Eddie Guerrero : A wrestler, an entertainer and a friend
Life turns on a dime. Have no idea what tomorrow will bring… sure life would be a lot easier if we knew what was going to happen. You’ve got to live by faith one day at a time- Eddie Guerrero
Unpredictability has been always the most exciting and cruel thing about life and for a wrestling fan the exciting part comes from the high octane action in the ring while the cruel part came in form of Eddie Guerrero’s death.
It’s always hard to make friendships in a business where backstabbing and politics are the basic requirements. But if one had the ability to make his fellow wrestlers bleed from their eyes for his ten bell salute, he should’ve been of a special breed and Eddie was one among that.
Still lives in the hearts
Born in a wrestling family, Eddie was entitled with a lot of pressure to deliver inside the squared circle. From New Japan Pro Wrestling to WWE, He did just that and emerged with a career which was more decorated than any of his family members. His charisma and passion for the business where unmatched by none in his family and Eddie easily made it into a league of his own.
Eddie simply frog splashed his way into the hearts of the fans with his ever-present smile which once made them hate him and then cry for him. His entrance in a low-rider with suspensions was another trademark which is still classified as one of the best entrances in the whole of professional wrestling business. Once inside the ring Eddie would embrace the spotlight and eat his heart out to make the fans roar. The three amigos and his signature lying in the corner traits still ring a nostalgic bell on what we are missing today. But another thing he personified was the way in which he cheated to win matches, calling back on those moments makes us realize that none of the wrestlers in the current roster won’t be able to replicate the legend in the way in which he used to fool the referee and make the fans laugh. He had memorable feuds with a long list of names with Rey Mysterio, Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho being the most notable. The night at which he triumphed over Brock Lesnar is still among one of the best underdog victories in WWE.
Tears of the fans
Wrestling apart, Eddie was more importantly a human who had a tender heart with which he gave a helping hand to anyone in need. John Cena publically admitted that Eddie was his inspiration purely because of the amount of heart he used put into the ring every week and even Cena’s current gimmick of never giving up was partially part of Eddie’s influence. The ultimate egoistic JBL himself said that Eddie was someone who used to help him in difficult times. Chris Benoit also had the same opinion before his death which clearly shows that Eddie always gave priority to the well-being of his fellow wrestlers without being selfish.
Eddie’s friendship with Benoit needs special mention as it was one of the purest form of relationships in a wrestling federation. The highest peak of their friendship came at WrestleMania XX when both the wrestlers became champions and hugged eachother while embracing the crowd. Eddie’s departure took a real toll on Benoit with him even breaking into tears in an interview about his friend. And in one way or another if Eddie was alive, we wouldn’t have had Benoit’s tragedy either.
The Latino Heat still had a lot left in him if it wasn’t for his early grave. Eddie might not have been iconic as Stone Cold or the Rock but he knew how to entertain the fans and he still stands out for his “I lie, I cheat, I steal” attitude which propelled him into greatness. It’s been 8 years since his departure and every fan would still cherish the wrestler who ate pain and sweat blood for them. Only if life wasn’t this cruel but as Vince McMahon says Eddie would want the show to go on.