This is a rush transcript from "Hannity & Colmes," December 19, 2008. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: Now earlier this month WWE wrestlers stepped out of the ring, and they traveled to Iraq to entertain American troops for the holiday season. Now this marks their sixth consecutive trip to the Middle East, and their dedication to our brave men and women in uniform.
And it's really inspirational, and so inspirational it actually moved President Bush to sent them a special message of thanks. This two-day event was filmed. It's going to air, by the way, this weekend, on NBC at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
Here to talk about it and the whole experience, WWE stars Maria Kanellis and David Batista.
• Video: Watch Sean & Alan's interview
How are you?
MARIA KANELLIS, WWE DIVA: I'm good. Very good.
HANNITY: Nice to see you. Thank you. Very nice to see you.
ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: Can you crush his hand when you shake it?
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: No, no, no. Are you a liberal or a conservative?
COLMES: That's none of your business.
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: Well, I just want to know if I'm going to get crushed or he's going to hit you for me.
DAVE BATISTA, WWE WRESTLER: I got to say that my mom right now is very proud that I'm sitting next to this man, I guarantee you.
HANNITY: Colmes?
COLMES: Isn't that nice?
BATISTA: Absolutely.
HANNITY: So you.
COLMES: He's my friend.
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: So your mother grew up in San Francisco or Boston?
BATISTA: My mother lives in San Francisco.
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: I swear I didn't know. All right, good guess.
Now, did you — the troops when they see you girls there, come on, that must be a big morale booster?
KANELLIS: It is, definitely. They like to smell us, too, which is rather.
COLMES: Excuse me?
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: You have a particular odor?
KANELLIS: No. We actually smell like girls, not dirt and dust and firearms, and everything that in there.
HANNITY: Hang on a second. Let me smell. Oh yes, you smell like a girl.
KANELLIS: Yes? Thank you. Appreciate it.
BATISTA: There's not a whole — there's no fratization on the bases so.
HANNITY: Yes.
KANELLIS: Yes.
BATISTA: (INAUDIBLE) so different.
HANNITY: But listen, you know what, the fact that you guys do this, number one, is terrific, but I — when I was a kid I used to watch wrestling. It's so tremendously popular. Why is it so popular?
BATISTA: It's just fun.
HANNITY: Just fun.
KANELLIS: It's fun.
BATISTA: Yes, it's pure fun.
KANELLIS: Girls like it, too.
BATISTA: It translates across the world. It's really easy to figure out, you know? Usually, you're going to watch it, if you watch it, there's no sound, there's a good guy and there's a bad guy, and you pick which one you want to root for and that's how.
HANNITY: And that's how it is. You know, I went to Iraq one time, and I've got to tell you something, it really inspired me. You know when you start that twirl down and you corkscrew down, and you think about — as I was thinking as I was going down, what if I was going to be here another year, and when people like yourselves take time out of your busy schedules, you know how impressed I was, it really means a lot to those men and women.
KANELLIS: It does. Definitely. And.
HANNITY: What is it like for you?
KANELLIS: You know, every year it gets better and better.
HANNITY: Yes.
KANELLIS: ... for me, because I've been over there four times, actually. First time.
HANNITY: Do they all want to date you?
KANELLIS: They ask me to marry them a lot.
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: Hi, can you marry me?
KANELLIS: Yes, exactly. Exactly. Something like that.
COLMES: You haven't accepted any of those invitations, I presume?
KANELLIS: No, I haven't, you know? I think they're a little busy over there right now, but the morale of the troops overall is getting better and better. Every time.
HANNITY: Yes. They're winning.
KANELLIS: ... we go over there, we're seeing — you know, we're flying in the black hawk helicopters over these schools.
HANNITY: Yes.
KANELLIS: And the Iraqi children are waving at us.
COLMES: They've got to be thrilled to see you guys.
KANELLIS: And that's great.
COLMES: You know, I'm amazed at how — you've got to be in great shape, and I'm not going to get into whether or not, you know, what's real and what's not real. But to do what you do, just to watch you take the falls you take, you've got to be in excellent shape, right?
BATISTA: That's right. It's a little rough, yes, but you know, but we — we're constantly working out and staying in shape. That's — you know.
HANNITY: Do any of the guys smell you?
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
KANELLIS: He smells good. He's good. He's good.
COLMES: No, you're just weird. That's just a weird question.
HANNITY: Well, she said they want to smell her.
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: Do any of the girls, the female soldiers smell you?
BATISTA: I feel a little uncomfortable right now. But yes.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
COLMES: Has anybody ever asked you before if you want to be smelled?
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: I've never had — that's what people ask.
KANELLIS: I know.
HANNITY: They ask you that?
KANELLIS: Yes, and can I smell you? Can I stand here a little longer?
HANNITY: I — I have — no, I can smell the stench of liberalism almost a mile away.
COLMES: Glad that's not in this room.
(LAUGHTER)
COLMES: All right. So, Maria, apparently.
HANNITY: All the eyes of the beholder.
COLMES: ... is it true that you collect tin lunch boxes?
BATISTA: I do. That's — my passion. Yes.
COLMES: Now you would — now nobody would ever make fun of you for that, right, twice?
BATISTA: Yes, I have. I don't care.
KANELLIS: (INAUDIBLE) Ninja Turtle one?
BATISTA: I do not, no.
KANELLIS: No? I have to find you.
COLMES: So now, what — I wonder what happens in the locker room after you've been in the ring and you're at each other. What happens after the match?
(LAUGHTER)
KANELLIS: It depends on how the match went.
BATISTA: We really don't like to be — you know, too much of the magic. But you know, everybody knows it's entertainment.
COLMES: Yes.
BATISTA: We are a very family oriented atmosphere in locker rooms.
COLMES: Right.
BATISTA: But you know, we won't give away too much.
COLMES: I want to know about the real rivalries.
(LAUGHTER)
COLMES: I want to know about people who really hate each other.
BATISTA: It's very competitive. It's very competitive.
COLMES: It is competitive.
BATISTA: Absolutely, it's competitive.
KANELLIS: And it's always professional, too.
BATISTA: Yes, absolutely.
COLMES: All right. Look, congratulations on what you're doing for the troops, and we appreciate you coming here and telling us about it.
KANELLIS: Thank you.
BATISTA: That's right.
COLMES: And have a very happy holiday. Thanks so much for being here tonight.
KANELLIS: Thank you.
HANNITY: Appreciate it very much.
KANELLIS: I love the show.
COLMES: And up next.
BATISTA: Thank you.
Watch "Hannity & Colmes" weeknights at 9 p.m. ET!
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