Eddie Guerrero
Tribute to Eddie Guerrero - passed away 2005
Eddie Guerrero started out in his native Mexico in 1988, in the EMLL as a masked babyface, Mascara Magica (Magic Mask). Eddie would learn his trade there, following and gained quite a reputation for himself. So much so, that New Japan came calling in 1991, and Eddie worked a few dates here and there.
Meanwhile, back in Mexico, Eddie had left EMLL and jumped ship to the relatively new AAA, and formed La Pareja Atomica (The Atomic Pair) with top babyface El Hijo De Santo. Indeed, both member's fathers had been the original Atomic Pair (one of the most popular pairings ever in Mexico).
Eddie's image received a boost from NJPW in 1993, when he was chosen to resurrect the Black Tiger gimmick, a heel nemesis to the popular Tiger Mask. To match the heel character he portrayed in Japan, Eddie turned heel on his Atomic partner. Joining up with Art Barr, he became a member of La Pareja Del Terror (Team Terror). Barr, The Love Machine, and Guerrero wore the Stars & Stripes, and instantly became the most hated tandem in Mexico.
Continuing to shine in both Mexico
and Japan, Eddie was starting
to gain notoriety. In 1994, The most over babyface in Mexico, Konnan turned
his back on the fans and joined up with Guerrero and Barr as a heel. Meanwhile
in Japan, Guerrero was holding his own in the Super Juniors division, tearing
down arenas against Chris Benoit,
Dean Malenko, Jushin Liger,
and
TAKA Michinoku amongst others. He would eventually gain the crown in 1996, going
over Jushin Liger.
Eddie was starting to gain attention in the states. WCW and AAA staged a joint PPV in 1994, When Worlds Collide. Eddie & Art tore down the house against Santo & Octagon. This match would prove to be a turning point in Eddie's career and life. His Tag Team partner and friend, Art Barr, passed away just a few days later in his sleep aged just 28.
Eddie never could get the same reaction as a heel from then on in Mexico, and decided to try his luck in the US. He signed on for ECW in April 1995, and although only there until August, he is still remembered fondly by fans for a series of TV title matches with Malenko dubbed the 'Malenko - Guerrero Classsics' trading the belt back and forth between each other. New Japan then asked Benoit, Guerrero & Malenko to jump ship to WCW, which the trio did, signing short term deals.
After his showing at 1995's Starrcade, Eddie was rewarded with a 2 year deal, and settled into mid card hell. Eddie would shine, but never really pick up the wins, losing to DDP, Konnan & Ric Flair amongst others, and having time off for injuries didn't help either. After a hard year, Eddie made his name at Starrcade 1996, when he lifted the vacant US title, beating DDP. Syxx (Sean Waltman) stole the belt straight after the match, setting up a ladder match at Souled Out 97, which Eddie won.
Although Eddie was starting to win, his character wasn't setting the world on fire. Eddie was losing steam as a babyface, and when the 'heel' Dean Malenko was cheered to victory over him at Uncensored 97, Eddie suffered another injury that would keep him out for 3 months. It would be a cloud with a silver lining, however.
Eddie returned as a heel, and set WCW on fire. Eddie's heel act had the fans baying for his blood, and anyone facing him was instantly over as a face. Eddie took the Cruiserweight belt off Chris Jericho at Fall Brawl that year, holding it only to Halloween Havoc, before dropping it in an outstanding match to Rey Misterio, Jr. It took him only 15 days to gain it back, and he defended it well on PPV's against Misterio and Malenko, before Ultimo Dragon ended his last title reign in WCW.
Eddie began feuding with his nephew, Chavo Jr, not really succeeding in anything other than making fans laugh, and giving Chavo a haircut. From there, Eddie formed the Latino World Order, attempting to uphold the honour of WCW's Mexican contingent. The angle bundled along, never really going anywhere. New Year's Eve 1998, and Eddie was in a car crash, leaving him out of action for six months, and lucky to be alive.
He returned in June, and joined up with the Filthy Animals. Again, the angle faltered along, and Eddie never really looked interested. Eddie beat Kidman in November, and took time off to have some surgery on his elbow, little knowing that he would never work for WCW again. A Radical Guerrero joined up with Benoit, Malenko & Perry Saturn and jumped ship en masse to the WWF. His injury jinx hit again, as he dislocated his elbow in his WWF in ring debut.
Staying on screen as Latino Heat, Eddie's
fire was back, and he entered into a feud with Chris Jericho and his 'partner'
at that time, Chyna. Strangely
enough, Eddie's Latino Heat worked it's magic, as Chyna turned on Jericho and
helped Eddie gain the
European Title in April. He re-entered babyface territory, defending his title
left, right and centre, against Essa Rios, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn. Losing
to Val Venis in the King Of The Ring quarter finals, he again stole the show,
and dropped the Euro belt next month to Perry Saturn.
Meanwhile Chyna won the Intercontinental belt, and sparked off the end of their on-screen engagement when Eddie 'accidentally' won the belt off her in September, and was filmed on G-TV in the shower with a couple of the Godfather's 'Ladies' and returned to his evil ways. Eddie feuded with Chyna briefly, then the returning Billy Gunn, and eventually drop the belt to him in November.
Since then, Eddie has had more time off with injuries, and kept his presence known in the mid-card. Returned looking fitter and focused, Eddie removed Benoit from The Radicalz before leaving himself, now seemingly part of Team Xtreme, it can only be a matter of time before 'Evil Eddie' returns to the fore...