RIP Eddie...
Nov. 14th, 2005 10:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
prowler1971Not since Owen Hart died in an in-ring accident have I seen such emotion in the wrestling world. Tonight, I watched wrestling for the first time in probably two years. It was a tribue to Eddie Guerrero who died on Sunday at the age of 38. Cause of death is currently unknown but based on history, I'm guessing they'll say it was a heart attack. He was apparently found in the bathroom with his toothbrush in his hand. He had a past with alcohol and drug addiction he was very open about. He was sober for 4 years and had become a "Born Again Christian". While my philosophy may be very different, I can respect someone who can fight such demons.
I started watching wrestling when I was a teenager, maybe younger. It was the heyday or Hulk Hogan. But I remember watching Eddie in his early WCW days when they were doing a heavy focus on Luche Libre. I wasn't a fan of the style. But when Eddie turned heel, his personality was one you had to love. I've never been a fan of the goody goody baby faces.
I wasn't watching anymore when Eddie won his WWE World Championship, but I heard about it and was, I guess the word is proud. I knew about what he'd gone through. He was small by today's standards for wrestlers but there he was, on top of the business.
Tonight, the WWE put on a tribute show for Eddie. It was good. No, it was great. As I started out, I haven't seen this much emotion since Owen Hart fell to his death at a WWE pay-per-view in 1999. I was watching the PPV at a friend's house when we heard Jim Ross say that something had gone terribly wrong. And RAW the next day was terribly emotional. All these wrestlers who had just been with him the day before. All these people who watched him die live. They did not show the accident on TV.
Anyway, this was very much the same. Lots of wrestlers speaking their minds. I've been through a lot of death's of wrestlers. Usually alone in a hotel room or in a car accident. The occasional clear drug overdose, but usually a heart attack (somehow, drugs were involved). Many of the sentiments were the same. Eddie, like Owen, was well liked and always one to make others laugh. Everyone loved him. The tribute included some great, old school matches. Two of the highlights were Sean Michaels and Rey Mysterio Jr in a very technical match. HBK put over Mysterio cleanly, something I didn't expect to see. Ric Flair and William Regal, two of my all time favorites, put on a short, but sweet, clinic. There were other matches but those two really stood out. It was low on gimmickness. Between matches were Guerrero vidoes and tributes from other wrestlers, many of whom broke down in tears. It was a fine tribute to a great wrestler.
I started watching wrestling when I was a teenager, maybe younger. It was the heyday or Hulk Hogan. But I remember watching Eddie in his early WCW days when they were doing a heavy focus on Luche Libre. I wasn't a fan of the style. But when Eddie turned heel, his personality was one you had to love. I've never been a fan of the goody goody baby faces.
I wasn't watching anymore when Eddie won his WWE World Championship, but I heard about it and was, I guess the word is proud. I knew about what he'd gone through. He was small by today's standards for wrestlers but there he was, on top of the business.
Tonight, the WWE put on a tribute show for Eddie. It was good. No, it was great. As I started out, I haven't seen this much emotion since Owen Hart fell to his death at a WWE pay-per-view in 1999. I was watching the PPV at a friend's house when we heard Jim Ross say that something had gone terribly wrong. And RAW the next day was terribly emotional. All these wrestlers who had just been with him the day before. All these people who watched him die live. They did not show the accident on TV.
Anyway, this was very much the same. Lots of wrestlers speaking their minds. I've been through a lot of death's of wrestlers. Usually alone in a hotel room or in a car accident. The occasional clear drug overdose, but usually a heart attack (somehow, drugs were involved). Many of the sentiments were the same. Eddie, like Owen, was well liked and always one to make others laugh. Everyone loved him. The tribute included some great, old school matches. Two of the highlights were Sean Michaels and Rey Mysterio Jr in a very technical match. HBK put over Mysterio cleanly, something I didn't expect to see. Ric Flair and William Regal, two of my all time favorites, put on a short, but sweet, clinic. There were other matches but those two really stood out. It was low on gimmickness. Between matches were Guerrero vidoes and tributes from other wrestlers, many of whom broke down in tears. It was a fine tribute to a great wrestler.
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no subject
Date: 2005-11-15 04:52 am (UTC)I liked him better as a heel also.
Dan
no subject
Date: 2005-11-15 05:52 pm (UTC)I did watch part of the documentary on Guerrero, but I had never seen him wrestle.
no subject
Date: 2005-11-15 06:00 pm (UTC)Nope. There was no interference. At the end of the match, he helped his opponent (Shawn Michaels) to his feet, they shook hands, and hugged. You could visibly see Shawn Michaels say to Rey, "Anytime".
It is not uncommon for wrestlers to thank each other after a good match, for putting on a good performance, for protecting them from harm, etc. Perhaps just for "putting him over" in this case.