Rey Mysterio remembers Eddie Guerrero on 20th anniversary of death
On the 20th anniversary of Eddie Guerrero’s death, Rey Mysterio wrote an article for The Players’ Tribune paying tribute to his late friend.
Guerrero passed away at 38 years old on November 13, 2005. Twenty years later, his legacy as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time is stronger than ever. Mysterio reflected on how Guerrero helped shape the industry by inspiring today’s generation, including a new set of Latino stars. Mysterio also listed AJ Styles, CM Punk, and Jey Uso as some of the smaller wrestlers who might not have gotten the chance to be World Champion if Guerrero had not paved the way.
Mysterio’s son Dominik is one of the most prominent Latino stars in wrestling today. In his article, Mysterio wrote about how Dominik was able to find his footing in WWE not by being “Rey Mysterio’s baby boy” but by being “Eddie Guerrero’s demon boy.”
- And now it’s 20 years later, and I wish so bad that you could be here to see Dom’s own wrestling career take flight. Honestly … it wasn’t the smoothest flying at first. He debuted in WWE about five years ago (or came back, if you count the custody match) — and ‘Rey Mysterio’s baby boy’ was still very much the character he was playing. No mask (TOO handsome!!!), but other than that he was the same ‘clean-cut babyface’ type I’ve been for most of my career. And he held his own!! Like, his first match ever was at SummerSlam in 2020, against Seth Rollins, one of the best guys on the roster. And I think Dom surprised people that night, and started to earn respect from there. But at the same time……. he wasn’t quite hitting that next level, you know what I’m saying?? And I can already picture you reading this, WeeWeeto, way up in those clouds, and you’re doing that pose where you’ve got your elbows in and your palms open — and you’re giving me that f***ing smirk-shrug, because you know what I’m about to say: Dominik wasn’t fully clicking as ‘Rey Mysterio’s baby boy’……… so he did what I’m 100% sure you would’ve told him to do. He turned heel, and basically became ‘Eddie Guerrero’s demon boy.’ And that changed everything.
- When I say you would approve of who Dom has become, Eddie — it’s an understatement.
- You would love it.
- Because the wrestler he is now, it feels like a love letter to so many of the things that made YOU so special. He has the presentation down perfect: the sleazy (no offense) stache, the terrible (no offense) mullet, the ugly (no offense) jewelry and clothes. He’s got the s***-eating grin. He’s got that innate ability to play off different people (like you did with me, Batista, Chyna and so many others). And I’ll tell you the number one trait of Dom’s that’s a love letter to you, Eddie — and I bet you already can guess what I’m about to say here, too. THE WORSE HE BEHAVES??? THE MORE THEY CHEER. As you know, it’s harder to pull this off than it looks: To be a bastard (no offense) who the fans want to embrace, flaws and all … because even at your worst, they can see something human at the center. But that’s what Dom has been able to achieve.
Now 50 years old, Mysterio has lived a good portion of his life without Guerrero by his side. But no matter how much time passes, he will always see himself as Guerrero’s little brother:
- When I publish this letter on Thursday, it will be 20 years to the day since you passed. November 13th, 2005. It’s hard to believe. And it feels so unfair sometimes, just knowing how much life I’ve gotten to live in those years. You didn’t get to see 40 … that’s still painful to think about. Me, on the other hand, I turned 50 last December. Nahhhh I can already see the evil grin on your face, hearing that. ’50?!? 50?!? Oh Rey, no…….. You OLD.’ I know, WeeWeeto. It’s true. But I’m writing this to you now, and I swear: I could live another 50 years — and when it comes to our friendship, I’d still be Little Bro. I’m forever your little bro. And you’re forever my big brother.
Mysterio closed the article by reflecting on how loud the crowd pop was when he mentioned Guerrero’s name in a recent Raw promo. He pointed to that as an example of how Guerrero will always live on in pro wrestling:
- And it felt alive with this love for wrestling, that a generation found BECAUSE of you. It’s a love that the next generation, and the next, and the one after that will also find. They’ll find it in the work you’ve left behind … they’ll find it in the stories we continue to tell … they’ll find it in your legacy, and in your influence, and in your genius, and in your spirit. They’ll find it in how your memory — how the name Eddie Guerrero — is now forever sewn on the fabric of what this sport might become.
- And I just wish I could tell you that, WeeWeeto. My big brother. My great rival. My true friend. I wish I could tell you everything. I wish I could tell you anything.
- I can’t believe it’s been 20 years.
- I’ll love you for the rest of them.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.