WWE Tribute to the Troops Quietly Canceled for the First Time Since 2003

This marks the first year since 2003 that WWE has not hosted a Tribute to the Troops event, and it could be a while before the event returns. Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, veteran journalist Dave Meltzer revealed that the show appears to have been quietly canceled, offering some insights into the reasons behind the decision.

"No more. It's done. Obviously, the year being up, I think in the last month people were kind of asking when they're taping it. It just was not being taped. They had too many other things going on. I don't know if it's done for good, but this is the first year that they haven't done anything with that," Meltzer shared.

Tribute to the Troops has a long history, with Bruce Prichard previously crediting John Bradshaw Layfield for helping WWE launch the event. However, Meltzer clarified that it was Vince McMahon's brainchild. With WWE now under the ownership of Endeavor and operating as part of TKO Group Holdings, McMahon no longer has any creative influence. Instead, Nick Khan and Paul "Triple H" Levesque are steering the company. Complicating matters further, the last edition of Tribute to the Troops aired on Fox, a network no longer associated with WWE broadcasts, and it's unclear if other networks expressed interest in hosting the special.

Meltzer also noted that WWE's busy schedule likely played a role in shelving Tribute to the Troops. This month marked the revival of Saturday Night's Main Event, which is set to become a regular fixture. Additionally, "WWE Raw" is slated to move to Netflix in January, giving company officials plenty to manage as they juggle new projects and initiatives.