Holiday-themed angles have long been part of WWE television, but few are remembered quite as vividly as the night a “Santa Claus” was run down on Monday Night Raw.
That moment took place on the December 24, 2012 episode of Raw, when Alberto Del Rio, then positioned as one of the company’s top villains, opened the show by striking a man dressed as Santa Claus with his car. The segment unfolded at the very start of the broadcast, with Mick Foley, dressed as Santa, handing out gifts to children at ringside before Del Rio arrived in his vehicle and knocked him to the ground.
WWE officials and medical staff were shown rushing to the scene, with Santa placed on a stretcher and taken away, immediately establishing Del Rio as the night’s central antagonist. The angle leaned heavily into his established character at the time, presenting him as arrogant, cruel, and entirely indifferent to the holiday spirit.
The incident was not a throwaway moment. It directly fed into the show’s main event, where Del Rio faced John Cena in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight. The festive stipulation allowed the use of Christmas-themed weapons and props, keeping the holiday framing firmly in place throughout the match.
The closing twist came when Mick Foley came back out dressed as Santa Claus, and delivered his Mandible Claw, rebranded as the “Santa Socko”, to Del Rio, giving Cena the opening to secure the victory.
Santa Claus’ Memorable WWE Moments
Santa Claus has regularly appeared on WWE television during holiday episodes, often as more than a light-hearted festive cameo. The character has been used to advance storylines, generate heat for villains, or provide a surprise twist, making Santa a familiar presence in WWE’s Christmas-themed programming.
One of Santa’s most memorable appearances came on the December 22, 1997, episode of Raw, where “Stone Cold” Steve Austin delivered a Stone Cold Stunner to a nasty version of the holiday icon who was mean to a child prior to Austin’s entrance.
