Guest Author - Patty Therre

It's a very sad day. I woke up to the news that my former coworker and good friend, WWE's Eddie Guerrero, has passed on. Not much is known yet about the cause, but he was found in his Minneapolis hotel room this morning (November 13) according to the WWE website.

There are no further details at this time except to say that the talk is that both Raw and Smackdown will be tribute shows in his honor.

According to a WWE Press Conference held today, Eddie was in town for a combined Raw and Smackdown taping tonight. He checked into the hotel late last night and, when he didn’t answer a 7 a.m. wake up call, his nephew Chavo (who is playing the part of "Kerwin White" these days) became worried. Chavo and security found Eddie on the floor of his hotel room. He was gone.

I am stunned. Eddie was a friend, not just a persona on TV. He was one of the good guys.

On my website, I have a photo of him with an "I Read On the Fringe" sign in his hands, smiling coyly. The picture was taken backstage at a Brian Pillman Memorial Show in 2000, I believe. He read the Fringe and was my "mascot" of sorts. A smaller version of the photo is at the left.

While I was on the road for WCW as their magazine editor, some of the guys were aloof, some were leery of a woman at the helm of their official magazine, and some, like Eddie, were respectful and professional. Eddie was always there for an interview, always willing to talk even when he was busy or tired.

Eddie became a friend and one of my favorite wrestlers, possibly of all time. He was so talented and such a great personality. He could make you believe he was evil one minute and have you cheering and applauding the next. And on a personal level, he was one of the good guys. I have been around so many of the worker that I can tell you name after name of the “bad guys”. Eddie’s name is not on that list. He was an amazing person with a personality that could keep you in stitches. He also had a red-hot temper that was tamed over time.

It's well known that Eddie had his demons that he fought. He was fired from WWE after it was apparent that he was involved with alcohol and painkillers. He later cleaned up his act and was rehired and went on to become WWE Champion.

I won't even speculate on the cause of his death. All I can tell you is what has been reported by WWE. There are a lot of rumors flying around but the actual cause of death will be revealed soon enough.

Eddie leaves behind his wife Vickie and three daughters. And a legion of friends and fans who will never forget his wrestling legacy.

I will have more about this as I know more.

Rest in Peace, my dear friend, Eddie Guerrero. You will never be forgotten.

Patty

Below is an amazing DVD that chronicles the struggles that Eddie went through to get to a place in his life where he was no longer depending on drugs and alcohol. It's a fantastic look at Eddie's career and personal life and is brutally honest. It's well worth having in your wrestling DVD/Video collection, especially now.