The 2006 Great American Bash was the third annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and 17th Great American Bash event overall. It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's SmackDown! brand division. The event took place on July 23, 2006, at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the final Great American Bash PPV to be brand-exclusive as following WrestleMania 23 the following year, brand-exclusive PPVs were discontinued.

The main event was Rey Mysterio versus King Booker for the World Championship, which Booker won by pinfall after Chavo Guerrero interfered. One of the predominant matches on the card was The Undertaker versus Big Show in the first Punjabi Prison match, which Undertaker won by escaping the structure. Another primary match on the undercard was Batista versus Mr. Kennedy, which Kennedy won after Batista was disqualified.

The Great Khali and Bobby Lashley were originally scheduled to compete in their respective matches against The Undertaker in the Punjabi Prison match and against Finlay for the WWE United States Championship, but they were both pulled from the event due to elevated enzymes in the liver that would possibly signify hepatitis. Further tests came back clear for them both after the event. Mark Henry was also scheduled to compete against the returning Batista in a grudge match, however he ruptured his patellar tendon and dislocated his kneecap just before this event in a match on Saturday Night's Main Event XXXIII, forcing a replacement in the form of Mr. Kennedy.