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What's the story?
According to PWInsider, WWE held a party backstage at Monday's RAW at the Allstate Arena in Chicago as a way to show gratitude to the Superstars who worked on Christmas day.
Also, it is reported that the company paid for the hotel accommodation of the RAW and SmackDown Live rosters for December 25th and 26th in another nice gesture to make up for them being away from their families.
In case you didn't know...
Uproar was caused in the WWE Universe when the WWE and the USA Network announced in September that they were going to air live episodes of RAW and SmackDown on Christmas Day and the day after Christmas (as well as a live RAW on New Year's Day).
Most fans felt that it was an outrage that the WWE Superstars were being made to work at a time in which they should be spending with their families.
WWE originally got the flak for the decision to have the shows instead of just airing something that was pre-taped like when Christmas Day was on a Monday back in 2006, and WWE aired a Tribute to the Troops instead of putting on a live RAW.
However, Reby Hardy (Matt Hardy's wife) was quick to let the WWE Universe know that it was not WWE's choice to air RAW live on Christmas Day.
The heart of the matter
This news about these kind gestures made by WWE is music to the ears of anyone who thought badly of WWE for having their Superstars work at Christmas time.
Despite many thinking that Christmas Day RAW would be a throw away episode, it was anything but as the main event of the show saw the newly-formed tag-team of Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan win the RAW Tag Team Titles from Sheamus and Cesaro (The Bar).
What's next?
Unfortunately, RAW Superstars will have to wrestle on another celebatory occasion next week (New Year's Day), whilst SmackDown Live Superstars will likely have to spend that day travelling, as they have their show the next day on January 2nd.
It would be great if WWE did something backstage similar to this past week in order to lift the morales up, and it would be even kinder if Vince McMahon were to offer Superstars paid-for accomodation next week too.
Author's take
WWE is always lambasted for its negative aspects, but there is usually very little coverage of the positive things they do for its Superstars.
The way the company threw a backstage party for RAW Superstars on Christmas and paid for the hotel stays of both brands' rosters in Chicago was very heartwarming indeed, and it shows that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is also a gentleman who cares about his talented workers, despite what people may think.
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