CM Punk entered the WWE with tremendous buzz thanks to developing a cult following on the indepedent circuit.
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The future WWE champion made his long-awaited debut in front of a passionate New York City crowd in summer 2006.
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Former ECW Champion Justin Credible gave Punk quite a fight in the rookie's WWE debut.
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Punk was victorious at the Hammerstein Ballroom and has gone on to become one of the most popular Superstars in the history of WWE.
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Seven years after making his name as Stephanie McMahon's beau, Test completely changed his look during ECW's 2006 relaunch.
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In one of the evening's featured contests, Test & Mike Knox battled The Sandman & Tommy Dreamer in an Extreme Rules Tag Team Match.
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No strangers to hardcore, Dreamer and The Sandman pulled out all the stops in front of a riotous crowd.
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Despite their experience, Dreamer and The Sandman succumbed to Test and Knox after The Innovator of Violence was slammed into a barbed wire board.
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Following the contest, the ECW Original was ambushed by Paul Heyman and his personal security detail.
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Dreamer required significant medical attention after making his way to the locker room.
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No two men were more qualified to call the action than the broadcast team of Joey Styles & Tazz.
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In somewhat of a surprise, The Brooklyn Brawler said he was too extreme and hardcore for Raw or SmackDown and declared that ECW was exactly where he needed to be.
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But the Brawler was forced to contend with the returning Kurt Angle.
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The Olympic Gold Medalist reinvented himself during his time in ECW, becoming an unrelenting and vicious Wrestling Machine.
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The lovable Brawler was no match for the talented ring veteran.
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In an untelevised bout, ECW Originals Stevie Richards and Roadkill faced off at the Hammerstein Ballroom.
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Roadkill is recognized as one half of the final ECW Tag Team Champions alongside his partner Danny Doring.
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Stevie Richards, a former member of ECW's popular bWo, was featured in many main events in the original ECW.
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Shannon Moore was seen riding the New York City subway system in anticipation of his upcoming debut.
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"The Reject" did not debut on television until more than a month later, but appeared in a non-televised match at the Hammerstein Ballroom.
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CW Anderson, a former rival of Dreamer's, took on Moore at the event.
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Moore was impressive, but was defeated by the tough Anderson.
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In another untelevisied matchup, René Duprée battled ECW Original Balls Mahoney.
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The hardcore fans in attendance did not care for the former La Résistance entering their turf.
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WWE Tag Team Champions Paul London & Brian Kendrick faced off with ECW's The F.B.I. at the event.
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London and Kendrick were supremely talented, but ECW fans had no interest in seeing WWE performers at an ECW event.
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The fans' displeasure with London and Kendrick was just an appetizer for the rage that would come next.
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Big Show defended the ECW Championship against Batista at the event.
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The World's Largest Athlete had won the title from Rob Van Dam less than two months prior, leaving ECW fans fuming.
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A marquee attraction at most other sports-entertainment shows, the rowdy New York City crowd booed the two WWE stalwarts out of the building.
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Fans in attendance chanted "bor-ing," "you both suck" and "change the channel" during the matchup.
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In the minds of the fans in attendance, no two Superstars represented everything that ECW wasn't more than Batista and Big Show.
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The match ended via disqualification, unheard of in the original ECW, when the champion nailed The Animal with the title.
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Storming the ring after the contest, Sabu was the ECW fans' salvation.
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The show ended on a thrilling note with Sabu sending Big Show through a table at ringside.