Among the many tragic wrestling deaths, not many have hit fans as hard as Eddie Guerrero’s. The lovable rogue was a global fan favourite and spent a career wowing crowds around the world.
After debuting in 1986, he made a name for himself in Mexico and Japan before really capturing the hearts of American wrestling fans during a brief stint in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) with his all-action displays in 1995
After returning to WCW later that year, he jumped ship to WWE in 2000, where he became a megastar and a Grand Slam Champion. But fans warmed to him as much for his battles outside the ring as those in it.
Eddie was released by the WWE in 2001 due to his drug addiction issue. He returned to the company clean in 2002 and initially tag teamed with his nephew Chavo Guerrero Jr and later took the world by storm as a singles competitor with his unique gimmick.
When he won the WWE Championship from Brock Lesnar in an epic match in February 2004, the California crowd went wild in one of the most memorable title changes ever as he celebrated his crowning achievement after a gruelling career.
In real life, Eddie had three times suffered a drug overdose as he battled addiction to booze and pills throughout his career. But he had managed to get himself clean and ascend the wrestling mountain.
But tragically, just over a year on from his legendary title win, his life was cut tragically short at just 38. Heartbreakingly, he was found unresponsive in his hotel room by his nephew Chavo on the morning of a super show in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Eddie had passed out in the bathroom with his toothbrush in his hand, and was just about still alive when he was found. However, by the time the ambulance arrive, he had sadly died in his nephew’s arms.
Speaking on the Dark Side of the Ring, Chavo said: “I grab him and I kind of shake him and he’s moving. I hear him gargle and I’m like ‘Eddie, Eddie’.
“I’m wiping his face and he’s still there and he’s trying. And then all of a sudden, he’s in my arms and he’s not there any more. He passed in my arms, literally.”
An autopsy later revealed that he had died as a result of acute heart failure brought about by atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
While Eddie never relapsed after finally getting clean, it is thought his past abuse of alcohol and prescription drugs contributed to the severe hardening and narrowing of his coronary arteries