Author: On June 11th, 2006, fans witnessed RVD vs John Cena for the WWE Championship at ECW’s One Night Stand pay-per-view inside the historic Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan. It was a collision between two vastly different wrestling worlds—the face of ECW versus the unbeatable Superman of WWE. But more than anything, it was a clash between the passions of an entire fanbase and the corporate machine that had once tried to extinguish their beloved brand. Fans were not prepared to witness the unthinkable happen during this match, and their massive, deafening reaction is a testament to a moment that would echo through WWE history for decades to come. Come along and relive this memorable moment in all its glory!
Quick Tip for Facebook Readers
Many of our readers connect with our content through our Facebook page. However, Meta's built-in browser (which opens by default on mobile) occasionally freezes mid-article- a known issue unrelated to our site. To enjoy uninterrupted reading: Tap the three dots in the top right corner → Select 'Open in external browser.' This will resolve the glitch. Thanks for your support. We want your wrestling stories to stay as smooth as a top-rope hurricanrana!
From Ashes to Glory: How ECW Returned and Changed Everything
To understand the magnitude of what transpired on June 11, 2006, we must first journey back to the spring of that year when ECW was just beginning its renaissance within the WWE machine. The original Extreme Championship Wrestling had been dead for five years, shut down in 2001 after a run of groundbreaking television and live events that revolutionized professional wrestling. But WWE management never forgot the cult-like devotion that ECW fans possessed, nor did they forget the legendary wrestlers who had built the brand from nothing.
In May of 2005, Paul Heyman returned to WWE programming alongside Vince McMahon and Eric Bischoff to promote ECW One Night Stand, a one-off pay-per-view tribute show. It was a celebration of the hardcore brand’s legacy, held at the very same Hammerstein Ballroom where so many ECW classics had unfolded.
The event exceeded all expectations, proving that the ECW faithful’s passion had not dimmed one bit in the five years since the promotion’s closure. Armed with this knowledge and riding the wave of nostalgia, WWE made a monumental decision: ECW would return as a full-time third brand in 2006, standing alongside Raw and SmackDown.
The decision to bring back ECW as an ongoing entity changed the landscape of professional wrestling. On June 11, 2006, the same night as the second ECW One Night Stand pay-per-view, WWE would not only celebrate ECW’s return with a special event but would also launch the brand as a permanent fixture on the Sci-Fi Channel. This was no longer a one-night nostalgic trip down memory lane. This was ECW stepping back into the ring for real, and the stakes had never been higher.
The Path to Destiny: Money in the Bank and Championship Gold
The stage for this historic encounter was set two months earlier at WrestleMania 22 on April 2, 2006, in Chicago. Rob Van Dam competed in the second-ever Money in the Bank ladder match, a new stipulation that was quickly becoming the most anticipated match type at WrestleMania. Facing off against Bobby Lashley, Finlay, Matt Hardy, Ric Flair, and Shelton Benjamin, RVD displayed the fearlessness and athleticism that had made him a cult icon. With his unorthodox style and gravity-defying aerial assault, Van Dam climbed the ladder and retrieved the briefcase, earning the right to challenge for any championship at any time within the next year.
Meanwhile, John Cena was riding high as the WWE Champion, having won the title earlier in 2006 by defeating Triple H at the very same WrestleMania. Cena had been crowned the face of WWE, the company’s chosen representative to lead them into the future. He embodied the “Never Give Up” ethos that Vince McMahon wanted to project. He was invincible, undefeated, the Superman of professional wrestling. But Superman had never faced a crowd like the one he would encounter at the Hammerstein Ballroom.
The moment RVD won the Money in the Bank briefcase, the wheels were set in motion.
Van Dam, ever the student of wrestling history and the ECW legacy, made the strategic decision to cash in at the second ECW One Night Stand pay-per-view. He announced his challenge to Cena on Monday Night Raw, making it clear that he would face the champion for the WWE Championship under ECW rules.
The ECW faithful erupted. Here was a homegrown ECW star—one of their own—positioned to reclaim the championship throne in the very place where ECW had been born and had thrived for so many years. The anticipation was electric.
Enemy Territory: The Atmosphere Before the Bell Rings
On June 11, 2006, the night the impossible became reality inside those four walls of the Hammerstein Ballroom. The work on all parts was top-notch. The ECW crowd was famous for being rowdy. They lived up to that and more at the two ECW One Night Stand pay-per-views. The crowd was even more electric in 2006 than in 2005 because WWE’s highest prize was up for grabs. In the back of every fan’s mind was, “There’s absolutely no way Vince McMahon would let an ECW guy walk away with the title, right? Right? RIGHT?!?!?!?”
The atmosphere for Cena versus RVD was insane. From the opening moments to the closing bell, everyone in attendance was tuned in. The Hammerstein Ballroom was packed like sardines with passionate wrestling fans who hadn’t seen their brand represented at this level in five years. Not a single person sat down. The crowd was alive in a way that modern WWE audiences rarely experience.
When the Doctor of Thuganomics slipped up, the crowd let him know it—with vulgar chants and thrown objects. When Mr. PPV did what he does best, they hit him with praise and erupted like a volcano. The crowd was there every step of the way, conducting the match like an orchestra conductor leading a symphony of pure emotion.
As John Cena made his way to the ring, he was met with something he had never experienced before at this level: complete and utter rejection from an entire arena. Fans threw his t-shirt back at him, a gesture of disrespect that had become a rallying cry for those who opposed him.
One famous sign in the crowd read, “If Cena Wins, We Riot!” and everyone knew they meant it. Cena himself would later reflect on the moment, saying the crowd was going to be hostile, but hostile didn’t even describe the atmosphere in the Hammerstein Ballroom. They loved Rob, and they hated him. This was probably the peak of polarization that would leak into the WWE for years.
The Match Unfolds: Championship Dreams on the Line
As the bell rang, Cena and RVD locked up in what would become one of the most celebrated WWE Championship matches in history. Under ECW rules—meaning no disqualifications—anything was legal. The work between the two men was stellar, with Cena displaying his power and determination while RVD showcased the acrobatic and unorthodox offense that made him such a fan favorite. The ECW crowd chanted constantly: “You can’t wrestle,” “Same old shit,” and far more profane expressions that reflected their disdain for the WWE Champion.
RVD played his greatest hits throughout the match. The moonsault to the floor, the guillotine leg drop, the rolling thunder, and the lightning-quick chair dropkick that left Cena reeling. Cena, meanwhile, was pushed to the limit in a way he rarely was. He delivered a DDT onto a steel chair, a catapult into the corner chair setup, and he even put his feet on the ropes during a pin attempt—something his heroic persona would typically avoid. The crowd’s intensity seemed to strip away Cena’s corporate polish, forcing him to reveal a darker side to survive in enemy territory.
The tension built as the match reached its climax. Cena was doing everything he could to retain his championship, but the energy in the Hammerstein was all with Rob Van Dam. And then, in a moment that would change everything, the referee went down. In a shocking turn of events, out came Edge, the biggest heel in WWE at the time and one of the most hated figures on the roster. But on this night, Edge played the role of deliverer of dreams. He charged down the aisle and speared John Cena through a table on the outside of the ring, the impact reverberating through the Hammerstein like an explosion.
The Unthinkable: RVD Becomes Champion
The crowd erupted in an explosion of noise as Edge’s interference sent the WWE Champion crashing through the table. Paul Heyman, the man who founded the original ECW and who now represented the reborn brand, slid into the ring to make the count.
RVD, still groggy but sensing his moment was at hand, climbed to the top rope. The crowd held its collective breath as their hero positioned himself. Then, with a beautiful display of athleticism, RVD jumped off the top rope and crashed down with his signature Five-Star Frog Splash onto the fallen Cena.
One. Two. Three.
The referee’s hand hit the mat for the third time, and the Hammerstein Ballroom absolutely detonated. Grown men wept. Fans jumped out of their seats, hugged strangers, and screamed at the top of their lungs. For the first time in five years, ECW had reclaimed the WWE Championship.
For the first time in his career, Rob Van Dam stood atop the wrestling world as the champion of WWE. It was unthinkable. It was unprecedented. It was, without question, one of the greatest crowd reactions in professional wrestling history.
Paul Heyman handed the WWE Championship to RVD in the ring, and the moment became instantly iconic. Within days, WWE would award RVD with the reactivated ECW World Heavyweight Championship as well, making him the champion of both brands, a man holding both the WWE Championship and ECW Championship simultaneously. The victory had sent shockwaves through the entire WWE Universe.
The Brief Reign: A Moment Interrupted
The whole match was a classic that will be remembered as long as professional wrestling exists.
However, the fairytale would be cut short. RVD didn’t end up holding the title for too long after this, as on July 1st, 2006, just three weeks after winning WWE’s most coveted title and during the biggest push of his career, he was arrested for a drug charge and slapped with a 30-day suspension. To top it off, he had to forfeit the title.
The championship he had won in such dramatic fashion, the title he had torn away from John Cena in front of thousands of ECW faithful, slipped through his fingers almost as quickly as he had grasped it. The reign lasted only 21 days, ending with Edge capturing the title in a triple threat match that also involved Cena.
Interestingly, Van Dam himself would later reflect on his win with mixed feelings. Though he eventually made peace with the decision, RVD initially felt insulted by the decision to have Edge interfere in the match. He understood the bigger picture of everything as he got older, but on that night, he would have rather Edge didn’t come out. He would have rather just beaten Cena by himself. He felt a little insulted, like this was another thing where WWE didn’t trust ECW or thought that ECW needed something more to legitimize the victory.
Despite the brief nature of his championship reign and the interference that helped him claim victory, nothing could diminish what happened that night. The moment transcended wrestling. It was a celebration of a brand’s legacy, a vindication of the ECW fanbase, and a reminder that sometimes, in professional wrestling, the crowd’s passion is the most powerful force in the building.
A Night That Changed Everything
But let’s look past that for a moment and remember the good times by reliving the moment RVD climbed to the top of the WWE mountain. That night at the Hammerstein Ballroom will forever stand as one of the defining moments in professional wrestling history. It was the night that the little guy beat the Superman.
It was the night that ECW, despite being dead for five years, rose up and claimed victory on the grandest stage that WWE could provide. It was the night that everything changed.
Watch RVD win the WWE Championship against John Cena at ECW One Night Stand 2006 below:
These stories may also interest you:
- Mass Transit Incident: How One Match Nearly Ended ECW
- Sandman Incident: Controversial Time ECW Went Too Far
- Hidden Gems of ECW: 10 Appearances You May Have Missed
Can’t get enough pro wrestling history in your life? Sign up to unlock ten pro wrestling stories curated uniquely for YOU, plus subscriber-exclusive content. A special gift from us awaits after signing up!
Want More? Choose another story!
Be sure to follow us on Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, and Flipboard!
Pro Wrestling Stories is committed to accurate, unbiased wrestling content rigorously fact-checked and verified by our team of researchers and editors. Any inaccuracies are quickly corrected, with updates timestamped in the article's byline header.
Got a correction, tip, or story idea for Pro Wrestling Stories? Contact us! Learn about our editorial standards here. Ever wanted to learn more about the people behind Pro Wrestling Stories? Meet our team of authors!
ProWrestlingStories.com participates in affiliate marketing programs. This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we may earn commissions at no extra cost to our readers. This supports our mission to deliver free content for you to enjoy!
"Evan Ginzburg’s stories are a love letter to wrestling, filled with heart, humor, and history. A must-read for any true fan." — Keith Elliot Greenberg
Wrestling Rings, Blackboards, and Movie Sets is the latest book from Pro Wrestling Stories Senior Editor Evan Ginzburg. 100 unforgettable stories—from sharing a flight on 9/11 with a WWE Hall of Famer to untold moments in wrestling history. A page-turner for fans of the ring and beyond. Grab your copy today! For signed editions, click here.
