What If RVD Hadn’t Gotten In Trouble With The Law In 2006?

2. CM Punk’s Push Changes

CM Punk's initial ECW storylines might have looked different were RVD still on top.

The ECW Championship moved from Rob Van Dam to The Big Show to Bobby Lashley. After a year, it was as if WWE consciously decided to change directions, treating ECW less as an equal third brand, and more as a developmental division not altogether different from what NXT is now. That included spotlighting a mix of up and comers and veterans who were reasonably over but not in contention for main event positions.

Lashley relinquished the title when he moved to the Raw brand, and there was a tournament to replace him as champion, with a final round slated to happen between Chris Benoit and CM Punk (before John Morrison replaced Benoit after his family tragedy). Punk would spend the months to follow chasing, and finally getting the better of Morrison for the title.

Had RVD stuck around, it’s likely CM Punk still would have found his way to the top of the ECW brand. However, as the two represented the old and new guards of Paul Heyman guys, there’s reason to believe RVD ultimately would have passed the torch to Punk, either as respectful rivals or after a heated feud, in either case changing Punks’ road to the title.