Jacksonville hosted World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) “Tribute to the Troops” event on Tuesday night with an old tag team partner in attendance.
Gov. Rick Scott didn’t step in the ring to pair up with the likes of John Cena or the Undertaker but the Florida Republican has worked with WWE before.
When WWE announced back in October that it would hold its thirteenth annual “Tribute to the Troops” event on the First Coast, Scott cheered the news. The event is for military personnel and their families serving in the area including at Mayport, Naval Air Station-Jacksonville and Kings Bay up in Georgia.
"We can never thank our veterans and military members enough for their brave service to our nation,” Scott said when WWE announced “Tribute to the Troops” would be in Jacksonville. “It is important to frequently honor our American heroes for the sacrifices they have made to keep our families safe. Florida remains the most military friendly state in the nation and we are proud to host this year’s ‘Tribute to the Troops’ celebration."
Besides cheering the news, Scott attended the show on Tuesday night. The show will air on the USA Network on Wed. Dec, 23.
"It is a privilege for WWE to entertain our military as a way to thank them for their commitment and sacrifice for our country," said WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon when he announced the event. "Everyone at WWE looks forward to this annual celebration, and we are proud to partner with the U.S. Navy and Governor Rick Scott to put smiles on the faces of the servicemen and women and their families."
This isn’t the first time Scott worked with WWE. Back in the summer of 2013 Scott paired up with Paul Levesque, then the WWE’s executive vice president of talent, to open the WWEs Global Performance Center in Orlando. Levesque, best known by wrestling fans as “Triple H,” is McMahon’s son-in-law.
The project was estimated to bring $2.3 million in capital investment and almost 100 jobs to Central Florida. The facility serves to train wrestlers and develop the WWE’s television and sports medicine crews. NXT Wrestling, a developmental league for the WWE, has been based in Orlando since 2012. The WWE has partnered with the Winter Park-based Full Sail University for it television production of NXT shows.
Wrestling has often generated major revenues for cities across the nation. For example, WrestleMania, the WWE’s premier annual event, often generates tens of millions for local economies. South Florida hosted WrestleMania XXVIII in 2012 and the WWE estimated that it generated more than $100 million in revenue for the region. Back in 2008, WrestleMania XXIV was held in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. Officials estimated that the event brought more than $51 million into the local economy, more than double initial estimates. They also estimated more than 50,000 visitors came to Orlando for the WrestleMania festivities and around 75,000 attended the actual event in the Citrus Bowl.
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