Eddie Guerrero or Owen Hart?

[CM Steel]

Eddie Guerrero and Owen Hart. Two of the most beloved wrestlers from wrestling past. Both of these men came from the top two wrestling families in wrestling history which were led by the late Stu Hart and the late Gory Guerrero. And even though both Eddie and Owen were both the babies of each wrestling family, that didn't stop them from stealing the spot light in their respective families.

Both wrestling legends were at one point very close to the late Chris Benoit (is it safe to say the wolverines name on here?). Eddie and Owen are both world class athletes who wrestled all over the world with backgrounds from canada & mexico. With their last stops in the WWF/E. "Latino Heat" Eddie Guerrero and "The King of Hearts" Owen Hart didn't died in their sleep from a drug overdose or steroid abuse. They died doing what they loved to do, wrestling in a ring in front of millions of wrestling fans.

May they both rest in peace. But in your own honest opinion. Who was the bigger & better star, Eddie Guerrero or Owen Hart?

 

[lil bitch Kid]

Ummmm, Guerrero died of a heart attack that was brought on by damage done to his heart from years of drug and alcohol abuse.....

Now, as for who was the bigger star, Eddie accomplished more, but Owen deserved more. Eddie will always be remembered as more than he really was. Owen will likely always be remembered for what he never got. For the record, Owen never had the spotlight of the Hart family: Bret always had it. It's not a knock against Owen, it's just a fact: Bret got the shot, Owen didn't.

 

[geroge86]

I can't choose between them they both were great. They both came from legendary wrestling families & achieved so much. They were both amazing in the ring & on the mic. The only difference is Eddie was given the WWE Championship but Owen was easily world title material it probably would have happened within a year or so had that accident never happened. Also if it never happened it's possible he'd still be with WWE today or maybe just announcing his retirement. Also being given the WWE top title isn't the only thing that makes a legend look at Roddy Piper,Jimmy Snuka,Ricky Steamboat,Mr.Perfect Scott Hall,Billy Gunn & X-Pac. I know there may be some dispute or controversy about the last 3 I mentioned but say what you will they had some great matches while in WWE.

 

[SaveUsCMPunk]

I personally prefer Owen Hart. As for who was the bigger star, Eddie Guererro was WWE champion while Owen never rose above the midcard. Sure, he got to wrestle his brother Bret in '94 and had a program with Shawn Michaels in late '95-early '96, but he never got to be the "guy." Had Owen not died, who knows if he would've gone further up the ladder? Wrestling ability, charisma and mic skills of both guys are pretty even. I would probably give a bit of an edge in charisma to Owen Hart. I do think Eddie Guererro's greatness is overrated a bit though. I liked the "Latino Heat" gimmick, but I didn't find the whole "Lie, cheat and steal" gimmick quite as amusing as some people. Also, Smackdown was a bit dull when Eddie was champion and it got worse when JBL became champion. Owen, on the other hand, was absolutely hilarious running around as the Blue Blazer in late '98-'99 while constantly denying it was him. Mick Foley and others have stated how funny Owen was behind the scenes and I think his second run as the Blazer was a good showcase of his comedic abilities.

 

[justtxyank]

Well your question is who was the bigger star. There is no debate over that answer: Guerrero. He was a main eventer, had the bigger push, had more merchandise, etc. He was pushed as the star and Owen never was.

After 1994, Owen was always playing second to someone. Even the team with Jarrett he was 2nd, perhaps 3rd behind Jarrett and Debra.

Now as a wrestler? I prefer Owen. Eddie was good no doubt, but I think Eddie fell off hard after 97/98 and the stuff he is considered great for now is not stuff I was really a fan of. Owen was more believable for me, particularly against bigger guys.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

I personally always preferred Owen as well. It took me a long time to get into Eddie Guerrero. While I always appreciated what he could do, he wasn't a favourite of mine until he joined the WWF and was really getting pushed hard as a singles competitor/post-Radicalz. The stuff he did with the mullet, and the Chyna storyline was really where Latino Heat was born in my opinion. I always thought they took the belt off him too soon also. No one was expecting JBL to win the title and carry it for as long as he did, and I was hoping Eddie's reign would be longer.

With all that said though, Owen was always a favourite. He was a brilliant heel, a great talker, and great in the ring. You could also tell he was just having so much fun out there and I think he always had a certain air around him.. like this is fun, and wrestling should be fun. His classic matches with Bret will go down in history as some of the best. If he really wanted, I think he could have been a World Champion... and picked up right where Bret left off after Survivor Series.

 

[Airehk]

I have an easy answer. Owen was better as a package where Eddie was utilized more effectively. I'm not knocking on Eddie by any means, I thought he was awesome. I just feel if Owen got the same opportunity, he would have done better.

 

[Dirk]

As a boy Hitman mark, I always thought of Owen as a poor man's imitation, while I now think the same of Chavo. Following those lines, Eddie is the man. That would mean, however, that Chavo is on par with distant HOFer Owen, which is just wrong.

I'd still have to give the edge to Eddie, though. Seeing Hart and Guererro's matches on Vintage Collection and Youtube are amazing, but Eddie's even more so.

 

[JSV_IS_AMAZING]

Well I guess I'll be the first to say it...Eddie Guerrero, I don't believe for one second that he was overrated, at all. Eddie had it all, wrestling ability, charisma, mic skills, could work the crowd heel or face, what more could you possibly ask for? I was actually watching a classic of his in ECW with Dean Malenko the other day, still as entertaining as it was when I had first watched it. Eddie was the complete package, no doubt. Owen was just as great in the ring, however I wasn't as in to him as many of you were, but I don't like these kind of threads or posts or whatever, because these two were great in their own respect, can't compare them, they were both very different, but very much alike, died way too soon, and had so much going for them, saddens me every time I think about what could have been.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Tough choice. Death has made them into two of the most overrated stars of all time.

The answer is easy really. It's Guerrero. Both a dynamic babyface and heel over the three main American promotions from his career. Guerrero could actually have a decent match with anybody. If you've seen some of Owen Hart's matches from his main WWE run you'll notice that he could not. Still a talented performer, but he wasn't as well rounded as he's made out to be and he was a piss-poor babyface.

 

[EastCoastFan]

Eddie, all the way. He was a better promo and more entertaining, which is why he got over with the crowd more and got a world title reign (and was being groomed for another at the time of his death).

Owen was always "Bret's little brother" in the WWF, whether he was teaming with him or feuding with him. He was never as over on his own as he was when he was getting a rub from Bret. He may have been a better wrestler than Eddie, but Eddie was the better overall package.

 

[lekkter_tha_lunatik]

He may have been a better wrestler than Eddie, but Eddie was the better overall package.

I dont even think Owen was a better wrestler...I loved Eddie's style and execution. His WCW cruiserweight stuff was EXCELLENT, as well as his main event push in WWE...I think he is hands down better than Owen Hart--no disrespect to Owen at all...

 

[Headman]

I don't think either one was main event material. Eddie was champion but he was never "The guy". Had Owen been around in this era (Where everyone and their mom got to be champion) I believe Owen would have had a WWE or World title reign as well. Owen probably would have had a more entertaining and less patronizing reign. His reign probably would have been similar to Daniel Bryan's world title reign.

In the ring I also have to go with Owen. Both were fine wrestlers, but in this case I've gotta go with substance over flash and after Eddie left WCW his matches were mostly flash.

 

[GameOver]

I don't think either one was main event material. Eddie was champion but he was never "The guy". Had Owen been around in this era (Where everyone and their mom got to be champion) I believe Owen would have had a WWE or World title reign as well. Owen probably would have had a more entertaining and less patronizing reign. His reign probably would have been similar to Daniel Bryan's world title reign.

In the ring I also have to go with Owen. Both were fine wrestlers, but in this case I've gotta go with substance over flash and after Eddie left WCW his matches were mostly flash.

as much as i loved both guys talents i have to agree, tho Eddie did make it work, but he couldn't sustain that number 1 spot for long, it's like the Rey Mysterio thing it was a great OMG he did it moment but his title run was not believable when he's constantly battling guys twice his size. Owen was definately not The Guy. Both had great potential and were definite main eventers but not one to carry the championship for long or in Owen's case at all.

Owen's biggest issue was his lack of ability to articulate in promo's
in the ring he was on the same level as Bret but Bret had more charisma and just screamed Excellence, Owen just screamed whiny brat or talented comedian

Now since this is a who was better, clearly Eddie hands down. He had more exposure, better technique, went from Cruiserweight to World Heavyweight, he was an overall package wheras Owen was just pretty good in ring and weird or funny everywere else..

 

[HBsam31]

I was a fan of both, and actually preferred Owen's in ring work and promos. I was one who always wanted Owen to beat Bret for the WWF title. That being said Eddie, I think, was the bigger star. He was used better and he reached heights Owen never reached. He may have if he stayed alive, but we will never know. Eddie hit the main event, and won the title which alone I think made him more successful.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Eddie, plain and simple.

Ask a majority of the people about the great matches Owen had and they would say Bret Hart. Wouldn't say anyone else. Guerrero had great bouts with Mysterio, Benoit, Lesnar, and Angle. Eddie could make anyone look like gold and was a great heel and face with essentially the same character. Other than his feud with Bret, what really did Owen do or have?

 

[Waylon Mercy]

It's a tough call. Both were amazing performers, played great heels, and were tremendously respected by fans and peers alike. I have to give Eddie the edge here, mainly for the fact that he had far fewer terrible gimmicks to overcome in his career. Owen was saddled with some pretty bad ones, especially the one that ended in his terrible and tragic death. Let's also not forget that he was put in some pretty terrible tag teams early on. High Energy was about as tacky as they could get, with his partner Koko B. Ware strutting around with a parrot on his shoulder. Even being paired up with Yokozuna was pretty bad, but somehow Owen made it all work. He really got on a roll through his compelling rivalry with Bret, and despite it all being fiction, it was believable. They had some classic matches, and Owen was finally getting the respect he was due. He was a cocky, arrogant heel who could back it all up with hardware - the Slammy Awards, the King of the Ring, several tag team straps, IC belts, etc. It was only the Heavyweight title that eluded him. It never really mattered, though. Owen was that kind of wrestler who never really needed the main belt to get over. Unfortunately, things really fell apart for Owen in the post-Screwjob world of the WWE. That history is well documented.
Eddie was so different from Owen, in that wrestling was truly his passion. He thrived on the adoration of the fans, and made it his mission to give them a great experience night in and night out. Heel or fan favorite, Eddie was going to have the crowd eating out the palm of his hands. He was a true show man, whereas Owen was a professional through and through. The difference was that Owen did his job and did it well, but his priorities were his family and home. He did what he did to provide for them. Latino Heat was a real joy to watch, and he revolutionized the way we looked at heels in wrestling. He managed to become a baby face while still employing classic heel tactics. He did so with a wink and a grin to the audience, letting all of us in on his little secret. The only ones who didn't know what was coming were his opponent and the referee. That was brilliant. So, in a nutshell, I have to go with Eddie. Imagine if these two could have locked up, or engaged in a long-running rivalry, though. It would have been a sight to behold, for sure.

 

[robbo316]

Also if it never happened it's possible he'd still be with WWE today or maybe just announcing his retirement.

The most tragic/poignant thing about Owen hart's death was that he only intended to stay in the business for another year or two, and then go back to teaching. He had a teaching degree, and that was what he loved as much or, indeed, maybe more than wrestling. He just wanted to make sure his family finances were secure.

Oops, forgot to answer the question!

My personal opinion is that it is very difficult to split the two, They both had differing styles, Owen was more mat based with occasional aerial. Eddie was the other way, while a gifted mat wrestler, he was more suited to "...fly through the air with the greatest of ease" (quote from the classics). When it comes to the promo ability, I think you have to give that edge to Eddie, he just seemed more natural when talking; Owen's promos just seemed forced, as if he couldn't give all of himself because he was trying so hard to make sure he remembered his lines. So, in total, you probably have to give the edge to Eddie, but it really is a photofinish.