Today marks the five year anniversary of the death of professional wrestler Eddie Guerrero of the legendary Guerrero wrestling family. Guerrero overcame years of substance abuse, namely alcohol and pain killers, to become one of the most decorated champions in professional wrestling history. Guerrero's past abuse eventually caught up with him, though, and he died from an acute heart failure at the age of 38.
His death caught the wrestling world off-guard. Fans loved Guerrero and his motto, "Lie, Cheat, and Steal." Guerrero would do whatever it took to win a match, often taking illegal means to do so. Shortly after his death, World Wrestling Entertainment implemented a random drug testing policy to detect drugs, steroids, and prescription drugs.
Guerrero's death also sparked discussions of the wrestling workload. Dave Meltzer told the Associated Press in 2005, "You're expected to look a certain way," Meltzer said. "The public expectation for these guys is very difficult to live up to. To do it 200 times per year, it's very hard on the body what they do." Guerrero's coworkers knew him as a bit of a gym rat, which might have added to the strain on his heart.
Here is a news story on the day of Guerrero's death.
And now, the best night of Guerrero's career: the night he won the WWE Championship - ironically enough against the face of MMA Brock Lesnar. It's only appropriate that the fan-favorite goes to celebrate with the fans immediately after the bell sounds. This match was 637 days before his death.
- Jeff Laboon
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