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ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF EDDIE GUERRERO'S PASSING

MAT CLASSIC: EDDIE GUERRERO IN RING OF HONOR
by Buck Woodward  

In memory of Eddie Guerrero, this week we will look at some of his greatest moments and classic matches.

Eddie Guerrero In Ring Of Honor

History

In 2001, WWF star Eddie Guerrero was allowing his demons to control his life. He was taken off the road and put into rehab in an attempt to control his growing drug and alcohol problems. He returned to the ring, but on November 9th, he was arrested and charged with driving will intoxicated near his home in Florida. Three days later, he lost his job, as WWF released him from his contract. His professional life was in a tailspin, as was his personal life, as he was separated from his wife and a divorce was imminent. Eddie Guerrero had hit rock bottom. 

As 2002 began, Eddie Guerrero started to put his professional life back together, as he began to take independent bookings, and New Japan Pro Wrestling showed interest in bringing him back as well (Guerrero had previously worked there under both his real name, and as the masked Black Tiger). One of his bookings was the debut show for a new company, Ring Of Honor. Guerrero would face Super Crazy to determine the first Intercontinental Champion for the IWA promotion in Puerto Rico.

Eddie Guerrero vs. Super Crazy 
The Era Of Honor Begins - February 23, 2002
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Huge pop for both, followed by chants for both men. Super Crazy offered to shake hands, and Guerrero slapped him. Super Crazy gave back a slap of his own. Guerrero took Crazy down to the mat and raked his eyes with his boot. Eddy hit an early suplex for a two count, then took him to the mat with a headlock. Super Crazy broke out with a headscissors, they repeated the sequence, then Guerrero got the headlock again. Crazy suplexed out of it, hit a pair of punches, but Guerrero returned the shots. Guerrero hit a back suplex and got a two count, then went into a chinlock. Super Crazy fought up, was downed with a shoulderblock, leapfrogged Guerrero, took him down with an armdrag, and hit a top rope armdrag. Crazy then pounded Eddy in the corner as the fans counted along in Spanish. They went outside, with Guerrero pulling Crazy face first into the apron. Guerrero hit a vertical suplex on the floor, tossed Crazy in and hit a slingshot rolling splash for a two count. 

Guerrero stretched Crazy with an armbar, then stomped him. Guerrero tried for a sunset flip but Crazy rolled through, jumped over Guerrero and dropkicked him in the back of the head. Crazy slammed him, then hit a slingshot into a springboard moonsault off the middle rope for a two count. Crazy got another two with a missile dropkick. Crazy went to the top, but Eddy stopped him and pulled him down with a rana for a two count. Crazy nailed Guerrero with a spinning heel kick after Guerrero had slid through his legs for a two count. Guerrero came back with a stiff powerbomb that got a two count, and a pop from the crowd. Guerrero hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a two count. Guerrero hit a brainbuster, lifted him back up, and hit a second one. He went to the top, but as he dove off, Crazy moved. Guerrero tucked in and somersaulted on the mat, then charged Crazy. Crazy sidestepped him, but Guerrero grabbed him in a tilt-a-whirl slam. However, Crazy shifted in mid-move and rolled up Guerrero in a modified small package for the pin. 

Super Crazy had become the first IWA Intercontinental Champion, but perhaps more importantly, Eddie Guerrero had shown that he still had the ability to put on a spectacular in-ring performance. 

History II

The next night, Eddie Guerrero defeated Psicosis and Juventud Guerrera on the WWA Revolution Pay-per-view from Las Vegas to win the WWA International Cruiserweight Title. That weekend, combined with his other independent appearances (he defeated CM Punk and Rey Mysterio for the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title on March 1st for a one day reign, losing it to Punk the next night) told the world that Guerrero was back. By the middle of March, word was spreading that WWF had approached Eddie Guerrero about a return to the company. 

The talk proved true, as Eddie Guerrero returned to the WWF on April 1st, attacking Intercontinental Champion Rob Van Dam. Twenty days later, at the Backlash Pay-per-view, Guerrero defeated Rob Van Dam for the Intercontinental Title. His professional life was back in order, and he was putting together the pieces of the rest of his life, working at staying sober and also finding renewed faith by becoming a born-again Christian. However, Guerrero had a few Independent commitments that he could have blown off, given his new status as a champion in the biggest wrestling company in the world. But Guerrero wasn't going to forget about those that had helped him in his darkest hour. 

Eddie Guerrero & Amazing Red vs. The SAT (Jose & Joel Maximo) 
Night Of Appreciation - April 27, 2002
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

There was a huge ovation for Guerrero as he came out to the ring, wearing the Intercontinental Title belt.

Eddie Guerrero started the match with Joel Maximo. Red wanted to start though, so Eddie tagged him in before locking up with Joel. Red locked up with him, and Joel backed him into a corner. Joel hit a shoulderblock, but Red came back with a rana and a dropkick. The match broke down, and Eddie tossed Red at Joel, taking him down with a headscissors. Eddie then cleaned house on the SAT. When order was restored, Eddie went to work on Jose's arm, but Jose grabbed a leg, only to have Eddie reverse it on the mat by grabbing his other leg. They went for a test of strength, then Jose hit a shoulderblock and a rana for a one count. Jose went for a backdrop, but Eddie took his legs out from under him and put him in a Texas Cloverleaf. Jose made the ropes for the break. Eddie hit a back suplex, then a slingshot splash for a two count. Eddie applied a chinlock, but Jose escaped and hit a dropkick. 

Joel tagged in and the SAT hit a double drop toe hold on Eddie, then Jose put him in a surfboard while Joel pulled back on his chin. Joel then dropkicked him while he was still in the surfboard for a two count. Joel applied a chinlock on Guerrero, but Eddie battled up, only to get caught in a German suplex for a two count. Joel then hit a Northern Lights for another two count. Joel went to the top rope, but Eddie met him there and hit a top rope superplex. Eddie made the tag to Red, who came in and hit a standing moonsault on Jose for a two count after taking him down with a spinkick. Red went for a rana, but Jose planted him with a powerbomb. Joel tagged back in and pounded Red, then hit a vertical suplex for a two count. Jose came in, snapmared Red and dropkicked him in the face for a two count. Jose hit a spinebuster for a two count on Red. Red flipped over a Joel backdrop, but got caught by a superkick. 

The SAT continued to work over Red, with Jose putting him in a Boston Crab, and Joel hitting a slingshot legdrop across the back of his head. Red hit a spinkick on Jose as he came off the second rope at him, and tagged Guerrero. Eddie went to town on Joel, but missed a charge in the corner. Eddie took back over with a knee to the gut, and hit a brainbuster. Eddie went for a crucifix powerbomb, but Joel turned it into a rana for two. Joel got another victory roll for two, but Eddie hit a lariat and went to the top. Jose went and stopped him. They went for the Spanish Fly, but Red broke it up. Eddie tossed Red into Joel, who was still on the ropes, and Red took Joel down with a rana. Red then hit a dive from the ring on Jose. In the ring, Eddie set for the Frog Splash, but Joel moved as he dove, so Eddie went into a somersault on the mat to avoid crashing, got to his feet, and grabbed Joel in a crucifix powerbomb for the win.The fans chanted "Thank You Eddie" and the SAT took the mic and told Eddie how they respected them. Brian XL came to the ring and complained that the SAT got to step in the ring with Eddie, when he deserved to be in the ring with him. Eddie took the mic and asked if he was "Little Bow Wow", getting laughs from the crowd. He said the SAT got the match because they asked for it, and earned it. He said Brian XL could have a match right now. XL slugged Guerrero, but Eddie returned fire, hitting him with rights, powerbombing him, then hitting a brainbuster. Eddie went to the top rope and hit the Frog Splash to a huge pop, and a pinfall was counted. 

The fans chanted "We Will Miss You" at Eddie, and he said he would miss them. He said all characters aside, this was very personal for him. He said he has been fighting a lot of demons in his life, and that people had been hearing about it on the internet. He said he officially lost his family in court that week. He said through his problems, he had a new relationship with God. He said he his kids will always be his kids, he will always have his brothers and sisters, but this was his other family, the wrestlers in the locker rooms and the fans. He said that when he first came to the U.S., he wrestled in Philadelphia, and that Philly would always be home to him. He said the fans were always there for him, and that he was grateful for another opportunity to entertain them. Eddie said he wanted to thank Rob Feinstein and Ring Of Honor, saying that when he was fired from the WWF, Feinstein helped him get booked on shows. The fans chanted "Eddie" to end the show.

Aftermath

Obviously, most of you reading this know the rest of the story. Guerrero's professional life would skyrocket, with him becoming WWE Heavyweight Champion in 2004. Eddie Guerrero would also put his personal life back together, remarrying his wife Vickie, and remained sober right up until his passing this past Sunday. 

You can write me at BuckWrestling@aol.com.

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