Eddie Guerrero is one of the most iconic wrestlers of all time. His legacy in the world of pro wrestling speaks for itself. A groundbreaking luchador who shattered the glass barrier for non-white competitors, Guerrero became a star in WCW, ECW, and WWE thanks to his abundant charisma, technical background, and unrivaled personality. Sadly, he left us far too soon, but his memory lives on forever.
A consummate professional both on the mic and in the ring, Latino Heat perfected the role of a mischievous ne’er-do-well in his 20+ year career, stealing his way into audience members’ hearts throughout his lifetime.
1. Eddie Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar (No Way Out 2004)
Guerrero’s crowning moment in WWE came with his momentous victory over WWE Champion, Brock Lesnar, at No Way Out 2004. Overcoming the odds–and Lesnar’s relentless onslaught of suplexes and submission holds–Latino Heat realized his boyhood dream, securing the most prestigious prize in sports entertainment after almost two decades in the business.
Perhaps the most feel-good moment in WWE history, Guerrero’s upset victory over the Next Big Thing ranks right up there with Mankind’s shocking title victory over The Rock or Daniel Bryan’s triumph in the main event of WrestleMania XXX.
2. Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio (Halloween Havoc 1997)
The greatest match of Guerrero’s tenure in WCW, Latino Heat and his recurring frenemy Rey Mysterio handed in the definitive bout of WCW’s cruiserweight division.
With Guerrero defending his title and Mysterio fighting to protect his status as a masked wrestler, the two men spent the entire 14 minute duration of the bout utilizing creative reversals after creative reversals.
3. Los Guerreros vs. Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit vs. Rey Mysterio and Edge (Survivor Series 2002)
One of the most notable tag team matches of the Ruthless Aggression Era, Eddie and his nephew Chavo squared off against the teams of Rey Mysterio and Edge and Chris Benoit Kurt Angle for the WWE Tag Team Championship at Survivor Series 2002.
Drawing on the talents of every competitor involved, the finished bout exists as pure anarchic fun, right down to the Guerreros using their crafty wiles to cheat their way to victory.
4. Eddie Guerrero vs. Edge (SmackDown 2002)
Perhaps the most impressive singles bout of Edge’s early career, Guerrero and the future Rated R Superstar had an otherwise perfect no-disqualification match on the September 26 edition of SmackDown.
With more time spent on high-impact maneuvers rather than a weapons-based street fight, Guerrero and Edge ushered in one of the most phenomenal matches in SmackDown’s history. For evidence of that fact, viewers need only look at the breathtaking spots involving the central ladder, including Guerrero’s sunset flip or Edge’s Impaler DDT off the top of the ladder.
5. Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle (SummerSlam 2004)
Having been cheated out of his WWE Championship by the scheming Kurt Angle, Guerrero faced off against the Olympic Gold Medalist in an epic WrestleMania rematch at SummerSlam 2004. Opting for a far more aggressive offensive style in lieu of his reserved defense, Guerrero did all he could to put the Wrestling Machine away, right down to using Angle’s own maneuvers against him.
Despite his best efforts, a momentary slip-up on Eddie’s part led to Angle locking in his signature Ankle Lock, evening the score against his former WrestleMania opponent.
6. Eddie Guerrero vs. Rob Van Dam (Raw 2002)
Another extreme entry in Guerrero’s lengthy career, Latino Heat more than managed to hold his own against the high-flying specialist, Rob Van Dam. Feuding for the Intercontinental Championship, the two eventually squared off in a high-stakes ladder match on the May 27 episode of Raw.
Between each man’s creative diving attacks and some unique implementation of the household ladders, Guerrero and Van Dam went above and beyond in creating an all-out spectacle of a match, ending their feud in the most exciting way imaginable.
7. Black Tiger vs. Wild Pegasus (NJPW Best of the Super Juniors III)
One of the most memorable encounters between Eddie Guerrero (as the Black Tiger) and Chris Benoit (as Wild Pegasus) came in NJPW’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament in 1996. Though Benoit and Guerrero had met time and time again in the ring, the “strong style” nature of NJPW allowed for plenty of creative, hard-hitting spots.
With each man harboring a similar offensive style, Guerrero and Benoit’s early match here set the standard for their endless rematches in the subsequent decade.
8. Eddie Guerrero vs. JBL (Judgment Day 2004)
Though not a street fight, Eddie Guerrero’s match against J.B.L. remains one of the most extreme main events in WWE history. A bout that’s every bit as hard to watch now as it had been in 2004, Guerrero and J.B.L. left the ring a crimson mess, with Guerrero losing a significant amount of blood through the match’s second half.
Though an uncomfortable match to watch back, it nevertheless kicked off one of Guerrero’s greatest feuds, leading to an embittered rivalry against rising SmackDown star, John Bradshaw Layfield.
9. Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle (WrestleMania XX)
Having climbed to the top of WWE at No Way Out 2004, Guerrero spent the next few months proving to the world he had what it took to reign as WWE Champion. Right out of the gate, Latino Heat faced his first genuine threat in the form of Olympic Gold Medalist, Kurt Angle.
Meeting at WrestleMania XX, Guerrero used his outright resilience to cope with Angle’s unending onslaught. In true Guerrero fashion, the champ even managed to use his cunning intelligence to pull a fast one over Angle, rolling the Wrestling Machine up for a decisive pinfall.
10. Eddie Guerrero vs. John Cena (SmackDown 2003)
Regaining the United States Championship at SummerSlam 2003, Guerrero quickly found himself going toe-to-toe with young SmackDown upstart, John Cena. Reverting back to a heroic face, Guerrero laid his title on the line in a violent Parking Lot Brawl against the Doctor of Thuganomics on the September 11 episode of SmackDown.
Fighting on top of cars, hurling lawnmowers, and brandishing shovels, Cena may have lost to Latino Heat, but Guerrero helped the future face of WWE look like a main-event star in the making.
11. Eddie Guerrero vs. Edge vs. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit (SmackDown 2002)
Rounding out the year in grand fashion, WWE booked a number one contender’s match for the WWE title on the December 5 edition of SmackDown. With shades of their monumental four-way tag team match at Survivor Series one month earlier, Eddie Guerrero faced off against his three most formidable 2002-era foes in Edge, Chris Benoit, and Kurt Angle.
Though the first man eliminated from the match, Guerrero still played a decisive role in the outcome of the bout, smashing Benoit in the back of the head with his tag title belt before suffering a spear from Edge.
12. Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko (Uncensored 1997)
One of the most underrated matches ever featured in WCW, Guerrero defended his United States Championship against his close friend Dean Malenko in the opening moments at Uncensored 1997. Though a no disqualification match, Guerrero and the Man of 1,000 Holds elicited the same mat-based, high-flying style of wrestling they’d become known for in WCW.
Like most WCW matches, the sudden interference of Syxx near the end of the match may have been unnecessary, but Malenko and Guerrero nevertheless delivered a master-class of pure wrestling artistry.
13. Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle (SmackDown 2005)
On April 14, 2005, Guerrero squared off against his most notable Ruthless Aggression Era rival, Kurt Angle, in a long-awaited rematch on SmackDown. Guerrero and Angle delighted audiences with their inspired dynamic here in a match that lived up to the esteem of their earlier bouts.
At times hard-hitting, Angle and Guerrero nevertheless retained a semblance of comedy in their final match here, including a memorable back-and-forth game of catch with a steel chair (a humorous signature tactic of the always nefarious Guerrero).
14. Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Jericho (Fall Brawl 1997)
An early classic in both Eddie Guerrero and Chris Jericho’s career, these two eventual WWE legends faced off in the opening match at WCW Fall Brawl 1997. As with most cruiserweight matches of its day and age, the ensuing bout came loaded with fast-and-heavy high-diving attacks and endless creative submission holds.
A fantastic addition to Jericho and Guerrero’s rivalry, it also marked another prestigious moment in Guerrero’s WCW career, with Latino Heat capturing his first Cruiserweight Championship.
15. Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio (SmackDown 2005)
In mid-2005, Guerrero embarked on one of his final major rivalries, feuding with his former tag team partner and WCW contemporary Rey Mysterio. After losing to Mysterio at both WrestleMania 21 and Judgment Day, Guerrero faced Mysterio again on the June 23 episode of SmackDown. Embodying his new, darker personality, Guerrero took sadistic delight in brutalizing his former ally, targeting Mysterio’s neck and spine throughout.
Far more violent and physical than most of their earlier match-ups, Mysterio and Guerero entered a new phase in their rivalry together on SmackDown, kicking it into high gear in time for SummerSlam two months later.
16. Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit (Vengeance 2003)
Like his long-time frenemy, Rey Mysterio, Chris Benoit proved a persistent thorn in Guerrero’s side from the mid-1990s until Eddie’s death in 2005. Occasional tag team partners, Guerrero and Benoit also faced off in a slew of matches throughout the decade, their best WWE match coming at Vengeance 2003.
Like their initial WCW and NJPW matches, the two used a more technical offense in lieu of outright brawling. While the match might have been better off without Rhyno’s needless interference, Latino Heat and the Rabid Wolverine left the fans at ringside thoroughly enthralled by their encounter here.
17. Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio (Judgment Day 2005)
Losing their tag team belts to M.N.M., an enraged Eddie Guerrero took his frustrations out on his former partner Rey Mysterio, leading to a lengthy feud between the two throughout 2005.
At Judgment Day, the two competed in their first pay-per-view WrestleMania rematch. With Guerrero utilizing a more aggressive offense and Mysterio struggling to withstand his former partner’s ceaseless suplexes and submission holds, Guerrero set the tone for their entire rivalry moving forward.
18. Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit (Nitro 1995)
Signing with WCW in late 1995, Guerrero quickly found himself nose-to-nose with his former NJPW rival, Chris Benoit. On the October 16th edition of Nitro, the former junior heavyweights handed in a match that demonstrated why WCW had hired them in the first place.
A foundational cruiserweight bout, Guerrero introduced audiences to his fast-paced, luchador-inspired style, with Benoit likewise establishing his own grizzled technical offense.
19. Eddie Guerrero vs. JBL (The Great American Bash 2004)
After his inconclusive match against John Bradsaw Layfield at Judgment Day 2004, Guerrero and J.B.L. once again faced off for Guerrero’s WWE title, this time in a Texas Bullrope match at The Great American Bash.
A bout almost as violent as Guerrero and J.B.L.’s previous encounter, Guerrero held his own against his burlier Texan competitor, even repaying Layfield in kind with his own vicious chair shot. If acting general manager Kurt Angle hadn’t gotten involved, Guerrero almost certainly might’ve walked away as the WWE Champion, rather than losing it to J.B.L. on a mere technicality.
20. Eddie Guerrero vs. The Rock (Raw 2002)
In mid-2002, Guerrero made his larger-than-life return to WWE. Appearing on Raw for several months, Guerrero feuded with some of the hottest stars on WWE’s flagship show, including Ric Flair, Steve Austin, and The Rock. In the case of the former, Guerrero challenged the Brahma Bull to a match on the July 22 episode of Raw, with Latino Heat pining after Rock’s WWE Championship.
Though unsuccessful in his attempt to dethrone the Great One, Guerrero’s impressive performance here marked his tentative first steps towards the top of WWE’s hierarchy.
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