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Eddie GuerreroMexican-American wrestler.
Date of Birth: 09.10.1967
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Mexican-American Wrestler Eddie Guerrero
- National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling
- Extreme Championship Wrestling and Return to WCW
- Runs in WCW and Formation of Latino World Order
- WWF/WWE Years
- Friction with Chyna and Heel Turn
- Independent Circuit and Return to WWF
- WWE Superstardom and Main Event Push
Mexican-American Wrestler Eddie Guerrero
Early Life and CareerEduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes, better known as Eddie Guerrero, was a renowned Mexican-American professional wrestler. Born into a legendary Mexican wrestling family, Eddie grew up in a wrestling environment. His father, Gory Guerrero, was a founder of the Lucha Libre style and one of the most influential figures in Mexican wrestling. His older brothers, Chavo Guerrero, Hector Guerrero, and Mando Guerrero, also pursued careers in the ring. Eddie's nephew, Chavo Guerrero Jr., and uncle, Enrique Llanes, as well as his cousin, Javier Llanes, became renowned wrestlers in Mexico.
In his youth, Eddie and his brother Chavo were permitted by their father to train at their family's arena. Eddie was born in Juarez, Mexico, but moved to El Paso, Texas as a child, where he attended New Mexico Highlands University. He made his wrestling debut on September 18, 1987, in Mexico for Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre. Rising through the ranks, he soon relocated to the United States.
National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling
In the late 1980s, Eddie debuted in the National Wrestling Alliance, specifically World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In 1993, Guerrero transitioned to the Japanese promotion New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he wrestled under a mask as Black Tiger II. Back in Mexico, Eddie teamed up with El Hijo del Santo in the promotion Asistencia Asesoria y Administracion, forming a new version of the legendary team "La Pareja Atómica" (The Atomic Pair), originally consisting of Gory Guerrero and El Santo.
After turning on Santo, Eddie formed the team "La Pareja del Terror" (The Terror Pair) with Art Barr, arguably becoming one of the most hated teams in Lucha Libre history. Alongside Barr, Konnan, Chicano Power, and Madonna's Boyfriend, Eddie created the heel group "Los Gringos Locos" (The Crazy Americans). "Los Gringos Locos" feuded with El Hijo del Santo and his partner Octagón, culminating in a Hair vs. Masks Tag Team Match at the first-ever Lucha Libre pay-per-view in the United States, When Worlds Collide, which Eddie and Art Barr lost.
Extreme Championship Wrestling and Return to WCW
Eddie's first break in the United States came in late 1994 when Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) owner Paul Heyman invited him and Art Barr to join his promotion. Eddie and Art were set to join ECW in 1995, but Art's untimely death led to Eddie joining ECW solo. As a tribute to his close friend, Guerrero adopted Art's signature move, the Frog Splash. Guerrero won the ECW World Television Championship during his debut, and then feuded with Dean Malenko before both wrestlers signed contracts with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) that same year.
After their final match, a 2-out-of-3 Falls draw, several ECW wrestlers emerged to carry Eddie and Dean around the ring as the crowd chanted "Please don't go."
Runs in WCW and Formation of Latino World Order
During his initial run in WCW, Guerrero gained considerable success by winning singles titles, capturing the United States Heavyweight Championship in late 1996 and the Cruiserweight Championship twice in 1997. One such match was a Mask vs. Title match against Rey Mysterio Jr. for Mysterio's Cruiserweight Championship or his mask at the 1997 Halloween Havoc pay-per-view. Eddie lost the match but named it his favorite in his autobiography and in a February 2004 interview with SmackDown! magazine.
Despite his popularity and success, Eddie was one of many wrestlers who were never given the opportunity to become main eventers in WCW. Frustrated by this perceived injustice, Eddie confronted WCW President Eric Bischoff demanding a push or a release for family reasons. Bischoff allegedly responded by spilling coffee on Eddie (in his autobiography, Guerrero later stated that Eric had simply knocked the coffee off the table by accident). Enraged, Eddie demanded Bischoff grant him his release on the following episode of WCW Monday Nitro. Eddie then left WCW for a few months. However, Guerrero eventually returned to WCW, claiming that his harsh words towards Bischoff were part of a storyline (Guerrero later confirmed it was an unscripted segment). Eddie later disputed this statement in the Monday Night War DVD, stating that he had tried to put his personal feelings aside for the company, but management refused him and other wrestlers.
Guerrero responded to Bischoff's actions by forming the Latino World Order (lWo), a parody of Bischoff's New World Order (nWo). The lWo was a protest against Eric Bischoff's refusal to push deserving Latino wrestlers. The stable grew to include virtually every Mexican wrestler in WCW. However, Guerrero was involved in a car accident in 1999, which put the lWo storyline on hold. Guerrero survived the accident and returned to wrestling months later.
WWF/WWE Years
Upon his return, Guerrero joined forces with Rey Mysterio Jr. and Konnan to form the Filthy Animals stable (later joined by Juventud Guerrera, Billy Kidman, and Disco Inferno). Despite the success of the group, Eddie remained bitter towards WCW management, and in 2000, he signed with WWF alongside Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn. Guerrero and the former WCW wrestlers debuted in the WWF on January 31, 2000, as The Radicalz, attacking the New Age Outlaws on RAW.
In March 2000, Guerrero began a relationship with Chyna, whom he affectionately called "Mamacita." Chyna initially rejected Eddie's advances, but after WrestleMania 2000, she expressed that she could not resist the "Latino Heat."
Guerrero won his first WWF title, the European Championship, from another former WCW wrestler, Chris Jericho, with Chyna's help. Eddie and Chyna feuded with Essa Rios and Lita, leading to a title defense against Rios at the 2000 Backlash pay-per-view, which Eddie won. Guerrero later defended his title against Perry Saturn and Dean Malenko, but he eventually lost it to Saturn on July 23, 2000, at the Fully Loaded pay-per-view.
Friction with Chyna and Heel Turn
Over the next few months, tensions arose between Eddie and Chyna. Chyna became upset after Eddie pinned her to advance in the 2000 King of the Ring tournament. On August 27, 2000, Chyna won the Intercontinental Championship. Eddie subsequently began begging Commissioner Mick Foley to allow him to interfere in Chyna's match against Kurt Angle because he feared Kurt would injure her. After Angle knocked Chyna unconscious, Eddie "accidentally" pinned her while attempting to revive her.
Chyna grew uncomfortable with Eddie's increasingly deceptive ways, especially his attempt to protect his title. During this time, Eddie was also enraged that Chyna had agreed to pose for Playboy magazine, going so far as to attempt to storm the Playboy Mansion to halt the photoshoot. As it appeared Chyna was about to leave Eddie, he proposed marriage, which she accepted. The engagement, however, was broken off after Eddie was seen with two of the Playboy Bunnies. He proclaimed, "2 Mamacitas are better than one!"
Eddie turned heel as a result and subsequently lost his title to Chyna's friend Billy Gunn. The Radicalz returned in late 2000, competing in the Survivor Series pay-per-view in a Survivor Series elimination match against D-Generation X. Early in 2001, Guerrero began a feud against Test over the European Championship, eventually winning it for a second time at WrestleMania X-Seven with the help of Perry Saturn and Dean Malenko. Guerrero then retired The Radicalz and began teaming with The Hardy Boyz and Lita. During this time, Eddie began abusing painkillers to alleviate an injury suffered in the 1999 car accident, and in 2001, management sent Eddie to rehab.
Independent Circuit and Return to WWF
On November 9, 2001, Eddie was arrested for drunk driving and was released from the WWF three days later. After overcoming his addiction, Guerrero wrestled in numerous independent promotions, including World Wrestling All-Stars, IWA Mid-South, IWA Puerto Rico, and Ring of Honor. Following an acclaimed match against Doug Williams in Frontier Wrestling Alliance's King of England tournament and a series of matches with CM Punk, Guerrero was rehired by the WWF (which later rebranded as "WWE") in March 2002.
Upon re-signing, Eddie promised to work one additional show for ROH, IWA Mid-South, and International Wrestling Cartel. WWE approved his appearances, and on April 19, 2002, he wrestled Punk and Colt Cabana in Dayton, Ohio. The following weekend, he wrestled CM Punk again, this time in International Wrestling Cartel, in a match where Eddie surprisingly defended his WWF Intercontinental Championship. It was one of the few times a WWE title had been defended in an independent promotion. The next night, on April 27, Guerrero teamed with Amazing Red to defeat S.A.T. in Ring of Honor's A Night of Appreciation event, dedicated to Eddie.
WWE Superstardom and Main Event Push
While wrestling on the independent circuit, Guerrero won the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship on March 1, 2002, in Indianapolis, Indiana, in a Triple Threat match against
