Six Years Later: Remembering the Life and Death of Eddie Guerrero

November 14, 2005. I remember grabbing my school bag from the back of the car and preparing to head into class. It was my senior year of high school and what I remember most was dreading class on that Monday morning. After all, what 18-year-old student actually wanted to go to class any day, let alone a Monday on the back stretch before Thanksgiving vacation?

As I stepped out of the car and went to close the door, the entertainment news came across the radio. I can hear the piece as clearly today, six years later, as I could then.

"

Wrestling superstar Eddie Guerrero found dead in his hotel room Sunday. He was 38.

"

I thought it was a joke or that I had heard wrong. When I made it inside, into my homeroom, I found out otherwise. My friends met me with the news. For the rest of that Monday, I could not function. All I knew was that my favorite wrestler, a man I held on a pedestal and considered an idol, a hero if you will, was gone.

Raw that night was excruciating. For the first time in my "adult" life, I found myself openly breaking down, crying uncontrollably at the site of Eddie's image on the broadcast, with Johnny Cash's "Hurt" playing in the background.

My sadness only intensified that much more when pictures of the mourning Superstars came across the television. Legitimate tough men like Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle and John Layfield were weeping and vulnerable. To this day, I still have no idea how I managed to finish that edition of Raw.

To many people, Eddie Guerrero was one of the finest professional wrestlers to walk through the ropes. A second-generation performer, he had respect for the business and it showed every time he stepped foot inside the squared circle. He was a technician, with a knowledge for, and understanding of, the business rivaled by few, if any. He had the ability, at any given time, to have a match worthy of all-time greatness.

Eddie's matches with the likes of Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Chris Jericho and Kurt Angle are teaching materials in wrestling schools across the country. His match with Rey Mysterio at WCW's Halloween Havoc 1997 is highly-regarded as one of the best bouts in the history of the entertainment art-form.

Upon entering the WWF in 2000, Eddie proved he was more than just an outstanding wrestler. He was capable of entertaining fans through skits and sheer personality. He crafted a "Latino Heat" character that, despite its clearly racial overtones, became one of the company's most popular during its most successful period. Combine that with the in-ring work, and Eddie proved himself to be the total package.

The things Eddie Guerrero was capable of when he was "on" were magical. Unfortunately, Eddie was not always "on."

To understand the complete Eddie Guerrero story, you must know of the downfalls. As great as Eddie was inside the ring, he had his fair share of short-comings off-screen. An addiction to pain medication and alcohol nearly ruined his career, shattered his family and ended his life. A severe car accident and at least one overdose nearly took Eddie from the world before he could achieve his redemption.

In 2001, Eddie's addictions had reached a boiling point and his closest friends, Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko, approached WWE management. Ultimately, Eddie was released from his contract and told to get the help he desperately needed, with the promise that the door was always open for his return.

Eddie would eventually get the help he needed and, at the same time, worked extremely hard to redeem himself. In early 2002, he worked the first couple of Ring of Honor events, helping the newborn independent company gain legitimacy. He also worked IWA: Mid-South, where he did battle with long-time rival, and real-life friend, Rey Mysterio and even encountered a young, up-and-coming wrestler by the name of CM Punk.

Just after Wrestlemania X-8, and with the Brand Extension picking up steam, Eddie Guerrero returned to WWE. It was clear he was motivated in a way he had not been before, his in-ring work showed a crispness and concentration to it that was missing during his previous run with the company. It was during this time that he began garnering the fans' attention through a series of matches with Rob Van Dam over the Intercontinental Championship.

Soon, Eddie found himself on the SmackDown brand, where the legacy of the so-called "SmackDown Six" would flourish. Over the summer and fall months, Eddie, along with nephew Chavo, Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Edge and Rey Mysterio would engage in some of the greatest in-ring action ever shown on free television. In fact, SmackDown gained a following solely based on the fact that the viewer was guaranteed at least one phenomenal match each and every week.

On September 24, 2002, Eddie would compete in a match that would have an impact on the rest of his career. Airing two days later, Guerrero met Edge in a No Holds Barred match. The two brutalized each other for nearly one-half hour before Edge picked up a hard-fought victory, using the Impaler DDT off the top of a ladder to secure the win.

Edge gained momentum from the win but Eddie gained something far more important: The respect of the WWE fans. That respect, as well as an over-the-top character, would catapult Eddie to levels he never expected he would reach.

A funny thing happened in 2003. Eddie and Chavo Guerrero began admitting that they lied, cheated and stole, and the fans began to cheer them. Told for so long what was good and what was bad, the fans took a liking to the duo who pulled no punches, who admitted their devious ways, and embraced them.

When Chavo suffered a torn pectoral, Eddie had his opportunity and he seized it. His popularity skyrocketed, and soon his reaction from the audience rivaled that of any other WWE Superstar. As 2004 approached, the decision was made to elevate the respected veteran to the top of the card...the very top of the card.

At No Way Out 2004, in front of a heavily Latino crowd in San Francisco, Eddie Guerrero defeated Brock Lesnar to win the WWE Championship. For many fans, friends, family and co-workers alike, it was the culmination of a long journey.

Like any fairy tale, Eddie had conquered his demons, overcome the obstacles put in his path and accomplished his goal. As he posed on the turnbuckles, championship in hand, the crowd at a fever pitch, the storybook ending had been reached. If Eddie never accomplished anything else in his career, he could be happy.

The championship reign may or may not have been too much for Eddie. Reports surfaced that the pressure of being the standard bearer for the company was getting to him and that he had approached Vince McMahon with the idea of him losing the gold.

He did not want to lose it to just anyone. No. When the option of someone like a Booker T or Undertaker or Kurt Angle was thrown out as suggestions for the next titleholder, Eddie decided on a fresh main event face.

Eddie Guerrero was as responsible for the elevation and success of the John Bradshaw Layfield character as anyone else. Don't believe me, ask JBL. He will tell you. Eddie went to bat for the journeyman wrestler, the long-time under-card performer who was a friend of The Undertaker's friend and lucky enough to stay employed as long as he did.

In a series of promos and matches, Eddie Guerrero MADE JBL a viable main event heel. At Judgment Day 2004, Eddie suffered a laceration in a match with JBL that required blood transfusion and resulted in Eddie passing out and, according to varying reports, going into shock post-match. One month later, Eddie would put JBL over, losing the championship graciously to a man he supported behind the scenes.

Eddie reverted to his rule-breaking ways in 2005, taking part in two memorable feuds. The first with Rey Mysterio and the second with world champion Dave Batista. They were quality stories, with all involved working hard, but you could get the sense that fans had yet to tire of cheering Guerrero. Unfortunately, those fans would never have the opportunity to see full-fleged babyface Eddie on television again.

November 13, 2005 was the worst day of my life as a fan of professional wrestling.

Unlike others that had long been fans of Eddie's in-ring work, I connected with "Latino Heat" on a completely different level. To me, Eddie Guerrero was a hero. His story had shown that life does not always present the easiest paths. Sometimes, there will be hurdles that one has to overcome to truly succeed. For Eddie, those hurdles were his addictions. When he was able to put those addictions, those demons behind him, he once again established his goals and he achieved them.

Eddie Guerrero's story was one of redemption, a story every man, woman and child could understand and relate to. His personality on-screen made him one of the most beloved Superstars to ever grace a professional wrestling ring.

In 2006, Eddie Guerrero was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. His nephew Chavo and closest friends Chris Benoit and Rey Mysterio presented him in one of the most emotional moments of that year's ceremony. It was an honor greatly deserved.

I miss Eddie Guerrero. Even six years after his death, I find it hard to truly and completely get over the fact that so many of today's young fans missed out on the opportunity to witness his greatness. At the same time, perhaps in a selfish way, I cherish the fact that I was able to experience his entire career.

Luckily, Eddie's memory lives on through his wife Vickie, who has become one of the most entertaining and valuable characters on WWE television. Also, his daughter, Shaul, is currently performing for WWE's developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling.

Eddie was a once-in-a-lifetime competitor, the perfect combination of in-ring skill, personality and promo ability. He could make you love him one minute and, with the flick of a switch, hate him the next. He was the most complete wrestler of his time and hopefully, sooner rather than later, he joins the discussion alongside Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart and Ric Flair for "greatest wrestler of all-time."

If the tragic and untimely death of Eddie Guerrero on November 13, 2005 has taught us anything, it is that we should live life to its fullest, cherish every day we have and never miss the opportunity to tell a loved one just how much they mean to us.

Feel free to discuss or share your favorite Eddie Guerrero match, moment, or promo in the comment section below.