2006 WWE brand extension draft
| 2006 WWE draft | |
|---|---|
 Paul Heyman represented ECW during the 2006 WWE Draft. | |
| General information | |
| Sport | Professional wrestling |
| Date(s) | May 29, 2006 |
| Location | Tacoma, Washington |
| Overview | |
| League | WWE |
| Teams | ECW |
The 2006 World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) brand extension draft, also known as the 2006 ECW draft,[1] was the fourth WWE draft that took place at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington on May 29. The draft aired on WWE's program Raw. The draft featured ECW representative Paul Heyman receiving two total draft picks from the existing SmackDown! and Raw rosters for the newly created ECW brand.[2][3]
Background
After World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. bought all of Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW)'s assets in 2003, the company began releasing DVDs promoting the original ECW.[4] Soon afterwards, the company promoted two ECW reunion shows for ECW alumni entitled, ECW One Night Stand in 2005 and in 2006.[5] On May 25, 2006, WWE announced the launch of a new brand, ECW, a revival of the 1990s promotion.[6] The new brand would later debut on the Sci Fi Channel on June 13, 2006.[7]
Superstar selections
| Pick # | Brand (to) | Employee (Real name)[1] |
Role | Brand (from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ECW | Rob Van Dam (Robert Szatkowski) |
Male wrestler | Raw |
| 2 | ECW | Kurt Angle | Male wrestler | SmackDown! |
Aftermath
Fifteen days after the draft ECW would hold its premiere episode on June 13, 2006.[8] Although not drafted, Tazz later defected from SmackDown! to ECW, Big Show from Raw to ECW, and Randy Orton from SmackDown! to Raw. In August 2006, after a few appearances, Kurt Angle requested and was granted his release from his contract.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). The ECW brand was disbanded after the final show, with every ECW wrestler becoming a free agent, eligible to join either the Raw or SmackDown! brands.[9] The original brand extension would end in August 2011.[10]
References
- ^ "2006 ECW Draft". YouTube. May 29, 2006. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ^ Williams III, Ed (May 29, 2006). "Heyman gets Draft picks". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
- ^ Williams III, Ed (May 29, 2006). "Will Triple H join the Mr.McMahon Kiss my Ass club". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
- ^ Cohen, Eric. "Top Ten Moments of WWE in 2005". About: Pro Wrestling. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
- ^ Cohen, Eric. "Top Ten Moments of WWE in 2005". About: Pro Wrestling. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
- ^ "WWE Launches ECW As Third Brand". Archived from the original on December 23, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "WWE brings ECW to Sci Fi Channel". WWE. Retrieved 2006-06-02.
- ^ "WWE brings ECW to Sci Fi Channel". WWE. Retrieved 2006-06-02.
- ^ Adkins, Greg (February 8, 2010). "Raw's pit stomp". World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original on May 14, 2008. Retrieved February 9, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Raw: August 29, 2011 - WWE.com". WWE. Retrieved December 30, 2016.