Charlotte Flair and Dolph Ziggler Share Their Thoughts on Tribute to the Troops’ Importance

– Charlotte Flair and Dolph Ziggler discussed tonight’s WWE Tribute of the Troops event in a new interview with TV Insider. A couple of highlights are below:

Flair on what Tribute To The Troops means to her: “It’s our most heartwarming, patriotic show of the year. It just seems to get bigger every year, especially this one being in San Diego and performing outside with an actual ship beside us. It was absolutely amazing. The coolest part for me was seeing the soldiers in their fatigues watching us… After the triple threat with Ruby Riot and Carmella, I was able to have some mic time. To be able to look in the audience, trying to specifically point out the women in the crowd as I was talking and thanking them for being brave, strong and powerful. Once the promo was over—and not that I was neglecting the men—but I wanted to thank the women, because I know in our industry to be a woman you have to try that much harder. We are and want to be equals. Also, to see the few women out there who are mothers or married and doing double-duty being a mom and serving, I just wanted to hug them as I was walking by. I will never forget their faces.”

Ziggler on his love of the event: “We see kids and adults going to shows, but when we actually have the chance to say thank you to these brave men and women who are constantly putting their lives on the line, there is mutual respect there. But it’s the least we can do for them. We get a chance to see them, high-five, shake hands, hug. It’s truly rewarding…You watch it go from almost an experimental stage with the idea of doing something special for the troops. Now it becomes a thing where we are getting prepared a couple of months out. We find out we are setting up a ring just to the side of an aircraft carrier and having a schedule for the day, broken off into groups. It has become part of our routine and runs on a tight schedule. The first couple of years you aren’t sure what is going to happen. It becomes this institution you look forward to now.”