The art of true living in this world is more like a wrestler’s than a dancer’s practice.
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Eddie Guerrero Biography 2021 – Latino Heat Greatest Moments
Hello everyone! Here at Against the Ropes, we decided to make a series of biographies of some of our favorite pro wrestlers that somehow left us way too early, but not without leaving behind a true legacy within the wrestling industry.
On the first post of our series – which you can find here – we honored The King of Harts, Owen Hart. This time we bring you the life and career of one of the most prolific and charismatic pro wrestlers of all time, the Latino Heat, Eddie Guerrero.
Eddie Guerrero is one of my all-time favorites – and my nephew’s favorite wrestler – so it was with enormous pleasure that I relieved all his career and brought you our ultimate Eddie Guerrero biography.
Despite being widely known by fans in some less fortunate episodes of Eddie’s personal life, I will avoid following that path.
Many were already written about Eddie’s personal life – rather his substances abuses or his marital issues – though the goal of this post is to pay tribute to Eddie’s amazing career and memory. After all, the world no longer needs another post of that type.
So without further ado, let’s jump on our Eddie Guerrero biography and take a look at some quick facts from the Latino Heat itself.
Quick Facts
- Birthday: 10/09/1967
- Born In: El Paso, Texas, USA
- Height: 5′ 8″ (172 cm)
- Weight: 220 lbs (100 kg)
- Beginning of in-ring career: 1986
- End of in-ring career: 11/13/2005 (at the age of 38)
- Cause of Death: Heart failure due to a blocked artery
- In-ring experience: 19 years
- Wrestling Style: All-rounder, Technical, High-Flyer
- Trained by: Gory Guerrero and Javier Llanes
Alter Egos:
- Gory Guerrero Jr.
- Eddy Guerrero
- Máscara Mágica
- Black Tiger II
- El Caliente
- Eddie Guerrero
Nicknames:
- El Cachorro
- El Gringo Loco
- El Rey del Suplex
- Latino Heat
- The Tony Curtis of Lucha Libre
Family:
- Spouse: Vickie Guerrero (1990 – 2005)
- Children: Shaul Guerrero, Kaylie Marie Guerrero, Sherilyn Amber Guerrero
- Father: Gory Guerrero
- Mother: Herlinda Guerrero
- Siblings: Maria, Linda, Mando, Chavo, and Héctor Guerrero
- Nephews: Chavo Guerrero Jr. and “Vengador” Héctor Mejía
Signature moves:
- Three Amigos – Triple Rolling Vertical Suplex
- Brainbuster
- Knee Dropkick
- Missile Dropkick
- European uppercut
- Gory special
- Hilo – slingshot somersault senton
- Springboard hurricanrana
- Top-rope hurricanrana
- Monkey flip
- Plancha
- Senton
- Spinning crucifix into a neckbreaker slam
- STF
- Sunset Flip Powerbomb
- Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker
- Tornado DDT
- Top-rope diving tornado DDT
Finishing moves:
- BT Bomb – sitout crucifix powerbomb
- Kneeling belly to belly piledriver
- Frog splash
- Lasso from El Paso
Title reigns:
- AAA World Tag Team Championship
- ECW World Television Championship – (2x) 132 days
- IWA World Championship – 1 day
- PWF Tag Team Championship
- WCW United States Championship – 77 days
- WCW World Cruiserweight Championship – (2x) 91 days
- WWA International Cruiserweight Championship
- WWA World Trios Championship
- WWE Championship – 133 days
- WWE European Championship – (2x) 134 days
- WWE Intercontinental Championship – (2x) 114 days
- WWE RAW Tag Team Championship – (4x) 215 days
- WWE United States Championship – 84 day
Major accolades:
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Feud of the Year 1994
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Tag Team of the Year 1994 and 2002
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Feud of the Year 1995
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated: Comeback of the year 1999
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated: Most Inspirational Wrestler 2002, 2004, and 2005
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Most charismatic wrestler 2004
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Best on Interviews 2005
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated: Stanley Weston Award 2005
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame: 2006
- WWE Hall of Fame: 2006
- AAA Hall of Fame: 2008
Early Life
Although some sources say that Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (better known as Eddie Guerrero) was born in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico – the place in which a young Eddie started his pro wrestling career – he actually was born in El Paso, Texas, USA, on October 9, 1967.
Eddie always had professional wrestling running in his veins. After all, Eddie Guerrero is the youngest son of the legendary Gory Guerrero.
As a young lad, Eddie and his nephew Chavo Guerrero Jr. would accompany his dad Gory to his wrestling matches and even have the chance to wrestle each other during intermissions.
After graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1985, Eddie attended the University of New Mexico and later the New Mexico Highlands University on an athletic scholarship.
Worth refers that Eddie is immersed in the world of collegiate wrestling throughout that period.
With his academic life on his back, Eddie Guerrero had decided to follow in the steps of his father, Gory, and older brothers – Chavo, Mando, and Héctor.
With the goal of becoming a second-generation wrestler in mind, Eddie started his training under the tutelage of his father and cousin, Javier Llanes, while being helped by his older brothers too.
Eddie’s Debut and Early Runs (1986 – 1992)
There are many contradictions concerning Eddie’s debut as a professional wrestler. Multiple sources state that Eddie debuted in 1987, in a lucha en parejas with El Matemático Vs. Flama Roja & El Vikingo at Auditorio Municipal de Ciudad Juarez.
However, his cousin and trainer, Javier Llanes, claims that his debut was on September 5, 1986, in a Best Two of Three Falls Match.
Going by the name Gory Guerrero, Eddie teamed with Mogur Vs. Ari Romero & Guerrero Negro, at Arena Internacional, in Ciudad Juárez, the place where all Guerreros and Llanes debuted.
The latter possibility seems to be the more credible, mainly because it comes from Javier Llanes, Eddie’s cousin, and mentor.
The problem is that in a publication on June 29, 1986, the Mexican magazine Revista KO states his debut in El Paso Civic Center on June 15, 1986. So despite who’s right on this one, I feel that it is safe to say that Eddie Guerrero’s debut occurred somewhere in 1986.
Eddie had his first matches working for the then EMLL (Empresa Mexicana de la Lucha Libre), which currently goes by the name of CMLL (Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre).
After a couple of matches, Eddie had his first rivalry against Ari Romero. The feud culminated in a Lucha de Apuestas Match (Hair Vs. Hair Chain Match), on which the young Eddie came victorious.
Eddie formed a short-lived alliance with Hijo del Santo during this initial career period, naming themselves Nueva Pareja Atómica, in honor of the original Pareja Atómica, composed by their respective fathers, Gory Guerrero and the legendary El Santo.
Eddie, alongside his brothers, kept working for EMLL for a great part of the late 1980s while making sporadic appearances on AWA (American Wrestling Association) and NWA World Championship Wrestling.
Eddie was presented as an enhancement talent in the latter, having his most high-profile match against Terry Funk.
Máscara Mágica’s Debut and Farewell
Things were going well for the young Eddie Guerrero, but then EMLL decided to mask many of his wrestlers, including Eddie and his brothers.
His brother Héctor was repackaged as Lassertron, and his brother Mando was repackaged as El Psicopata. And Eddie, well, Eddie was repackaged as Máscara Mágica.
Although Eddie always did the most to make the gimmick work, in reality, Eddie Guerrero disliked everything about Máscara Mágica’s gimmick.
That led in 1992 to Eddie Guerrero leaving the EMLL and joining AAA (Asistencia Asesoría y Administración), a newly formed promotion at the time.
On his first AAA appearance, Eddie took the ring yet under Máscara Mágica’s mask, which he removed with the help of his tag team partner that night, Octagón, starting a new and one of the most exciting eras in Eddie’s career.
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (1992 – 1995)
On AAA, Eddie Guerrero reunited with Hijo del Santo, and they reformed the Pareja Atómica. Again the duo didn’t last long as Eddie turned on his partner – becoming rudo (heel) in the process – and allied himself with the “Love Machine” Art Barr, forming with the former La Pareja del Terror.
La Pareja del Terror became an instant success, with several sources claiming that the duo is the most hated pareja in Lucha Libre history.
When Konnan joined Eddie and Barr, a new heel stable emerged, going by the name Los Gringos Locos. Shortly after, Chicano Power and Madonna’s Boyfriend (Louie Spicolli) joined the stable too.
Los Gringos Locos feuded mainly with Hijo del Santo and Octagón in a series of epic matches that culminated in the very first Lucha Libre PPV on American soil, “When Worlds Collide.”
The PPV was made possible due to the alliance between IWC (International Wrestling Council) and AAA, which counted on Ted Turner’s and WCW’s production.
At the co-main event, Eddie Guerrero and Art Barr lost to Hijo del Sant and Octagón in a Masks Vs. Hairs Best Two Out of Three Falls Tag Team Match. As a result, both American heels were shaved in the middle of the ring.
The match was highly acclaimed, with multiple sources giving the match five stars. The match concluded an epic rivalry, with many fans pointing out that more than a rivalry, the match ended an era.
The When Worlds Collide PPV gave great worldwide exposure to most wrestlers on the card, particularly Eddie Guerrero and Art Barr.
Their performances impressed a certain “My name is” Paul Heyman, which made all the possibles to have their services on his promotion, Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW).
It was when disaster struck. On November 23, 1994, Art Barr was found dead at the age of 28 years old. I will not enter into much detail concerning his death since it’s on my plans to do his biography in the near future.
It was with a broken heart, devastated by the death of his friend that Eddie joined ECW all by himself.
New Japan Pro Wrestling (1992 – 1996)
Before jumping on the short yet great run of Eddie Guerrero in ECW, I will take one step back to share with you Eddie’s run in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Eddie Guerrero made an impacting debut in Japan on August 8, 1993, at the Ryogoku Sumo Hall in Tokyo. After a match between Jushin Thunder Linger and Wild Pegasus for the IWGP Jr. Championship – which Jushin Liger successfully retained – a familiar mask erupted in the ring and started to beat Jushin Liger.
The familiar mask was the Black Tiger mask – Tiger Mask and Jushin Liger’s archenemy – though the man behind it was not the same.
This time, the man behind the mask was none other than Eddie Guerrero, the Black Tiger II. And this time, unlike the Máscara Mágica, the Black Tiger II mask was one mask that Eddie Guerrero used with pride.
As the second coming of the Black Tiger, Eddie Guerrero won the NJPW Junior Heavyweight Super Grade Tag League Championship with Great Sasuke in 1993, making him more successful than the original Black Tiger.
After a period of absence, Eddie Guerrero had a second run on NJPW, and he achieved even great success and popularity this time.
Usually, Black Tiger portrays the role of Tiger Mask’s nemesis, but due to Tiger Mask III’s injury at the time, Black Tiger II started to feud with Jushin Liger.
The two changed victories throughout their feud. Although, on June 3, 1996, in Osaka, at the Best of the Super Juniors 3 finals, the Black Tiger II had a decisive victory over his rival Liger.
That led Black Tiger II to challenge The Great Sasuke for the IWPG Junior Heavyweight Championship at Skydiving J. Unfortunately, Eddie could not defeat Sasuke, despite all the efforts.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995)
Eddie Guerrero made his debut for a major US promotion on April 8, 1995, at the ECW Three Way Dance event, and he made it with a bang.
Eddie Guerrero won the ECW World Television Championship from 2 Cold Scorpio in his very first match on the company.
Eddie had adopted the Frog Splash as his finisher, in homage to his friend Art Barr, though coincidentally, it was 2 Cold Scorpio that named the move due to the particular way Barr performed.
After winning the ECW World Television Championship, Eddie had a series of outstanding matches with Dean Malenko, with the title changing hands a couple of times.
Eddie and Malenko’s performances didn’t go unnoticed to WCW, which made their intentions to have the two talented wrestlers on their roster.
After dropping the ECW Television Championship to 2 Cold Scorpio on August 25, 1995, Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko had their farewell match on ECW.
In a Two Out of Three Falls Match at the ECW Arena, both men put on a clinic, displaying all their skills. The match ended in a draw, and at the end, all the locker room came to the ring and carried both men as true heroes, with the always faithful ECW fans chanting, “please don’t go!”
Less than five months after signing with ECW, Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko joined WCW.
World Championship Wrestling (1995 – 2000)
Upon his return to WCW, Eddie Guerrero was a different man, but so was the promotion. Eric Bishoff wanted to add some diversity and excitement to WCW’s product.
Therefore, the addition of Guerrero, Malenko, Benoit, and Konnan, among other wrestlers, to WCW’s ranks brought a fresh and clear contrast in terms of wrestling style compared with some main event wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Golberg, Kevin Nash, etc.
After competing in some dark matches in his first PPV events, Eddie’s first breakout came in the 1995 edition of World War 3.
There, Eddie competed in the three-ring, 60-man World War 3 battle royal for the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Eddie fought his way bravely to the final ten-man until Four Horsemen members eliminated him.
At Starrcade 1995, in a co-organized event by WCW and NJPW, Eddie entered in a WCW Vs. NJPW World Cup tournament series, on which he lost to Shinjiro Otani.
WCW United States Heavyweight Champion
1996 brought a Guerrero thirsty for titles. After accumulating a couple of Ws, Eddie Guerrero challenged Konnan for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship at the Uncensored PPV, though he failed to win the strap.
Later on, Eddie received yet another chance to put his hands on the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship, this time, against Ric Flair at the Hog Wild PPV, but again, he failed on his attempt to with the gold.
Eddie will then enter into a feud with the Four Horsemen after being attacked by his partner, Arn Anderson, In a tag team match Vs. Ric Flair and Randy Savage.
Later in the year, Eddie Guerrero feuded with Diamond Dallas Page. Eddie won a match against DDP at Clash of the Champions XXXIII, and from there, he tried to steal DDP’s nickname, “Lord of the Ring,” but Eddie was unsuccessful in his attempt.
At Starrcade 1997, after achieving the finals of a tournament to crown the new WCW United States Heavyweight Champion, Eddie Guerrero beats DDP and claims the vacant title.
After successful defenses against the likes of Scott Norton at Clash of Champions WWWIV, Sean Waltman at Souled Out, and Chris Jericho at SuperBrawl VII, Eddie eventually dropped the title to his good old friend, Dean Malenko, at Uncensored.
As a result of the match against Malenko at Uncensored, Eddie lost several months of competition due to a torn pectoral. Eddie jumped his old buddy Dean Malenko upon his return, turning heel in the process.
Eddie was now focused on Chris Jericho’s Cruiserweight Championship. He eventually won the strap at the Fall Brawl after failing on his first attempt at Clash of the Champions XXXV on September 14, 1997.
Eddie Guerrero then dropped the title to Rey Mysterio Jr. The rematch, scheduled for the Halloween Havoc PPV, was highly anticipated due to the match stipulation, a Hair Vs. Mask Match.
The two men went to war in what can be described as one of the best cruiserweight matches of all time and in WCW history. Mysterio came on top that night, though Eddie eventually regained the Cruiserweight Title.
Eddie successfully defended his title Vs. Mysterio at World War 3 and Vs. Malenko at Starrcade 1997, though he dropped the title to Último Dragón the following day on Nitro.
From Bad Uncle to Latino World Order’s Creation
Eddie Guerrero then started to feud with his nephew Chavo Guerrero Jr. After winning a match against Chavo, Eddie forced his nephew into an acolyte role.
With a reluctant Chavo in his corner, Eddie Guerrero challenged Booker for the WCW World Television Championship, but he failed to win the strap.
In the storyline, Chavo starts to display strange – even insane – behavior. After an upset victory of Chavo over Eddie at The Great American Bash, the two were scheduled to face each other in a Hair Vs. Hair Match, at Bash at the Beach.
Despite Eddie’s victory in the match, Chavo himself started to shave his own head, for much of the disbelief of his uncle Eddie.
Eddie apparently began to change his behavior towards Chavo, saving him from some beatings, though in reality, Eddie was trying to get Chavo fired.
With time, Eddie began to grow frustrated with the place of the cruiserweight wrestlers on the company due to the lack of chances to achieve the main event level of their fellow heavyweights. Eddie took his frustrations to Eric Bishoff, demanding a push and salary improvements.
Bishoff accidentally knocked his coffee off the table during their heated talk, hitting Eddie. A furious Eddie demanded his release from his contract live on Nitro, implying that Bishoff intentionally had thrown coffee on his pants.
The storyline blurred fiction with reality, and in the pre-internet era, most fans didn’t know what to think. After a few months of absence, Eddie returned to WCW (later, Eddie would confirm that it was a worked shoot), and in response to his boss’s actions, he would go to form the Latino World Order (LWO), a clear take-off of Eric Bishooff’s creation, the New World Order (NWO).
The group began to take shape when Eddie interrupted a match between Héctor Garza and Damien, claiming that they shouldn’t be fighting each other. Instead, as two Latin wrestlers, they should join Eddie in his newly formed stable, the LWO.
The group grew in numbers, with the likes of La Parka, Psicosis, Villano IV, Villano V, Silver King, and El Dandy joining their ranks.
The LWO feuded with Rey Mysterio and Billy Kidman since Eddie wanted Mysterio to join the LWO. Eddie Guerrero faced Billy Kidman for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, but due to Mysterio’s interference, Kidman retained the belt.
On New Year’s Day in 1999, Eddie was involved in a car accident that sidelined him for a few months. As a result, and since Eddie was LWO’s mouthpiece (the only English speaker of the group at the time), the group disbanded, which saw the end of the Latino World Order.
The Filthy Animals and WCW Departure
After Eddie’s accident, doctors told him that we would not wrestle again. But, against all odds, Eddie was back in the ring less than five months after the event. He went to form with Rey Mysterio, Konnan, and Billy Kidman, The Filthy Animals stable.
They feuded with Insane Clown Posse and Vampiro, commonly known as Dead Pool, and got a couple of Ws on the duo at Road Wild and Fall Brawl.
They were engaged then in a rivalry with Shane Douglas, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn, commonly known as The Revolution.
Eddie Guerrero got a victory over Perry Saturn at Halloween Havoc, though The Filthy Animals lost to The Revolution in a Mixed Tag Team Match at Mayhem.
When WCW’s booker Vince Russo was replaced by Kevin Sullivan, Eddie Guerrero, alongside fellow colleagues Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn, asked for his contract release, which was granted to all four men.
The four-man will eventually join the then-World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
World Wrestling Federation (2000 – 2001)
The Radicalz Have Arrived
On January 31, 2000, edition of Raw Is War, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, and Perry Saturn shocked the wrestling world when they marked their presence on the front row seat on a match involving Billy Gunn and Road Dogg, The New Age Outlaws.
Within minutes, the group presented as “The Radicalz” invaded the ring and laid waste on Gunn and Dogg, establishing themselves as babyfaces.
On his very first WWF match – a tag team match with Perry Saturn Vs. The New Age Outlaws – Eddie dislocated his elbow while executing his trademarked Frog Splash, putting Eddie on the shelves for several weeks.
Although Eddie and Saturn were booked to win the match, Eddie asked Road Dogg to pin him right away when the injury happened.
Eddie Guerrero kept making tv appearances despite the injury due to his affiliation with The Radicalz. Eddie was undoubtedly the most colorful Radicalz member, and even injured, Eddie kept being the group’s standout.
Now has a heel, Eddie began what apparently was a feud with Chyna – which was associated with Chris Jericho at the time – but ended up as an unlikely alliance.
Eddie Guerrero and his “Mamacita”
Eddie made some advances on Chyna – which he referred to as his “Mamacita” – trying to gain her affection, though she didn’t fall for it.
The night following WrestleMania 2000, on April 3, 2000, edition of Raw Is War, Eddie Guerrero was booked against Chris Jericho for the WWF European Championship.
Chyna turned on Jericho throughout the match, which cost him the WWF European Championship. Later Chyna defended her actions by saying that she couldn’t resist his “Latino Heat.”
During this period, Eddie Guerrero and Chyna feuded with Essa Rios and Lita, on which Guerrero came up with some of his most memorable comedy acts.
Eddie was scheduled to defend his WWF European Title against Essa Rios at the Backlash PPV. On a night that was supposed to be the night of Gerrero’s prom, Eddie came to the ring in a 1957 Chevrolet and gave all the fans the awesome sight of seeing him successfully defending his title while wrestling with a bow tie and slacks prom.
Eddie and Chyna’s popularity grew to the point WWF decided to turn them into babyfaces. As a face, Eddie retained his title against his old hoes, Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn, in a Triple Threat Match at Judgement Day. Eddie eventually dropped the title to Saturn at the Fully Loaded PPV.
The first signs of friction between Eddie and Chyna appeared when Eddie pinned Chyna in a King of the Ring tournament match.
Later in the summer, Eddie Guerrero and Chyna faced Val Venis and Trish Stratus at SummerSlam on a Mixed Tag Team Match. Venis was the Intercontinental Champion at the time, and his title was on the line; and in case of defeat, the person who scored the pin was declared Intercontinental Champion.
Chyna got the pin over Stratus and became a two-time Intercontinental Champion. Eddie Guerrero claimed he was happy for Chyna, though he found his way to insert himself on a match between Chyna and Kurt Angle for the IC Title, apparently to protect his Mamacita.
Throughout the match, Chyna is knocked down by Angle, and in an attempt to revive her, Eddie ends up pinning Chyna and becomes for the first time Intercontinental Champion. Eddie then began to use all sorts of tactics and cheat to retain his title, which didn’t feel right to Chyna.
The cracks became more visible when an infuriated Eddie Guerrero invaded the Playboy Mansion to stop Chyna’s photoshoot.
Things got better for a moment when Eddie proposed to Chyna, and she accepted. Chyna even helped Eddie retain the IC Title at Unforgiven 2000 against Rikishi.
But then, Eddie blew up things when he was caught on camera showering with two girls associated with The Godfather while claiming that “Two Mamacitas are better than one!”
From there, Eddie Guerrero – which turned hell as a result of breaking up with Chyna – reunited with his old friends and reformed The Radicalz.
The Radiclaz’s Reunion and Eddie’s WWF Departure
The Radicalz feuded with D-Generation X (Chyna, Billy Gunn, Road Dogg, and K-Kwik), and later on, Eddie lost his Intercontinental Championship to Gunn.
After Benoit left the group, The Radicalz began to feud with the Hardy Boyz and Lita, which they eventually beat at the Armageddon PPV.
In early 2001, Eddie focused his attention on regaining the IC Title again. Eddie faced X-Pac, Benoit, and Jericho(C) at the No Way Out PPV in a Fatal Four-Way Match, though Eddie couldn’t get the W.
He then decided to feud with Test over the WWF European Title. At WrestleMania X-Seven, with the help of Saturn and Malenko, Eddie became a two-time WWF European Champion.
Eddie decided to ally himself with The Hardy Boyz and Lita to the detriment of Saturn and Malenko. And then, Eddie’s personal demons began to interfere with his performances in this period.
Eddie developed an addiction to pain medication from his car accident in 1999. Therefore, WWF decided to send the Latino Heat to rehab.
Things were going well until November 9, 2001, the day Eddie got arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. Three days after the incident, WWF released Eddie Guerrero from his contract.
Back to the Indies (2001 – 2002)
After putting his act together, Eddie Guerrero returned for a brief period to the independent circuit, where he held his first match against Low Ki.
On February 23, 2002, at Ring of Honor’s (ROH) debut show named The Era of Honor Begins, Eddie faced Super Crazy to crown the inaugural IWA Intercontinental Champion. Unfortunately, Eddie ended up losing the bout.
One day after, Eddie made his debut for the Australian promotion, World Wrestling All-Stars (WWA), in a Triple Threat Match for the WWA International Cruiserweight Championship against Juventud Guerrera(C) and Psicosis. This time, Eddie came up victorious and won the title.
On March 1, 2002, in a Triple Threat Match against CM Punk and Rey Mysterio for the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship, Eddie came up the W once again and became champion, just to drop the title to CM Punk one day later.
Eddie took this period to wrestle in Japan again, though this time, Eddie wrestled unmasked and aligned himself with Black Tiger.
Shortly after, Eddie canceled his bookings with NJPW for April of that year, and he dropped the WWA Cruiserweight Championship. These moves by Eddie made fans believe that Latino Heat was about to return to the WWF.
On April 27, 2002, Eddie Guerrero and Amazing Red beat Jose and Joel Maximo at the ROH Night of Appreciation. However, the night’s best moment came at the end, when the ROH roster came out to the ring to show their appreciation for Eddie Guerrero, which had already signed with the WWF.
WWE’s Return (2002 – 2005)
On Aprils Fool, 2002, Eddie Guerrero made his WWF tv return being felt by viciously attacking Mr. Monday Night, Rob Van Dam. That led to a feud between both men over the Intercontinental Title.
At the Backlash PPV, Eddie secured the win over RVD and became a two-time Intercontinental Champion. He retained the title against the same RVD at the Insurrextion and Judgement Day PPVs, though he eventually dropped the IC Title in Van Dam’s favor on the May 27, 2002, edition of Raw in a highly acclaimed ladder match.
Eddie started briefly feuding with Stone Cold Steve Austin, but then the latter left the now WWE, and the highly anticipated match between both men never occurred.
The night Eddie dropped the IC Title coincided with Benoit’s return to WWE, and the duo reunited. They briefly feud with Ric Flair, on which Eddie loses a match to Flair at the King of the Ring tournament.
The duo jumped ship to SmackDown, and Eddie Guerrero re-ignited the feud with Edge. They changed victories between them, with Eddie obtaining the W at the Unforgiven PPV, while Edge won a match on SmackDown.
Los Guerreros
By this time, his tag team partner, Benoit, was feuding with Angle, so Eddie decided to align with his nephew, Chavo Guerrero, forming Los Guerreros.
Unlike their previous run at WCW, the duo was on the same page, and no twisted dynamics occurred between uncle and nephew this time.
Following the mantra “We lie, we cheat, we steal,” the team claimed on some vignettes that despite their dishonest nature, they were honest enough to assume it. These segments did wonders for the team’s popularity, making Los Guerreros incredibly over with fans.
At Survivor Series, a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Tag Team Championship took place between the champions Edge and Rey Mysterio Vs. Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit Vs. Los Guerreros.
Eddie put Mysterio in his trademarked Lasso from El Paso, which tapped out. Los Guerreros won the gold, and due to their popularity, they turned into babyfaces.
The duo lost their tag team titles to Team Angle ( Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin) and began a feud. At WrestleMania XIX, the WWE Tag Team Championship is on the line in a Triple Threat Match between Team Angle (C) Vs. Benoit and Rhyno Vs. Los Guerreros and Team Angle ended up holding their belts.
Team Angle and Los Guerreros faced one more time at the Backlash PPV, though the result was the same.
Teaming with Tajiri and Winning The United States Championship
Los Guerreros were scheduled to face Haas and Benjamin at Judgement Day for the WWE Tag Team Championship, but then Chavo toured his biceps and was forced to withdraw from the match.
Eddie Guerrero had to find a replacement, and he chose Tajiri. The unlikely duo defeated Team Angle in a Ladder Match and became champions.
After a couple of successful title defenses, the team eventually dropped the titles to Team Angle. That led an infuriated Eddie to turn on his partner, slamming Tajiri on his low-rider truck’s windshield.
After the events with his ex-partner Tajiri, a heel Eddie Guerrero entered a tournament for the reinstated United States Championship.
After beating Último Dragón and Billy Gunn, Eddie was set to face Chris Benoit at the tournament finals at Vengeance in 2003.
Eddie didn’t hesitate to resort to his cheating tactics to win the United States Championship. However, Benoit successfully avoids them until being attacked by his own partner, Rhyno.
Eddie went to pin Benoit for the US Title, and despite being a heel, at this moment, Eddie realized how over he was with the fans, which simply loved to see him lie, cheat, and steal despite being a heel.
At that year’s SummerSlam, Eddie Guerrero successfully defended his title against Rhyno, Benoit, and his ex-partner, Tajiri, in a Fatal Four-Way Match.
That led to another babyface turn from the Latino Heat, which engaged in a feud with John Cena for the US Title. On September 11, edition of SmackDown, Eddie faced Cena in a “Latino Heat” Parking Lot Brawl Match and won the match, though he counted on his returning nephew’s help.
The week after, the reunited Guerreros faced The World’s Greatest Tag Team – previously known as Team Angle – for the WWE Tag Team Championship, and they won the titles from Charlie and Shelton.
Eddie just had become a double champion with the WWE Tag Team and United States Championships in his possession.
All good things must come to an end, and they eventually went for the double champ, Eddie Guerrero. After entering a feud with the Big Show, Eddie Guerrero dropped the US Title to the giant at the No Mercy PPV.
A couple of days later, Los Guerreros dropped the WWE Tag Team Championship to Doug and Danny, The Basham Brothers.
The duo tried to regain the titles, and at Survivor Series, Los Guerreros had their rematch against The Basham Brothers, though they were unsuccessful in regaining the straps.
After the defeat, Eddie and Chavo started to get soured, with the latter turning on his uncle.
That led to a feud culminating at The Royal Rumble, with Eddie coming up on top. Not only did Eddie win, but after the bout, Eddie unleashed a beat on his nephew, leaving Chavo bleeding.
Winning the WWE Championship
On January 20, 2004, edition of SmackDown, Eddie entered a 15-man Royal Rumble Match to determine the next WWE Championship number one contender.
Against the belief of many, Eddie won the match, became the number one contender, and challenged Brock Lesnar for the title at the No Way Out PPV.
Despite the push that was being given to Eddie, not many believed that the Latino Heat would catch the most prestigious title in professional wrestling.
So, when Eddie Guerrero defeated Brock Lesnar – with a bit of assistance from Goldberg – fans could not believe the major upset they had just witnessed.
Finally, the ultimate Cinderella story came to life, and the now Triple Crown and Grand Slam Champion, Eddie Guerrero, was on top of the world!
As WWE Champion, Eddie had his first feud with Kurt Angle, which he defeated at WrestleMania XX. At the end of the event, Eddie Guerrero joined his longtime friend, Chris Benoit, in the ring, moments after the Rabid Wolverine beat HHH for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Eddie and Benoit were told all their lives they couldn’t achieve main event status, mainly due to their stature, and yet, there they were, showing that two “vanilla midgets” could be top guys on the most prestigious wrestling company on the globe, WWE.
Shortly after, Eddie entered a program with John Bradshaw Layfield, JBL. On their first PPV match at Judgement Day, Eddie successfully defended his WWE Championship, though the match took a huge toll on the champion.
Midway into the match, Eddie began to bleed profusely due to a bladejob after a stiff headshot with a chair from JBL. As a result, Eddie Guerrero went into shock when the match ended, passed out backstage, and was taken to hospital.
JBL said the following about the incident:
“The chair shot was very stiff. Eddie went deep. Very deep. I had no idea until I watched that tape back how much blood there was.
I have seen some bloodbaths in Japan, Europe, Mexico, and Texas. I had been in several, though I have never seen anything like that.”
After that match, the two men faced again at The Great American Bash, in a Texas Bullrope Match. Things were going well for the Latino Heat until Kurt Angle – General Manager of SmackDown at the time – somehow interfered in the match, and JBL won the title from Eddie.
Eddie had the chance to regain the title in a Steel Cage Match Vs. JBL, though he couldn’t get the W due to Angle’s interference. That led the two men to re-ignite their feud.
Eddie Guerrero had the chance to beat his rival, Kurt Angle, at SummerSlam, but he could not beat the gold medalist.
Later on, the Survivor Series PPV was the stage for another battle between Eddie and Kurt, this time in the form of Team Guerrero Vs. Team Angle.
Team Guerrero came on top, and finally, Eddie had his revenge on Angle. For a while, Eddie Guerrero and Booker T allied themselves to challenge for the WWE Tag Team Championship, though they were not successful on their attempt.
Infamous Storyline With Rey Mysterio
The beginning of Eddie and Mysterio’s feud began with the two men beating The Basham Brothers for the WWE Tag Team Championship at the No Way Out PPV.
Unfortunately, the WWE Tag Tem Championship was the last title that Eddie Guerrero would capture in his career.
The winning from the two long-life friends gave everyone a feel-good moment and expectation concerning what the two could achieve as a team.
The duo was supposed to put their titles on the line at WrestleMania 21, though Eddie challenged Mysterio to a one-on-one match following Chavo’s advice.
The match was highly anticipated, and with good reasons; after all, it was with Rey Mysterio that Eddie Guerrero had one of the most iconic battles of his career.
Mysterio won the match, and although Eddie congratulated Rey, he was visibly upset and frustrated with the loss.
From that moment onwards, the tension between both men began to rise. Finally, it erupted when they lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to MNM (Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury with Melina).
In the following week on SmackDown, Eddie and Mysterio had a rematch against MNM. Throughout the match, Guerrero abandoned Mysterio – which he had considered “his family” earlier on the show – costing his team the match.
Later in the show, Eddie saves Rey from MNM and Chavo Guerrero’s attack just to unleash a beating on Mysterio, leaving the masked luchador bloody and bruised. Once again, Eddie Guerrero had turned rudo.
Eddie began to adopt a darker gimmick. He changed his theme, stopped driving his low-riders down the aisle, and started to use the Lasso from El Paso more frequently as his finisher, to the detriment of the Frog Splash.
As enemies, Eddie and Rey had their first PPV encounter at Judgement Day, which Rey won by disqualification after Eddie hit him with a chair.
Things between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio were going according to what is expected from a wrestling feud.
However, things began to get weird by this time, with the rivalry becoming a soapbox opera, leaving many fans scratching their heads.
Everything started when Eddie threatened to reveal a secret concerning Rey and his son Dominik. That led to both men’s families being involved, mostly to convince Eddie not to reveal the secret.
With a stipulation that if Eddie Guerrero lost, he would not tell the secret, Eddie and Rey faced each other at The Great American Bash.
Rey Mysterio got the W, but that didn’t stop the Latino Heat from revealing the secret on SmackDown, despite losing the match.
The secret was revealed, and to the audience’s surprise and Rey’s son, Dominik, the world learned that Eddie was Dominik’s birth father.
In a series coined “Eddie’s Bedtime Stories,” Eddie revealed all the story’s details. First, Eddie claimed that he had a child out of wedlock due to troubles in his marriage.
He then allowed Rey and his wife to adopt the child since they were “having trouble conceiving.”
The storyline didn’t go well with most of the fans, which found the storyline distasteful, to say the least.
Nevertheless, a Ladder Match was scheduled over Dominik’s custody at SummerSlam. Rey Mysterio won the match and kept Dominik’s custody.
Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero faced one more time before ending the feud in a Steel Cage Match, which Eddie won.
Feud With Batista and Final Days of the Latino Heat
After Rey’s feud, Eddie was appointed the number one contender for Batista’s World Heavyweight Championship.
He claimed to be Batista’s friend, but The Animal did not trust Eddie due to his past actions with his “friend” Mysterio.
Using the “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” approach, Batista accepted Eddie’s “friendship,” though he used that period to play mind games with the Latino Heat, hoping to expose his true colors in the process.
The two tagged in a couple of matches against MNM, and Eddie began to give signs of reverting to his old antics, proving Batista’s suspicious right about Eddie.
At the No Mercy PPV, Eddie and Batista battled for the World Heavyweight Championship, in which Batista came victorious.
Eddie had the chance to use a steel chair during the match, though he was unsure about using it. Finally, he decided not to use it and lost the match.
Eddie was visibly upset with the loss, though both men showed signs of respect at the bout’s end. Then, he confessed to Batista he had realized how low he had gone since losing the WWE Championship back in 2004 and how much Batista’s handshaking at the end of the match meant to him.
To end the night in the best way, Batista called Eddie to the ring when the show ended, and alongside the fans, they sang “Happy Birthday” to Eddie, who celebrated thirty-eight years old on that night.
In the following edition of SmackDown, Eddie Guerrero brought back his low-rider and old theme, making once again a babyface turn.
Eddie Guerrero would wrestle his last match on November 11, 2005, edition of SmackDown, in a match against Mr. Kennedy, which Eddie won by disqualification, after resorting to his “lie, cheat, and steal” tactics. Nevertheless, that match granted him access to Team SmackDown on that year’s Survivor Series.
On November 12, 2005, Eddie had dinner with Nicho and Chavo at the Hotel Marriot. On the following day, November 13, 2005, Eddie Guerrero was found unconscious in his hotel room by his nephew Chavo Guerrero Jr. and the hotel staff.
Although Chavo attempted CPR and alerted the paramedics, it was too late for the Latino Heat. Eddie Guerrero just passed away. The autopsy revealed that Eddie had passed away from heart failure due to a blocked artery.
Eddie was scheduled to fight on the day of his passing in a Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship against Batista and Randy Orton, with some sources saying that Eddie was booked to win the title. That will have made him a two-time World Champion, if that’s true, of course.
Ceremonies honoring Eddie Guerrero took place on editions of Monday Night Raw and SmackDown alike.
In 2006, Eddie Guerrero was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by his nephew Chavo Guerrero Jr.
On the 10th anniversary of SmackDown, Eddie Guerrero was once again honored since the show aired on the day of his birthday.
Viva La Raza!
Eddie Guerrero had a rich and inspiring career despite leaving us way too soon. It is not easy for a second-generation wrestler to distance himself from the family’s name and crave their own path, but that was what Eddie did.
Although Eddie could not change that he’s a Guerrero, he never tried to ride on his father Gory cocktails, on the opposite.
Eddie always intended to take the Guerrero’s name to new highs, and the fact of the matter is that he did just that.
Case and point? When looking at Eddie’s legacy at first glimpse, a great deal of young pro wrestling fans might not even realize who his father and family were or how important the Guerrero Llanes family was in professional wrestling.
As I stated before, Eddie dealt with his personal demons throughout his life, and it is fair to say that at times they negatively impacted his life and the life of people around him.
With that said, what makes it so easy for most of us to resonate with Eddie is the fact that through his own issues, insecurities, and additions, Eddie found the needed strength to put himself up again, always displaying an improved version of himself at each time.
And that vulnerability is what makes him so human and makes us believe that despite what we are going through, there is always a way to make things better, improve, and ultimately inspire others to be their best selves too.
No matter how many times Eddie turned in his career because, in the end, Eddie Guerrero left us being the hero of his own story.
In the name of the millions you inspired, Gracias Papi! Te echamos de menos!
And there you have it, guys, our Eddie Guerrero biography. Did you enjoy it? Do you think I miss some important milestones in the Latino Heat’s career?
If you’d like to add something or just give me your thoughts on the subject, don’t hesitate to superkick me in the comment section below, and I’ll gladly chop you back!
For our next biography, I have the pleasure of announcing to you that we will be covering the career of whom, in my opinion, is the greatest pro wrestler that never held the WWE Championship. None other than Curt Hennig, Mr. Perfect. You can check it here!
And just before you go, if you are still reading this, I want to THANK YOU for your time reading another of our posts and giving us your feedback to help us improve our work continuously! It means a lot to me!
If you like our content, please consider following us everywhere (except on the street, that’s weird:)) and I’ll catch you in our next post; until then, stay strong and keep loving pro wrestling! Amor Fati! : )
Pompeu Pedrosa,
Founder of Against the Ropes.
Bonus Section
As a bonus, here’s a couple of the best matches of Eddie Guerrero, courtesy of the WWE Youtube channel. Indulge yourself! 🙂