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Eddie Guerrero was no ordinary Superstar, as he revolutionized the action that takes place inside and outside the ring. Not only did he leave a huge mark in the action we see inside the ring, but also perfectly matched it with the entertainment aspect of sports entertainment to become one of the biggest Superstars the world had ever seen.
Eddie’s sudden and tragic death on November 13, 2005, left a huge void in the world of wrestling and shook up the entire SmackDown brand which was being led by the Superstar.
After the tragedy, many Superstars have come forward to pay their respects to the late Eddie Guerrero and paid homage to the megastar whenever they’ve gotten the chance to.
Whether it's speaking highly of him, performing one of his signature moves in the ring, or even wearing ring gear inspired by Eddie, there are several things many wrestlers around the globe have done to pay their respects to Eddie.
In this article, we will look at the 10 wrestlers who’ve paid homage to the late Superstar during and after their careers.
#1 Chavo Guerrero
We’d be doing injustice to Chavo Guerrero if we didn’t start the list with his name. Eddie Guerrero’s on-screen cousin and real-life nephew Chavo made it big in WWE and was seen by Eddie’s side for most of his wrestling career. The two had a strong tag team and even battled against each other whenever the storyline required it.
Since Eddie’s death, Chavo has always paid homage to his late cousin by speaking highly of him, wearing similar ring gear, and bringing out the 'Three Amigos', 'Frogsplash' and other moves that were made popular by the Superstar.
Chavo is currently performing on other promotions and carrying the name of the Guerrero family forward in the world of wrestling.
#2 Christian Cage
Eddie Guerrero was a close friend and also an inspiration to Christian, who became known as one of the most underrated top wrestlers in the industry.
After Eddie’s death, Christian continued to speak highly of the Superstar and remember him in numerous interviews to show the big mark he’d left on Christian and his career.
The time that followed saw Christian bring out Eddie’s signature 'Frogsplash' move many times to pay homage to the late Superstar and remind fans of the impact Eddie had on the world of wrestling.
#3 CM Punk
While CM Punk has had his differences with WWE for a long time, one thing he has gotten out of the company that really benefitted him was Eddie’s influence.
Punk first battled Eddie long ago in 2002 when the two fought along with Rey Mysterio in an unforgettable Triple Threat Match at IWA Mid-South in 2002.
Since then, Punk was hooked on to Eddie’s talent and has dedicated many of his matches and his wins to the former WWE Heavyweight Champion.
Punk has also used some of Eddie’s dirty tactics to his benefit during matches and stolen victories that have enabled him to become one of the major Superstars who’ve reminded fans of the late Superstar.
#4 Peyton Royce
Eddie’s influence in the world of wrestling was not just restricted to North America, as he made a huge impact on the world over. This is evident from the fact that current member of The IIconics, Peyton Royce, claims that Eddie is the one who inspired her to get in the world of wrestling.
She’s revealed the following:
"It never crossed my mind that I can do that. I hate that it comes back into my head, but it was the day Eddie Guerrero died. That was it for me. I used to pray at night and tell him that I was going to do this for you because you gave me all these memories and all these feelings and I just wanted to give back to others the way you gave to me. He was so charismatic. He would make me feel happy. He would make me laugh. He was so amazing to watch in the ring. He was so athletic and entertaining. I wanted to be able to speak Spanish, actually, I am taking Spanish now. I wanted to take Spanish in school because I wanted to talk like him, he was a big inspiration for my life."
During a big WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match at WrestleMania 35, the tights Peyton Royce wore were inspired by Eddie Guerrero and his tag line 'Latino Heat'.
#5 John Cena
John Cena has been regarded as one of the biggest WWE Superstars of all time, and not only has he proved his worth in the ring but also wherever else he’s been.
While Cena is away from the world of wrestling today, he continues to hype up wrestling and the company whenever he gets a chance. Continuing that, Cena has also spoken highly of Eddie whenever he has gotten the chance to do so.
Eddie was one of the first men who helped Cena get big in WWE, and their Latino Parking Lot Fight is one to remember forever.
After one of his matches, Cena took off his Eddie inspired shirt and turned it around which had Eddie Guerrero’s name on it. He then laid it down in the center of the ring and put his WWE Championship belt on top of it to signify that Eddie will forever remain a champion for WWE.
#6 Dave Batista
Batista is another Superstar who was very close to Eddie and had several rivalries and partnerships with the wrestling genius.
Following his death, Batista was one of the men who spoke a lot about Eddie, his achievements, and his impact on the sport, and gave a touching tribute inside the ring.
In 2018, Batista decided to give tribute to the Superstar by getting his 1964 Chevy Impala custom painted with Eddie’s portrait.
The image of the sweet ride went viral and Batista got some great response from the fans for paying homage to their wrestling idol.
#7 Kurt Angle
If there was one man who defined wrestling as we know it today, it was Kurt Angle. The former WWE Superstar and WWE Hall of Famer did a lot in his illustrious career, including sharing the ring with Eddie Guerrero.
The two men defined SmackDown for some time and were the best of rivals on the brand. Angle has called Eddie the second-best wrestler of all time, just behind Shawn Michaels, and argued that he could have been the best, had he not passed away so early.
Angle has brought out a couple of Eddie’s signature moves at times to pay tribute to the late Superstar, and even posted praises about him more often than not.
#8 Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho has been all praises for Eddie for most of his career and named him as one of the best wrestlers that ever competed in the ring.
Jericho himself has been known as one of the best of all time, and such praises from the former WWE Superstar is sure to hold Eddie in high regard.
On a recent episode of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where Jericho is the current Champion, he prompted the fans to bring out the famous Eddie chants "Viva La Raza.” The entire arena shook with the chants of the late Superstar’s catchphrase and brought back memories of his in-ring career.
Jericho has never been one to hold back praise for his fellow Superstars, and Eddie was a special one who he has spoken extremely highly of whenever he’s gotten the chance.
#9 Rey Mysterio
If you look all around in the wrestling community, you won’t be able to find anyone as close to Eddie as Rey Mysterio was. The Superstar was a longtime friend of Eddie and competed alongside him and against him for several years.
Sitting down to talk with Corey Graves about his several tattoos, Mysterio revealed that he was a fan of Eddie long before he became a wrestler himself and had a special connection with the Superstar. This prompted him to tattoo Eddie’s initials on his forearm and take a piece of him with him at all times.
Mysterio has always praised the late Superstar and used many of his moves as a tribute to one of his wrestling idols and best friend.
#10 Sasha Banks
If there is one Superstar in the company today who is keeping Eddie’s memories alive, then it’s Sasha Banks.
One of the leaders of the women’s roster, Banks idolized Eddie for most of her life and only found out about his death during his Tribute Show, in which she was a part of the audience.
Banks has displayed her admiration for the late Superstar several times, and has also worn gear in his remembrance a few times. At WrestleMania 32, Banks wore gear emulating Eddie’s ring gear and performed his patented frog splash during the triple threat match for the Women’s Championship. While the move was met by mixed reviews, it did not stop Banks from displaying her love for her wrestling hero.
In 2018, she had a special heart to heart conversation with Eddie’s wife Vickie Guerrero, where she spoke very highly of the late Superstar. During the conversation, Banks revealed that Eddie was the first Superstar she saw wrestling and was immediately hooked on to the sport from that point onwards.
We hope Banks will continue to pay homage to the late Superstar and keep his memories afresh in the minds of the fans.
