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Eddie Guerrero's tragic passing in November 2005 impacted the wrestling world in a way that nobody realized. For Rey Mysterio, it was the loss of his long-time friend and a man who he considered to be a part of his family.
Even then, the follow-up of his passing saw Rey Mysterio get the biggest push of his career, leading him to win the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22 in 2006.
Speaking to Busted Open Radio, Rey Mysterio was told by Mark Henry that despite Guerrero's impact, nobody became a Hispanic International phenomenon the way Rey Mysterio did.
Rey Mysterio reflected on Eddie Guerrero's death and said that he felt the late, great legend "gave him" an opportunity to become World Champion:
"I truly think that once Eddie's passing happened, that set a lot of direction towards me because of the connection we had and the response from the fans. That was the opportunity that in a way, Eddie gave me to become World Champion and continue with this legacy that I've built. If Eddie wouldn't have passed, things could have been very different. And I truly think that with Eddie's passing, the next year, the Royal Rumble win and then moving on to WrestleMania and becoming Champion there. There was a connection between all of us and I truly believe that Eddie helped me take that next step to stardom
Would Rey Mysterio have gotten the same push had it not been for Eddie Guerrero's passing?
Many have asked the question about how different things would be had Eddie Guerrero not passed away. The truth is that it would be different in more ways than one.
However, the harsh reality is that had it not been for Eddie Guerrero's passing, Rey Mysterio wouldn't have reached the next level of superstardom. Former WWE Writer Court Bauer revealed that Vince McMahon wasn't in favor of Rey Mysterio winning the Royal Rumble or becoming World Champion, but the key figure who was supportive of it was Pat Patterson.
Bauer also said that Bruce Prichard was supportive of it. However, given the nature of Rey Mysterio's World title reign in 2006, it was clear that Vince McMahon was never in favor of it.
