The higher ups gave Eddie Guerrero a choice. Go to rehab for his drug addiction, or get released from his contract. His job on the line, isolated from his friends, torn from his family, Eddie made his choice. In 2001 he was arrested on a DUI charge, and in 2001 World Wrestling Entertainment washed their hands of him. Eddie was born in El Paso, to a long line of wrestlers, los Guerreros, renown throughout mexico for their skill. Wrestling was quite literally in his blood, his family trained him before he could even drive. For people like Eddie, there is only one thing they can ever do, and so wrestling was all Eddie ever did. Breaking traditions and starting new trends, he helped lead the charge of lucha libre, mexican wrestling, into mainstream America. More importantly, he was a hero to young men and children who couldn’t identify with the bleach blond Hulk Hogan's, or the redneck Stone Cold Steve Austin’s. With his rally cry of “Latino Heat”, he inspired young latino children, unafraid to mask himself in the traditional lucha libre style. He was proud of who he was, his character embracing his flaws and encouraged “lying, cheating, and stealing,” perhaps an oxymoron, but powerful nonetheless. …show more content…
A life lived on the road, and constant pain from working in a profession that has been described as equivalent to being in “a car accident” near nightly. A constant need to be larger, and better, in an industry of giants drove Eddie to abuse steroids. An unfortunate very real car accident lead Eddie to abuse pain medication just to keep up appearances. He had a short fuse, blowing up at the smallest things, only aggravated by his perfectionism. His wife left him, taking their children with her, and he was left a shell of his former self. He lost his