RAW 7.3.2006 - News & Notes

• Lita defeated Torrie
  
• S.Squad defeated Eugene, Jim Duggan, Snitsky, Viscera, & Val Venis
  
• DX, who Vince banned from the building, decided to throw a cookout in the parking lot. They later took over the production truck out back and were screwing around with the microphones, sound effects, video replays, etc. throughout the night. They even set off fireworks in Vince's limo (although it was obvious that they were set up behind the limo instead of inside).
  
• The Highlanders debuted and defeated Striker & Rob Conway
  
• Carlito defeated Nitro by DQ.
  
• Umaga defeated a jobber
  
• This Week In Wrestling History showed Hulk Hogan's heel turn @ Bash at The Beach in July 1996
  
• Randy Orton cut a promo about Brooke Hogan that will lead to an Orton/Hulk Hogan match @ Summerslam
  
• The original main event (A Triple Threat Tag match between Edge, RVD, and Cena with each man having a mystery partner) was scrapped and instead they did the Triple Threat match for the title that was originally scheduled for SNME Edge pinned RVD to become the WWE Champion once again. The reason the match was changed was a decision made in the last 24 - 48 hours stemming from RVD's arrest (with Sabu) over the weekend for marijuana possession. They obviously had to get the WWE title off of him as soon as possible. However, I am fairly certain that this entire match (including result) was the match that we would have seen @ SNME.
  

I am curious to see what happens with RVD and Sabu. Both guys are major players in the new ECW. The WWE's own 'Talent Wellness' program does not leave the WWE with no other choice but to suspend or fire both of them and without them in ECW the recently restarted promotion will likely face failure. I am confident that if they had not been arrested the planned RAW main event would have likely gone forward as planned. WWE's website has openly acknowledged the weekend arrests and stated that WWE Head of Talent Relations Johnny Ace had decided that both men would be available for ECW's tv show this week. The announced main event for this week's ECW show was RVD defending the WWE Title against Edge. What happens next remains to be seen.

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