'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
It was on November 13, 2005, that the wrestling world suffered one of its greatest tragedies when one of the all-time greats, Eddie Guerrero, passed away.
The Latino Heat had a 19-year wrestling career, which saw him compete in some of the greatest matches in history in Mexico, Japan, ECW, WCW and of course, WWE. Guerrero is regarded as one of the best professional wrestlers of all-time, and it isn't hard to see why. He held more than 20 Championships throughout all of the organizations he competed for and had countless 'Match of The Year' caliber efforts with Superstars such as X Pac, all the way to the main event scene with Brock Lesnar.
And while Eddie Guerrero had some incredible matches in WCW, ECW and all throughout Mexico and Japan, here, I will be taking a look at what I feel are the top 10 best matches that Eddie Guerrero had in WWE.
#10 Eddie Guerrero vs. John Cena - SmackDown September 11, 2003
The then WWE United States Champion Eddie Guerrero and the up and coming John Cena had a minor feud in September 2003 over Latino Heat's Championship.
The feud seemed to mainly exist just to give the two something to do for a few weeks before each man had big programs with Big Show and Kurt Angle. Despite this, the two had a magnificent brawl here. They had worked one match prior to build to this and it wasn't great, but it was all merely promotional for this memorable SmackDown match.
A dozen SmackDown Superstars and crew surrounded the two as they fought in a circular ring of automobiles. They would throw each other onto all the surrounding cars, breaking several windows in the process, performed moves such as suplexes and flapjacks onto them and even fought inside one of them. Guerrero retained his title with assistance from a returning Chavo Guerrero and Latino Heat would score the pinfall with a Frogsplash from the top of one car to another.
#9 Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio - SmackDown September 9, 2005,
This storyline was without a doubt the best example you could give when you talk about wrestling being a soap opera. A soap is the only other place you could see something like this other than WWE.
As uncomfortable as this storyline often was, especially with Rey Mysterio's son Dominick involved, Eddie Guerrero and 'The Master Of The 619' never failed to deliver in the ring. The feud was built on how Eddie couldn't beat Rey, even though he previously scored two televised singles victories over Mysterio on SmackDown in 2002 and 2004. Mysterio had previously won five televised matches over Guerrero before this Steel Cage match, which was built as their final one on one encounter (and it was).
If they were to go out, it was a damn fine way to do so. The action was fast-paced, as both Superstars used their surroundings well along with plenty of back and forth reversals and high risk moves from the cage. It looked like Guerrero was going to win the match by escaping the cage, but Eddie returned inside and hit the Frogsplash on Rey to gain the three count. It was a great way to end this long personal feud.
#8 Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio - SummerSlam 2005
As mentioned in the previous entry, Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio had a long, personal rivalry in 2005. Every time they shared the ring, they put on a wrestling clinic.
While their final match in the Steel Cage was a great way to end the feud, it wasn't the best bout of this heated rivalry. That title goes to the Ladder match they had at SummerSlam that August. Guerrero had revealed weeks earlier that he was actually Dominick's real father, and the winner of this Ladder match would receive his custody.
The drama and emotion in this match were off the charts. You really bought into that, no matter how uncomfortable this angle got at times as it was still an emotionally driven encounter. After a few minutes of Guerrero assaulting Mysterio, ladders got involved. They were used a lot like a weapon, mostly by Eddie on Mysterio.
The ladders were used to full effect, including a slightly botched sunset flip powerbomb that left its mark none the less. Dominick got involved at one point, aiding his father. Mysterio performed a 619 on the ladder to Eddie, followed by a couple more high powerbombs.
They even had to improvise at one point after Vickie Guerrero missed her cue (Eddie flipped out in the ring over it) but she eventually ran out and pushed Eddie off the ladder, allowing Mysterio to win.
#7 Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle - WrestleMania XX
Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle were a match made in heaven as they put on phenomenal contests whenever they were inside the squared ring.
Angle had gotten the better of Guerrero every week in the build-up to this personal match. So, the fans in Madison Square Garden really wanted to see Guerrero pummel Angle. The first few minutes were a little slow, but things picked up when Guerrero took a big bump from the ring to the guardrail.
Angle had the better of Guerrero for a while, successfully hitting several suplex variations. Then, Angle went for an Angle Slam but Eddie countered with an arm drag and a headscissors takedown which looked absolutely beautiful. An Angle Slam countered into a DDT by Eddie was also brilliant. Guerrero hit a Frog Splash for a near fall which really surprised the audience as they thought it was over.
Angle bounced back with some Ankle Lock attempts, one of which prompted Eddie to seem like he was injured. He untied his boot but was attacked by Angle again for another Ankle Lock attempt. The Olympic Gold medallist instead pulled Eddie's boot off, and then charged at him but was grabbed into a cradle for Guerrero to get the three-count.
#6 Triple Threat Tag Team Elimination Match - Survivor Series 2002
The 'SmackDown Six' was the named dubbed to Eddie Guerrero, Chavo Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, Edge, Kurt Angle, and Chris Benoit in 2002 when they delivered SmackDown and WWE's best matches every week together for several months.
These guys were quite familiar with each other and it really showed. Every man got plenty of ring time as the tags between each Superstar were very frequent. The match featured multiple suplexes from Angle and Benoit.
Edge cleaned house taking out Angle and Benoit while the Guerrero's avoided entering the ring. Benoit then responded with three rolling German suplexes on Edge, followed by a Frog Splash from Guerrero on the future 'Rated R Superstar'.
Benoit once again retaliated with a Crossface on Edge followed by Angle performing an Ankle Lock on Eddie in a nice sequence until Chavo hit Benoit with a title and pretended it was Angle, leading to Benoit attacking his partner.
Edge hit Benoit with a Spear and with a three count, eliminated Angle and Benoit. They attacked Edge and Mysterio after, leading to a failed attempt to win by Eddie and Chavo. There was some more back and forth action before Chavo hit Mysterio with a title, leading to Eddie to apply the Lasso from El Paso submission for Mysterio to submit which allowed the Guerrero's to walk out as the new WWE Tag Team Champions.
#5 Eddie Guerrero vs. JBL - Judgement Day 2004
Wrestling wise, this will not be looked at as one of the all-time greats. However, it will always be remembered as an amazing yet horrifying watch, due to the amount of blood loss by both men in the ring, particularly for the then WWE Champion, Eddie Guerrero.
The match was very physical right from the start as Guerrero charged at JBL, taking him to the outside and tossing him into the barricade, ring post, and announcers table in succession. Eddie was out for revenge and he brutalized Bradshaw by choking him with a cable and continued to hammer him back in the ring.
Now with the referee knocked down, Bradshaw nearly crushed Eddie's head with a chair, bending the chair in the process.
Guerrero was covered in blood, so much so that you could barely see any skin color anywhere on him. JBL punched him some more and hit him with the steel steps. I don't think anyone had ever bled this badly before in WWE.
JBL hit Eddie with a Clothesline From Hell for a 2 count, and as he dragged him around the ring, nearly the entire ring mat was covered in Guerrero's blood. After a failed Frog splash, JBL brought a chair and the WWE title in the ring but it was Guerrero who hit Bradshaw with the title, causing a disqualification.
Post-match, Guerrero beat JBL senseless with a chair, leaving Bradshaw to bleed heavily, but nowhere near as much as Guerrero did. Eddie was said to have lost so much blood here that he went into shock after the match backstage.
#4 Eddie Guerrero vs. Edge - SmackDown September 26, 2002
Edge and Eddie Guerrero had been feuding for nearly two months. Prior to this match, they had also locked horns in one-on-one matches at SummerSlam and Unforgiven in 2002.
While these two PPV bouts delivered in the ring, they still were not the 'Match of The Year' contender that everyone knew they were capable of. And then this epic match happened.
Being contested under NO DQ rules, the two future Hall of Famers tore the house down, They proved here why both were easily among the best in the world and deserved to be a WWE Champion one day, which both later did.
They fought in and out of the ring, and frequently used weapons, most notably chairs and ladders. They worked at a very fast and incredible pace as they beat the life out of each other.
The end came when both men were on top of a ladder. Eddie then balanced on the top rope as Edge grabbed him and delivered an Edgecution DDT off the ladder, taking the win. Although Guerrero was a heel at the time, he was given a standing ovation from the live crowd.
#3 Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit - Vengeance 2003
Career long friends Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit made history back in 2003 as they fought in WWE's first-ever official WWE United States Championship match. Both these Superstars advanced to the tournament finals at the Vengeance pay-per-view.
While being best friends off-camera, Guerrero and Benoit were no strangers to each other as opponents and had several excellent matches before and after. This was a fantastic mat-based effort. Benoit won an early test of strength, as they then exchanged holds. While this form of wrestling often draws silence, the live crowd was really into it.
In an excellent sequence, Guerrero went for a Hurricanrana but was reversed into a sunset flip by Benoit, then reversed to a jackknife rollup and back to a sunset flip for two, into a rollup by Guerrero for two, into another Benoit rollup for a two count.
Guerrero would hit Benoit with the Championship and then with a Frog Splash for a surprising near fall. Benoit battled back and as he attempted a Headbutt, but Guerrero pulled the ref in front of him.
As Guerrero grabbed the new U.S title for more mischief, Benoit's buddy Rhyno sprinted to the ring but turned on Benoit, giving him a Gore. Guerrero then hit another Frog Splash, this time for the history-making three count.
This was actually the opening contest for the event, so it has to go down alongside Bret Hart and Owen Hart from WrestleMania X as best show opening matches ever.
#2 Eddie Guerrero vs. Rob Van Dam - RAW May 27, 2002
Rob Van Dam and WWE Intercontinental Champion Eddie Guerrero had been feuding for about two months heading into this match. Eddie had only returned to WWE after a one-year absence that April and had immediately set his eyes on RVD's IC title, which he eventually won at Backlash.
The matches that they had at Backlash, Judgement Day and the UK's Insurrextion PPV had been good, but not as great as they could have been. However, this match made up for all that, however, as it is one of the greatest matches in the history of WWE RAW. This final match of their series would be one that they were both very familiar with, a Ladder match.
The match had a lot of high spots off the ladder, vintage moves from each man's arsenals --both with and without ladders, and a thrilling conclusion. There was also one point during the match where Eddie was standing at the top of the ladder and some moronic fan jumped in the ring and pushed him off, leading Eddie to punch him out.
RVD would take the title down in the end to win his second WWE Intercontinental Championship.
#1 Eddie Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar - No Way Out 2004
This match was simply incredible! It was one of the most emotional and well-deserved victories ever in WWE. Despite the very big size difference, it was as competitive as it could be.
Brock Lesnar kicked off the bout with his usual domination, throwing Eddie Guerrero around and hitting some suplexes. Lensar continued to dominate until Guerrero fought back with punches and kicks until Lesnar himself got a little bloody.
Lesnar would hit Guerrero with the F-5, only for the referee to be knocked down too. Following that, Goldberg entered the ring and 'Speared' Lesnar. Guerrero regained consciousness and attacked Lesnar with the WWE title, but the latter reversed it into an F-5, only for that to be reversed into a tornado DDT onto the WWE Championship belt. Guerrero would hit the Frogsplash for perhaps the most emotional win in WWE history.
Today, Brock Lesnar seems to be having his best matches with Superstars of a much smaller stature compared to him. Seth Rollins, Rey Mysterio, Finn Balor, AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, and others have all brought out the best in him. Out of all of those style matches, this one with Eddie Guerrero is still by far the best.
