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November 13th, 2005 remains one of the darkest days in the history of professional wrestling. It is the day that Eddie Guerrero left this world behind due to Heart Failure in an incident that sent shockwaves across the entire professional wrestling landscape.
Fans, friends, competitors, and family from all around the world - from Mexico to Japan - mourned the loss of one of the greatest in-ring technicians of all-time, but more than that, they mourned the loss of a great human being who was taken much too early from us, at the age of 38.
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Year after year, we are left wondering what would be different if Eddie were still around today. What if he didn't perish in tragic circumstances on that fateful night in 2005? If I were to hazard a guess, we would be living in a brighter world, one with more fun and one made better by his presence.
Today, we're here to celebrate the life of Eddie Guerrero and what he could have meant to the world. So, without any further ado, here are 5 things that could have been different if Eddie Guerrero was still alive:
#5 Vickie Guerrero wouldn't have had as much screen time
In the aftermath of Eddie Guerrero's tragic passing, his wife, Vickie Guerrero, was given the opportunity to be an on-screen presence by the WWE. But, was it as a sympathetic widow? Oh, hell no, this is the WWE we are talking about here.
Vickie started off as an apparent peacemaker between Eddie's best friend - Rey Mysterio - and his nephew - Chavo Guerrero - but soon turned heel and sided with Chavo. Things only got more controversial from there.
She was involved in a number of unflattering angles over the years from 2007 onwards especially one where she was romantically involved with Edge while she held the position of General Manager of Smackdown.
She was a constant heel for almost her entire run with the company and you have to say that there is no way she would have been given the opportunity for as much on-screen presence if Eddie was still around.
#4 We would have seen a dream match at Wrestlemania 22
At the time of his passing, Eddie Guerrero was considered one of the finest wrestlers on the planet. In fact, Kurt Angle called him second-best only to Shawn Michaels with him possibly outdoing even The Heartbreak Kid if he were still alive. I mention Shawn Michaels because it is relevant here.
For the longest time, Eddie was considered something of a Mexican Shawn with his good looks, supreme athleticism, and stellar in-ring work, and the WWE was planting the seeds for a dream Wrestlemania 22 match between the two men in 2006 with the feud centring around how was the better professional wrestlers.
It would have been a dream match for fans all around the world and it is just one of the many things that we never got to witness due to Eddie's heart failure.
#3 Rey Mysterio would never have become a main event player
One of the unintentional beneficiaries of Eddie Guerrero's death was his best friend, Rey Mysterio. The WWE and Vince McMahon - in typical WWE and Vince McMahon fashion - used the death of a beloved superstar to further their own cause.
The whole Rey Mysterio fighting against all the odds as The Ultimate Underdog to win the Royal Rumble and eventually capture the World Heavyweight Championship was all planned as a sympathy angle to use the death of Guerrero and turn it into ratings and pay per view buys.
Yes, Rey Mysterio is a legitimately awesome professional wrestler and deserved to be a main event star on his own merit, but there is no way Vince would have given somebody of his size a fair shot at the World Championship. Hell, even with the death of Eddie, he was never given a long run at the top of the company.
#2 He would not be as famous world wide as he is today
There is no doubting that Eddie Guerrero was one of the most talented in-ring performers of his generation. He had a gift for professional wrestling that few could ever hope to match and was at the peak of his career when he was tragically taken from the world.
But, that does make you wonder if he would be held in the same regard as he is now if it weren't for his death in 2005? Yes, we would have been considered an all-time great, but I doubt people would be comparing him to the likes of Shawn Michaels if it weren't for the sheer tragedy of his passing.
He would have been a beloved member of the professional wrestling fraternity and a Hall of Famer without a doubt, but he would not invoke the same feeling in people he does today.
#1 Chris Benoit might still have been alive
One of the biggest consequences of Eddie Guerrero's death was that it eventually led to the Chris Benoit Double Homicide-Suicide. The two were as close as brothers, and Eddie's death haunted Benoit for the rest of his brief life.
There is no way to say for sure, but there is a very real possibility that Chris Benoit and his family would still be alive today if Eddie Guerrero had been around to help his friend through his dark times and maybe get some help before things took the dark turn they eventually did.
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