Eddie Guerrero died in 2005 at the age of 38, in a moment that changed the wrestling world forever.
On November 13, Eddie was found in an unconscious state at the Marriott Hotel City Center in Minneapolis.
He was discovered by Chavo Guerrero, his nephew who was raised like a brother during the pairs’ childhoods, growing up in Texas.
This death sent shockwaves around the world. WWE put on a tribute show for the late Superstar, with wrestlers sharing stories about their time with Latino Heat.
WWE had many plans for Guerrero in the future, and considered him a big star in the company. These had to be shelved, and we missed out on many great moments.
But what if Eddie Guerrero didn’t die? In this article, we explore what would have happened if Eddie Guerrero was still alive, and how his WWE career would have gone in the following years.
Eddie Guerrero vs Shawn Michaels
Before his death in 2005, Eddie Guerrero was earmarked for a huge WrestleMania bout with Shawn Michaels.
Eddie Guerrero was planned to take on Shawn Michaels in a huge match at WrestleMania 22.
The Latino star was a fan favourite in WWE, having won the WWE Championship from Brock Lesnar just two years prior, retaining the title against Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania XX.
Being 38 years old, he was in his prime, and approaching legendary status in wrestling, looking poised to remain a main event player for years to come.
Bruce Prichard revealed on his Something to Wrestle podcast that Guerrero was talked about to face Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 22, and was pencilled in for a dream match that the former WWE Executive would “Love to have seen”.
“It was kicked around as a possibility because they never worked together, and that was, at least in my head, a dream match,” Prichard said. “That was one of those that I definitely would love to have seen.”
World Heavyweight Championship Reign
Just weeks after he died, Eddie Guerrero was supposed to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
This would have been his second ever World Championship in the WWE, following his WWE Championship reign in 2004.
Guerrero was set to beat Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship just weeks before his death, owing to an injury from The Animal.
The initial plan for that feud was for it to continue with a Triple Threat Match between Batista, Eddie, and Randy Orton on the November 18th episode of SmackDown.
Sadly, Guerrero died before he could taste gold again, leaving the title missing an incredible name off its lineage.
Rey Mysterio Doesn’t Win The 2006 Royal Rumble
If Eddie Guerrero had never died, then Rey Mysterio would not have won the 2006 Royal Rumble.
His push was predicated on his relationship with Guerrero, with his WrestleMania 22 victory over Kurt Angle being a tribute to the late former WWE Champion.
With Guerrero alive, there is no way that Mysterio is pushed into the main event, and perhaps never earns himself a world title in the WWE.
The World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 22 could instead see a singles match between Randy Orton and Kurt Angle, or even a rematch from the Undertaker vs Kurt Angle match from No Way Out 2006.
Eddie Guerrero Could’ve Replaced Kurt Angle On ECW
Kurt Angle was released by the WWE in 2006, following a harrowing drug addiction that would have led to his death, if left untreated.
This left a hole on the ECW brand for a main event star. Chris Benoit was drafted in to fill it in 2007, but died before he was set to win the ECW Championship from CM Punk.
If Eddie was alive, then it is likely he would have been the star to move over to ECW, carrying to brand as a former WWE Champion.
He had history with the promotion, and would be able to put on top matches with the likes of Rob Van Dam, Sabu and CM Punk.
Chris Benoit Wouldn’t Have Murdered His Family
After the death of Eddie Guerrero, many in the world of wrestling were completely shaken. This included many of his close, personal friends who had travelled the globe with him and shared incredible memories.
These included his lifelong friends like Chris Jericho, Dean Malenko, Rey Mysterio and his nephew Chavo Guerrero.
Another one of his best friends in wrestling was the late Chris Benoit. The former World Heavyweight Champion was deeply affected by his friends untimely demise. He suffered a depression after hearing the news as the grief he felt for his friend overtook him,
Some have theories that one of the reasons why Benoit killed himself and his family was partially down to his mental state at the time, which would have exacerbated by the depression he felt at the death of Eddie Guerrero.
There were a number of issues, however, which contributed to Chris Benoit’s Death, which you can read about below.
After his death, many wrestlers have come out and paid tribute to the legendary Guerrero. Jim Ross has named him as the most talented in-ring performer of all time, while CM Punk also had strong words to describe where he thinks the former WWE Champion stands in the annals of history.
“He’s the greatest wrestler, EVER. He’s better than Ric Flair. He’s better than Stone Cold. He’s better than me.”
Punk also revealed how before his death, Eddie treated him well on the independent scene and was the inspiration behind him working to build up younger talent in AEW. He will be so sorely missed by all that knew him and is undoubtable one of the all time greats.
Eddie Guerrero’s Hall of Fame Induction
After a few more years wrestling for the WWE, Eddie Guerrero would have retired from the ring.
This would have led to a Hall of Fame induction, years after he was posthumously inducted in 2006.
Eddie Guerrero would have been inducted by Chavo Guerrero, his nephew who shared a close bond with his uncle, winning multiple tag team championships together.
He could have gone on to work backstage as a road agent for the WWE, even training future wrestlers in NXT, at the WWE Performance Center.
We will truly know what would have happened if Eddie Guerrero was still alive. Tell us what you think, in the comments section below.