Much like yesterday, I'm back again to post your comments that you sent in to me over the past couple of days. The total of emails I've received is over 300 now, which means this will be a daily thing for a few more days at least. It just shows how loved Eddie Guerrero is and was by all of the great wrestling fans around the world. That's the thing, too. I've got emails from people in America, in various places in Europe, in Australia, in Asia and even a couple from Africa as well. This man touched fans from all over the world because of his work in that ring.
A couple of things I wanted to touch on. First about Raw. I cried maybe two minutes in. When I saw all those wrestler's faces, the sadness in their eyes, but also the love they had. I couldn't help it. Then that video package, man, that was painful. I mean obviously we know he's gone, but when you see something like that with him and his friends and family, then it really sets in that he's gone. Then you finally realize that we're never going to see this guy in a wrestling match again.
Kudos to all the wrestlers who worked on this night, as well as those that spoke from their heart. Again, I broke down just listening to Chavo, Batista, Benoit, Stephanie, HHH and all the rest.
I'm glad this show happened, though. It needed to. Eddie deserved to be honored in such a way. I'm looking forward to Smackdown. I don't know if in a week from now I'll be able to care about wrestling angles again, but I'm glad we had this closure and that we were able to say goodbye to this great human being along with those wrestlers that loved him so much.
One thing I'd like WWE to think about in the future is maybe run some Eddie Guerrero Memorial Tournament on Smackdown. Make it an annual thing. Have it be like a King of the Ring type deal with an eight man elimination tournament. The winner gets a trophy of some kind and a future World Title shot at the next PPV. Have that PPV in a Guerrero hotbed somewhere in Texas or California. Celebrate this man and let his legacy live on for years to come.
Lastly, yesterday I gave you a link to the WWE.com section where they're accepting your emails. Today I got another link, and this one is from Eddie's official website, Eddicts.com. They have an email address for you to send your thoughts to and they've also been posting emails.
Once again, a reminder that if you still want to send in comments to me, do not hesitate to email me at oratoryjohn@gmail.com with your thoughts. They are all welcome. Also if you want to read my tribute to Eddie the link to that is here. As of now we've had seven different share their thoughts of Eddie at the Oratory. Just an example of how special he was to us all.
Now here are more of your thoughts on the legendary Eddie Guerrero.
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Everyone knows what a fabulous wrestler Eddie Guerrero is and what he brings to the squared circle. The energy, enthusiasm, and passion he delivers on a daily basis. No matter who is opponent is, what stipulations the match has, or type of match he's in, Latino Heat always gave a 110%. We are all aware that he leaves copious amounts of blood and sweat behind, as if to "mark his territory" in each arena. We all know he made the wrestling business and the fans "numero uno." Or does he? I have been watching wrestling for about 10 years now and have seen the highs and lows both inside the arena and outside the arena. Back in the spring of 2004, SD put on a house show in our home town of Tampa, FL at the USF Sundome. Before his match started, he brought his daughters into the ring. After a few moments, one of those degrading, selfish, and immature fans decided to throw a soda bottle. It narrowly missed his daughter and had it hit his daughter, a real street fight would have broken out. After the conclusion of the match and as we exited the dome, a huge roar came from down below and guess who was at the center of it? You guessed it, none other than Eddie himself. Still in wrestling attire, he broke through several security guards and about 50 fans to get to the culprit. The culprit was about 4 people ahead of myself, leaving the dome as Eddie got a hold of him, threw him against the wall, yelled out a few choice words and said if he ever did anything like that again, "I would make sure you never had kids or walked again," said Eddie. I have never seen a father so concerned with the safety of his kids or so protective as to risk his job with WWE. The WWE did not lose a gifted wrestler, the fans did not lose one of their all time favorites, the Guerrero Family lost a wonderful husband and a "World Title Father."
Jason McGowan
Tampa, FL
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Hey John,
My favorite Eddie Guerrero memory was from a couple of years ago. It was on Raw, and The Rock, who had recently won the championship, was in the ring about to cut a promo when he was interupted by Eddie. Eddie did this spot from the top of the entrance ramp.
"Oh la lay, Oh la lay, Oh la lay, la Rocka!" says Eddie. The King upon hearing this chimes in laughing "La Rocka?!"
Eddie goes on talking about how he's got a problem with The Rock, because his girls have a Scorpion King poster hanging in their room. He talks about having to teach his "little girls a lesson in respect" by tearing up the poster and burning it.
Eddie speaking "...and they (Eddie's girls) ran after me going daddy, papa, papa, forgive! Why did you rip that poster?" He spins around and screams "Shut up! Don't disrespect me!"
The King (with perfect timing) "Whoa!"
Then The Rock cuts off Eddie "Whoa, Whoa, Whoa you sick psychopathic freak! You actually talk to your kids like that?" Rock goes on saying that he is not the movie star, Eddie is. "...a string of hits. Now, were you Cheech, or were you Chong?"
Eddie comes back saying The Rock is jealous. "You know what man. See you know, and all these gavachos (sp.) know, that I'm the better wrasler homes." The King comes in again saying "Yeah, the gavachos know it."
Eddie continues "I'm more good looking. The People's champ? Oh la lay essa. Hey man, let me tell you something. I got the hottest haircut going on in America today man. Nobody essa, nobody can wear the mullet like I do. Come on man, this should be The People's Mullet."
I am so happy that I got a chance to see Eddie Guerrero live. I usually don't go to live sporting events, but I had never been to a WWE event, and my friend had not been to one since the mid 80's. We attended the Columbus Ohio show in early August when Eddie and Rey were feuding. I had a great time that night rooting for all my "baddies" including Eddie. "Give him back his kid!" I yelled during his segment. "He just wants his kid back!" I really did not care what people thought about me, I was standing behind my guy.
Eddie was one of the main reasons why I was watching Smackdown. Like you, I hoping he would get the belt from Batista as well. I was really digging his current storyline because I knew deep down that Eddie was going to turn on Batista. I was thinking it would happen at Survivor Series, but that was before Batista got hurt. I am so happy that I had a chance to see him perform not only on TV, but live. He always made me laugh, and I will never forget him.
RIP Eddie,
Chris Gulyas
Delaware, Ohio
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My favorite Eddie moment is the culmination of essentially two careers: the moment he and Benoit stood hugging center stage at Wrestlemania XX. To me that moment, as well as many others, stood as a reminder as to why we're wrestling fans. Sure we know that professional wrestling is scripted; that the business today usually generates what we consider lower-than-average broadcasts; that the winners are already chosen. Non-wrestling fans, however, fail to see the ART that is the business of wrestling, and more importantly, overlook the true artists of the sport. Eddie Guerrero was an artist. He not only had the talent but the charisma that made you love the guy and everything he did, both as a face and a heel. This moment is connected to the first night the Radicals showed up on RAW. When they arrived, you knew they (Benoit and Guerrero) were the same wrestlers from WCW, but something about them just seemed very different, as if you KNEW something great was bound to happen. And it did, for both of them. Hell even D'lo gave props to a "WCW" guy on national television, complimenting Eddie on the move he made famous. This is what makes wrestling REAL: the wrestlers that spend most of the year gluing our asses to the seats to watch something spectacular... and once in a while, you'll catch yourself chanting..."Eddie! Eddie! Eddie!" It's the memories and the emotions we earn and put into it BECAUSE of our wrestlers. I remember an interview I once watched about the death of WCW, on how "Goldberg" was the only thing they did right. On the contrary, there are several things they got right, from Flair to Sting to Benoit to Jericho to least of all Eddie Guerrero. Eddie is truly one of the greats and I will always relish all my memories of his.
Michael Nguyen
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I have never seen Eddie wrestle in person, but I do remember the very first time that I ever saw Eddie Guerrero wrestle. It was about a year to a year and a half ago, and it was a Friday night that my boyfriend was making me watch his stupid wrestling shows, that is what I had thought of them until that point. It was one of those nights like many before and many after where he'd come out in his low rider, getting out of the car and doing that shake that only he could do. By the end of his match he was my stand alone favorite. I cheered for him as a face, and wished him back as a face during his heel turn with Rey Mysterio. As much as i hated the heel turn, there was still no way I could not appreciate how well he played it. Knowing that I will never see him coming out in a Low Rider, and not being able to see just what was in store down the road for this amazing wrestler makes me sad beyond words. This is the true way for everyone to know when a true inspiration has left this world, to know Eddie whether personally or just as a fan sitting at home watching him on television every week was to love him and judging by all of the things being said by fellow fans he was loved by many....I loved Eddie Guerrero.
-Noelle
Lomita, CA
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I went to the Smackdown in July of 2004 when Eddie Guerrero was wrestling JBL in a cage match. The event was in Providence and I make it a point to never travel more than 30 minutes for a TV taping. I decided to make an exception that night and take the longer trip to Rhode Island to see if Eddie could win the title back. The match was pretty good, I think most people rated it between 3 and 4 stars, with the obvious highlight being Eddie's frog splash off the top of the cage. When he scaled the cage, he paused for a second and looked out into the crowd. I had mid-level seats, about as high as the cage. Eddie looked into my section, and while I'll never be sure, I believe he was looking right at me. I feel that our eyes locked and it was breath taking because I knew what he was about to do. I almost didn't go to that show, it just became one of my favorites ever.
Nathan Miller
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Hi John
Read your touching tribute to Eddie and it had me near tears, I freely admit that I came to wrestling at a late stage, when the Radicals joined the WWF. And at this time Eddie Guerrero was injured and didn't play a major role, then he started and was a heel. I never paid much attention to his storylines and then I stopped watching wrestling for a while as I was never in to see it. During this time a friend of mines, who still watched it at this time told me about Eddie being let go from WWF due to drug problems, I didn't think much of it as I was not a follower at the time. My job changed and as such I ended up with free time and my shift patterns gave me time to catch up with the WWF, now the WWE. The first match I remember seeing was a singles match with Eddie. I can't remember his opponent at this time, but it didn't matter. What I saw was a stellar match, it made me take notice. I thought to myself "Wow Eddie is in great shape." Then I remembered my friend saying he had been fired. I phoned him and up and he said Eddie had rehabbed and was back.
The match was almost over by this point and I said to my friend "If he keeps having matches like this then they'll have to give him the title soon."
Sure enough I was there the day after Wrestlemania, I popped the tape in video (as I am in the uk I have to wait til the day after to see PPVs) and watched as Eddie took on Lesnar. Not being a Lesnar fan I normally fast forward past his matches but I watched it because I wanted to see how Eddie did. Honestly at this point I didn't think Lesnar would drop the strap, I thought it would show Eddie as the better wrestler but didn't have the brute strength to beat Lesnar. But my heart started to beat faster as I watched the match, I leaned forward in my chair as the match got to its climax and when I he hit the frog splash a shiver ran down my spine and I smiled. Very few matches get me like that, it has to be something special. Then when he came out and hugged Benoit at the end I was smiling again. I think it was that moment I stopped looking at the glitz of it all and started looking at the in ring ability of wrestlers. Eddie was an in ring general and I truly believe some of his best matches were still ahead of him. He will be sadly missed by all.
I may have rambled slightly in this email, but I am still reeling from the news and wanted to put my feelings down on this as a way to honour a great wrestler.
Robert McEwan
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I saw Eddie Guerrero in July in Aberdeen, Scotland, fighting against the Big Show. I have a great photo of him clinging to his neck, trying to choke the giant! No matter whether he was a face or a heel, he was a comedian in the ring - and he was adored by the fans. He made me smile every time. I have just got the new Smackdown v Raw, and tonight, before I heard the news, I wrestled as Eddie. His shimmie made me laugh. His attitude made my sides ache with laughter - and now my eyes are filled with tears.
God bless you Eddie, you will live on ad-infinitum in the hearts of your family, friends and fans across the world.
Michelle Manson, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
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My favourite Eddie Guerrero moment would have to be seeing him live at a house show on January 25th 2003 in Saskatoon Sk. He was teaming with Chavo against Benjamin and Haas, and was being his usual comical self. At one point in the match the ref was yelling at him for not holding the tag rope, so he undid it and slid it around the ropes, so when the ref went to yell at him for being on the middle of the apron, he pointed out that he was holding the rope.
I remember the night of No Way Out 2004, and how I couldn't see the PPV that night. I came home and went to check the results on Rajah like I always do when I miss a PPV, and when I read that Eddie had won, I cheered and pumped a fist. Noone deserved it more than Eddie.
And now today. I just got home from work, and saw a banner on a wrestling site with a RIP logo. I checked WWE.com, and learned the terrible news. We don't know yet if drugs were involved, and I could care less. Eddie is a man's man, and had beaten his addictions, regained the love of his wife and family, and righted his wrongs. Eddie went out on top, and will always be a champion. Memories of him will last in my heart forever.
RIP Eddie Guerrero, and thank you for the memories. Latino Heat will burn stronger than ever in heaven.
Blair Farthing
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Ever since I saw Eddie on WCW tv frogsplashing his way through the luchadore division, I had a soft spot for him. He has that charisma that makes you enjoy watching him so much. You always get the feeling he is loving what he does in that ring, be it cutting a promo or wrestling a match.. It is very tragic that such a young star has left us..
-"Regulator"
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To me Eddie Guerrero was more than just a great wrestler and entertainer. He was the only Hispanic that I have ever seen that achieved main event status in WWE in the past eight and a half years that I've watched. That really meant a lot to the Hispanic community. To see a person who you feel you can relate to not just characteristically or achievement wise. To actually relate to a person in a high position by culture is not something that is so common to Hispanic people in the US. Now that is gone. I was lucky enough to see him at a Smackdown taping here in San Antonio, TX about a month ago. I still remember everyone chanting "EDDIE, EDDIE" and I well never forget it.
Shinobi
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Eddie was one of the greatest wrestlers in recent times.
Thank you for the matches and the memories. You will always be a true champion in our eyes and a Legend that we will never forget.
Rest in peace amigo. Viva La Raza.
Moin Kapadia
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To me, Eddie has always been synonymous with the WWE. This is one of those rare instances you don't realize how good you have it until it's gone. I'll admit it; I got so used to seeing him, he just became a part of the show. He was meant to be there... from his feud with Rey, to teaming with Chavo. I remember him hugging Benoit, the two champions standing in the ring together as the crowd chanted, "Eddie!," over and over... so much so I could feel the electricity even though I was watching from a television.
Eddie frog splashing Brock Lesnar was a highlight yes... but I can't honestly say I have a favorite moment. Eddie made every match enjoyable, and he wasn't afraid to do what was best for the business. He conquered addiction, and brought together a family. That, in my eyes, makes him a true man. Eddie Guerrero deserves to be a hall of famer. I don't care what anyone else says, he gave everything he had for the business, and I think it's not so far a leap as some would think. Wherever you are, Eddie... I wish you the best. Just know we, the fans, myself included will forever remember what you did for us. You put your body on the line, gave your time to make us laugh, smile, and even gasp. As far as wrestling goes, and in life you are a true legend. Take care of yourself Latino heat.
Brian
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Eddie Guerrero was simply great. everything he did was in such i way that you always enjoyed his matches. as i just found out he has passed away. for the last 2 months i have missed smackdown due to work and a busy schedule. this past friday i had the day off so i was finallly going to get the chance to find out how good it had been. the only match i even enjoyed was the eddie guerrero vs ken kennedy match. i thought to myself "eddie still has it" after learning eddie was going to be in a triple threat match for the world heavyweight title i got excited. i thought"oh hell yeah the have to put the title on eddie" being hispanic i learned of the guerrero family very young. immediately i enjoyed eddie in WCW and his matches with rey mysterio.i am only 19 years old but have been of fan of wrestling. since the age of 4. till this day the eddie guerrero vs edge match on a 2002 smackdown ranks as one of my top 5 matches. i shed many tears for eddie guerrero. he made a sometimes dull wrestling product fun again. memories is all i have now
R.I.P EDDIE GUERRERO YOU WILL BE MISSED
Rick M.
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Hi John, my name is Jordan and I'm a long time oratory reader. I'm as shocked as you and the rest of the family that we call the wrestling world are, we all woke up this morning and hit the web as per usual to check on how our favorite form of entertainment was doing, what new juicy rumors were around, or just to see if wwe.com had anymore kayfabed reports...but I don't need to really say what we all found. I thought it was a work or a hack because after all I've seen it done before (MTV.com said Enimem died in one of the best webhacks I'd ever seen) but then the reality begun to sink in. Eddie Guerrero is the reason I have hope in life, Eddie Guerrero showed me that no matter what happens in life it can be overcome, Eddie Guerrero was the reason I didn't stop watching Smackdown when it hit an all time low in 2004.
Here's a guy who I didn't like when I first saw him flipping in between RAW and Intro when I was a 9 year old kid but when he jumped ship I began to see how fantastic of a performer he was. We all remember Eddie in 2000 with his "mamacita" storyline, his natural charisma alone made the storyline worth it and Chyna actually watchable. After that he had that tremendous fatal 4 way at No Way Out 2001 for the Intercontinental Title and followed that up with the Hardys/Lita storyline that got cut short due to him being released by the company. At this point I thought Eddie was gonna be most useful due to the influx of the Alliance, he would have made a great heel in the WCW/ECW stable but it wasn't to be, until 2002 that is. Eddie finally returned in April and started a feud with RVD over the I.C. title which brought 3 back to back to back ****+ matches and showed that Latino Heat was alive once again. The rest as they say is history, Eddie went on to form the tremendously fun Lie, Cheat, and Steal character and reach the top of the mountain at No Way Out 2004 when he defeated Brock Lesnar for the WWE Title, not to mention him closing Wrestlemania XX in what is IMO the greatest moment in professional wrestling. Now he's gone, after providing me with memories I'll never forget for the past 9 years I have to say goodbye to Eddie Guerrero as more than a performer but as an inspiration but I know this isn't the end. I know the legacy of Eddie Guerrero will be carried on each and every night by those warriors in the dressing room that they call "sports entertainer", from the bottom of my heart I'd like to thank the man that is "Latino Heat" Eddie Guerrero for being one of the greatest to ever live.
-Jordan C. Young
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I wished Eddy had ended his career with just one more classic against Malenko, one more against Mysterio, and one more against Benoit. Then on TV, he would make his retirement speech with the crowd chanting his name. A few years after, he would attend his own induction into the Hall of Fame. But he suddenly died today, and the news hit me like a bad dream. I am depressed about it, but it helps me to think that now he's in a better place and up in heaven, he truly knows of all the fans that love him.
~Parker Jay
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I would just like to say that I am deeply shocked and upset at the death of one of wrestling's greatest ever performers Eddie Guerrero.
My condolences to his family and friends.
I will miss you Eddie. RIP.
Viva La Raza.
Steven M.
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Hi John...
It's hard to say anything... I'm from Vic (Barcelona, Spain)... I'm 28, a big wrestling fan from the 1990 even though we don't catch WWE TV at all here in Spain. I download the shows from internet, I read webs like Rajah... This afternoon in Spain, maybe 2 or 3 hours after Eddie's death I was watching the last Smackdown! I thought, wooooo a feud Eddie-Kennedy... and I was thinking about how great would it be that RAW vs. SD at Survivor Series. Then, like always, I opened the web to read the news... my heart was broken, and my eyes were astonished about what I was seeing.
I still can't believe it... I called my brother who was in UK on holiday... he was astonished like me... The first thing I thought about was how I felt when I heard of Owen's death... It's like then... I think this time I am feeling worst. I am wondering what will wreslting be without Eddie... I can't stop thinking about his wife, parents, sons... That's not fair.
I want to thank you John because of your report about Eddie. You made me cry, and you made me discover the reasons why I am feeling so sad for the loss of Eddie. You made me discover that I loved his wrestling style, his great cheatings, the frog splash, those legs moving during the 3 amigos... I am very proud of him and I thank him for giving me so many hours of entertainment. I am a lucky man because I've had the privilege of watching Eddie during 5 years. I remember how I hated him when he arrived with the Radicalz... and now I am broken because I won't see him again. It's not like a wrestler that jumps to another promotion...
This is a terrible loss. I hope nobody ever forgets him. I won't. Thanks a lot John for your report. And thanks Eddie for all you did for us.
Jordi B.A.,Vic, Barcelona, Spain
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This morning I went on Rajah to see if there was any speculation regarding who would win the World Heavyweight Title from the recently injured champion, Batista. I was hoping that honor would be bestowed on Eddie Guerrero. My breath was literally taken away when I read the headline, “Eddie Guerrero passes away….” I stared in disbelief at the screen, frozen with shock. Eddie Guerrero was one of the finest and purest technically gifted wrestlers to ever, ever grace the ring; he will be sincerely missed forever. I’m thankful for the opportunity to have seen him live in a recent Smackdown house show on October 16th in my town of Bakersfield, CA. I remember fondly chanting his name as his music played him to the ring. The main event was what was supposed to happen tonight, a triple-threat match for the World Heavyweight Title pitting Batista© vs. Guerrero vs. Orton. Guerrero made me laugh throughout the match with his forever-enduring comical antics, he made me a fan again with his sound technical wrestling skills, and most importantly he made me feel at home. I will never forget Eddie Guerrero and what he gave to us in and out of that ring, man, I cannot believe he’s gone.
Kyle Puette
Bakersfield, CA
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My name is Tiffany Stephens. I saw your post on Rajah.com and I wanted to share an Eddie moment.
I met Eddie at a WCW house show. I was ringside and during a match Eddie came down to ringside and sat a seat over from me in the crowd cause he was feuding with someone in the ring(that I can't remember lol). But when he sat down he was flooded by people wanting autographs or pictures and he sat there during not only the match he was watching but the next match too and signed autographs and took pictures with people. I know some wrestlers are jerks when it comes to giving fans the time of day but Eddie seemed to enjoy it and he literally signed 100 or more autographs and took about 50 pictures. He even took time to talk to the people who asked for an autograph and then when he stood up I asked for a hug and he seemed glad to give one and also sign my t-shirt. He even made a joke that it was a red and black NWO shirt. Eddie was, is and always will be one of my all time favorites 'cause he was so diverse and could be a heel, a face, a neutral and no matter what people still loved him.
He was a good man and a awesome athlete and I for one was shocked and deeply saddened by the loss of this wonderful human being who loved his fans and never disappointed them and gave them everything he has in the ring and out. Eddie is a legend who will live on thru his fans and family.
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I think that one of my favourite Eddie Guerrero moments would have to be his match against Kurt Angle at WrestleMania XX. It was finally his chance to wrestle in the main event of the biggest wrestling spectacle on the planet. And the way that it ended. The way Eddie, like he so regularly did, lied, cheated and stole the victory to retain the WWE championship that he had worked his entire career for. This was his moment in the limelight. I will never forget it, and I will never forget Eddie Guerrero, one of the greatest and most gifted pure wrestlers of our time.
Lee Jones
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I agree with you John C. and I think I can speak for the whole world when I say that we are in shock that Eddie "Latino Heat" Guerrero is no longer with us. He gave us many memories in the ring and those memories will be cherished forever. His career, his legacy will not be tainted because he was one of the guys that became WWE Champion at least once in thier career. I'm gonna miss the lowrider entrance, the theme music, the mannerisms and talent that he displayed in the ring week after week, and of course the "lying, cheating, and stealing" that we all enjoy. If anybody watched this past episode of Smackdown! then we all had the chance to see him lie, cheat, and steal a victory one last time. Thank you Eddie for all the great memories you will be missed. I send my condolences to the family be strong!
Eddie! Eddie! Eddie! Eddie! Eddie!
Ty Taylor
Shreveport, LA
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Hello John,
I just wanted to write to thank you for sharing you thoughts so plainly and honestly. Not many share a passion for wrestling like those of us who log into Rajah.com. It is nice to be able to talk about your feelings at a time like this.
With regards to my Eddie Guerrero moment, it would have to be a year ago last October. I was watching my first ever WWE show. It was a house show in Nottingham, England and I was lucky enough to be in the front row. The main event that day was Eddie and The Big Show vs Kurt Angle and JBL. The match was fantastic, the crowd went absolutely nuts for Eddie. My friends who were with me only float in and out of wrestling and they were shocked by the reaction he got. I tried to explain that Eddie Guerrero was that damn good. He didn't disappoint that night, from the cheap pop by wearing an England Soccer Jersey, to the Frog Star Splash from Big Show's shoulders. It was great. However, as amazing as the match was my favorite moment of Eddie Guerrero came after the match was done.
Eddie took the mic to personally thank the crowd for coming and then he broke character to tell a little story. Eddie had done an autograph session at a supermarket that day. A middle edged women queued for hours to meet Eddie. When she met him she explained how her son had suffered from depression and had recently taken his own life. She mentioned that her son had suffered deeply from the effects of depression for many years, however, he was always able to forget his troubles when he was watching WWE and in particular Eddie Guerrero. She had come to personally thank Eddie for giving her troubled son those few moments of happiness.
As Eddie told the story he began to well up with tears, he was so humbled that his performances meant so much to boy who had been so ill. He paid tribute to that young man and he said that it gave him drive to perform to highest standard he could, both personally and professionally. It was a very emotionally moment and gave an insight to the sort of person Eddie Guerrero was. I have no idea who Eddie Guerrero really was unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to me him. But from my experiences he was an inspiration, an outstanding athlete but above all else he was a class act. My thoughts at the moment are with his wife and daughters. I hope they are proud of the legacy he leaves. That moment in Nottingham that autumn night will stick with me for many years to come and I for one would like to say two words to him now. Thank You.
Thank you again for your thoughts John. I have been a fan of your columns for a while now and it was really nice to be able to read your feelings on this sad subject.
Kind Regards
Rob Grant
Basingstoke, England (Currently living in Toronto, Canada)
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Living by Rockford i don't get to see live events here much. But my greatest memory is this: Standing outside last year at the Rockford Metrocentre before the Smackdown Taping at 1:00 PM. I had won the tickets at a Pay Per View showing at the bar in my area. A truck pulls up with a trailer. And on this trailer is the low rider that Eddie is going to use at the Smackdown event that day..All of a sudden out comes Eddie Guerrero. He gets up on the truck and inspects "His" lowrider. They drive it off the trailer when he proceeds to get in start it up, revs the engine, plays with the hydraulics and then drives it around the Metro Centre. He then signed some autographs. I was mad when I couldn't find my Marker for him to sign my Championship belt and now I regret it more for not having it on me. Eddie will be missed by all in my family for what you remember most..... THAT HALF SMILE HALF SMIRK.
Zack M Sharpe
Loves Park, Illinois
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JUST WANTED TO SHARE A MEMORY I HAVE OF EDDIE,THE LAST TIME WWE CAME TO NC I WAS ABLE TO GO BACKSTAGE WITH MY DAUGHTER,AND SHE GOT TO MEET A FEW GUYS BACK A FAST HEY HERE AND THERE, BUT EDDIE CAME UP AND SHE ALWAYS LIKED WATCHIN HIM,AND SHE RAN UP AND GAVE HIM A BIG HUG AND HE TALKED TO HER FOR SEVERAL MINUTES NEVER RUSHING AND NEVER SEEMED HURRY EVEN THOUGH I KNEW HE WAS BUSY HE TOOK THE TIME OUT TO GIVE MY LIL ONE A MEMERY SHE WILL PROBABLY NEVER FORGET.SO TO EDDIE ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU FOR ALL THE MEMERYS YOU GAVE ALL YOUR FANS AND MY DAUGHTER.
THANK YOU,
SHANE
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I am seriously deeply saddened to say and i even cried when I heard former WWE Champion and former WWE WCW AND ECW star Eddie Guerrero had passed away. he was truly a legend his life ended way to soon only at the age of 38 found in his hotel room he had previously fought a drug addiction and became a clean man. if you are a wrestling fan and just pass off his death becuase of his heel character than i pity you Eddie Guerrero was a multitalented superstar with the ability and the charisma to always get the crowd going and if that doesnt inspire you enough just watch his DVD Eddie Guerrero cheating death and stealing life that will surely make me shed a tear next time I watch it i still cant believe he is gone this echoes through my heads were i read it straight off this site Eddie passes away at age 38 i just cant believe it I dont want to believe it. i know im going to tune into smackdown hoping to see the lowrider pull from behind a curtain and hear i lie i cheat i steal he cheated death he stole life but now those are switched around and i wish it could just be a lie but it isnt Eddie has died and its going to take awhile for me to cope. i dont plan on holding another one of my wrestling shows till January but i will still be affected by this and i know that i plan on having a memorial for him at that show but it still tears me apart to know he is gone.
Everybody who cares have a moment of silence for latino Heat Eddie Guerrero Viva La Raza Viva Eddie Guerrero.
VJ DOMBROWSKI
WOODVILLE OHIO
AGE 16
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Hi, My memory of Eddie is a kinda personal one. I went to Rebellion 2000 with my husband here in the UK. During the show the Radicalz had given Undertaker a real good beating backstage. When Eddie came out along with Dean malenko for a tag team match I just went in to a frenzy and told him to 'Fuck Off back to WCW'. I didn't think any more about it till I got home and watched it back. He had heard me and pointed directly at me and did the she's crazy sign. I was gobsmacked! I think I will always treasure the fact that I said such a thing and he could have ignored it but he chose to acknowledge it knowing that I would spot it when I saw the show.
I will always remember Eddie with great fondness and wish I could go back and apologise for the comment. Rest In Peace Eddie, Your fight is over.
K Stokoe
UK
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This morning of November 13, 2005, a legend of World Wrestling Entertainment, better known as the WWE, Eddie Guerrero passed away. Some of you might not know him, but he was a wrestler who carried on the Latino legacy. From his days in ECW to his most recent days on WWE Smackdown, Guerrero, also being known as Latino Heat, was one of the greatest wrestlers to ever enter a ring wrestling with the likes of Rey Mysterio, Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, and many others. In one part of his life, Guerrero had an addiction to drugs and alcohol which led to injuries and his wife leaving him. Eventually, he turned his life around and things got back on track. Almost nobody could match his charisma with his lying, cheating, and stealing. He finally accomplished what he had to in February 2004 when he finally won the WWE Championship in front of his family and all of his fans. Being remembered for riding out on his trademark lowrider to the ring and getting a thunderous ovation from the fans, Guerrero would always put on his best performance and put a smile on everybody's faces. Never would I have thought this day would have came so soon. When I read it, I turned to complete shock and I couldn't believe this was actually happening. May Eddie's legacy live on in every WWE superstar, especially his nephew, Chavo Guerrero Jr. I have had the privilege of seeing Eddie perform live and he always put on a tremendous match. Seeing him a few days ago in a match brought a smile to my face and made me laugh when he did his lying, cheating, and stealing. For most of his life, Eddie has gone against the odds and proven everybody wrong, as he put it, he had before cheated death and stole life. He was one of my idols for changing his life and making a difference. But now I'm sure that Eddie is looking down upon us and hoping that everyone is alright, and I bet he is probably lying, cheating, and stealing up in Heaven just like he always does. This is a sad, sad day. Eddie Guerrero, you did so much for us, and I do this in return for you. I pray for you and your family. Take it easy up there in Heaven. Viva la raza.
Alex O.
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John,
Thanks for the column.
Wow… Logged into my computer this morning, onto one of my favourite sites and caught the news… Eddie Guerrero dead at 38. My heart stopped. I quickly clicked on the link to see if this was some big error or joke. It wasn’t. I quickly had a look at some other sites to see if somehow they had got it wrong. They hadn’t.
I have been a wrestling fan for about 15 years, ever since WWE and WCW started showing in New Zealand. The Smackdown roster is coming to New Zealand for the first time in March 2006, and despite the fact that the show is some 7 hours driving time from my home, and the tickets are rather expensive, I was going. I was excited because although Raw has the bigger stars, Smackdown had Eddie and Rey, my two favourite wrestlers. The thought of seeing Eddie live, after years of watching him on TV and reading about him on the spoilers, was exciting. I can hardly believe that he had gone.
I will still go to the show, and I will still enjoy seeing the first live WWE event in New Zealand. But this will always be tempered by the fact that Eddie is not going to be there. The favourite memories I take will be those of Eddie lying cheating and stealing, lying down and smiling after faking another chair shot, and most of all the smirk that never failed to make me smile.
My heart goes out to the entire Guerrero family in this hard time.
Good bye Eddie, you left us way too soon…
Peace,
Jared.
New Zealand.
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My favorite memory of Eddie Guerrero was definitely when he picked up his first title victory against Lesnar at No Way Out 2004, It was all so memorable, the fans on their feet, the huge red letters held by a couple of fans spelling out Eddie. What made it even more special was that he was the underdog, nobody thought he would win. And he did.
Another favorite memory I have was his No DQ match with Edge on an episode of Smackdown 2002, I remember the crowd chanted boring at the beginning, and by the end of the night, Eddie had em on their feet as this match was named match of the year I believe or was at least a MOTYC.
When i woke up this morning, i found that my girlfriend could be pregnant as i turned on my computer, hoping there was a leak as to who would get the title now that Batista is injured, hoping with all my heart it was Eddie again....but i was so wrong...so wrong,
te extrano mucho Eddie Gurerro
Viva La Raza Amigo
rene and mige
thank you
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I was on my instant messenger, when a friend of mine asked me, "Did you hear about Eddie?" I was like, "Eddie, who?" He was like "WWE." Then I said "no, what." "He died." Me looking at it, I couldn't believe it. I checked WWE.com, and after I typed it, my friend told me to go to wwe.com, and the first thing I saw was "Eddie Guerrero 1967-2005" I was shocked, I loved this guy. I mean I never really hated him at all, when he was with Chavo, and made classic moments, and my most favorite had to be WrestleMania XX. He achieved the dream every WWE wrestler dreams of, and that's win the World Championship at WrestleMania. And he defeated Kurt Angle to do so. Then after, Chris Benoit, won the Triple Threat match against Michaels and HHH, then Eddie came out to celebrate, I was as happy as Taker's return that night. It was one thing I will never forget. Then I saw the Eddie/Kennedy match, and saw some pretty good things, and thought, after all, SmackDown, just might be getting better, and Eddie provided many things for me to remember. And this is something I hate to see, a young wrestler die, who is still in the business. I send my dearest condolences to his wife and kids. And if you ever watched any wrestling of his, you should be proud of this man, no matter what. I really wish he could of one last title reign, but as you said John, he left the world "Champion"
Hasta mañana amigo...gracias para todo.
Viva la Raza
-Bryan Burke-Illinois
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I've never written in before despite being an avid reader of your column, feel free to do whatever you want I just feel that I need to honour someone as special as Eddie somehow and this is as good a way as any.
Eddie made me laugh more than any other wrestler, more than the Rock, more than Austin, more than Foley or HBK, more than anyone. Most of that laughter was from his lying, cheating and stealing ways in the ring, the classic 'pretend to get hit by a chair and throw it to your opponent so he catches it' trick especially, just this afternoon I was watching Friday Night Smackdown (It's aired on Saturdays here in the UK and I taped it and watched Sunday) Upon putting the tape in I saw that I'd forgotten to rewind the tape before recording Smackdown, I put the tape in the VCR and rewound it a little bit to see if I'd managed to record the whole thing, sadly I hadn't, I just saw Booker T commentating on JBL vs Benoit. Discouraged I rewound to the start of the tape, bummed that chances are I won't be able to watch Eddie vs Kennedy, two of my favourite Smackdowners. Anyway to cut a long story short, I HAD managed to record that match after all and laughed my ass off as Eddie got away with this chairshot trick once again, this would have been at about half one. I'm not sure of the time difference between England and the timezone Eddie died in but it must have been an hour or so after he had passed away. I'm sorry this is making much sense, I'm just so shellshocked and numb, I can't believe Eddie has gone. I, and many, many more will miss you Eddie. R.I.P
Lawrence B.
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My favorite Eddie moment was at No Way Out 2004 when he won the championship from Brock Lesnar. The whole crowd was behind him, we were all cheering him at
home. My favorite part of the match was when Eddie reversed the F-5 into the swinging DDT onto the belt. After that he went up for the Frog Splash for the victory. When the ref counted 3, and all the fans went nuts, when he celebrated with the crowd, when he was knelt on the stage looking up, it gave me a feeling that I will never forget. I cried that night. Anybody who knew Eddie's story before the DVD that night had a hard time not crying that night. Everything that he went through from the addiction, the accident, the injuries, and the issues at home with his family, for somebody to overcome all of that to me is truly amazing. I will never forget you Eddie. You have been an inspiration to many. God bless you and your family. R.I.P
Mike
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It still hasn't sunk in that eddie guerrero has passed away, i am still hoping that this is a weird dream. it seems to sudden to be real. I am going to the Raw and Smackdown UK shows next monday and tuesday and i know myself along with the rest of the british fans will show our support for eddie and his family. For eddie to go now is such a loss to his family, he will never see he two youngest daughters grow up. My feelings go out to the Guerrero family at this time along with his close friends in the business. On another note i suggest that WWE give Benoit the World Heavyweight Title tonight, it is the right thing to do, Eddie would be happy, and Benoit being one of Eddies closest friends would be the rite choice for a title change tonight or in the coming weeks. May Eddie Rest In Peace
Dan Stapley, London UK
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I'm terribly saddened still hours after hearing of his death I cant believe its true. Just last week I went to SmackDown! (his final smackdown!) and who was the ONE wrestler I met on his way into the arena? Eddie Guerrero, I said "Hey Eddie!" and I waved, and he smiled back ... then I got to sit 5th row for his match with Kennedy. Its hard to believe such a great wrestler is gone, and that we will never get another Eddie match, but let us be thankful for him ever gracing out presence and our wrestling ring. Thank you Eddie, and God Bless.
js.
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Hi, my name is Marcus Ohlsson, I'm from Sweden and a huge fan of Eddie. He was one of the main guys that brought me into wrestling. He was one of the best today. No one can argue against that. This is a sad day for wrestling. I would like to see Eddie "feeling froggy" one more time, just one more time. Just one more time see him face off against Rey or Benoit.
His death got me thinking of start living a Straight Edge life, I don't want do die like Eddie. Not while brushing my teeth. Not at the age of 38, while leaving three daughters behind. I know that he changed his way of living, I know he found god. But those drugs and the alcohol must have putting pressure on his heart, even if he stopped using it. Thanks to Eddie, I will change my life, I wont drink, I wont do drugs and I wont do tobacco.
Marcus Ohlsson
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I was thinking of emailing you after reading your News and Views column. Coincidentally, one of the things I was going to tell you was that Eddie broke his elbow, not his wrist during that one frog splash. Unfortunately, I'm emailing you under sadder circumstances.
One thing you didn't mention was that Eddie always seemed to enjoy himself in the ring. Except for his recent Psycho Eddie heel turn (he was very convincing), he was always smiling.
Eddie was the funniest wrestler. Unlike Cena, he didn't need to be on the mic to be funny. My favorite moment was during the 2 out of 3 falls vs. Kurt Angle. Kurt was outside the ring. Eddie was in the corner lying across the ropes with a big grin on his face. Like I said before, you could tell he was having fun.
VIVA LA RAZA! WE'LL MISS YOU EDDIE!
Scott Nichols
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It's a shame to see someone as great as Eddie Guerrero pass and we'll all miss him. There are two significantly memorable moments that I'll always remember from Eddie Guerrero's amazing carrer. First was his match against Chris Jericho at Fall Brawl. The match was so technically sound and extremely entertaining and led to an awesome Cruiserweight Title win.
The second memory just came last Thursday, watching Smackdown!. I had stopped watching the brand in the past few weeks and decided to turn it on just for kicks. I caught the full Guerrero/Kennedy match which reminded me why I've always loved Eddie. The finish was so beautiful and a fitting way to end his career. RIP Eduardo.
Ryan Kirkpatrick
Pickering, Ontario, Canada
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I just wanted to say first that I was extremely shocked when I heard about Eddie passing. I also agree that we have lost too many of these guys, way too soon. As far as my favorite Eddie Guerrero memory, it is so hard to put a number on them, but I suppose the way Wrestlemania 20 went off the air with Eddie and Benoit both in that ring, both world champions, it just seemed like the perfect way for that show to end. I remember the first time I saw Eddie on a ppv, when he fought Rey Misterio Jr. at Halloween Havoc. Right then and there I knew that I was watching one of the greatest of all time. I don't know how I will be able to turn on my tv on Friday night and watch Smackdown knowing that Eddie won't be there. But I will, because I know that Eddie, as the professional that he was, would have wanted it that way.
Michael Perkins
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Yeh .. you're so rite. The man was a legend, i cant express enough just how much i'll miss him. The Eddie Guerrero story is one that'll live forever in the hearts of WWE fans everywhere. My memories of Eddie, first includes ....as most people will remember, the WWE title win from No Way Out 2004. Not only an incredible match but an amazing accomplishment in the career and the life of Eddie. What a great effort through all the struggle and addictions. ... proud is the only word to describe that performance. I also remember the brief rivalry Eddie held with Rob Van Dam in 2001/2002 - along with the one eddie built up with Kurt Angle in 2004. Again 2 unbelievable things accomplished by Eddie. I cant believe just 6 years into my personal "career" of watching the WWE that one of the most gracious performers to step into the ring has passed on ... well theres no doubt in my mind that regardless of what you thought of the character WWE portrayed Eddie of being, as a man and as a performer Eddie Guerrero will be sadly missed but will also be looked after as from this point and thought of by many fans across the globe.
EDDIE GUERRERO - A TRIBUTE!
MAY YOU REST IN PEACE
Leo Prior
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Hey John
This is the first time I have ever written to you, though I read your all your columns, you’re probably my favourite columnist out there. Thanks for the opportunity to write a few words:
I’m from New Zealand and we are a few days behind in the wrestling, so I normally check online for the results. When I checked today, I did a double take, then felt the lump in my throat. Following pro-wrestling, I think all fans given enough time, realise that there seem to more untimely deaths in this business than others - and all are tragic in
their own right. In a way as a long time fan, when you hear of someone passing - while it is always saddening - I think because it has happened so many times before, in some way, some of the shock value has gone, I feel in a way I am desensitised to it, to a certain degree. But today when I read those words I felt COMPLETE SHOCK. Even as I type I still feel the tears building up behind my eyes. I guess it feels more tragic than most because Eddie had no reason to die. He had overcome his personal demons, he did exactly what he so many people fail to do when in his situation - admit he had a problem and work hard to overcome it. He came back from the brink and turned it all around.
Eddie was one of my all time favourite wrestlers, after being a fan as a kid (I’m now 26), what got my back in to watching wrestling was WCW, specifically the cruisers. Watching Eddie and Rey and Kidman etc...doing things in wrestling I’d never seen before ignited the passion I have to this day for pro wrestling. I still watch WWE to this day hoping to see the same sort of action (oh well!!!) My all time favourite match is Rey and Eddie at Halloween Havoc 1997. That match blew my mind. And while initially what blew me away was watching Rey do all these unbelievable moves - having learned more about the business - I now appreciate all that Eddie did to make Rey look good. In a business where to put on the best match, both people have to give and take, I think too often ego’s get in the way. I have NEVER watched an Eddie Guerrero match and thought that, he seemed always content to do what was best for the match and angle - the true mark of a champion.
But while I sit here and the tears well up, what makes them well up most is to think about all his family and friends. As fans we only see a part of Eddie, but we connect with him and I’m all sure we feel a loss. But to all his family - his wife and three daughters, his friends professionally (especially Chavo, Rey, Chris Beniot, Dean Malenko) and personally - your loss probably feels overwhelming at the moment but I hope it may help (even in a very minor way) to think that there are probably MILLIONS of people around the world right now, thinking of you, hoping that you are coping as best you can, and wishing that you didn’t have to cope with this burden at all. My thoughts are with you.
A few days ago I bought tickets to the very first WWE event in New Zealand - Smackdown’s Road to Wrestlemania tour next March. A 30 000 person stadium. I was looking forward to seeing a WWE event live and my two favourite Smackdown wrestlers, Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero. Now I will only see one, but I will take one more sign with me than I had planned - “REMEMBER EDDIE”, because I will never forget him, I hope none of us do...
Thanks again john, for the opportunity to write in. I feel slightly better now, and I don’t feel like I’m holding back the tears that I was when I started to write. Feel free to post as much or as little as you see fit. Keep up the good work.
Cheers
Mike H
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I have been a wrestling fan all my life, and i have loved all the wrestling companies that have come and gone and are still with us. I was first introduced to wrestling by my uncles, they were big fans of Mexican wrestling, companies such as LLL, and AAA. These companies helped immortilize great wrestlers, who would give us kids with incredible talent, like Rey Mysterio Sr....Rey Mysterio Jr.'s father and of course Gory Guerrero...Eddie Guerrero's father. The first time i remember seeing Eddie was on WCW Nitro, he was in a group with Chris Benoit, Perry Saturn, and Dean Malenko. Soon they would come to the WWE, part of the "invasion". I remember Eddie was much smaller, not as "buff" but he was an incredible wrestler nonetheless. I dont quite remember alot about the group he had with Benoit, Malenko, and Saturn, but i do remember he was engaged with Chyna, that was hilarious and i remember the theme song..."Mamacita!". The chyna marriage never happened and Eddie found his own style and he was called the "Latino Heat". I can always clearly remember how much smaller he was than any of the wrestlers in the locker room. And despite the odds he was in there getting win after win. He taught me, being short didn't mean you could accomplish less, but rather you should push yourself farther than anyone else. My most favorite Eddie match was the last Wrestlemania bout he had with Rey Mysterio. It was a amazing match that showed the skills of both wrestlers, The way Eddie was showing us his moves, like the Mexican surfboard, to the who knows how many three amigos. and also the way Mysterio was showing us he could fight back, it was magic. That was the best match of that Wrestlemania. Eddie showed us that he could wrestle and not only cheat his way but could get in their and outshow just about anyone. That match was also memorable because it was the first time i saw Eddie, not smile during a match. My most fondest memories of Eddie will be that smile, the smirk he had when he would call Batista his "friend", the smile he gave Chyna, the smile he shared with Chavo, the smile he had after winning the WWE championship, the smile he gave Ken Kennedy after getting the win this past Smackdown. Knowing Eddie, was heavily favored to win the triple threat match this next Smackdown, filled my heart with joy, but now I am saddened by his death, but i will not mourn or sit there and feel sad. I will do what Eddie always did, smile. I will forever remember Eddie,and his incredible legacy. Eddie you made me proud of being an "A wrestling fan" The latino heat will burn, forever and always.
Sincerely,
Jose Leyva
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Eddie Guerrero: 1967-2005
You know, they are millions of Eddie Guerrero fans out there and I am one of them. Many loved the guy because he was just that damn good; but I had an appreciation for Eddie that isn't possible to describe. He opened up my eyes to so many things and became the ultimate inspiration for me. Last year in school, I had to present ''my idol''...who inspired by the most. That man; was Eddie. I loved that school project. Why? Because I loved Eddie. Sadly, he is no longer amongst us; but his legacy will always live on... I'll always remember the time when;
It was Wrestlemania....20....Madison Square Garden...Eddie was champ; Kurt Angle the challenger. I was so excited to see this two amazing athletes go head to head and to see Eddie walk through that curtain at the Garden as the champ. I was hoping for him to walk out as champ; which he did. What makes this match so special for me is that I think it is Eddie's greatest match. Everything in that match was perfect. And the ending was one of the best endings ever. And it was an ending that showed Eddie's character (which I always loved). And later that night, **THE** hug. The celebration at the end between Benoit & Eddie gave me goosebumps. Finally, both had reached their dreams; both had overcome all obstaches. Eddie had worked so hard to get there....so hard....but he has left us to easily.
Eddie Guerrero was a stellar performer and entertained me like so few other wrestlers did. He inspired a nation; he inspired me.
Gone, but never forgotten.
Thank you for all memories Eddie Guerrero and may you rest in peace.
Antoine
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Hey John that was a very fitting tribute. I had the pleasure of meeting Eddie several times. Even after a long hard battle in the ring he was always willing to sign a few autographs and take some pictures at the hotel that the talent was staying in. Each time I got to see him outside the ring he always took the time to ask how I was or where I was from. At Wrestlemania 2000 In Anaheim I was able to meet his wife, what a beautiful and kind woman. You could just see the pride in her eyes and the smile on her face as the people swarmed her husband in the hotel lobby for a picture with him. A classy guy that will truly be me missed. His wife, kids and his family and friends are in my thoughts and prayers tonight.
Eli Christiansen
Oak Lawn, Illinois
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I have watched Eddie Guerrero since he joined the WWE (wasn't a fan of WCW when in aired in Australia). I got to see him wrestle live last year at the Sydney Superdome. I can't remember who he wrestled that night at present, but I can remember him standing on the second turnbuckle after the match with arms out & the crowd chanting "Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie."
I always thought I would get to see Eddie wrestle again, I missed the last Smackdown tour of Australia because I always thought there would be another. I think I'll attend the next just in remembrance of Eddie.
I just hope the WWE this week give Eddie a memorable send off. Then we can all remember Eddie how he should be a "CHAMPION".
Viva La Raza.
Paul V,
Sydney, Australia.
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My favourite eddie moment was actually when he went to the playboy mansion and tried to get the issue with chyna pulled. He showed his amazing comedic timing. Not to mention the fact that this man will forever be known as a man who cheated life and came back from a near fatal overdose to become world
champion. Eddie will be in my heart forever.
Anthony Jones
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My memories of Eddie are too numerous to mention. But whenever Eddie would bring a foreign object into the ring while the referee's back was turned, and Eddie would always toss that object, whether it be a steel chair, the ring bell or some other object to his opponent and then Eddie would fall down pretending he had been hit by his opponent with the foreign object. Then the referee would turn around on cue and see Eddie's opponent holding the weapon and see Eddie laid out (playing possum) and the referee would award the victory and match to Eddie. Classic. Eddie's promo's were the best. Eddie could play a demented crazy guy out of control or he could play a comedian. All these memories will stay with me forever. R.I.P. my friend my amigo Eddie Guerrero. Gone but never forgotten
Sincerely,
Larry B.
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Hey my favorite eddie moment would be when he defeated the big show to retain the wwe championship and big show had to leave smackdown and all eddie said was " orale big show, i heard if you lost tonight you were gonna quit, well homes allow me to help you leave. Nah Nah Nah Nah, Nah Nah Nah Nah, Hey Hey Hey Goodbye" and then got everybody in the building singing it and big show was like " why are you laughing, stop laughing" I thought it was hilarius. I will miss Eddie Guerreo and i Have started a memorial wall in my bedroom just for eddie. I will miss this saying so let me say it " Viva me Raza.
Love ya eddie and you'll always be in my heart.
Kevin Edwards
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As I sit here now I am crying in my seat, and I'm not just saying it I really am sitting here crying. I can't believe one of my favorite wrestlers, and one of the best damn wrestlers ever Eddie Guerrero is dead. It's not fair, the man worked so hard to get where he got and now it's all gone. I am crying because I will never again see a terrific match involving Eddie Guerrero, but its not just his wrestling I will miss but the way he made me laugh, and the way he made me smile because his promos were so damn entertaining. There's so many moments involving Eddie Guerrero, but there is one in my mind I like the most....
It was No Way Out, Eddie Guerrero facing Brock Lesnar for the World Title. I prayed that day and night Eddie would finally win the championship, and it happened! Eddie that night was his usually self putting on a clinic in the ring, showing how good he is, and then when he hit the frog splash i jumped right out of my friends couch, and when the cover was at 3 and he had won the championship, I started jumping up and down, and I will never forget how he finally won the title. As I was on wwe.com watching videos of him backstage after he won, he was shedding tears, not because he was upset but because he was so grateful and happy he had just won, he left his heart and tears and sweat in the ring. Every night he went out there and gave it everything he had, and as he cried, you could see how much he appreciated the business and where he was. Then he called his wife and thanked her, he thanked her for being there with him through all the hard times because he appreciated her, and even that made me cry. As I write this I am still in a state of shock that he is gone, and there is no way WWE can give a good enough tribute for him, but they should certainly try. I wish the best to his family, and all I have to say is Thank you to Eddie you are one of the reasons I am a wrestling fan, thank you for risking your body and even life every night, I mean some people take for granted how Eddie would go over the top rope on to the floor, but I don't because I know he was risking his body for us wrestling fans, so thank you Eddie.
So I am going to miss him as a worker, as a wrestler, and as a man. I am sure he is being taken care of now and is in a better place, we will miss you Eddie.
R.I.P
-Martin
From Philly
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I think the most enduring memory of Eddie Guerrero will be a man that gave his all to entertain the fans whenever he was around. The man had huge amounts and charisma and, as everyone knows, was an awesome wrestler.. My most enduring memories of him are as Latino Heat back in the day on RAW is WAR, and also during his WWE title run, especially the scene at WM XX. He was certainly a worthy world champion and should have had at least another reign. R.I.P Eddie.
Patrick K.
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Touching column. I've been a fan of wrestling for about 20 years myself and I can't remember a death this stunning. Maybe it was because he seemed so full of life, or maybe because he was in the main-event picture, I don't know. I just can't believe the man is dead. He was something special to watch. He was truly special, to me, because, he was one of the few guys that got over simply because of his talent and not because of a marketing machine. He connected with the audience in a way that very few wrestlers could. You are right, he had a gift. He had great matches and was simply one of the most physically gifted wrestlers I've ever seen. But the thing that will always stand out to me is how he connected with the fans. He seemed to genuinely enjoy that. Even when he was a heel, he almost seemed to wink at the fans as if to say "that's ok, amigos, you're supposed to boo me. That means I'm doing my job."
I loved his little shoulder shake dance he did after he did a great move as a face or an evil thing as a heel. I'm not a shamed to say, that even at the age of 33, I jokingly do that move after I make a great play in flag football or basketball.
I don't know how the man died, and at this point, the manner of his death won't change anything or bring him back, but it's pretty alarming that every year two or three people associated with the wrestling business die way before their time.
Healthy people in their 30's and 40's don't just pass away for no reason. There is undoubtedly a common denominator for all these untimely deaths. To relate it to other forms of entertainment, this would be like Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Barry Sanders, Eric Dickerson, Ray Lewis and Brett Favre all dying in a ten year period. If that happened in football, something would obviously be done about it.
I don't know if the federal government could do anything to regulate drug testing for wrestling shows, but maybe states can start doing something about it. If promoters cared anything at all, they'd start strictly enforcing drug tests before each show or at least once a month. I guess I'm just venting now. I guess that's the only outlet I have at this point.
Sad day for me.
Tony J.
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Being Honest only reason I kept watching and enjoying wrestling was Eddie Guerrero, his unique style was incredible. And He always make us the "latin american" feel proud, I really cant express with words how great it was to have him perform for us it was a blessing from God, why not the "Wrestling God" which he was still here to show us that smile that will forever be in our hearts.. and for my Latinos fellows:
"Eddie estara arriba siempre, el mejor luchador tecnico latino que hallamos visto, su fuerza, versatilididad y gran presencia en el entarimado.. estara con nosotros siempre, ARRIBA LA RAZA, ARRIBA EDDIE, ARRIBA LA LUCHA" Rest In peace, descansa en paz Eddie Gori Guerrero, estaras siempres en nuestros corazones.
Leonardo Moreno
(panama city, panama)
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My favorite Eddie moment may be the same one for a lot of people, and that's when Eddie came out to congratulate Chris Benoit for his championship victory at Wrestlemania XX. I didn't even get to see the event live, but even after knowing the outcome, I was no less satisfied at the sight of two good friends that have been through so much finally reaching "the biggest prize in the industry," and sharing their heartfelt joy with the rest of the fans on that memorable night. The moment went beyond just wrestling, as we were in front of two excellent superstars that we've seen struggle for years, fall and get up to reach the top of the industry in the most popular and cherished event in professional wrestling.
I've been a fan for 15 years, and one thing that always brings me down is the news of yet another wrestler passing away before his time. Somehow, Eddie's hit a little closer to home than the rest for me. It almost seems unfair to those superstars that were less popular but still gave it their all, yet didn't get the attention or tribute because their deaths mostly occurred when they were retired, or because they just weren't that well known. Maybe it was the fact that Eddie seemed to be in a downward spiral when it was revealed that he was addicted to painkillers, only to see him overcome his personal demons and win the WWE Championship. Man, I hadn't seen a comeback like that. I had never felt so proud of a wrestling superstar in my life. You could not be happier for someone, especially when that someone seemed so full of energy like Eddie. He was, as clichéd as it sounds, a sign of hope. He was a guy that embodied what hard work and determination did in the face of the toughest obstacles.
I loved his work. I loved how well he could play a heel or a face. I loved that, like me, he was a Latino (A little meaningless sense of pride for ya). I loved his in-ring and mic work, and most of all I loved how fans loved him no matter how many "evil" deeds his character did on TV. It was impossible to ignore how much Eddie meant to so many people.
Rest In Peace, Eddie. It's surely been said a lot, but it's no less true...YOU WILL BE MISSED.
Thanks for the article, John
Carlos Mijares
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Hi man, My name is Roberto and I'm from Chile. I have to say that I'm a great fan of wrestling since long time ago, I'm only 19 years old, and I have to say that this morning i got a shocking news. When I woke up this morning I felt like surfing for a while on the internet, then I thought "I'm going to wwe.com" because I'm a great fan of Kane, then, I saw it. I couldn't believe it. Eddie has passed away, and I have to say it, I wanted to cry. I never was a big fan of Eddie, even though i liked the guy, because he represented what Latinos are, like we are. When he won the wwe championship, I felt really good, I was proud. But things come and go, just like that. I spend all the afternoon watching the Eddie's videos that wwe.com had put on line, I got overwhelmed. A great person has gone, and his memory will live forever, I'm sure of that. OK man, take care. Bye
P.S Chilean fans feel the same as me, we want to shout: EDDIE, EDDIE,
EDDIE, EDDIE EDDIE!!!!! VIVA LA RAZA!!!!
Roberto
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When I was in California for Wrestlemaina 21, I went to Universal studios two days before the WWE Hall of Fame. While I was there my family and I got the chance to meet Eddie Guerrero. He was a very sweet person. You could tell her loved his family very much. It is a great loss for WWE and WWE fans to lose such a great and caring wrestler. May he rest in peace. EDDIE we Love you!
Thanks,
Cheyenne Skeers
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Mr. John C.
Hey man, I just read your article, and...I mean damn, where do I begin. I'm a 26 year old African American male who is ADDICTED to wrestling. I mean, all my folks did was watch wrestling as I grew up. The whole family, cousins, aunts, and my main damie herself, Grandma...a whole family of fanatics.
Over the years, most of my family have stopped watching wrestling. I found very few friends in college who cared as much as I did. I mean, how many people can say that they'd rather sit home and watch SmackDown than go to the bar. Heck, Monday Night Football? Yeah right, I'll catch the highlights on SportsCenter, RAW is what's important here.
My point is, when I found out Eddie Guerrero passed away, it wasn't like I lost a role model, an actor, an entertainer...Eddie was like family. Not just to me, but EVERY SINGLE die hard wrestling fan who waits hours in line for tickets. Anyone who has ever messed up four or five times trying to make their signs for a show coming to town. And for all the faithful who watch wrestling religiously, we all lost someone dear. In my family, the only people that watch wrestling now are me and my grandmother (and maybe a cousin or two). But basically, my grandmother is old and you know, we get along so well, because we CAN ALWAYS TALK ABOUT WRESTLING. When I called her tonight, God Bless her soul, she was heartbroken. My grandmother watches wrestling religiously, and usually when I miss a show, she lets me know what happens, but I have to fill in the blanks based on her descriptions because she can hardly remember everyone's names. But there she is, every Monday and Friday, yelling at "that damn referee", and cheering for "Big Joe". Isn't that amazing, the industry that EVERYONE outside of the loyal partisan calls "fake", "a male soap opera", and "phony" has bridged an almost 60 year gap. Why? Because I can always talk to my grandmother about wrestling.
Eddie and ALL OF THE SPORTS ENTERTAINERS who go out there night after night to entertain the loyal fans have touched me beyond what any word can describe. Eddie Guerrero will be deeply missed in my heart, and I will say a prayer every day for him and his family. I have many favorite Guerrero moments, from his antics with Chyna ("Mamacita!...Latino, HEAT! Latino HEAT!) to smashing Tajiri's head through his windshield for no reason. But Eddie was truly one of me and my grandma's favorite wrestlers, and unquestionably, the majority of the WWE fans. WHO IN THE HISTORY OF THE WWE got his name chanted FACE, HEEL OR JOBBER more than Eddie Guerrero. Don't say the Rock, don't say Austin. Mmmmm, yeah, definitely Hogan, but my point is...Eddie earned it. He earned every single freaking cheer. He was a classic performer who I will be deeply missed. God Bless you and your family Eddie.
Troy Walcott
Hartford, CT
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Hi.
All I want to say is "Goodbye Eddie."
For me the best remembrance of Eddie is pictures 28 and 29 of the WWE's photo tribute on WWE.com. He was an incredible talent and I will miss him.
I would like to send my condolences to his family.
Again, "Goodbye Eddie."
Dave
P.S. Latino Heat will burn forever.
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I came home from work to find out that Eddie Guerrero was dead. I'm still in a state of shock and disbelief. I have been a wrestling fan and was always excited to see Eddie perform. He had the ability to always put a smile on my face with his promos or even in the ring. As a fellow Latino it warmed my heart to see another be so successful. I was so happy when he won the WWE Championship, I cried. I laughed when he retained the title at Wrestlemania 20 in a way that only he could. He was one of the few wrestlers that I knew would always entertain me.
I will miss his presence on TV. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife and children. My heart goes out to his friends in the locker room. No one could ever replace the legacy that Eddie left behind.
Nikki Benitez
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I just want to say that I was very touched by your article, and very saddened by Eddie's untimely death. Like you, I love Eddie, love watching him whether it was wrestling, interviewing, or lying, cheating, and stealing. And like you I was just recently discussing Eddie. Me and my niece are going to the survivor series, and I was so excited to see them put Eddie on the SD team. My favorite wrestler is HBK, and I said to my niece how exciting it will be to see Eddie and HBK lock up at some point in that match live, as that was a dream match of mine. That was the biggest point I was looking for in that match. Then I talked to her today and we discussed how sad we are that that won't happen now. In any case, I know I'll be thinking of Eddie during that match, and I would love for one last Eddie chant to break out during that match. Eddie, thanks for all the memories, and I hope God had a sweet lowrider waiting for you in heaven.
Chris P.
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Today was a weird day for me. Just 2 days ago, I had one of the highest points in my life, going to a big friend's wedding and getting all of my old friends from 5-10 years ago on the same room. I remember sitting there, at the corner of the dance floor, just sitting, smiling and savoring that moment, thinking about how life can be ironically good, sometimes. And then, less then 36 hours later, there I was, surfing the web, still occasionally thinking about the reunion, when I saw the news, and I realized how life can be a bitch too: Eddie Guerrero, my favorite wrestler today and second ever (behind Bret Hart) had passed away.
I stayed about an hour just staring at the headline at WWE.COM. I just couldn't believe. Even the sick thought that this might be a huge swerve came through my head. Thinking now, I believe that's what I WISHED it was. Because, even if I'd be forever pissed with Vince, Eddie would still be there, every Friday night, being the main reason I watched
Smackdown nowadays. I remember thinking this Saturday about how Smackdown was again kicking Raw's ass storyline and wrestling-wise, and how the show was clicking again. I remember thinking about how Eddie could even walk away World Champion this Sunday. But after Sunday morning, a blank went through my head. I felt sick to my stomach. I wanted to cry like hell, but I saw myself just remembering Eddie, just visualizing all the great moments he gave me by giving his all in the ring, night after night, 300 days a year.
As a Brazilian WWE fan, I have had huge wrestling droughts. Since 1980, we only got to watch the WWE down here during three small periods of time: 1983-1985, when I was too young to remember anything, 1995, when I was introduced to Bret, and this year. But I was reintroduced to the WWE back in 2000, when a good friend of mine living in Anniston, Alabama began sending me some WWF tapes. The first one I saw was Wrestlemania 2000, and Eddie was one of those wrestlers who just captured my attention with his presence and wrestling ability. Together with that tape and a tape of the following Raw, when Eddie won the European Championship from Chris Jericho and got his Mamacita, Chyna, I realized Eddie's potential, and became a fan.
1 year later, I got new tapes from my American friend. Summerslam 2000 and all weekly shows from it to Survivor Series helped me see the whole Eddie/Chyna saga. I saw Eddie's dedication and charisma first-hand, and never forgot the guy. So, when I began getting PPV tapes from other American friends, I'd see myself looking for Eddie. The Los Guerreros era was just awesome, not only because of the gimmick, but because of the matches with the Magnificent Six that made Smackdown THE show to watch in 2002. And through it all, my admiration for the guy just grew. One of my dreams was to go to the US, watch a PPV live and see him first-hand. For years I never had the chance, but I was building for a trip in 2006, possibly at the Royal Rumble or Wrestlemania, hoping the WWE would come to senses that Eddie was the top face on Smackdown and put the World Heavyweight Title on him, a title he should have contended for back in WCW.
So, undoubtedly, my favorite moment was No Way Out 2004. I remember cruising through the tape, watching the Lesnar match and then, after the three count and the win, rewinding the tape back to watch the end over and over and over. I must have watched that ending about 200 times now, and I can still see it: Eddie tries to nail Lesnar with the belt, Lesnar ducks, gets Eddie up for the F5 and Eddie reverses it into a DDT that SUPPOSEDLY should have gone onto the title belt, but missed by about a foot. I didn't care, though. Every time Eddie went up and came down with the Frog Splash, I'd watch the 3 count and stare at different people in the crowd, to watch their excitement seeing Eddie conquer the WWE mountain. I saw grown men cry, I saw moms hugging their sons, and I saw an Eddie so desperate to thank all the fans that he tried to rush through the crowd to the 5 people holding the EDDIE lettered signs a few rolls up on the arena. I even saw a guy who was so freaking happy that he tried to give Eddie HIS replica of the WWE Title belt, before Eddie had to be dragged out of the crowd. It was like if he didn't care about the 300 bucks he had to fork to buy the belt: He just HAD to give Eddie
the title as fast as possible, as if he was afraid Vince would change his mind and announce Eddie would be disqualified for the DDT "onto the gold."
After that night, in 2004, I must have watched that match about 20 more times, always going back and forth around the ending. Who cares if Goldberg stuck his nose into it? Who is Goldberg, anyway? For me, that was Eddie's legacy written in the WWE annals. People rate this match around 4.25 stars, but I just can't rank it anywhere below 5 stars. I don't care about the actual wrestling, because the moment when Eddie got on his knees at the top of the ramp and help his belt high on the air, telling his dad Gory he had finally won it made for one of the prettiest sights I've seen in a wrestling show. And I kept thinking about that scene after I saw the headlines: "Eddie Guerrero passes away at 38".
This evening, I went to church. Some of the friends I saw at the wedding were there. Nobody knew, but I just couldn't pay attention to the message, because I kept thinking about Eddie, his family and his legacy. I kept thinking about how he'd probably walk out of tonight with the World Title belt, and how I'd feel all giddy again, just like in February of last year. But it was not to be. Eddie is gone, and I can't do anything about it. But one thing is for certain: My VCR is gonna work double this week, because I'll want to see that match about 200 times more. Eddie may be gone, but I'll never forget him, and the fact that all of us wrestling fans will never forget him makes me feel less pain from it. And I already set a prayer for Vicki, Eddie's mom and his 3 children, because I know my pain is a grain of sand near the vastity of the suffering Eddie's family is feeling right now.
See you in heaven, Eddie. Thanks for all the memories. Thanks for all the sacrifices. Thanks for everything. And say hi to Art Barr, Brian Pillman, Davey Boy, Owen Hart and all the other guys for us.
Andre Nascimento
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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My sign off to Eddie in the hopes he makes his way to heaven.
I will truly miss him.
I hope this helps his family.
Louen Tandy
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There are so many things I could say about this man, but the fact that my eyes are full of tears right now is enough to tell you how much he meant to me. Eddie meant so much, to so many people. Eddie Guerrero is one of the reasons professional wrestling is a passion of mine. I was never his biggest fan, nor ever claimed to be. But when I heard his entrance music, I would turn up the volume, get on the edge of my seat, and watch closely.
I can't believe he's gone.
Eddie,
I love you....we love you. And you will never be forgotten.
Bryan Van Dusen
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hey john..im in shock like everyone else in the wrestling world..when i went online to check out some wrestling news and rumors, i saw eddie had passed away and my jaw literally dropped..i was thinking, not wwe's eddie guerrero. it must be some other eddie guerrero...i just saw him on smackdown i'm thinking. out of all the recent passing of wrestlers, i will miss eddie the most...his love for the business showed in how he wrestled and how he performed overall..he actually made us believe every storyline he did...he was that believable..i could go on for hours talking about this great husband, brother, friend to many, but i will end my piece by saying..Eddie u were THEE best overall performer i have ever seen..no BS on my part..that is fact..I will miss u Eddie, just dont lie, cheat, or steal in heaven...bless u and may God speed.
lou salera
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I just read your column about eddie and i just had to write my little tribute to one of the greatest in the wrestling business. I never met Eddie either but you could just see the goodness shine through him. He had his demons but he did what so few wrestlers have done, he beat them. People may argue over what caused his death and we all know the saying that an addict spends the rest of his life as a recovering addict but as far as i am concerned Eddie beat those demons.
I dont have one specific favourite memory. But i live in Northern Ireland and I have seen Eddie live five times and each of them was a highlight. At every single show he did something that me and my friends would talk about on the way home. Like the night he said to Chavo that this was a great City, he would have to tell his family about DUBLIN and the crowd booed and laughed all at once or when it was Los Guerreros vs Team Angle the ref kept telling him to hold the tag rope so he untied it and went halfway across the ring with it in hand or even more, just his facial expressions. It always looked effortless but Eddie could work the crowd into a frenzy with the slightest thing. I saw him in Dublin this past June against Rey and it was one of the best matches i have seen Live. Eddie was just one of the best plain and simple and he will be so sadly missed by all.
Just writing this i have laughed and i can feel tears welling up behind my eyes. I know that may sound silly because to me eddie was "just a wrestler" but i just feel like Eddie was so open that we all knew him and as you said we loved Eddie, and he truly deserved it. On a side note, and under the circumstances, not a very important one. I would like to see Chavo be called Chavo again to carry on the Guerrero family name, he will never replace or bring Eddie back but I just feel it is only right to carry on what Eddie worked so hard for. The most important thing is the ending of a life, a tragic life, an amazing life, a public life and a life which i feel has enhanced not only my life but that of every fan who ever was lucky enough to witness Eddie.
My deepest hopes and prayers go to his wife Vickie and his daughters Shaul, Sherilyn, and Kaylie Marie. I thank them for sharing their husband and father in a business that was so much of his troubles but also his joy. May God bless them and help them throught this really hard time. Eddie Guerrero will be so sadly missed by all. God Bless, Eddie, thank you and Viva la Raza.
Tom McCarthy
Northern Ireland
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John: What you just read were 65 (I think) emails from wrestling fans just like you and me that had love and respect for Eddie Guerrero. Over 15,000 words right there. These emails have really touched me as a fan and as a person. The emails I've posted have come from all over. People from North America, South America, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Africa have sent in their thoughts. To say that Eddie Guerrero was a worldwide hero to many would be an understatement. He was God-like to so many and inspirational to so many. These words you read today and yesterday and in the days to come are clear examples of that.
There will be more tomorrow. Since I have about 180 unread emails to go, that's probably 60 per day, so I imagine I'll be able to do five parts of this. Once per day, ending up on Friday. I guess that means I'll be back tomorrow, Thursday and Friday.
Lastly, kudos to WWE.com for the way they have allowed us to hear, see and read the comments of Eddie's peers in the company. They really mean a lot to us. The video testimonials are tremendous. So are the videos of his career. They are phenomenal.
Once again, a reminder that if you still want to send in comments to me, do not hesitate to email me at oratoryjohn@gmail.com with your thoughts.
Thanks for reading once again.
John
Links
Your Thoughts on Eddie Guerrero - Part 1
My Goodbye to Eddie Guerrero
WWE Friends of Eddie give testimonials. - These are very good and are highly recommended.
