Paul Heyman tweeted the following rant on Twitter on Tuesday, stating that he was approached by a WWE.com staffer this week to talk about the infamous “ECW: December To Dismember” pay-per-view event from 2006.
“I love how everyone wants to remind me that I left @WWE six years ago today. But here’s one better … @WWE Dot Com sends this two bit hack reporter to interview me last night … not about @CMPunk surpassing @JohnCena … not about your reigning defending @WWE Champion @CMPunk’s rightful place front and center on pro wrestling’s Mt Rushmore … @WWE Dot Com had this “reporter” ask me questions about THE #ECW DECEMBER TO DISMEMBER PAY PER VIEW EVENT!”
“I won’t spoil the fun, but for those of you looking for the latest ‘shoot promo,’ check out the story. I’m sure @WWE won’t like it too much. … and, bluntly, I don’t care if @WWE likes it or not. I stand by what I said, and meant every single solitary word! The story comes out this week. We now return you to our regularly scheduled decadence, debauchery, and hustlin’!”
The show was considered to be a disaster, drawing the lowest domestic buyrate for a WWE-promoted event in history (55,000) and was the beginning of the end for WWE’s revived ECW promotion.
The booking of the main event was also the final straw that led to Paul Heyman leaving WWE. Heyman was pushing hard for WWE/ECW newcomer CM Punk to shock the world and eliminate ECW Champion Big Show first in the Extreme Elimination Chamber main event, but Vince McMahon reportedly squashed the idea and decided to put the ECW title on Bobby Lashley that night.
The day after the event, WWE.com put out a statement that Vince McMahon had sent Heyman home, citing “slumping television ratings and a disgruntled talent roster as causes for Mr. Heyman’s dismissal”.
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