The Friday Night Write - RIP Eddie Guerrero
Submitted by Al Boo Boo on Saturday, November 17, 2007 at 3:27 PM EST





In my eyes, the worse feeling in the world is that feeling you get when you’re heart sinks and you’re soul is shook. The feeling that makes all the air in your gut panic, and escape through your esophagus like it’s being sucked out by a vacuum. That feeling like you just got the wind knocked out of you by a world-class boxer, or an all-star lineman. Oddly enough, this specific type of pain can’t be delivered by a physical act like these. This pain is emotional. This pain is strictly abstract. And it’s one that you can’t dodge or juke.

I experienced this pain when the news came to me that my hero, my man, my favorite wrestler Eddie Guerrero passed away. I remember every small fact from the hour or so that I sat at my computer, stupefied. Mouth agape. With tears streaming down my eyes – first slow – then quickly – and for the rest of the day, they slowly streamed down like a leaky faucet. But in order to understand this pain, we must travel back – way back.

My first memories of Eddie Guerrero are watching him in WCW as a child. Mostly, it was his work in 1997 that somewhat draw shades of memory. Because of his latin background, my family always rooted for him – no matter how despicable of a heel he was. Their love knew no bounds – just because the guy wore a flag on his shirt and had a latin-sounding name, we cheered him. However, as a child I didn’t recognize him for his talent. I had no clue what this guy would bloom in to. And thus, I watched his matches, although in childhood awe at how quick he was, never really realizing just how talented he was. But then, time passed – and I stopped watching.

When I picked wrestling back up, I was just in time to see what was the end of Eddie’s championship reign. One of the biggest reasons I started watching again was because I had heard he was holding the title. I remembered him, and I was intrigued to know that he was now “running the show” with the big boy belt. So I tuned in. His feud with Kurt Angle was what got me back ‘hooked’ onto the show again. I couldn’t get enough – The “lie, cheat, steal” gimmick just fit him so well, I couldn’t help but eat it up and tune it week after week just to see Eddie. Just to hear him say it, just to see him wrestle, just to see make an appearance. It was great, and my bond with Eddie grew.

Then in late 2004 I was introduced to the internet and more importantly, the IWC. I found an infinite amount of information to consume. Opinions left and right, backstage news sites that really let you get “up-close-and-personal” with these performers. By this time, I worshipped at the alter of the man. You see, by this time I was teaching myself what goes into a good match and how much talent this sport really takes. Therefore I find it no coincidence that at this time I was introduced – by Zuma himself – to a match that changed my perspective on everything that ever took place in a wrestling ring.

Eddie Guerrero Vs Dean Malenko in ECW. For those who haven’t seen it, go and see it as soon as you can. If you want a link, e-mail after you finish reading this. In order to fully understand why this match you have to understand some backstory. These two had fought for years in Japan and Mexico – but America never showed them the love they deserved. Finally, ECW provided them a stage, although one that was miniscule to that WWF or WCW could supply. However, ECW provided them a stage to go out and do what they do best, go hold for hold and just straight wrestle. And that they did. Classic matches. But this one sticks out in particular because it was their final match in ECW and everyone knew it. You see, as much as ECW was a stage to showcase ones full talent, said stage was also a launching pad to “greener pastures”.

Eddy and Chris had just been signed by WCW, and this was set to be their final match in ECW – and the crowd knew. So these two classy guys (eeeeeh : / ) wentout their and gave the people in the arena that night, and all of us who have seen it, a match to remember. And the crowd responded – responded with chants of “please don’t go” and “Thank you Eddie” “Thank you Benoit”. The mutual respect between the two performers and every single person in that crowd just oozes through your screen – and pains a vivid picture of how much of a real relationship we can have with these guys.

So, when I saw this match – not only did my perspective of him change, but my whole view on wrestling shifted. I started to really respect these guys as talented individuals – not just entertainers. They became warriors, as opposed to just wrestlers. And Eddie was to blame.

But then, with the power of the IWC – I began to learn of his demons. His struggle with prescription drugs - the revelations that he popped pills like skittles – and his battle with alcohol addiction. Many people will argue that this was “none of my business” and that his problem outside of the ring shouldn’t affect my views of him inside that ring. But, one must understand my set of morals. To put it frank, I’m strictly against any drug use – especially and most importantly pills and alcohol. And to learn that my favorite wrestler and “hero” at the time struggled with this – and that it almost ended his life once – with his car accident – needless to say, hit me fairly hard.

However, my pain was remedied when quickly learned that he had since kicked his habit, and had been clean for quite some time. To make things better – he become deeply religious. I figured Eddie’s drug abuse was passed him – plus, his ring-work at the moment was so entertaining how couldn’t I just erase all that? Well I couldn’t – but not for reasons one would think. As someone who has seen alcoholism in his own family, as I’m sure all of us have, we know how hard it is for one to give it up. Eddie doing such only made we respect him that much more. It made him that much more of an inspiration to me – and gave me that much more of a reason to root him on through all of his heel tactics.

Time passed, and Eddie continues to do what he did best – wrestle. In one of the best feuds of his career, Eddie and his longtime friend Rey Mysterio jr. had battles over first who the better man was. However, in classic Mexican Novella fashion, they brought family, friends, lawyers, and more importantly – a son into the mix. Their feud calumniated in one of my most favorite matches of all time – a “custody papers” on a pole match at Summerslam ’05. People say it was sloppy, I say it was real. If you’re fighting for the right to have custody of your kid, you’re not about to go out there and try to monkeyflip and armdrag your way to victory. You’re gunna’ go out there and knock someone over the head with a ladder. At least that’s what you’d do in the wrestling world. In the real world you’d… you know… put on a suit and go to court. But I digress…

Following the Mysterio feud, Eddie wnt on the hunt for Batista and his world title. Luckily, this feud – Eddie’s last - showcased every single aspect of EG’s entire career. He was fighting a bigger – much bigger guy. He was playing a tweener. In everything he did he was “Lying, cheating, and Stealing”. And he was carrying opponent after opponent to awesome matches. The focal point of the feud was Eddie being Batista “friend”, but in a abhorrent world sort of way. Everyone knew it was just a matter of time before Eddie turned, and slammed that World Title right between the eyes of Bats’. It got us hooked. Every week I would turn in with the mindset that “today is today”. But he never did, every week they dragged it out – until he dragged it out too long, and thus never got a chance.

Then, I woke up on the morning of November the 13th after a long night of Halo 2. I had friends over, we were laughing, we ate breakfast, and I hopped on the computer to see what was going on in the land of “lopforums.com”. Hell, at first, I didn’t even notice. I clicked a couple links and read posts like I did every other time I logged on. Until, as my page slowly refreshed, I noticed the thread title –

Eddie Guerrero 9/9/67 – 11/13/05

To be honest, I figured it was just some dumb smark saying how Eddie had sold out and was “dead” in his eyes. But no, on that Sunday – the lines between mark and smark were blurred and everyone became a fan. But I didn’t know that – to me it was just another Sunday. But then, I noticed how many people were online, I noticed how many other sites I go to were simply down – their servers unable to hold the load of people trying to get on.

I went back to LOP - by this time, my mind realizing the reality of this situation. I clicked the link, and thus shined through my computer outpour after outpour of fans with one common thing to say –

“I can’t believe he’s dead…”

My eyes teared, my heart pounded, and I gasped for air.



Nov 13 -

Eddie Guerrero was found dead Sunday morning in his hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was 38.
No cause of death has been reported, Guerrero is survived by his wife Vickie and three daughters: Shaul, 14, Sherilyn, 9, and Kaylie Marie, 3.

According to WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, Guerrero was found at the Marriott City Center hotel. Police arrived on site around 7:30 a.m. Attempts were made to revive Guerrero, according to a police spokesperson.

My mother walks in, saw me crying, then saw the screen.

“Oh My God…” Even she knew how big of a blow this was to the wrestling community, and moreso myself. The first thing she did was call my brother – Zuma.

“Hey, something bad happened, you’re brother has to talk to you.” She passed the phone to me.

“Yo, dude… get on LOP… Eddie…” The words not wanting to come out… “Eddie’s dead.”

My earlier reaction was now his reality. Heart pounding, gasping for air, eye’s welling up with tears.
We sat for hours just on the phone, reading reactions, statements, and just running down the list of questions. “How? Why? What”” No amount of information could ease the pain – because their was one fact that we knew was true, and that could not be reversed.


Eddie Guerrero was gone.


Boom. It was over. Everything – his life, his career, his recovery, his struggle, his battles, his chance at the world title… over. As I explained before, it sent a shockwave throughout the IWC, and stole the breath from our mouths.
Maybe one of the hardest parts about this, was that on this same day Eddie was scheduled to wrestle against an injured Batista and a irresponsible Orton for the World Title. All signs pointed to him winning. But yet, the match never took place. Instead, they held a tribute show for one of the greatest to ever step into the ring.

And agree, disagree, not care – whatever. Because to me, Eddie was short o one of, if not THEE best to ever step inside the ring. Bar none. Period point blank. I don’t know how else to say it. To his matches, to his promo’s, to his backstage attitude, to just how great of a man he was – he was in my eyes, the best to ever do it. He provided inspiration to many fans, and even more so – wrestlers. He showed that eve if you are to fall into addiction, whether pills or alcohol, you can always come back, and come back with a vengeance. He also taught the casual wrestling fan what real “GOOD” wrestling is. He put on consistently good matches against guys that couldn’t wrestle worth a dime, and that is what set him aside from anyone else.

However, because of his premature death, we didn’t get to see just how great he could’ve become. Sadly, Eddie died mere hours before he was to embark on his second World Title run, one that would have been, no doubt in my mind, way better than his first. There are a plethora of feuds and matches that we will never get to see. Hours of entertainment that we will never get to witness. And years of service to the business that will never be completed. And most importantly, 3 kids and a Wife that will never get their Dad/Husband back. And that’s what makes this loss so hard.

Eddie, although he struggled, found his redemption. He found his salvation – and I don’t mean that in a religious way. He found his will to live in the faces of his family, and the faces of his fans. And that is what made him a great man. And this, mixed with the masterpieces of matches he put on, is what makes him the best to ever do it.
The reason I write this column today, is to celebrate an anniversary that many have seemed to forget. You might see the date and now realized “oh shit, that was last week”. But it pained me to realize that on that on the day of Novemeber 13, 2007 – no one could remember the heartbreak and shockwaves that were sent through that date, only 2 years earlier.

So people, I write this column as a plea. A plea of remembrance - and a plea of thanks. Don’t forget about Eddie Guerrero. I know that we all live busy lives and have thing we must take care of for ourselves, but for the sake of wrestling, and for the sake of a memory, don’t let the legacy of Eddie Guerrero pass. For even though he has, there is no reason and no excuse that we must forget what he has done in this business. And we must never forget the struggles he overcame. So whether it be Nov. 13th, Sep. 9th, or any day of the year – let us remember Eddie Guerrero – the best to ever do it.





To send Feedback:

fridaynightwrite@yahoo.com









***DIRECT LINK*** Go Directly to a RANDOM COOL & RARE WWE & TNA VIDEO! Check It Out!

• Quick Links -
  [Back to LOP] [News Archives] [Results] [Columns] [Forums]