 Guerrero in 2004 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes[5] (1967-10-09)October 9, 1967 El Paso, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | November 13, 2005(2005-11-13) (aged 38) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Alma mater | New Mexico Highlands University |
Spouse | |
| Children | 3, includingShaul Guerrero |
| Family | Guerrero |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Black Tiger (II)[1] El Caliente[1] Eddie Guerrero Eddy Guerrero[2] Gory Guerrero Jr.[1] Máscara Mágica[1] Latino Heat[1] |
| Billed height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)[3] |
| Billed weight | 220 lb (100 kg)[3] |
| Billed from | El Paso, Texas, U.S.[2][3] |
| Trained by | Gory Guerrero |
| Debut | September 5, 1986[1][4] |
Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes[5] (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005)[1] was an Americanprofessional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures inWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW) and theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF) /World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), along with his appearances in Mexico and Japan. A prominent member of theGuerrero wrestling family, being the son of first-generation wrestlerGory Guerrero, he is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential professional wrestlers of all time.
Guerrero'sgimmick was that of "Latino Heat", a crafty, resourceful wrestler who would do anything to win a match. Hiscatchphrase became "I Lie! I Cheat! I Steal!" and was used in one of his entrance themes; he partly used this phrase in the title of his 2005 autobiography,Cheating Death, Stealing Life. Despite being aheel for most of his career, he waspopular in and out of the ring and was at the peak of his career as aface during 2003–2005, becoming the top wrestler on theSmackDownbrand in 2004. He experienced varioussubstance abuse problems, includingalcoholism and an addiction topainkillers; these real-life issues were sometimes incorporated into hisstorylines.
Guerrero spent much of his early career wrestling on theMexican professional wrestling scene and forming a populartag team withArt Barr. After the death of Barr, Guerrero received his first mainstream exposure in the United States in 1995 by joining ECW and winning theECW World Television Championship two times. Later that year, Guerrero moved to WCW, where he becameWCW United States Champion andWCW Cruiserweight Champion and also led theLatino World Order. He left WCW in 2000 after the company failed to elevate him to a main event spot.
He moved to WWF during theAttitude Era with his WCW colleaguesChris Benoit,Dean Malenko andPerry Saturn, who formed a group calledThe Radicalz. Guerrero went on to win theWWF European Championship andWWF Intercontinental Championship before he was released in 2001 due to addiction issues. After being rehired in 2002, he formedLos Guerreros with his nephewChavo, winning theWWE Tag Team Championship, and established himself on the SmackDown brand. He climbed tomain event status and won theWWE Championship, his soleworld championship atNo Way Out 2004. He lost the titlelater that year but remained a popular main eventer until his sudden death on November 13, 2005.[6] He was posthumously inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame,AAA Hall of Fame,Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, andHardcore Hall of Fame.
Guerrero was born and raised inEl Paso, Texas,[2][3] where he graduated fromThomas Jefferson High School (La Jeff) in 1985. He attended theUniversity of New Mexico, and thenNew Mexico Highlands University on anathletic scholarship. It was there that Guerrero enteredcollegiate wrestling before moving to Mexico to train as a professional wrestler.[4] He followed in the footsteps of his brothers and father, who had also wrestled in Mexico. As a boy, he would attend the wrestling promotions held by his fatherGory Guerrero at theEl Paso County Coliseum. Guerrero's father allowed him and his nephewChavo to wrestle each other during intermissions.
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Guerrero debuted in 1986. In 1989, he appeared withWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW) as ajobber, most notably wrestlingTerry Funk. In 1991, he would return forWrestleWar '91, wrestling adark match, teaming withUltraman to defeat Huichol and Rudy Boy Gonzalez. Guerrero wrestled as the original "Máscara Mágica" inConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) until his departure in 1992. He then left the company to pursue a career withAsistencia Asesoría y Administración. Although the Máscara Mágicagimmick was popular, CMLL owned the rights to the character. Guerrero then appeared on a televised AAA show as Máscara Mágica, only to then unmask himself along with the aid of his tag team partner that night,Octagón.
In Mexico, Guerrero wrestled mainly forAsistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), teaming withEl Hijo del Santo as the new version of La Pareja Atómica (The Atomic Pair), thetag team of Gory Guerrero andEl Santo.
After Guerreroturned on Santo and allied withArt Barr as "la Pareja del Terror" ("the Pair of Terror"), the duo became arguably the most hated tag team inlucha libre history.[1] Along with Barr,Konnan, Chicano Power, andMadonna's Boyfriend, Guerrero formedlos Gringos Locos ("the Crazy Americans"), a villainousstable.[1][7] Guerrero later said that no matter how many people joined los Gringos Locos, the stable was all about Barr. Locos feuded mostly with El Hijo del Santo and his partnerOctagón, eventually ending in aHair vs. Mask match at the first Luchapay-per-view in America,When Worlds Collide, which they lost.[8]
Guerrero and Barr's first break would come when they were noticed in late-1994 by the owner ofExtreme Championship Wrestling (ECW),Paul Heyman, and were approached about wrestling for him in 1995. Barr, however, died before he could join ECW with Guerrero.
In 1992, Guerrero began wrestling in Japan forNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was known as the second incarnation ofBlack Tiger. He became more successful upon his return when he won the1996 Best of the Super Juniors tournament ofjunior heavyweights. He received a shot at theIWGP Junior Heavyweight ChampionThe Great Sasuke at Skydiving J, but lost the match.[9]
Guerrero won theECW World Television Championship from2 Cold Scorpio in his debut match forExtreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) on April 8, 1995, atThree Way Dance.[10][11] He went on to have a series of acclaimed matches withDean Malenko before they both signed withWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW) later that year.[12] Guerrero lost theECW World Television Championship to Malenko on July 21 of that year,[13] but Guerrero regained the title on July 28.[11] Guerrero lost the ECW Television Championship back to 2 Cold Scorpio on August 25.[14] The next day, they had their last match which ended in a draw in atwo out of three falls match at theECW Arena. After the match, the locker room emptied and the two were carried around the ring by their fellow wrestlers while the crowd chanted "please don't go".[15]
Guerrero returned to WCW in mid-1995 along with Dean Malenko andChris Benoit with whom he had worked with in NJPW and ECW.[12][16] Guerrero competed in his first match on August 30, losing to Malenko, which aired on the October 7 episode ofSaturday Night. Guerrero made his televised debut in WCW on the September 17 episode ofMain Event againstAlex Wright in a match which ended in a no contest after Guerrero injured his knee.[17] Guerrero won a rematch against Wright on the October 21 episode ofSaturday Night. His first televised pay-per-view appearance was atWorld War 3 where he competed in the 3-ring, 60-man World War 3 battle royal for the vacantWCW World Heavyweight Championship. Guerrero was one of the final nine men in the battle royal (notably being one of only two men in the group to be under the age of 35, the other beingThe Giant) until he was tossed out of the ring byFour Horsemen members.[18][19]
AtStarrcade: World Cup of Wrestling in December 1995, Guerrero represented WCW in a WCW vs. NJPW World Cup tournament, which saw him losing toShinjiro Otani in the match, but WCW would go on to win the series at 4–3.[20] In 1996, Guerrero received several shots at theUnited States Heavyweight Championship againstKonnan atUncensored[21] andRic Flair atHog Wild.[22] He feuded with Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen during 1996 after Guerrero's partnerArn Anderson turned on him during a tag team match against Ric Flair andRandy Savage.[23]
In late 1996, he feuded withDiamond Dallas Page after defeating him in a match atClash of the Champions XXXIII.[24] He started feuding with DDP to steal hisnickname of "Lord of the Ring", but lost.[25] Guerrero participated in a tournament for the vacant WCW United States Heavyweight Championship and defeated DDP in the final round atStarrcade to win the United States title in December 1996.[26]
In 1997, Guerrero defended the United States Heavyweight Championship againstScott Norton atClash of the Champions XXXIV,[27]Syxx in aladder match atSouled Out,[28] andChris Jericho atSuperBrawl VII.[29] His reign came to an end atUncensored when Dean Malenko defeated him for the title.[30] Following the title loss, Guerrero defeated Malenko in a non-title rematch on the next night'sMonday Nitro before taking time off. He returned to WCW after a two-month hiatus on the June 9 episode ofMonday Nitro and avenged the title loss by interfering in Malenko's title defense againstJeff Jarrett and attacking Malenko, costing him the title and turning heel in the process.
Shortly after his return, Guerrero feuded with Jericho focusing on Jericho'sCruiserweight Championship. He challenged Jericho for the title atClash of the Champions XXXV but lost.[31] Guerrero demanded a rematch for the title. In the opening match ofFall Brawl, Guerrero defeated Jericho to win the WCW World Cruiserweight Championship.[32] Hedropped the title toRey Mysterio Jr. atHalloween Havoc in atitle vs. mask match where Mysterio's mask was also on the line.[33] On the November 10 episode ofMonday Nitro, he regained the Cruiserweight Championship from Mysterio,[34] and made a successful title defense against Mysterio atWorld War 3.[35] After retaining the title againstDean Malenko in the opening bout ofStarrcade in December 1997,[36] Guerrero dropped the title toÚltimo Dragón the following day on the December 29 episode ofNitro.[37]
On the March 9, 1998 episode ofNitro, Guerrero's nephewChavo Guerrero lost toBooker T in a match. After the match, Guerrero delivered a suplex to Chavo for the main purpose of teaching him a lesson.[38] On the March 12 episode ofThunder, he defeated his nephew Chavo in a match and forced him to become his "slave".[39] AtUncensored, Chavo was forced to support Guerrero when he faced Booker T for Booker'sWCW World Television Championship. Guerrero lost the match after receiving amissile dropkick.[40] Guerrero and Chavo feuded with Último Dragón. Chavo lost to Dragón atSpring Stampede.[41] AtSlamboree, Guerrero defeated Dragón despite interference from Chavo.[42] After the match, Chavo kissed Eddie and began to display insane behavior. AtThe Great American Bash, Chavo got an upset victory over Guerrero.[43] They faced each other in ahair vs. hair match atBash at the Beach which Guerrero won. Continuing to show his crazy behavior Chavo would shave his own head while Guerrero looked on in disbelief.[44] Guerrero saved Chavo from beatings byStevie Ray, seeming that he would align with Chavo but he wanted his release.[45]
Despite his success and popularity, Guerrero had been one of many wrestlers who were frustrated at never being given a chance to be main event stars in WCW. These frustrations came to a head when Guerrero requested that WCW PresidentEric Bischoff eitherpush his character or give him a raise for family reasons. Bischoff responded by allegedly throwingcoffee at Guerrero (however, in his autobiography, Guerrero states that Bischoff accidentally knocked his coffee off the table and that it was a complete accident that he was hit). Furious, Guerrero demanded Bischoff release him from his contract on a live episode ofNitro. Guerrero then left the company for months, angry at Bischoff for what he had done. Guerrero later returned to WCW, leading to the belief that maybe Guerrero's angry speeches against Bischoff were awork (Guerrero later confirmed it to be aworked shoot). Guerrero would later contradict himself on WWE'sDVDMonday Night War claiming that he tried to put personal differences aside for the good of the company, yet found himself angry and outraged once more because of Bischoff's supposed continued refusal to elevate Guerrero and other similar wrestlers. He letBrian Adams pin him and get an upset victory in a match.[45]
On-screen, Guerrero responded to Bischoff's actions by forming the Latino World Order (LWO), which was a take-off of Bischoff'sNew World Order.[46] The group was an answer to Bischoff's "refusal" to push Latino wrestlers in ways they felt they deserved.[46] The LWO was formed in October when Guerrero returned to WCW, withHéctor Garza andDamien.[45] The group eventually grew to encompass almost all the Mexican wrestlers working for WCW at the time. They mainly feuded with Rey Mysterio Jr. andBilly Kidman because they wanted Mysterio to join the group. He faced Kidman in a match for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, but Mysterio interfered and helped Kidman win the match and keep the title.[45] However, Guerrero was involved in a car accident on New Year's Day 1999 that cut short the LWO storyline.
After his return on the May 31, 1999 episode ofMonday Nitro, Guerrero became a founding member of theFilthy Animals alongside Rey Mysterio Jr. and Konnan.[47] They feuded with theDead Pool (Insane Clown Posse andVampiro). They received two straight victories over the Dead Pool atRoad Wild andFall Brawl.[48][49] They next feuded withRevolution (Shane Douglas,Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, andPerry Saturn). Guerrero was victorious over Saturn by disqualification in a singles match atHalloween Havoc.[50] AtMayhem, the Animals lost to Revolution in amixed tag team elimination match.[51] WhenVince Russo was fired as WCWbooker and replaced byKevin Sullivan, Guerrero asked for and received a release from his contract on January 19, 2000.[52] He signed with theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 2000 along with fellow WCW stars Benoit, Malenko, and Saturn.
Guerrero,Chris Benoit,Dean Malenko andPerry Saturn debuted in the WWF on the January 31, 2000 episode ofRaw is War asThe Radicalz, interfering in a match involvingThe New Age Outlaws, establishing themselves as faces.[53] During his first match with the WWF, a tag team match with Perry Saturn against The New Age Outlaws, Guerrero performed afrog splash off the top rope and dislocated his elbow when he landed the move; as a result, he was sidelined for several weeks. Guerrero and Saturn had originally been booked to defeat The New Age Outlaws, but due to his injury, Guerrero panicked and toldRoad Dogg, who was in the tag team match withBilly Gunn against Guerrero and Saturn, to immediately pin him.[54]After losing their "tryout matches" upon entry, The Radicalz aligned themselves with WWF Champion Triple H and became a heel faction.
In March, Guerrero, who was wrestling as a heel, began pursuing the affections ofChyna, who he referred to as his "Mamacita". At the time, Chyna was allies withChris Jericho and initially rejected his advances. On the April 3 episode ofRaw is War, Guerrero faced off against Jericho for theWWF European Championship. During the match, Chyna turned on Jericho and helped Guerrero win, and later explained her actions by declaring that she could not resist his "Latino Heat".[54][55][56][57] After Guerrero abandonedLita to be attacked byThe Dudley Boyz, he and Chyna began afeud withEssa Rios and Lita, ending in a European title defense atBacklash on April 30, which was also billed as the night of Guerrero'sprom (he was said to have just earned aGED). Guerrero defeated Rios after arriving at ringside in a 1957Chevrolet, even wrestling in his tuxedo pants and abow tie.[54][58] Guerrero turned face and successfully retained the title against former Radicalz friends Saturn and Malenko in atriple threat match atJudgment Day on May 21,[54][59] before losing the title to Saturn atFully Loaded on July 23.[54] The two slowly began to become popular with the fans, but over the next few months friction began to build between Guerrero and Chyna.
Chyna was upset when Guerrero pinned her to advance in theKing of the Ring tournament.[54] Then atSummerSlam on August 27, Guerrero and Chyna wrestled an Intergender tag team match againstTrish Stratus andVal Venis, who at the time was the reigningWWF Intercontinental Champion. The Intercontinental Championship was on the line in the match, and whoever scored the pin would win the title. Guerrero's team won the match, but Chyna scored the pin on Trish and became a two-time Intercontinental Champion.[54][60] Although Guerrero said he did not mind that Chyna was the champion, on the September 4 episode ofRaw is War he went to WWF CommissionerMick Foley and asked to be inserted into Chyna's title defense againstKurt Angle claiming that he did not want Angle to hurt his "mamacita". During the course of the match, Angle knocked down Chyna with the title belt and Guerrero laid on top of her to try to revive her. However, this resulted in Guerrero "accidentally"pinning Chyna as her shoulders were still on the mat, and thus Guerrero won the match and his first Intercontinental Championship.[54][57][61] Chyna became visibly uncomfortable as Guerrero began to cheat in order to retain his title, while Guerrero was upset that Chyna was posing forPlayboymagazine, even trying to invade thePlayboy Mansion to stop the photo shoot.[54] Just when it appeared that Chyna would leave Guerrero, he proposed to her and she accepted.[54] AtUnforgiven on September 24, Chyna helped Guerrero in retaining his title againstRikishi.[54][62] The engagement was called off when Guerrero was caught showering with two ofThe Godfather'shos (one of whom would later wrestle asVictoria) claiming that "two Mamacitas are better than one".[54]
Guerrero turned heel again as a result of the incident. Then, The Radicalz reunited and feuded with the reformedD-Generation X (Chyna, Billy Gunn,Road Dogg, andK-Kwik) (DX). They defeated DX atSurvivor Series on November 19 in an elimination tag team match and assisted Triple H in his match withStone Cold Steve Austin.[54][63] Guerrero was later defeated by Gunn for the Intercontinental Championship on the November 23 episode ofSmackDown!.[54] AtRebellion on December 2, Guerrero and Malenko lost to Gunn and Chyna.[54][64] Benoit left the group to focus on a singles career while the rest of The Radicalz feuded with Lita andThe Hardy Boyz (Matt andJeff). AtArmageddon on December 10, The Radicalz defeated The Hardy Boyz and Lita in an elimination tag team match.[54][65]
In early 2001, Guerrero feuded with Chris Jericho, Benoit, andX-Pac over Jericho's Intercontinental Championship. AtNo Way Out on February 25, the four men faced each other in afatal four-way match, which Jericho won.[66] Guerrero focused on the European Championship, feuding with the championTest defeating him atWrestleMania X-Seven on April 1 to win his second and final European Championship with help from Saturn and Malenko.[67][68] On the April 26 episode ofSmackDown!, Guerrero would lose the title toMatt Hardy. AtBacklash on April 29, Guerrero competed in a Triple threat match for the WWF European Championship but failed to win the title. In April, The Radicalz feuded with Test and his partners. Guerrero eventually left the Radicalz, siding with The Hardy Boyz and Lita. AtInsurrextion on May 5, Guerrero defeatedGrand Master Sexay. Around this point, Guerrero developed an addiction to pain medication stemming from his 1999 car accident and in May 2001 was sent torehab, missing the entireInvasion storyline that featured his former fellow WCW (and later ECW) wrestlers. To explain his absence, a storyline was created where Guerrero was "injured" byAlbert in a match.[69] On November 9, 2001, he was arrested fordrunk driving and was subsequently released by the WWF three days later.
Guerrero started wrestling on theindependent circuit after his release from the WWF. On February 23, 2002, he facedSuper Crazy on the debut show ofRing of Honor known asThe Era of Honor Begins to crown the first-everIWA Intercontinental Champion. Guerrero lost the match.[70][71] On February 24, he debuted in the Australian promotionWorld Wrestling All-Stars (WWA) atThe Revolution beating the championJuventud Guerrera andPsicosis in a Triple Threat match for theWWA International Cruiserweight Championship.[70][72] On March 1, he defeated the championCM Punk and Rey Mysterio in a Triple Threat match for theIWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship.[70][73] He dropped the title back to Punk one day later on March 2.[70] He vacated the WWA Cruiserweight title in April 2002 after returning to the WWF.[70]
Guerrero also returned toNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) for a brief period in March 2002, this time unmasked. He aligned himself with the villainousTeam 2000 stable, and primarily teamed withBlack Tiger.[74]
Guerrero returned to the WWF on the April 1, 2002 episode ofRaw, attackingRob Van Dam.[75][76] Guerrero feuded with Van Dam, defeating Van Dam for his second and finalIntercontinental Championship atBacklash on April 21.[77][78] After retaining the title against Van Dam atInsurrextion on May 4[79] andJudgment Day on May 19,[80][81] Guerrero finally lost the title to Van Dam on the May 27 episode ofRaw in aladder match in which a fan in anEdmonton Oilersjersey pushed him off a ladder.[82] Guerrero then feuded withStone Cold Steve Austin, but Austin left the WWE before a match could take place.[80]Chris Benoit returned to WWE the night Guerrero lost the title and reunited with Guerrero. Guerrero and Benoit feuded withRic Flair for a while and Guerrero lost a match to Flair atKing of the Ring on June 23.[80][83]
On the August 1 episode ofSmackDown!, Guerrero and Benoit moved to WWE'sSmackDown!brand. Guerrero feuded withEdge, to whom he lost atSummerSlam on August 25.[84] Guerrero continued his feud with Edge, whom he defeated atUnforgiven on September 22; they then had a no disqualification match on the September 26 episode ofSmackDown! which Edge won thus ending the rivalry.[85]
With Benoit focusing onKurt Angle, Guerrero aligned himself with his nephewChavo, forming the tag teamLos Guerreros.[86][87] In contrast to a previous WCW storyline with his nephew, Chavo fully agreed with his uncle as their slogan stated: "We lie, we cheat, and we steal, but at least we're honest about it". To push the new tag team,vignettes were produced, which included things such as the two finagling their way into a rich lady's house and throwing a pool party. These segments marked the beginning of the rise of popularity for the team, especially Eddie, who continued to use the mannerisms.[86]
The duo entered theeight-team tournament for the newWWE Tag Team Championship, sneaking pastRikishi andMark Henry in the opening round,[86][87][88] before starting a feud with the newly formedtag team of Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit. In one of the team's definitive moments, Chavo told Benoit that his former friend Guerrero was assaulted by his tag team partner Angle. Benoit ran to make the save, only to have himself locked inside a room. Guerrero then appeared in the room and assaulted Benoit with a steel chair. Benoit and Angle managed to overcome their differences and eventually defeated Los Guerreros in the tournament semi-finals.[86][87][89] Later on, Benoit and Angle won the title. Benoit and Angle then fought for a trophy for being the first WWE Tag Team Champions. Much to Benoit's surprise, Los Guerreros helped him win the match.
AtSurvivor Series on November 17, Los Guerreros faced the new champions Edge andRey Mysterio and the team of Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit for the titles. Guerrero made Mysterio submit to theLasso from El Paso to win their first WWE Tag Team Championship.[90][91] They turned face due to their popularity. They lost the titles toTeam Angle (Charlie Haas andShelton Benjamin) on the February 6, 2003 episode ofSmackDown!.[92][93] Los Guerreros and Team Angle began feuding with each other. Los Guerreros participated atWrestleMania XIX on March 30 as contenders for the WWE Tag Team Championship, along with the team of Chris Benoit andRhyno. Both teams lost to Team Angle in a triple threat match.[94] AtBacklash on April 27, Los Guerreros lost to Team Angle in a rematch.[95]
Chavo legitimately tore his biceps, forcing Guerrero to look for another partner. He choseTajiri, and they won the WWE Tag Team Championship, Guerrero's second and Tajiri's first atJudgment Day on May 18 by defeating Team Angle in a ladder match.[96][97] The following week, Guerrero and Tajiri managed to retain their titles against Team Angle by cheating.[92][98] They also defeatedRoddy Piper and his protégéSean O'Haire inMadison Square Garden on the June 26 episode ofSmackDown!.[92][99] After Guerrero and Tajiri lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to The World's Greatest Tag Team (previously Team Angle) on the July 3 episode ofSmackDown!, Guerrero turned on Tajiri, slamming Tajiri through the windshield of his low-rider truck, turning heel once again. This heel run didn't last very long as Guerrero continued to receive cheers from the crowd.[92][100]
In July, Guerrero competed in a tournament for theWWE United States Championship. He managed to advance to the final round, defeatingÚltimo Dragón andBilly Gunn in the process,[92] where he would meetChris Benoit.[101][102] AtVengeance on July 27, Guerrero turned to his cheating tactics, hitting Benoit with the belt at one point in the match. Guerrero tried to get Benoit in trouble by placing the title belt on top of the unconscious Benoit. It did not work, however, since he knocked out the referee earlier with a championship belt shot to the kidneys. The match ended with interference and aGore fromRhyno, Benoit's partner, who was furious at the team's failure. Guerrero pinned Benoit and won the United States Championship.[103][104]
AtSummerSlam on August 24, Guerrero retained his title by defeating Rhyno, Benoit, and Tajiri in afatal four-way match.[92][105] He later began a feud withJohn Cena, turning face once again. On the September 11 episode ofSmackDown!, Guerrero challenged Cena to a "Latino Heat" Parking Lot Brawl match for the United States Championship, which Guerrero won with help from his returning nephew, Chavo.[92][106] The next week onSmackDown!, Los Guerreros defeated The World's Greatest Tag Team to win the WWE Tag Team Championship, making Guerrero a double champion (beginning Guerrero's third tag title reign).
Guerrero engaged in a feud withBig Show, which involved Guerrero giving Big Show somelaxative lacedburritos and then later spraying Big Show from a sewage truck.[92][107][108] The feud ended when Guerrero lost the United States Championship to Big Show atNo Mercy on October 19.[109] Four days later, Los Guerreros lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to theBasham Brothers (Danny andDoug).[87][92][110] They began feuding with the Basham Brothers, but failed to regain the championship atSurvivor Series on November 16.[111] As Los Guerreros attempted to regain the tag team titles, things began to go downhill between Chavo and Eddie, as animosity began to build. Chavo then attacked and turned on Guerrero after he suffered a beating from the Basham Brothers on the January 8, 2004 episode ofSmackDown!.[87][112][113] Guerrero feuded with Chavo and defeated him at theRoyal Rumble on January 25 to settle their feud. After the match Eddie attacked Chavo causing him to bleed.[114]
WhenChris Benoit jumped to theRaw brand after winning the Royal Rumble match, using his title shot to go forTriple H'sWorld Heavyweight Championship, Guerrero won a15-man Royal Rumble match on the January 29 episode ofSmackDown! to earn a shot at theWWE Championship.[112][115] After becoming the number one contender, Guerrero elevated himself to main event status and began feuding with the championBrock Lesnar, whom he defeated to win the WWE Championship in the main event ofNo Way Out on February 15, his first world championship win in WWE. The victory made him a Triple Crown and Grand Slam Champion in the process.[116][117] Guerrero's next feud was withKurt Angle, whom he defeated atWrestleMania XX on March 14 to retain his title in his first big defense.[118] At the end of WrestleMania, Guerrero celebrated in the ring with longtime friend Chris Benoit, who had just won theWorld Heavyweight Championship.[119]
On the March 25 episode ofSmackDown!, Guerrero started a feud with fellow TexanJohn "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) after JBL interrupted Guerrero's title match withBooker T.[112][120] The rivalry would soon turn personal when at a non-televised live event, JBL caused Guerrero's mother to suffer a (kayfabe)heart attack while in attendance at ringside. AtJudgment Day on May 16, Guerrero defended his WWE title against JBL, retaining the title after getting himselfdisqualified, hitting JBL with the championship title.[121] The match witnessed Guerrero bleed heavily mid-way in the match as a result of Guerrero performing abladejob after a stiff headshot ringside with a chair from JBL. It was later explained that Guerrero cut too deep, thus hitting an artery. After the match concluded, Guerrero was persuaded to go to the hospital by WWE producerBruce Prichard where his wound was stitched up and he received IV fluids.[122]
"The chair shot was very stiff. [...] Eddie went deep. Very deep. I had no idea until I watched that tape back how much blood there was, I have seen some bloodbaths in Japan, Europe, Mexico and Texas-I had been in several-I have never seen anything like that."
— Layfield recounting the match between him and Guerrero at the2004 Judgment Day event.[123]
AtThe Great American Bash on June 27, Guerrero defended the title against JBL in aTexas bullrope match. JBL won after Kurt Angle (who wasGeneral Manager of SmackDown! at the time) reversed the decision after Guerrero appeared to have retained the title.[124] On the July 8 episode ofSmackDown!, Guerrero pulled a switcharoo withShannon Moore, who was wrestling as "El Gran Luchadore" and wore the costume.[112][125] On the July 15 episode ofSmackDown!, Guerrero faced JBL in asteel cage match for the WWE title where El Gran Luchadore appeared again and cost Guerrero the match; he later revealed himself as Kurt Angle. Guerrero continued his feud with Angle.[112][126]
AtSummerSlam on August 15, Guerrero lost to Angle after submitting to hisankle lock.[112][127] Guerrero then allied himself withBig Show. Each week Angle and his new alliesLuther Reigns andMark Jindrak began targeting Guerrero and Big Show. Guerrero defeated Reigns in a singles match atNo Mercy on October 3.[112][128]General ManagerTheodore Longbooked a Survivor Series Elimination match between a team led by Guerrero and a team led by Angle. Guerrero's team consisted of himself, Big Show,John Cena (replacing the originally chosenRey Mysterio), andRob Van Dam. AtSurvivor Series on November 14, Guerrero's team defeated Angle's team.[129]
Guerrero, along with Booker T andThe Undertaker, then challenged JBL for a WWE Championship rematch. Along the way, Guerrero found a partner in Booker T. AtArmageddon on December 12, Guerrero and Booker T's initial teamwork broke away, and the match ended with JBL pinning Booker T following theClothesline From Hell.[112][130] Afterwards, Guerrero and Booker T briefly and unsuccessfully attempted to win the WWE Tag Team Championship.[112][131] At theRoyal Rumble on January 30, 2005, Guerrero entered the namesake match at #1 and lasted 28:11 before being eliminated by Edge. In a skit before the Royal Rumble match, he drew his number the same timeRic Flair drew his. In an attempt to get a better draw, Guerrero switched his number with Flair's (and stole Flair's wallet in the process). Theodore Long made him return both items before the match. Flair would enter at #30.
AtNo Way Out on February 20, Guerrero teamed up with longtime friend and sometimes rival, Rey Mysterio and defeated theBasham Brothers to win his final title, the WWE Tag Team Championship for a fourth time, with it being Mysterio's third reign.[132][133] Many expected the new champions to defend their titles atWrestleMania 21 on April 3, but after encouragement fromChavo,[134][135] Guerrero challenged Mysterio to a one-on-one match instead so they could "bring the house down".[134][136] The two wrestled a match at WrestleMania with Mysterio getting the win. Although visibly frustrated, Guerrero congratulated his partner.[137] After several mishaps in the weeks following WrestleMania, the growing tension between Guerrero and Mysterio finally erupted when they lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to the new teamMNM (Johnny Nitro andJoey Mercury) on the April 21 episode ofSmackDown!.[138] Although the next week they received a rematch to regain the titles, Guerrero abandoned Mysterio, whom he had considered "his family" earlier in the show, costing them the match.[139]
At the end of the May 5 episode ofSmackDown!, he saved Mysterio from an attack by Chavo and MNM, before attacking Mysterio, leaving him bruised and bloody aftersuplexing him onto a set of steel steps, turning heel in the process. Guerrero then adopted a new, broodinggimmick. During this time, he also stopped driving his low-riders down the ring and walked to the ring slowly with a frown on his face, gained a new theme which was a darker remix of "Lie, Cheat, And Steal" and started using his other finishing move, theLasso from El Paso, more often.[134] AtJudgment Day on May 22, Guerrero lost to Mysterio by disqualification after hitting Mysterio with a chair.[140]
On the June 30 episode ofSmackDown!, Guerrero threatened to reveal a secret about Mysterio and his sonDominik. The storyline grew to involve the families of both men, with both sides pleading for Guerrero not to reveal the secret.[141] Mysterio defeated Guerrero again atThe Great American Bash on July 24, a match with a stipulation that if Guerrero lost, he would not tell the secret.[142] Yet Guerrero revealed the secret anyway on the following episode ofSmackDown! – telling Dominik and the audience that Guerrero was his real father. In the following weeks, Guerrero revealed the details of the secret in a series of what he called "Eddie's Bedtime Stories".[143] During that time he now had a dark comical gimmick. He claimed that he had a child out of wedlock (Dominik) while his marriage was going through hard times. He claimed he then allowed Mysterio and his wife, who were "having trouble conceiving", to adopt the child as their own.[134] AtSummerSlam on August 21, Guerrero lost a ladder match over Dominik's custody to Mysterio.[144] On the September 9 episode ofSmackDown!, their feud ended when Guerrero defeated Mysterio in a steel cage match.[145]
Following his feud with Mysterio, Guerrero was named number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship and given a title match withBatista. Despite this, Guerrero quickly proclaimed himself to be Batista's friend. Batista was well aware of Guerrero's sneaky reputation, and despite eventually accepting his friendship (initially to keep an eye on him), Batista would continually play mind games with Guerrero to expose his true intentions. A series of matches with MNM only supported Batista's suspicions that Guerrero was up to no good, as Guerrero appeared to have reverted to his cheating ways.[134] In response to Batista's suspicions, Guerrero helped Batista win a match against his tag team partners, JBL andChristian.[146] Batista defeated Guerrero atNo Mercy on October 9 to retain the World Heavyweight Championship in what would be Guerrero's last pay-per-view match. During the match, Guerrero struggled with a decision about whether or not to use a steel chair to secure the victory, eventually opting not to use it and losing as a result.[147] He would make his entrance the followingSmackDown! using his signature low rider and old entrance theme with Batista, and turning him face once again. Guerrero wrestled his last match on the November 11 episode ofSmackDown!, defeatingMr. Kennedy by disqualification using his signature lie, cheat, and steal tactics, which allowed him to advance to theSmackDown!Survivor Series team. After the match, Kennedy hitting him with a steel chair. On the date of his death, a triple threat match between himself, Batista, andRandy Orton was supposed to take place to air on the following episode ofSmackDown! for the World Heavyweight Championship, in which Guerrero had been booked to win the title so Batista could take time off to heal from an injured back[citation needed], but that was later denied by Batista in his own book. Yet Stephanie McMahon was adamant that Guerrero was supposed to win the World Heavyweight Championship, thus starting his second main title reign. Orton was given Guerrero's spot in the traditional Survivor Series elimination match between theRaw andSmackDown! brands at Survivor Series on November 27, which SmackDown! would win, with Orton being the sole survivor.
After the death of his friendArt Barr, Guerrero started to use the frog splash in tribute, which became his most common and well known finishing move.[148] He also used to perform 3 sequential suplexes, calling the triad the "Three Amigos”.[149] He would also use a variation of the Texas cloverleaf submission hold, dubbing it the "Lasso from El Paso".
Towards the end of his life and career, Guerrero was known for driving low rider cars to the ring during his entrances. He started doing this while tag teaming with his nephewChavo and continued doing it after the team split in 2004, along with Guerrero carrying on the wider "Lie, Cheat and Steal" gimmick that he and Chavo used as a tag team. He stopped doing this in May 2005 after turning on Rey Mysterio, instead showing a more sinister and spiteful side to his character. He briefly resumed driving the low rider again in October after turning face following his feud with Batista.
Also in his later career, Guerrero was known for cheating and breaking rules to win matches, even as aface (heroic) character, most of whom typically try to follow the rules. As a face, this would be used to give his character the quality of a lovable rogue and, at times, balance out cheating carried out by other heels by taking advantage for himself. As a heel, it would instead be used to draw heat from the crowd by making him appear cowardly or dishonest, while gaining an unfair advantage on his opponents.
One such tactic, often included in his matches, saw Guerrero employ what commentatorTazz would refer to as “The Smoking Gun"; Guerrero would retrieve a chair, championship belt, or other unauthorized item and toss it to his opponent as the referee turned around from a distraction. As the referee began assessing the issue, returning the item to its original location, or arguing with Guerrero's opponent, Guerrero would gain an advantage of some sort to win the match. Some matches had Guerrero smack a chair on the mat and toss the chair to his opponent and lie on the ground, pretending to have been struck by the chair. When the referee turned around and saw the opponent had the chair, they would assume it was used on Guerrero and call a disqualification in Guerrero's favor. Guerrero was also known for his resourcefulness via other means, such as atWrestleMania XX by rolling upKurt Angle after loosening his own boot while trapped in the Ankle Lock.
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On March 13, 2004, Guerrero (WWE Champion), along withBig Show,Trish Stratus andChris Jericho, made a guest appearance onMADtv as he and the other wrestlers "beat up"Frank Caliendo (portrayingJay Leno) whileAries Spears (portrayingThe Tonight Show Band leaderKevin Eubanks) watched on. There have also been several DVDs and books released about his life and career, includingCheating Death, Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story (DVD, 2004),Cheating Death, Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story (book, released on December 5, 2005), andViva La Raza: The Legacy of Eddie Guerrero (DVD 2008). Additionally, the song "We Lie, We Cheat, We Steal" that he performed with Chavo was released on theWWE Originals CD.
Guerrero's catchphrase during the latter part of his career with WWE was "Viva La Raza" (which is Spanish for "Long Live the Race"). In the mid parts of his career, Guerrero took the title of "Latino Heat", which was also his theme song in the early 2000s. He has also been featured in WWE's Best Smackdown matches video of its 15-year Friday Night span, upon the show being moved to Thursday nights on Thursday, January 15, 2015, he features in 5 of the top 15 matches including the number 1 spot where his No Disqualification bout with Edge topped the list of best Smackdown matches.
On May 26, 2024, Eddie was the subject of theBiography: WWE Legends.
| † | Denotes video games that were released posthumously |
| Year | Game | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | WCW vs. the World | First video game appearance |
| 1997 | WCW vs. nWo: World Tour | |
| 1997 | Virtual Pro Wrestling 64 | Only released in Japan |
| 1998 | WCW Nitro | |
| 1998 | Shin Nippon Pro Wrestling: Toukon Retsuden 3 | Only released in Japan |
| 1998 | WCW/nWo Revenge | |
| 1999 | WCW/nWo Thunder | Unlockable character |
| 1999 | WCW Mayhem | Last WCW video game appearance |
| 2000 | WWF No Mercy | First WWF/E video game appearance |
| 2000 | WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role | |
| 2001 | WWF Betrayal | |
| 2001 | WWF With Authority! | Online game |
| 2001 | WWF Road to WrestleMania | |
| 2001 | WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It | |
| 2002 | WWF Raw | |
| 2002 | WWE Road to WrestleMania X8 | |
| 2002 | WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth | |
| 2002 | Legends of Wrestling II | |
| 2003 | WWE Crush Hour | |
| 2003 | WWE WrestleMania XIX | |
| 2003 | WWE Raw 2 | |
| 2003 | WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain | |
| 2004 | Showdown: Legends of Wrestling | |
| 2004 | WWE Day of Reckoning | |
| 2004 | WWE Survivor Series | Cover athlete |
| 2004 | WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw | |
| 2005 | WWE WrestleMania 21 | |
| 2005 | WWE Aftershock | Cover athlete (PAL version) |
| 2005 | WWE Day of Reckoning 2 | |
| 2005 | WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 | Last video game to be released while Guerrero was alive Released posthumously in North America |
| 2006 | WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007† | Legend wrestler |
| 2007 | WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008† | PSP version only Legend wrestler |
| 2011 | WWE All-Stars† | |
| 2011 | WWE '12† | Legend wrestler |
| 2012 | WWE WrestleFest† | |
| 2012 | WWE '13† | Legend wrestler |
| 2013 | WWE 2K14† | Legend wrestler |
| 2014 | WWE SuperCard† | |
| 2016 | WWE 2K17† | Unlockable wrestler through in-game currency |
| 2017 | WWE 2K18† | Unlockable wrestler through in-game currency |
| 2018 | WWE 2K19† | Unlockable wrestler through in-game currency |
| 2019 | WWE 2K20† | Unlockable wrestler through in-game currency |
| 2020 | WWE 2K Battlegrounds† | |
| 2022 | WWE 2K22† | |
| 2023 | WWE 2K23† | Unlockable through in-game currency |
| 2024 | WWE 2K24† | Unlockable through Showcase |
| 2025 | WWE 2K25† | Unlockable through in-game currency |
From 1990 until his death in 2005, Guerrero was married toVickie Guerrero, with whom he had two daughters:Shaul Marie Guerrero and Sherilyn Amber Guerrero, both of whom became wrestlers. He also had another daughter named Kaylie Marie Guerrero during his two-year separation from Vickie.[150]
Following several injuries in his career during the 1990s, Guerrero became addicted to alcohol and drugs, including painkillers and performance-enhancing substances; he suffered three drug overdoses prior to being released from the WWF in 2001, following which he worked towards getting sober.[151][152]
Guerrero was a close friend of fellow wrestlersArt Barr,Chris Benoit,Kurt Angle,Dean Malenko,Rey Mysterio,Matt Hardy,Chris Jericho,JBL, andBatista. He was aborn-again Christian.[153][154][155][156][157][158][159][160]
On November 13, 2005, Guerrero's nephewChavo found him unconscious in his hotel room at theMarriott Hotel City Center inMinneapolis.[161][162] Chavo later explained that Guerrero had passed out in his hotel bathroom with a toothbrush in his hand and that the basin water was running; he added that he was still alive when he was discovered.[163] Upon the ambulance's arrival at the scene, he was pronounced dead at the age of 38. His funeral service was officiated by"Superstar" Billy Graham.[164]
The episodes ofRaw on November 14, 2005, andSmackDown! on November 18, 2005, were both filmed on November 13 and each aired as tributes to Guerrero. All storylines were put on hold and no WWE employees were forced to perform, although several matches took place, including one featuring Chavo.Raw started with all the wrestlers and numerous backstage personnel onstage asVince McMahon addressed the live crowd, before finishing with aten-bell salute. In addition to theRaw andSmackDown! tribute shows,TNA dedicated itsGenesis event (which aired the evening of his death) to Guerrero,[165] whileROH renamed their next show to Night of Tribute.[166]OVW, WWE's then-developmental territory, also paid tribute to Guerrero on their television taping. Many of the wrestlers there wore armbands with Guerrero's initials on them. Other wrestlers, primarily Guerrero's nephew Chavo and friends Mysterio andChristian Cage, began paying tribute to him in their matches by using his Frog Splash finisher.CZW also paid tribute to Guerrero with a ten-bell salute during one of their events. Mysterio andCM Punk dedicated some of their matches to Guerrero. The3 Doors Down song "Here Without You" was used in tribute videos for Guerrero, as was theJohnny Cash song "Hurt".
Guerrero is regarded as one of the greatest in-ring performers of all time.[167] In a poll of the WWE roster, he was ranked the 11th greatest professional wrestler of all time.[168]Ric Flair ranked Guerrero as one of his top 10 opponents, whileChris Jericho said he was the best performer in the world when he was "on".[168]Kurt Angle named Guerrero as the second greatest professional wrestler of all time, behindShawn Michaels, stating: "[Eddie] could have been the absolute greatest of all time because when I wrestled, he was still in that top three we were talking about, so Eddie had it all. He was so entertaining, but he also had all the technique. He was such a great wrestler and he got it. He got finishes. He knew how to structure them."[169] WWE named Guerrero one of the most beloved and accomplished WWE superstars of all time,[170] one of the best technical wrestlers ever,[171] and the fifth greatest performer in the history of the company's SmackDown brand.[172]
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eddie Guerrero (hair) | Ari Romero (hair) | Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua | Live event | 1987 | |
| Eddie Guerrero (hair) | Negro Casas (hair) | Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua | Live event | N/A | |
| El Hijo del Santo andOctagón (masks) | Eddie Guerrero andArt Barr (hair) | Los Angeles, California | AAA When Worlds Collide | November 6, 1994 | |
| Rey Mysterio Jr. (mask) | Eddie Guerrero (Championship) | Las Vegas, Nevada | Halloween Havoc | October 26, 1997 | |
| Eddie Guerrero (hair) | Chavo Guerrero Jr. (hair) | San Diego, California | Bash at the Beach | July 12, 1998 |
Last, but definitely not least, came the baby of the family, yours truly, Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes.
An "In Memory of Eddie Guerrero" screen was shown at the beginning of the show.
Show began with a 10-bell salute to Eddie Guerrero with the ROH roster present.
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