Criticizing the Best: Eddie Guerrero

[#hamler]

My Criticizing the best wrestling series returns with a bang, featuring one of the greatest in ring performers of all time.

"Latino Heat"
Eddie Guerrero​

Guerrero’s in-ring character was that of a crafty, resourceful wrestler who would do anything to win a match--“Cheat 2 win”. Despite being a heel for much of his career, he became popular in and outside the ring. Throughout his career, Guerrero encountered various substance abuse problems outside of wrestling, including alcoholism and an addiction to pain killers. His problems outside of the ring were sometimes drawn into his story lines. Eddie Guerrero died November 13, 2005 in his hotel room from Heart complications. Eddie Guerrero was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006.

Eddie Guererro had one of the best careers for any mexican superstar. Over his near 20 year wrestling career, Eddie Guerrero has accomplished numerous feats such as winning the prestigious WWE Championship from an unstoppable Brock Lesnar weekss before Wrestlemania 20 at No Way Out. Eddie Guerrero began his time in the spotlight in 1995 when he joined the infamous ECW where he won the TV Championship. Eddie would bring a different style to ECW (a place where violence was the norm). Guerrero would move onto WCW. During his time in World Championship Wrestling, Eddie Guerrero won the Cruiserweight Championship 2 times and the United States Champion one time. Eddie would go on to the WWF/WWE where he would go on to feud with greats like Chyna, Chris Jericho, RVD, Kurt Angle, John Cena, Brock Lesnar, JBL, Rey Mysterio, and Batista.

Guerrero was a former WWE Champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, United States Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion and a European Champion. Eddie Guerrero was the 11th Triple Crown winner and the 6th Grand Slam Champion. PWI awarded him the Stanley Weston Award (life time acheivement award), and he was also featured in the annual PWI500 in 2004 where he ranked in at #2 out of the best 500 wrestlers in the world. But, like any other phenomenal superstar, Guerrero wasn't flawless, which leads me to the discussion questions;


What is one flaw you saw in Eddie Guerrero?

Would fixing this flaw make Eddie Guerrero any better than he already was?


If you see no flaw in Eddie Guerrero, state why. And please don't fuck up my thread with spam. Explain your answer. Feel free to rip posts apart piece by piece, I want a discussion here.

Discuss this shit.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Agreeing to the truly ugly Rey Mysterio's son angle - with maybe the exception of the Katie Vick storyline, the worst plot ever. I don't think it ultimately tarnished his legacy but that might be because he passed away so soon after it's culmination (I'll never forget Rey cryin in a 'I'm your papi' t-shirt).

 

[spacephantomx]

now pardon me I'm hoping I'm not spamming here but I would have to argue after that that whole program with Rey the whole angle was meant to put Rey over and have him established and elevate him into a main eventer I don't think it was a horrible program at all. It got to the point after his title run he was well established as main event wrestler he didn't need the belt to put people over such as Rey. Even when Eddie was a heel the fans couldn't help but love him and cheer for him because of his incredible performance and his funny lying cheating and stealing gimmick the fans couldn't help but love him.
I honestly didn't see too much of a flaw with Eddie. The guy was constantly giving it his all, had incredible performances, extremely charismatic, had hilarious promos and always helping out others in the back. If really his only real problem was he probably should have mentioned something earlier when everyone started noticing signs that something was wrong with him and his performance.

 

[The_Gene_Genie]

I think the biggest flaw with Eddie Guerrero was his well documented 'choices' outside of the ring that are purported to have been a contributing factor towards his untimely death; but that can be said about a lot of talent over the years. Would fixing this flaw have made him better than he already was? Yes and no. He missed a year from the WWE as a result of his lifestyle 'choices' and had he been in control of himself during this period I've no doubt he would have been propelled to the main event earlier than he actually was. However, the fact remains that the previous addictions/falls from grace actually happened and still may have had a detrimental impact to his long term health. I don't think he would have peaked anymore as an in ring performer though. He was exceptionally talented when performing in the ring, even during his darkest days. I would love to commit and say as matter of fact that he would have had a longer career if his addictions and vices had never surfaced, but you just never can tell for certain.

Somewhat jokingly though - his mullet. While I don't think it held him back, it certainly didn't make him look like a main event star in my eyes. I was so glad when he had to cut it off!

Just to comment on the angle involving Rey Mysterio's son; I must admit it was pretty lame. But I wouldn't hold that against him, I'd probably lay the blame on the writers for that one. But on the flip side it did garner him the heat that it was supposed to.

All in all, I was a big fan of his work from his debut in WWE as a member of The Radicalz to Latino Heat to Los Guerreros to WWE Champion (I never really saw his work in WCW). Whether he was a heel or a face, he could make you laugh, cry or angry with a simple gesture, smile or action. Despite his flaws away from the ring, it never affected his work or my feelings towards him. It was a big part of him, and each obstacle he eventually hurdled helped him reach the top and therefore is a significant part of solidifying his legacy.

 

[Lucha-Libre is wrestling]

IN the square circle Eddie was a great performer, ECW, AAA, WCW and WWE. Eddie was also a great family man. For some reason he didn't love himself like his fans, family and co-workers loved him. In my opinion he is a deserving hall of famer for his ring work. And knowing for a true fact that neither wrestlers wanted to do the "I'M your papi" angle, it was forced on both rey and eddie. How I know this, I met both of them in NYC and both where very nice guys and very open when I asked them about that angle. They both answered its all wwe creative. I wouldn't be surprise if it was Michael Hayes idea since this angle took place on smackdown. I believe that eddie was a class act everywhere he wrestle and put up with a lot of racism in both wcw and wwe.

 

[Klown_Karnage]

First off, Eddie was and always will be one of my absolute favorite wrestlers for many reasons, but perhaps most of all because of his (and this is going to sound odd) integrity when it came to his cheating. He never made any bones about the fact that he'd happily lie, cheat, and steal to win. Not only that, but Eddie would always (quite visibly) let the audience in on the scam before he pulled it. The guy was a helluva performer and always happy to bring the audience along.

As to the one flaw I see in Eddie, that one's easy: the drugs. At least in his early career and the effect the eventually had in leading to an early death. I will acknowledge that, towards the end, he got his life together and got off the stuff (whatever it was that he was taking.)

Do I think it would have made him better or worse as a performer? Truth be told, I don't think it would have affected that part of his life at all. From what little I can gather from interviews I've seen (around the memorial episodes of Raw and Smackdown) Eddie tended to leave real life behind when he hit the ring. The two lives were, for the most part, separate, so I don't think it would have affected his performance.

I do, however, think that it greatly affected his personal life and that's a major thing to consider.

Viva la Raza!

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

Skillwise Eddie Guerrero has no flaws. He was very good in the ring as well as on the mic and could play a face or a heel with consumate ease. So I guess I will have to agree with Klown Karnage here and say that his only flaw was his drug abuse.

Unlike guys like Chris Benoit who couldn't talk to even save his life, I think that the WWF was always been high on Eddie. If it were not for his drug abuse I think he would have been World Champion much earlier than 2004. Plus, and more importantly, he would have been alive and wrestling today had it not been for those years of drug abuse.

In the ring and on the mic he was one of the best performers that I have ever seen.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

In the ring, I cannot really name any serious fault in Eddie Guerrero. He was able to play a nasty, vicious heel just as easily as a charismatic fan favourite. He had the rare ability to make the fans care about him with something as simple as looking their way, or a little chest wiggle, or just cracking a smile. He was incredibly talented.

Eddie was capable of wrestling anybody, regardless of their size, and it was a great moment in WWE when Eddie finally climbed to the top of the mountain and captured the WWE championship from Brock Lesnar.

However, the answer to this question is quite simple. The big criticism of Eddie Guerrero has to be his substance abuse. Anybody who abuses their body with drugs cannot produce their 100% best work, and Eddie had a serious problem for years, while still putting on great matches week after week. It just makes me think how good Eddie Guerrero could have been had he not had these issues, which eventually caused him to lose his job in WWE.

Thankfully for Eddie, he managed to get these demons under control and return to the company, to enjoy his greatest period of success, but tragically he passed away at such a young age. His previous addictions must surely have contributed to his untimely demise in some way, and it just makes us wonder what he could have accomplished without his problems. His career could have gone on to become one of the all-time greatest, but unfortunately this never occured.

Eddie Guerrero was not only a great wrestler, but a great family man who loved his family more than anything. The fact he is no longer with us still bothers me greatly, and the criticisim I have of him is that he helped to bring on his demise himself with the sbuse he inflicted on his body for years. His recovery to achieve his dreams is inspiring, but he still left this world years before his time.

RIP Homes

 

[El Rev sXe]

I always said it, Eddie was probably my favorite performer until he died. He was one of the most charismatic in the entire wrestling business. Like Nat said, he could be a despicable heel, making the sentece "I'm your papi!" sound fucking creepy. Or he could be an amazing face who just need to say things like "homes" or "ese", smiling, do that weird dance (lol btw) in order to get the crwod excited.
Besides, he was one amazing wrestler, his matches against Angle, Rey, Benoit, Jericho (amongst many others) were all great matches.

I can't say he had a flaw as a performer. Obviously like all human beings he wasn't perfect and he made choices that eventually lead him to the grave. But I'm not going to judge him now. There isn't a point doing that now.

For me Eddie was an example to all "foreign" wrestlers that they could be one of the top dogs of wrestling in the biggest company. Thank you Eddie.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

First off apologies to everyone who has made the same point, I don't want to come across as just jumping on the band wagon.

When reading Ham's thread, I believed that we were being asked to criticise storyline/ in ring weaknesses. Having read back, I see that this is not the case.

Now I still think the 'I'm your papi' storyline sucked (as does the current exploitation of Kurt and Karen's kids) but it was just a storyline and as Lucha-Libre is wrestling so succinctly put it, they neither agreed or enjoyed it. Obviously, Eddie (like so many of his luminaries) had a very simple weakness - drug dependency and this ultimately lead to the world losing a great performer and, more significantly, a great man (from all accounts). I still wear my Eddie T with pride and to quote the Rev sXe "Thank you Eddie".

[YOUTUBE]Vp1lORRbFaE[/YOUTUBE]​

 

[WWE.IS.AWESOME]

Eddie Guerrero. His name fills my heart with sadness.

Eddie was a fantastic in-ring preformer. He went into the ring week in and week out, putting on a great show for each and every one of us. He could speak well on the mic, and played both a heel and face with ease. Eddie is arguably one of the best wrestlers to ever compete inside the squared circle.

As for his storyline with Rey, I think that was more of the writers fault and not his. For that, I'm not going to hold it against him.

I'm going to agree with most of the others and say his biggest flaw was outside the ring... his drug abuse. If he would've stayed away from those horrible things he might still be with us today. He could've been so much more successful and preformed even better than he already did (if that's possible).

RIP Eddie Guerrero. Your in our hearts forever.

 

[The Crock]

Eddie Guerrero's greatest flaw was one outside the ring, his drug and alcohol abuse. Eddie was a man with many demons, and they eventually led to his downfall. Had Eddie not had those problems outside of the ring, he would have been even more of a legend inside of the ring. Suspensions and such never help a guy get over, and the fact that he abused drugs and alcohol didn't help him with that. Alcohol, drunk driving in particular, got him fired. Those kinds of things can ruin a guy's career, and Eddie is the perfect example. Not only did they ruin his career, but they ended his life.

RIP Eddie Guerrero.

 

[Ultra Awesome]

Much to my total mark-dom for Eddie, I'd really want to say that Eddie Guerrero had no flaw whatsover. Simply put: he was perfect. Both in the ring and outside. In the ring, he was a fucking god. Eddie had a goal - and one goal only when he performed in the ring. And that was to entertain the fans. Each and every match he wrestled, he wrestled as if it was his last. Hearing the reaction from the crowd; exciting the crowd at every turn - that's what Eddie lived for. He lived to wrestle - and he excelled at it.

Promo-wise, he was also fantastic. Moreover, of all the gimmicks that could have been given to him, the "Lying, Cheating Stealing" gimmick was the one that fit him best. He played the role phenomenally. Whether it was with Kurt Angle, JBL, or simply tag-team with Rey or Booker T - the classic jokes that he did always got the crowds and fans dying in laughter.

I think though, one of the most under-rated accomplishes that many people fail to see is that Eddie (along with Rey) are responsible for such an increase in the Mexican audience when it comes to the WWE fanbase. Many mexicans in particular tuned in to Smackdown every Thursday night for the sole purpose of seeing Eddie (or Rey). I notice that this gets failed to mention in many Eddie praising moments. But alas, it's not so bad as even still, everyone fucking marked-out for Eddie.

In real life, from all the documentaries that I have seen, I can only imagine that Eddie was one hell of a guy. I remember watching videos in which people such as Chris Jericho, Rey-rey, John Cena, Batista and so many more - all of which explained how much of an inspiration he was to them. Eddie was the go-to guy, basically. Anytime anyone had a problem, Eddie would be there to help them out. He'd never force conversation or criticism upon anyone, he'd sit there and be patient with them until they poured their soul out to him.

Sadly, this brings me to the one criticism that I have to mention (and that everyone else has already mentioned), drug abuse. It's no surprise to anyone that Eddie had his demons to face. Sadly, in the very end, those demons ended up getting to him and ultimately caused his death. While I'm confident the drug abuse did not affect how good or how good he could become in the ring, I am also confident that had he not done drugs, his career could have been all that more greater and longer.

As far as the Eddie vs. Rey feud that has been mentioned, I tend to agree that that was beyond stupid. Eddie and Rey were like brothers. They were the closest of friends and it was very noticeable. Why would you have two of the most best-est best friends in a feud? And then to even include such stupidity as custody of a child? Even if it was all scripted, it still doesn't excuse that that is one of the worst conjured up storylines ever.

...Lulz, my mark-dom shows. RIP EDDIE!!!

 

[Ferbian]

Eddie Guerrero's flaw is one that he couldn't correct because it was simply based on genetics. Eddie Guerrero was quite simply too small, and it's not a bad thing really. He just wasn't big enough to let him be featured in the main event of the cards alongside big guys like Triple H, Batista, John Cena and many more.

His size destroyed a bit of his legitimacy against guys like this. And sure, Rey Mysterio defying the odds and all that bullshit, but Eddie Guerrero wasn't a guy that was made out to be a defiant guy, and besides Rey Mysterio still remains hardly as successful in terms of championships as a guy like Triple H, or even Bret Hart for that sake who wasn't a giant either.

Eddie Guerrero had a great career, there's no denying that. However I would definitely have believed that he might as well have been able to get a slightly better career, if not noticeably better career if he had been just 4-6 inches taller.