It didn't take long for Eddie Guerrero to win over the love and support of his peers and countless fans across the world.
WCW never gave cruiserweight stars like Guerrero, Rey Mysterio or Chris Jericho the chance to shine. But when WWE signed Guerrero in 2000, his career completely changed for the better.
Guerrero completely dazzled with his world-class in-ring abilities and his humble personality. And in the midst of the Ruthless Aggression Era, WWE decided to finally give Guerrero the main event push he deserved.
At the 2004 No Way Out pay-per-view, Guerrero defeated the virtually unstoppable Brock Lesnar to capture his first WWE Championship. And just like that, he was now the new face of SmackDown.
Guerrero successfully defended the title against Kurt Angle at WrestleMania XX in what turned out to be his career-defining match and moment. He continued his glorious title run before losing to JBL at The Great American Bash (2004).
After spending years and years in the cruiserweight and mid-card divisions, why did Guerrero finally receive a career-changing main event push? Former WWE and current AEW play-by-play man Jim Ross explained on his Grilling JR podcast (h/t Paul Davis of WrestlingNews.co).
"The fact that Eddie could work with anybody," Ross said. "He could work with a bigger babyface and make it real. He could work with a bigger heel and make it even more real. He brought the best out in everybody...I think it’s consistency and the fact that everybody wanted to work with him.
When you have top guys going to the old man just to get face time, and they tell him ‘Vince if I get a chance, I’d like to work with Eddie.’ Enough guys did that and then Vince said there’s something here. He beat Brock Lesnar in the Cow Palace at 190 pounds and Lesnar at 290 and made it believable...I’m glad that before Eddie passed, he got those moments. I’m blessed that we were able to do that. I think at least it was a happy thing in his life."
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After his feud with JBL, Guerrero pulled off the unforgettable heel turn by betraying close friend Rey Mysterio. Guerrero later entered a feud with Batista, where the latter helped turn him back into a babyface.
Guerrero tragically passed away at the age of 38 on Nov. 13, 2005, survived by his wife Vickie Guerrero (who worked on-screen for WWE on a regular basis until 2014) and three daughters. Following his untimely passing, Guerrero was honored on the ensuing episodes of Raw and SmackDown, where the superstars paid tribute to the wrestling legend. Guerrero was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006.
Guerrero Changed Everything In WWE, And His Legacy Lives On
Guerrero was one of the first true underdog stories in WWE. He went from perennial cruiserweight to a main event star and fan favorite. Following his major push, we saw other underdogs like Edge, Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, Batista and John Cena receive those career-changing pushes as well. Guerrero gave Vince McMahon every reason to believe that the cruiserweights and mid-card performers were capable of shining in the main event spotlight. Guerrero left behind a beautiful wrestling legacy that will never be forgotten.