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Eddie Guerrero found himself trending after a Twitter user called the WWE Hall of Famer a B+ player. Fans and wrestling legends such as Mick Foley came to his defense, praising the unquestionable ability of the late star. Guerrero passed away almost 16 years ago, but fans still remember the greatness that he put on display for his illustrous career.
Eddie became a great promo and character worker that stood for his charm. His Latino Heat gimmick is among the most fondly remembered personas of the Attitude Era. Guerrero's Lie, Cheat and Steal mantra led to him being propelled into superstardom and becoming a WWE Champion. As much as his character is remarkable, Eddie Guerrero's rivalries are just as memorable.
With his name being pushed back to the forefront due to universal praise of his work, it would be an ideal time to look back on some of the amazing rivalries that he crafted throughout his career. In this article, let's take a look at the five best Eddie Guerrero feuds of all time.
#5 Eddie Guerrero vs. Edge
Eddie Guerrero had a very public battle with an addiction to pain medication stemming from a car accident in 1999 that led to him being placed in rehab. After a DUI arrest in November 2001, Guerrero was released from his WWE contract. Following a stint on the independent scene, Eddie would return to the company, looking to leave his past behind and redeem himself.
Initially being placed on the Raw brand, Eddie Guerrero would make his way to the SmackDown brand alongside long-time friend and rival Chris Benoit. This would lead to the famed SmackDown Six era of the brand. To kick off this period, Eddie would get into a feud with Edge. The future Rated R Superstar was an up-and-comer looking to make a name for himself after tag team success in 2002.
Eddie Guerrero lost to Edge at Summerslam 2002 before getting his win back at Unforgiven the following month. With their series tied 1-1, they looked to finally settle the score in a No Disqualification Match on the September 26th, 2002. In what many call one of the best matches in the history of the program, Edge pulled off the final deciding win against Guerrero.
The rivalry was a launching pad for Edge. He credits this series of matches with Eddie Guerrero as helping him further push ahead his career and becoming a better in-ring performer. The two men had tremendous chemistry and their encounters have aged very well.
#4 Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit
Eddie Guerrero's story will forever be deeply connected to the story of Chris Benoit. The two best friends met each other while working in Japan with matches against each other that caught the attention of fans. Although the two performers didn't like each other at first, they quickly realized their similarities and created a bond that had them follow one another across multiple promotions.
Their critically acclaimed matches for NJPW during their Best of Super Juniors tournament in 1993, 94 and 95 helped both men get the attention of American promotions. Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit would make their way to ECW at around the same time.
They would then use the success of the small-based promotion to land big money deals with WCW to help launch their Cruiserweight division. Eddie and Chris would put on banger sprints on WCW Nitro television. Each would reach new heights of popularity in the company with Eddie Guerrero winning the United States and Cruiserweight Championships, while Benoit would win their top title.
Because of how Kevin Sullivan booked stars of a smaller stature and the glass ceiling on several fledging competitors, Eddie and Chris along with Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn would make the jump to the WWE as "The Radicalz" in early 2000. After Eddie's time away from the company in 2001-2002, they would later reunite their partnership and head from Raw to the SmackDown brand together.
Despite their friendship, Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit found themselves on opposing teams in the WWE Tag Team Championship tournament, with Benoit teaming up with his rival Kurt Angle and Eddie teaming with his nephew Chavo Guerrero. The two performers would have several good TV matches in singles and tag teams during the SmackDown Six era.
Their next famed confrontation would come at Vengeance 2003 when Eddie Guerrero faces Chris Benoit to decide the first WWE United States Champion with Eddie pulling out the victory. Their careers hit their peak at the same time when Eddie Guerrero became the WWE Champion at No Way Out 2004 and Chris Benoit won the World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania XX.
Their closing shot at the end of the show was immortalized for years up until the untimely Benoit tragedy of 2007. Despite all the controversy surrounding both men's deaths, it can't be quantified just how important they were to each other's careers and lives. They will be eternally connected in wrestling history.
#3 Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle
Eddie Guerrero's rise to the top of WWE led him to defeating Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at No Way Out 2004. Following this career-defining victory, Eddie would meet Kurt Angle at WrestleMania XX. The battle of two of the best in-ring performers of all time has been building for quite some time.
During the aforementioned SmackDown Six era of 2002-2003, Guerrero and Angle crossed paths on more than one occasion. The two men squared off in the singles competition as well as tag team action with Chris Benoit and Chavo Guerrero as their respective tag team partners. Los Guerreros would go on to being anchors of the tag division on SmackDown, while Angle worked at the top of the card.
Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle got involved with one another during the tension in Los Guerreros. Angle wanted to bring the cousins back together being friends with both men, but Chavo's jealousy led to their falling out. Eddie would last eliminate Angle in a battle royal that made him the Number One Contender for the WWE Championship at No Way Out.
After Eddie's WWE Championship win and Angle becoming Number One Contender, Kurt would show his true colors and beat down a handcuffed Guerrero on the SmackDown following No Way Out to end their friendship. Their clash at WrestleMania XX showed the in-ring excellence that both men's careers have been defined by.
Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle went hold for hold and had counters for their signature offense. It took Eddie using his head to fake an ankle injury and pulling out the win to retain the WWE Championship. Following WrestleMania XX, Kurt Angle looked to take time off from the ring and became the general manager of SmackDown.
Angle would screw Eddie Guerrero out of the WWE Championship in favor of JBL. This led to Angle's return to the ring where he would face Guerrero at Summerslam 2004 and get his win back from WrestleMania XX. The two men would feud until the Survivor Series, where they captained opposing teams. This rivalry firmly established Eddie in the main event scene for the rest of his career.
#2 Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko
In addition to Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero also met a young Dean Malenko in Japan. The two men had an instant chemistry that resonated with fans who witnessed them against one another. Their early matches captivated crowds in NJPW and helped establish both as premier junior heavyweights. The bouts were seen by Paul Heyman, who made the call to bring the match to ECW.
Eddie Guerrero would make the first impact in ECW, winning their Television Championship from 2 Cold Scorpio. This kickstarted a legendary series of matches with Dean Malenko. "The Man of 1,000 Holds" defeated Guerrero for the ECW TV Title on July 21st, 1995, but Eddie regained the title back a week later. Both matches were acclaimed for the technical wrestling that awed the crowd.
Guerrero would lose the Television Championship from 2 Cold Scorpio. It was around this time that Eric Bischoff had offered both Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko contracts to join WCW. On August 26th, 1995, Eddie and Dean put on a classic two out of three falls match that went to a draw. Fans in attendance chanted "please don't go" to both men.
The two men would go on to have barnburners on WCW Nitro and for the Cruiserweight Championship at Starrcade 1997 with Eddie winning. They joined WWE in 2000, alongside fellow Radicalz, Chris Benoit and Perry Saturn. Eddie Guerrero would have a few matches with Dean Malenko there as well, but the memories of their ECW rivalry are what truly put both men on the map.
#1 Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio
Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio were more than just friends, they were brothers. The two men had been closely connected, coming from legendary Mexican wrestling families. They spent time in AAA and ECW together, but their in-ring history kicked off in WCW in iconic fashion.
Rey Mysterio was seen as an anchor for the WCW Cruiserweight division. In 1997, Eddie Guerrero made his mark on the division, winning the gold from Chris Jericho at Fall Brawl. He would move on to a feud with Rey Mysterio. The animosity reached a fever pitch, leading to a Mask vs. Title Match at Halloween Havoc 1997.
These two legends put on what many consider the greatest WCW match of all time. The sequences, counters, high flying and pacing on display was amazing to watch. Eddie came in with a brilliant game plan, but Mysterio was the perfect babyface foil and defeated Guerrero with an awesome rana counter to win the Cruiserweight Championship.
Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio crossed paths again when Eddie formed the Latino World Order and wanted his former friend to join the group. Although Rey never joined, the two men would go on to form the Filthy Animals stable with Konnan in 1999.
When Rey Mysterio joined WWE in 2002, he would once again square off with Eddie Guerrero on several occasions. The two friends were one third of the SmackDown Six era. They met in singles and tag team action during this time. However, Eddie and Rey would eventually become a tag team themselves in 2005.
Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio defeated The Basham Brothers to win the WWE Tag Team Championships at No Way Out 2005. They would make history at WrestleMania 21, becoming the first tag team champions to face each other at the grandest stage of them all. Rey would beat Eddie, which would lead to a spiral on Guerrero's part.
Eddie became frustrated with losing to Mysterio, which led to growing tensions between the tag champs. They would lose the gold to MNM and eventually Guerrero turned on Rey. This evolved into a months-long rivalry between the two men. Eddie Guerrero would lose to Rey Mysterio at Judgment Day and the Great American Bash, which drove Eddie deeper into mayhem.
Guerrero revealed a secret that he was in fact the real father of Mysterio's son Dominik. This led to a dramatic Custody of Dominik Ladder Match at Summerslam 2005, which Rey won thanks to help from Eddie's wife Vickie. Eddie Guerrero eventually defeated Rey Mysterio in the final showdown inside a steel cage on SmackDown.
The friendship and feud between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio is the stuff of legend. The two men were closer than any two wrestlers in the history of the business. This is why Eddie vs. Rey should be considered the best feud of Guerrero's career.
