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Submitted by Xan on Sunday, July 23, 2006 at 10:44 AM EST
 "A good critic...describes his adventures among masterpieces."--Anatole France I felt some very strange emotions on November 13, 2005. See, I was never that big of a fan of Eddy Guerrero. I didn't like him much in WCW when he was a face, as I just basically saw him as some bland babyface Mexican guy. Even when he turned and had the epic feud against Rey Mysterio, I still had kind of a "meh" opinion of him. It wasn't until he moved up to the U.S. Title division and started the Latino World Order that I really developed an appreciation of both his natural charisma and in-ring ability. He was a fabulous worker, but perhaps more importantly than that, he knew how to tell you he was a fabulous worker both verbally and with body language, all the while making you love to hate him. Then he was involved in a near-fatal accident and out of action for several months with severe injuries, and he returned to a WCW where he was no longer welcomed as a strong midcarder on his way up and eventually left, along with Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn for what they all supposed would be the promised land: The World Wrestling Federation. Once this happened, I think it's fair to say that I never disliked Eddy Guerrero again, though I would grow tired of him. I didn't like his pairing with Chyna and soon grew bored with it, then when he was kind of getting involved with Lita and the Hardy Boyz he fucked up and got himself kicked out of the WWF...only to return mere months later and start on the path that led to him eventually becoming a World Champion. This path, of course, was almost completely the "Lying, cheating, and stealing" gimmick that he got over huge with and became so famous for, but while it certainly elevated Eddy Guerrero to the main event, it's my opinion that it also supplanted his talent. Was the "Lying, cheating, and stealing" Guerrero entertaining? No doubt, but he also wasn't the same wrestler when he was pulling that stuff, and in a sense we, the wrestling fans and viewing audience, were cheated out of seeing a tremendous worker perform his craft. Now, of course, you could say that I'm exaggerating the facts here, because after all, weren't Eddy's antics what he became known for, and if we went in expecting that weren't we actually seeing him perform his craft? Well, the best answer for that question is, "Yes, of course we were, but no, of course we weren't." I would assume that you, like me are a wrestling fan, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you are, like me, a fan of wrestling. I'm speaking in circles here, I know, but bear with me, I'm getting to a point, and that point is this: Despite the name, the WWF has not really been about wrestling since Vince McMahon took over the organization and made it a national power. It's been about entertainment, storytelling, and spectacle and the wrestlers always had to take a back seat to the guys that were better at being sports-entertainers. Then Eddy Guerrero comes along and he's one of a kind. This guy's really something else, because he really has a knack for sports-entertaining, but man oh man, is this guy a wrestler's wrestler. Now, given everything you know about Vince McMahon, if he knows someone is excellent at both being a sports entertainer and being a wrestler, what do you think he's going to want them to do more? Eddie Guerrero was great at the craft Vince McMahon wanted him to excel in, but that ended up overshadowing the craft that he chose for himself. Can anyone out there imagine Eddy Guerrero, son of Hector, nephew of Chavo dreaming of being a sports entertainer? "One may understand the cosmos, but never the ego; the self is more distant than any star."--G.K. Chesterton There's no doubt that Eddy made the WWF's main event matches better simply for the fact that he was in them. Hell, he made JBL, who became Smackdown's saving grace for 10 months, but all during the time he was on his way to the top and then eventually at the top, there's also no doubt that Eddy Guerrero wasn't really doing what he dreamed of doing. He may have dreamed of wrestling for the WWF, but no way did he dream of doing it with crazy antics involving chairs, bells, belts, and anything else under the sun to rob his opponents and get cheered for it by the audience. Aside from Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin, Guerrero is probably the greatest sports entertainer of all time and he may be the most gifted professional wrestler of all time, as well. I don't think you're going to find many people who would argue with him being in the top ten at the very least. I'd probably put him in the top 5, myself, if I did that kind of list, but that's not what my X 100 has ever been about. The stories that he was involved in and the way in which they were told; and probably even the timing of them, however, influenced the way I felt about him during the time I could watch him work his magic weekly. There's an old saying, of course, "You don't know what you got, till it's gone," but if you've read my Guerrero column that I posted November 13, you'll know that I, in fact, did know how good Eddy was. It was my knowledge of his ability that prompted the article, as I was very pleased he had ditched the "Lying, cheating, and stealing" gimmick in favor of a bit of a return to the "Latino Heat," mixed with a darkness that we'd never seen in him before. It was fantastic. Each word and gesture he used during his feud with Rey Mysterio was filled with passion. He gave a promo without a single word that left the crowd hating his guts and that I can still remember as he stomped Rey's bloodied mask with his heel and ground it into the mat. Then he proceeded to go out, do his job, and along with his partner make each match in the feud of the year for 2005 a classic in its own way. I can't think of another wrestler who's work has made me revel in the hate he causes me to feel for his actions, though Mick Foley is coming close right now. I still retain the belief that as a reward for Eddy's wonderful work last year he was going to win the World Heavyweight Championship at the RAW/Smackdown supershow in Minneapolis, MN the day he died. That result would have been karmic for him, as it would have given him a chance to redeem himself for his first title reign. Nobody blamed him for Smackdown's loss of ratings and declining attendance, because the fact was the brand had lost 3 other major stars within 60 days of each other: Chris Benoit, Brock Lesnar, and Kurt Angle; which left Guerrero as the veteran on the scene and the only choice for building new stars, or as it turned out, a new star to help carry Smackdown. One man cannot do it alone, especially if he be someone other than Hogan or Austin. We all know that, Vince McMahon knew that, and Guerrero probably knew it, as well, but he didn't believe it and this supposed failure is rumored to have haunted him for most of 2004 and just when he was on the verge of getting a chance to prove to himself--if not the wrestling world--that he could succeed as the standard bearer for a national wrestling brand, this man who appears to have a big metaphorical heart had his real enlarged one fail him and he never quite got the redemption he was seeking. Now, of course, we are expected to believe that the spirit of Eddy Guerrero lives on through his friend, Rey Mysterio. "Of all plagues, good Heaven, thy wrath can send, Save me, oh save me from the candid friend."--George Canning It's a nice idea, but at the same time, it's as heartbreaking as Guerrero's death in itself. I mourned for Eddy Guerrero as I'm sure many, many fans across the world did, and as I'm sure was nowhere near the way those that were close to him, including Rey Rey did. But, Rey Mysterio is not World Heavyweight Champion because Eddy Guerrero willed it, it was the decision of the bookers that made him so along with his great talent. Nothing more. I think Mysterio has been a much worse champion for Smackdown than his amigo ever was, but that's neither here nor there. Rey Mysterio would have been World Champion some day whether Eddy was dead or alive and I'm willing to bet that Eddy would have preferred to be alive to see it happen. While I can't profess to know what's going on inside Rey's head, I'd be surprised if it hasn't crossed his mind more than once to wonder if he's only World Champion right now because he rode in on Eddy's coattails. It's done far more than cross mine, I'm quite sure Rey would not have headlined Wrestlemania XXII were it not for the November tragedy, unless, of course, it had been against Latino Heat himself. I was at the Smackdown tapings on July 11, and it is pretty spooky to hear nearly an entire building chant the name of a dead man. Being the contrarian that I am by nature, of course I chanted against it, but nobody in the audience really wanted to chant the name of "Rey." Why is that, do you suppose? Is it because we buy the storyline the WWF introduced that Rey's Royal Rumble victory and subsequent victory for the World Title at 'Mania were somehow aided by the spirit of Eddy Guerrero? I mean, Christ, we'd have to be gullible to accept half of the things the WWF throws our way, but are we really that naive, to believe that Latino Heat is really up in Heaven pulling strings to effect what happens in a wrestling organization down here? Of fucking course not. So, is it that we just don't care about Rey like JBL said a few weeks back in his promo? No, it's not that, either. Rey Mysterio is one of the most popular stars in the history of Smackdown. Hell, one of the reasons his and Eddy's feuds were so successful last year was that we care about both men. The reason the crowds chant "Eddy" is much more basic than any of this. We miss him and our hurt still hasn't healed. It wasn't given a chance to, because there was too much of a hole to be filled. Eddie Guerrero wasn't just the greatest wrestler in the world or the most complete, he was also the glue that held Smackdown together and a huge chunk of what little was good about professional wrestling in 2005. It's not that we dislike Rey, it's that we want more Eddy. Folks, we're never going to get more. Go out and buy every DVD you can that features an Eddy Guerrero match or promo. Sit back and enjoy that we had him for as long as he did, because he isn't coming back and all you fans who are out there chanting his name are only doing two things: 1) Keeping both your wounds and those of the rest of us open and 2) Cheapening the name of Eddy Guerrero. His legend isn't growing with your mindless chanting, it's shrinking. His name is losing it's power, because the more we hear the Eddy chant, the more we think of Rey and the less we think of the man who's name sounds like the chant. "We will never forget?" All you chanters are doing is washing away the memories. You want to cheer for Rey? Go ahead. I am. As much as I hate his title reign to this point, I so much want him to be the champ I know he could be. But, he'll never be Eddy Guerrero, so let his name rest in peace. Otherwise neither you, nor me, nor Rey will ever truly have any. Viva La Rasa is a nice idea, pero Eduardo Guerrero es muerto. Stop cheapening that. Stop cheapening him. Just as importantly, let Rey be Rey and not Eddy's effigy. Long days, pleasant nights
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