Remembering Eddie Gurrero On His Birthday

The beloved Eddie Guerrero was born on this date in 1967 in El Paso, Texas. While Gurrero never ascended to the rank of “the guy” such as John Cena, or Stone Cold Steve Austin or Hulk Hogan, he was a wrestler’s wrestler and beloved by fans. So beloved, his name currently trends on Twitter as of this writing.

Like any real wrestling fan, I went on a nostalgia trip and watched old tapes. Rather than write up a definitive list on a man who gave us so many great moments both in and out of the ring, I decided to just enjoy a random slew of “Eddie” moments.

First, I threw Wrestlemania XX on the WWE Network and watched Gurrero’s title defense match against Kurt Angle at Madison Square Garden, where I sat in the 300 section. It had faded from my memory that Gurrero rolled in on a low-rider pick up truck with hydraulics.

The match started as an impressive ground-based, technical competition. With Angle playing the heel (as much as anyone could against a guy whose motto was Lie, Cheat, Steal), the Olympic Gold Medalist repeatedly went for the ankle lock. After a third attempt, Gurrero still managed to counter, tossing Angle from the ring in the process.

Clearly hurt—or so we thought—from the applied force, Gurrero untied his boot and writhed in pain. When Angle returned to the ring, he went for a fourth ankle lock. This time the untied boot slipped from Angle’s grip and allowed Gurrero to pin angle with an inside cradle. Latino Heat walked, not limped, away from the World’s Most Famous Arena as champion, having outsmarted the man who proclaimed the motto: Intensity, Integrity and Intelligence.

Because of its personal connection, there is a clear bias, but I felt like this moment encapsulated what we loved—and sometimes hated—about Eddie Gurrero.

Put in a visual form, this video sums up what made “Eddie” so great.