Recap of WWE's Tribute to the Troops media day
Going to the Verizon Center in Washington at 2 p.m. yesterday for the WWE Tribute to the Troops media event made for a long day, but I'm certainly not complaining. I've done countless phone interviews with wrestling personalities, but opportunities for actual face time don't happen very often (and what a face on that Mickie James, huh?).
Plus, who I am to talk about a long day when the WWE performers and crew departed for Baghdad at midnight after Raw was over to tape the Tribute to the Troops special that airs Dec. 20 on NBC?
John Cena was the first WWE star introduced to the small group of media members gathered in the Georgetown men's basketball team's locker room. I’ve interviewed him a couple times in the past, and I’m always impressed. As I have said before, whether you love his character or hate it, WWE could not ask for a better face of the company.
Cena entered the room looking dapper in a suit, and the first thing he did was shake hands with everyone and thank them for coming. The second thing he did was make a joke about how uncomfortable he feels in a suit.
Since the interviews were done one-on-one and not in a news conference format, Cena was sometimes asked the same question by several different reporters, but he always gave broad answers that sounded sincere and not a bit rehearsed.
Next up was JBL, who, like Cena, comes off very well when speaking on behalf of the company. In contrast to his heel character, JBL actually has a self-deprecating sense of humor, which was evident when I asked him about his physical condition and the prospect of returning to the announce table at some point.
After JBL finished up, James came in and said, “How can I possibly follow those two?” As she walked across the room in her form-fitting dress (with a plunging neckline) and high heels, I think every male in the room was thinking: “John who? JBL who?” It’s true that she isn’t quite as polished as Cena and JBL, but James’ playful personality serves her well during in these settings.
All three stars represented the company well, and I have little doubt that their feelings about the importance of entertaining the troops are heartfelt.
Video interviews with Cena, JBL and James will be posted in the next day or so.
To view a gallery from yesterday's WWE Tribute to the Troops media event, click here.
Baltimore Sun photos by Kenneth K. Lam
Comments
I see puppies JR.
Posted by: Elevation | December 2, 2008 9:07 PM
Kevin, have you ever go over why fans hate on Cena. To me, he's great in an old-school, Sting from the early 90s way (enthusiastic, charismatic, athletic if not overly skilled.) Maybe people just want him to be the Rock or something, I dunno.
Posted by: GMan | December 3, 2008 10:07 AM
GMan, it's not the person. It's the character. We hate the overbooked, superman-style characters like Cena and Batista (a few months ago).
We'd hate anyone who is booked to bury everyone else.
Posted by: David | December 3, 2008 9:32 PM
See Hulk Hogan...
We know the playbook.
Posted by: Lee | December 4, 2008 12:16 PM
Strange then that most people seem to love Triple H, he does not like to get pinned (or beat any way actually) and when he does when is it ever in a fair way? The only time he ever loses is when the opponents cheat, he holds the main title of his brand for most of the year and once he does you know it will not be long before it is back around his waist, not to mention the fact he must have a 'people cannot kick out of the pedigree' clause in his contract.
Posted by: Wylsey | December 11, 2008 7:32 PM