5 Interesting backstage stories about Eddie Guerrero

#3. Vince McMahon saw Eddie Guerrero’s potential when he was with The Radicalz

Miss him “@hiropiter: R.I.P. Eddie Guerrero #VivaLaRaza #ThankYouEddie #WillNeverForgetEddie http://t.co/bZl7rbUTo8 http://t.co/eG9uJqp9b2

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) November 13, 2013

In 2000, Eddie Guerrero debuted in WWE as part of The Radicalz along with Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, and Perry Saturn. The faction interfered in a match involving The New Age Outlaws on the Jan. 31, 2000 episode of RAW and established themselves as faces on the flagship show.

Speaking on his podcast Talk Is Jericho, Chris Jericho revealed that Vince McMahon saw Eddie Guerrero as the breakout star of the faction long before anyone else noticed him.

"When he came to WWE with [Chris] Benoit and Dean [Malenko] and Perry Saturn and Eddie Guerrero came as The Radicalz, about two weeks in, I was talking to Brian Gewirtz, who was the head writer at the time, and he said, we were talking about Benoit. 'We'll work with Benoit - we'll do this. We're going to have you do something with Eddie.' I said, 'okay, that's fine.' And he says, 'Vince says Eddie is 'The One'' because at the time, this was pre-Latino Heat. Eddie didn't have that personality yet and Vince saw it two weeks in. He said, 'Eddie's the star.' I said, 'Eddie over Benoit, over Perry, over Dean?' He said, 'Vince says he's the star.'" Jericho noted, "and look what he turned into."

NOW on @TalkIsJericho- Remembering #EddieGuerrero w @Konnan5150, @RealDDP & @reymysterio Live From @jericho_cruise! We talk #EddieTheGiant, peeing on #Elvis’s house, fighting in @DennysDiner, #HalloweenHavoc1997, #LatinoWorldOrder & more!

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) December 28, 2018

While Guerrero still hadn’t debuted his iconic Latino Heat persona, McMahon was able to spot the Mexican WWE Superstar's star power. Eddie would go on to become the WWE Champion years later.