WWE Personified: A 4-Way Tribute to the Late, Great Eddie Guerrero

In wrestling, fans each connect themselves with a certain person. That relationship can be on a personal level or from a spectator's point of view.

Often times, that relationship can become more than just a fan being a fan. In my case, Eddie Guerrero was that man.

A true competitor and icon of the sport, Guerrero dove into all of our hearts with his antics and wrestling ability.

But most importantly, his tragic passing.

He will forever be etched in stone as one of the greatest wrestlers to ever live. On the personal side of the matter, he was as a great of person, as he was an entertainer.

The Guerrero family comes from a long line of Mexican wrestlers and he stormed into the WWE bringing the fans many memories to come. Not to mention his bouts with Mysterio and Jericho are legendary to this day.

Today marks the third edition of my Personification series. Before Guerrero, I completed a tribute to both Edge and Shawn Michaels.

This goes out to a man that gave it his all in the ring and to his family as well. In this piece, I will again be discussing the man behind the entertainer, his impact on the business, how he became a beloved wrestler and a kind "thank you" for his contributions.

Enjoy the ride...

The Man Who Lied, Cheated and Stole Our Hearts

The monicre was embedded into our minds just like how to drive. Lying, cheating and stealing was a way Guerrero made famous. Just recently, CM Punk faced Alberto Del Rio in a championship match.

Del Rio threw a chair to disqualify the champion. Without a moment to spare, he threw the chair right back and an outbreak of "Eddie" chants fulfilled the arena.

He was most importantly a family man. As it came down to it, Guerrero was a born-again Christian, right after he renewed his vows with WWE manager, Vickie Guerrero. They had two children and one of which was involved with World Wrestling Entertainment.

In any wrestler's life, he or she can try and do one sole thing, that is to entertain the fans and put on a great show. As for Mr. Guerrero, he did that and then some.

From his recent days in WCW and then as he transcended into the WWE forefront, the wrestling ability was always there. Not to mention his charisma and passion.

His entrance will live in infamy, as he rode down on a low-rider with suspensions. The purest form of the man that was Eddie Guerrero, was his smile.

You talk about iconic images of any wrestler, whether it is the Undertaker, Shawn Michaels or Ric Flair.

Eddie's face was not a gimmick, nor was it a character. But rather it was Eddie Guerrero ecstatic of where his life was. I'd be hard-pressed to find a man or woman more enthusiastic about his job than him.

While the family was already in wrestling infamy with it's sole name, he and Chavo were a dynamic tag-team and partnership. Not to mention, Chavo was his nephew.

It is truly a shame what happened. Especially the future plans WWE Creative had for him. It truly showed...

The Impact He Had on Wrestling and His Peers

The image that is displayed to my left selects a moment in time that will live forever. This was the Eddie Guerrero tribute show on Smackdown following his death.

It wasn't only Dave Bautista (Batista) that showed his respects. On that night, he came out and spoke about the misfortune and laid his World Title on the car Guerrero used each and every night.

A tribute package was played twice that night.

Countless members of the WWE locker room sat in front of a camera and paid their respects. Out of the names, John Cena, Batista, Big Show, Chavo Guerrero and Rey Mysterio spoke. As tears came rolling down their faces, one could only imagine the situation.

Guerrero was a fantastic wrestler. He displayed his skills through the air as well as a grappling background to top it off. Some of his showcased matches are against Mysterio, Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho.

More importantly, he had a huge impact on the business. To be honest, it probably won't be the same for quite some time.

Every year, it is a quiet day surrounding World Wrestling Entertainment. This year, the Raw episode was a day before he passed away six years ago. Tweets around the globe were about Guerrero.

They were just there to support the Guerrero family and to pay their respects to the fallen hero.

As a fan of professional wrestling, I often respect a certain few that make an impact as a person, rather than in the ring. Not many have succeeded at doing that, but Eddie was in that group with HBK and Edge.

He lived, breathed and bled for this business. That is the reason...

Eddie Guerrero Is a Legend

Just the way he moved and acted made you remember him. Looking past all of the championships and the accolades he attributed, Guerrero put that picture in your head.

From the beginnings in the El Paso Colliseum to the big time stage at Wrestlemania, Guerrero has seen it all and done it all. During his time, he formed a group called the Los Guerreros with his nephew Chavo.

He never became a 10-time WWE Champion, but he had one thing that most wrestlers do not have.

The heart of a champion.

The person behind the character is always the most important aspect in wrestling. For somebody who loved his family and the business he worked for, Guerrero was on top of his game. Here are some of his best matches where that heart was tested time and time again:

1. Survivor Series 2002: Los Guerreros (Eddie and Chavo) defeated Kurt Angle/Chris Benoit and Rey Mysterio/Edge for the WWE Tag-Team Championships
2. No Way Out 2004: Eddie pinned Brock Lesnar to become World Heavyweight Champion.
3. Wrestlemania 20: Eddie defended his title and retained it against Kurt Angle.
4. November 11, 2005: Defeated Mr. Kennedy to qualify for Team Smackdown at the traditional Survivor Series PPV.

It was noted that on the November 18th, 2005 episode of Smackdown, a triple threat match between Batista (champion), Randy Orton, and Guerrero for the title was to take place

Guerrero was scheduled to win the title.

His demeanor will always be memorable and the passion he showed for the business is almost unmatched. There is nothing else I can really elaborate on.

All I can do is respect someone who put his own sweat and tears in the squared circle and gave it his all. In the end, that is all you can really ask.

There is one last thing to do and that is to say...

Thank You Latino Heat

Those words exactly, are the sentiments said across the wrestling world. No tribute could do justice to what this man meant to this business.

For 18 years, Eddie Guerrero wowed crowds across the world and became a better friend than competitor in that time span. What can be said about the smile that came across his face after he, "Lied, cheated and stole."

His time with the Radicalz, Los Guerreros and Latino Heat created the man that is Eddie Guerrero.

Despite being a villain for most of his career, he got over in and outside the ring being the youngest, yet most popular and successful of the Guerrero brothers.

Sacrifices are made and that transcends him or her into a worldwide sensation. The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Stone Cold, Bret Hart and Mick Foley have made those sacrifices.

Eddie Guerrero is easily in that list and should be for all of the right reasons.

As soon as that music hit, we all knew what to expect.

Whether it was spraying Big Show with sewage or cheating his way to win a match, it was watched with eagerness and curiousity. Guerrero wasn't the biggest man and has always been made out to be the underdog in most of his championship opportunities.

To some, he was the inspiration for fans to start watching pro wrestling. Although, good stories usually must come to an end, whether it is retirement or an injury. Edge suffered that fate and a little over five years ago, Guerrero was that tragedy.

All I can say is thank you Eddie Guerrero. His heart was as big as anybody else's and that was shown in the ring every single night.

You are missed every night and will never be forgotten.

 I lie! I cheat! I steal!

Viva La Raza

This certainly has been a very hard piece for me to write. As any fan will tell you, a connection is made between fan and wrestler that is too difficult to put into words.

I hope I did justice to a fabulous career and man, Eddie Guerrero.

I would love your opinions and feedback on this article, as I paid tribute to one of the best the business had the opportunity to witness.

Have a great Friday everyone and remember...

"

Life turns on a dime. have no idea what tomorrow will bring... sure life would be a lot easier if we knew what was going to happen. You've got to live by faith one day at a time.”

-Eddie Guerrero

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