Mass scale of new physics in the absence of the Higgs boson

We consider a hypothetical scenario in which the Higgs boson is absent, and attempt to constrain the mass scale Lambda of the new physics that would take its place. Using recent measurements of sin(2) theta(eff)(lept) and M-W, we show that, in a class of theories characterized by simple conditions, the upper bound on Lambda is close to or smaller than the upper bound on M-H in the Standard Model, while in the complementary class Lambda is not restricted by our considerations. The issue of fine-tuning when ii is large is briefly discussed. Observations concerning the magnitude of the Higgs-boson contributions in the Standard Model are included. As a by product of our considerations, we discuss the usefulness and important properties of a radiative correction, Delta r(eff), that directly links sin(2) theta(eff)(lept) With alpha, G(mu), and M-z.