December to Dismember (2006) — WWE ECW Brand Pay-Per-View

Main event and card

The headline attraction was an Extreme Elimination Chamber match contested for the ECW World Championship. Six competitors participated, mixing established stars and rising performers. The participants were:

• Bobby Lashley
• Rob Van Dam
• Hardcore Holly
• CM Punk
• Test
• Big Show (defending champion)

Bobby Lashley emerged victorious, winning the title after a decisive finish that saw him pin the defending champion. Although the event was branded for ECW, performers from WWE's other main rosters — Raw and SmackDown! — also appeared on the card, reflecting WWE's cross-brand booking at the time.

Background and context

In 2006 WWE relaunched ECW as a third brand, reviving the acronym and some of the original promotion's stylistic elements under WWE management. December to Dismember marked the first time WWE used that specific event name, and it was billed as the brand's signature December show. The event attempted to combine the chamber-based match concept with the hardcore-influenced presentation associated with the ECW name.

Reception, commercial performance, and legacy

Attendance for the show was modest, and the buyrate was notably low: roughly 90,000 buys in total, with about 55,000 recorded domestically. That figure has been cited as one of the lowest pay-per-view buyrates in WWE's modern era. The card and production received mixed to negative reactions from many critics and fans, who questioned both the match selection and the use of the ECW brand under WWE's banner. As a result, the 2006 edition stands out in WWE history as the only December to Dismember produced by WWE and is often mentioned in discussions about the early years of the ECW brand relaunch.

Notable facts

• The event title referenced the original 1995 ECW card, but the 2006 show was promoted and produced by WWE under its ECW brand.
• The Extreme Elimination Chamber format combined elements of the traditional Chamber match with a more hardcore presentation.
• The 2006 buyrate and attendance figures are frequently cited in retrospective accounts of WWE's pay-per-view business performance during that period.

For further reading on the event's matches, participants and its place in WWE's 2006 calendar, consult contemporary reports and wrestling archives linked from promotional histories and fan resources.