commits to the absurd. TNA combined Christmas decorations, unusual stipulations and its signature brand of over-the-top action for an episode unlike anything its competition produced.
Other promotions may have a larger collection of holiday memories, but few dedicated an entire night to the season quite like TNA did in 2007.
What is your favorite holiday wrestling moment? Let us know in the comments.
