Before I do this weeks Smackdown Review I would like to say a few words about Eddie Guerrero. Lots of guys here on Inside Pulse have given some really touching and thoughtful eulogies on Eddie. It’s times like this when I am very proud to call myself a wrestling fan. People knock us writers here on the IWC because we are too negative (Sometimes they’re right) but the outpour of love and affection for Eddie’s death has been heart warming and a real testament to us as fans. We have such loyalty and devotion to wrestlers that when Eddie sadly passed away on Sunday it hit us hard.
I grew up watching Eddie so his death was a very emotional thing for me because not only had a great man, and one of my personal heroes’, died but a piece of my youth died along with him. Eddie was more than a wrestler to me. He was a role model. From the very bottom of his drug abuse he climbed back up and proved that the human will and spirit is near to unbreakable. His passion for wrestling was an inspiration and the day he won the WWE Title was one of my highlights of being a wrestling fan. I still remember the rush of excitement as he and Brock Lesnar traded near falls at the end. When Brock kicked out of the Goldberg Spear I felt for sure that Eddie would lose but when he hit the Frog Splash I was bouncing around my room celebrating. We all know wrestling isn’t “real” but that moment where Eddie leapt into the crowd to celebrate sure felt real to me.
I was crushed by Eddie’s death but now I look at it there was so much about his life that we should celebrate and look warmly upon. His fantastic series of matches with Rey Mysterio in WCW, the lWo, the awesome matches with Rob Van Dam in 2002 and so much more. I’m smiling now reminiscing about all of Eddie’s finest moments and I feel that the best way to honor Eddie is to look back at his famous moments and cherish them forever. I will miss not having Eddie to watch every Friday but his family and friends should have their time to grieve so I will refrain from going on but I would like to close with a personal tale of watching Eddie. When I went to see Smackdown in 2004 Eddie was wrestling in the main event against Luther Reigns. I can’t recall much of the match but I remember Eddie coming down to the ring in his low rider with about 4 or 5 hot bikini models with a huge grin on his face as the crowd went crazy. It’s moments like that with which I want to remember Eddie by.
Viva La Rasa. Buenos Nochez Eddie. I will miss you, as will many others. You left us far too soon
Batista starts the show by driving out in Eddie’s low rider. Crowd chants for Eddie and Batitsa is crying. He says he can’t believe Eddie is gone. He says he doesn’t know what to say. He says some very moving things about how Eddie loved his family and loved wrestling. Crowd sees he’s having trouble and start an “Eddie” chant to help him out. Batitsa says Eddie has found peace and he will make sure no one ever forgets him. On his way out he lays his title on top of the low rider.
Eddie tribute video with added clips that the Johnny Cash Raw one didn’t have. It’s another beautifully made video.
They show a section from the DVD about his family. Talks about how Gory became a wrestler as it happened to be there in the gym that day instead of boxing
Matt Hardy Vs Carlito
Lock up and Carlito goes to a headlock. Matt powers out to his own and uses the hair to keep it on. I still say they should sell faux afros at the concession stands. Carlito sends Matt outside and rams him back first into the apron. Back inside Carlito gets a suplex for two. Carlito stomps away in the corner and gets some shoulder thrusts in for two and goes to the Surfboard. Matt tries to fight out but takes a body slam. Carlito misses whatever from the second rope and Matt fires away some forearms and floors him with some clotheslines. Back body drop leads to a Side Effect for two. They should really let him win with that sometimes. Carlito gets a move that involves him driving Matt’s neck into his knees for two. Carlito tries a super back drop but gets knocked off and Matt gets the AHHHHHHHHHH Leg Drop. Twist of Fate is blocked but Matt gets in eventually for the win
WINNER – MATT HARDY
I won’t do star ratings tonight but it was a decent match.
Vince McMahon gives a tribute to Eddie. He says Eddie will always be remembered as one of the greats. Vince says Eddie loved to perform and starts getting a bit choked up. He repeats the sentiments that he loved his family including the WWE Family. Vince says Eddie was a damn good man.
They show the section from the DVD where Eddie talks about getting back together with his wife. It’s a really nice story to hear how he wooed her back
LOD Vs Cade and Murdoch
Wow with Murdoch and Heidenreich in there you have two of the most remarkably ugly people in wrestling in the same ring at the same time. And that’s a compliment. Cade and Heidy start and Cade gets some shoulder barges in the corner. Heidy floors Cade with a lariat but is cheap shotted by Murdoch. The Smoking Gunn’s 2005 isolate Heidy with some stuff in the corner. Murdoch goes to the abdominal stretch, well I think it’s an abdominal stretch. TSG2K5 (Now THATS journalism) continue to double team but a Spear leads to the hot tag and Animal gets a double lariat. Murdoch is sent outside and Devastation Device finishes it.
WINNERS – LOD
Nice to see LOD show respect for Eddie but the match wasn’t exactly good. But tonight isn’t about that.
Booker and Sharmel give a tribute. They say that their hearts go out to the family. Booker says he’ll see him again some day
More DVD footage of the Lie, cheat and Steal stuff with Chavo. The line where Chavo is saying to the woman “You don’t want your pool to leak and get full of water do you?” Eddie’s “No you might get wet” Is hilarious. I loved the whole thing with both of them cheating. Just the look on Eddie’s face when he cheats is AWESOME.
Big Show says that Eddie was very spiritual and thankful to God for his success. Show says his only comfort in losing Eddie is that he knows Eddie is at peace with God. Show breaks down and says he can’t believe he’s gone. I think a lot of us did that.
More DVD footage. This covers how much wrestling was a part of his life and how he had a wrestling ring in his back garden. Chavo talks about how he and Eddie would wrestle in the ring at intermission and no one would by concessions. Funny story
Chavo Guerrero Vs JBL w/ Jillian
This of course has a whole backstory of Eddie Vs JBL from summer 2004. Crowd is very pro Chavo, as you can imagine. JBL goes to the headlock and overpowers Chavo to start but Chavo goes to his own headlock. Chavo cheats to hold on to the headlock and even pokes JBL in the eye. JBL tumbles outside and Chavo follows with a plancha. JBL uses Jillian as a sheild but Jillian shows how much she cares by DUCKING Chavo’s punch. Chavo heads up top but JBL catches him and gets the Last Call. JBL pounds away with clubbing shots and a neck breaker. JBL pounds away in the corner and goes to the Sleeper Hold. Chavo fights it, with crowd support, and makes it back up to his feet. Some elbows break the hold and a dropkick floors JBL. Both guys are down as the ref counts up to about 5. Chavo fires away with some rights and does some Latino Heat. Head Scissors floors JBL and Chavo gets a DDT from no where for two. Chavo heads outside and to get a chair, to a big pop, and does the old “feign getting hit by a weapon routine” to a big “Eddie” chant. Chavo gets a low blow and the Three Amigos leads to a match winning Frog Splash
WINNER – CHAVO GUERRERO
Great match that was a fantastic tribute to Eddie. The fans chant for Eddie again at the end in a really touching moment
We go back to DVD footage as they show Eddie when he was younger including getting carried to school by his mum when he was younger. That’s a really cute story. I think we all have one of those stories
Cole and Tazz talk about Eddie and they show DVD footage about Wrestlemania XX and that match with Kurt Angle. They also show the post match hug with Benoit that still gives me chills.
JBL reminisces about all the matches with Eddie and how they nearly started riots. JBL says that he owes Eddie a lot for his main event push. He gives a really touching story about how Eddie was at his wedding and always helped out when he was in trouble.
The show clips of Eddie beating Brock Lesnar for the WWE Title which is probably in my top 10 favorite matches of all time. The crowd reaction when he wins is like nothing I’ve seen before
Crusierweight Battle Royal
Paul London Vs Spanky Vs Kid Kash Vs Scotty 2 Hotty Vs Gregory Helms Vs Tajiri Vs Nunzio Vs Funaki Vs Psicosis Vs Super Crazy Vs Juventud
Everyone beats on the Raw guys to start and stuff happens. this is too hard to call I’ll just do eliminations
Elimination 1 – Spanky via Juventud
Elimination 2 – Super Crazy via Nunzio
Elimination 3 – Tajiri via Funaki
Elimination 4 – Funaki via Helms
Elimination 5 – Kid Kash via Scotty
Elimination 6 – Helms via London
Elimination 7 – Scotty via Nunzio
Elimination 8 – Psicosis via Juventud
Elimination 9 – Nunzio via Juvi and London
Elimination 10 – London via Juventud
WINNER – JUVENTUD
They recap the whole Latino Heat phase from 2000 with Chyna. I really didn’t like how he became Chyna’s lap dog but hey it was funny, nearly all down to Eddie, so it’s okay. I can’t remember what was the big blow off to that angle? Did Chyna beat him clean at some point? Answers on a post card
They show clips of Eddie’s last match with Kennedy last week. It’s nice that he won his last match by cheating. It’s apt for him to go out like that.
Shane McMahon says that the Guerrero family was special and Eddie was the greatest. Shane says Eddie was a total pro and that he loved the fans. He says his greatest legacy was his family.
Triple H Vs Chris Benoit
Lock up leads to the headlock from HHH. Benoit goes for the cross face early and HHH bails. HHH punches away in the corner but takes a back body drop and bails again to avoid the cross face. Fans start chanting for Eddie as HHH comes back in and they lock up again. Benoit goes back to the headlock and goes for a Sharpshooter and HHH bails again. Benoit follows and chops away at HHH outside and sends him face first into the steps. Back inside Benoit gets the 10 punch and HHH does the old Greg Valentine falling tree sell. HHH sends Benoit outside as we go to a commercial break
Commercial
We’re back with HHH sending Benoit into the corner hard style. He does it again and gets two from it. HHH stays on the mid section but Benoit gets a forearm in and both guys are down. Benoit gets some chops in but takes a big Spine Buster for two. HHH goes to the abdominal stretch as the fans chant for Eddie. HHH resists the urge to cheat but then gives in and does it but the ref sees it. HHH and the ref argue and this gives Benoit the chance to fight back but he runs into a Sleeper. The crowd get behind Benoit and goes to his own Sleeper. Benoit flips out of a back drop but HHH kicks him away from the Sharpshooter. Pedigree is blocked into the sling shot to the corner and it’s Three Germans time. Benoit heads up top and gets the Swandive Headbutt for two. Benoit gets some more chops in but is whipped into the corner. Pedigree is reversed to the cross face. He tries to fight it off but Benoit hangs on and turns it into a pinning move for the win
WINNER – CHRIS BENOIT
Great match that I’m sure made Eddie proud. After the match the two shake hands and hug. Dean Malenko comes down to the ring to raise Benoit’s hand and the two remaining Radicalz honor Eddie.
Well both the Raw and Smackdown shows were great tributes to Eddie. I can feel happy that Eddie got a good send off and all I can is that I will miss him. But so will everyone else. It’s been a tough week for me as a fan but I can only give my sincere condolences to Eddie’s family and friends. i just want those people to know how much Eddie meant to me and that I will do my best that his legacy is never forgotten
Eddie is probably up in heaven now cheating to beat Hercules and Curt Hennig at Monopoly. “What do you mean holmes? I did NOT have this money in my back pocket you’re delusional”
