Review:DVD Review-"Cheating Death, Stealing Life"-The Eddie Guerrero StoryBy Reader The Antichrist :
Review:DVD Review-"Cheating Death, Stealing Life"-The Eddie Guerrero Story
By Reader The Antichrist : email your views on this to theantichrist4@activemail.co.uk
The title of this DVD may sound redundant now following the tragic news
that Eddie Guerrero is no longer with us, but i dont think it is! Eddie
truly DID cheat death on a number of occassions in his life and although
his past would eventually catch up with him on November 13th 2005, Eddie
Guerrero is a real inspiration to life and proof that the smallest man can
make a difference and it's not about the size of the man, it's about the
size of his heart! Over a week after Eddie's passing i still find it hard
to believe that we will no longer see Latino Heat Lying, Cheating and
Stealing his way to victory but Eddie Guerrero left behind such a rich
legacy that athough he is gone in physical form, his spirit will be with us
forever thanks to the fond memories we have of both his matches in the ring
and his personality out of the ring.
This DVD features a 45 minute documentary, which is essentially a biography
of Eddie's life, from his birth into a family of wrestling legends, to
becoming a wrestling legend in his own right chronicling his stints in
Japan, Mexico, ECW, WCW and finally the WWE. The documentary is excellent
while it lasts and i really wish it had been longer and gone into more
detail in some places but no matter how short it it, it's still an
inspirational and powerful programme that will make you both laugh and cry.
I'll
give the documentary 8.5/10-Brilliant but brief!
Also on the DVD are some extra features which included the classic Los
Guerrero Vignettes performed by Eddie and his nephew Chavo Guerrero JR,
promoting themselves as lying, cheating and stealing latino's. My favourite
Vignettes would have to be th Valet and Baby Carriage ones. We also get to
see the controversial in ring promo that started the Eddie/JBL feud in
2004, where JBL attacked Eddie at a house show then scared his mother to
the point where she had a heart attack. Also in the extras is a chance to
see the aftermath of Eddie's title win over Brock Lesnar-a very emotional
moment for Eddie and his fans. We also get to see a special look at
Wrestlemania XX where Eddie Guerrero successfully defended his WWE Title
against Kurt Angle and later famously joined newly crowned World Champion
Chris Benoit in the ring for an emotional hug that noone who saw it live
will ever forget. Why the Kurt Angle/Eddie guerrero Wrestlemania XX match
is not on this DVD though is as much a mystery as it is a crying shame! We
get a look at Eddie filming a YJ Stinger commercial,
plus the finished YJ Stinger Ad's in both English and Spanish. There are
some other extras talking about Eddie's childhood, upbringing and family,
most notably Eddie wrestling his pet monkey and a feature on Eddie's late
father Gory Guerrero.
Also on the DVD the following 10 matches presented.
Mondo, Hector & Chavo Guerrero vs Cactus Jack & The Rock N Role
RPM's-1988-(Superclash 3)This match does not feature Eddie, but his three
older brothers. Also look out for a younger and very lighter Mick Foley
wrestling as Cactus Jack and future "Beverly Brother" Mike Enos as the
referee. Hector Guerrero(wearing the white trunks) looks and moves alot
like Eddie did and you could be forgiven for thinking you are watching
"Latino Heat" himself in the ring here. The match is ok but may be abit too
obscure and old school for new fans. 7/10-Some good spots featuring the
Guerrero's.
Eddie Guerrero & Art Barr vs Octogon & El Santo-1994-(Triple A's "When
Worlds Collide" PPV)-Eddie & Art's Hair vs Octogon & Santo's Masks. This
was the match that got Eddie noticed by many of the top promotions of the
time, from up and coming companies like ECW to established franchises like
WCW who often raved about this particular match in their magazine in the
build up to Eddies WCW debut. The match itself is excellent and despite
Eddie and Art sporting some truly awful mullets, they pull off some
incredible moves here, most notably Art Barr's flawless frog spalsh.
Unfortunately Art Barr would pass away soon after this match and judging by
his performance here, the wrestling world lost a very promising prospect
indeed. 8/10-A great 2 out of 3 falls match from start to finish.
Eddie Guerrero vs Dean Malenko-1995-ECW(2 out of 3 falls match)-This is in
my opinion a perfect
wrestling match! Not only is it a testiment to both mens abilities but this
should be compulsary viewing for anyone who claims to like wrestling! You
can here some of the first "Eddie" chants here and anyone who says ECW was
just about tables, ladders and chairs would be soundly silenced upon
watching this wrestlingg classic. 10/10-This match is 25 minutes of pure
wrestling, psychology and suspense with a perfect draw ending considering
both men were leaving the company.
Eddie Guerrero vs Chris Jericho-WCW-(Fall Brawl 1997)-WCW Cruiserweight
Title Match. Oh how i miss the old
WCW double ringed PPV! The WWE really ought to have a go at resurrecting
this PPV not to mention the annual double ringed, steel caged "War Games"
event that ruled the wrestling world before Hell In A Cell came along.
Anyway back to the review, this is an excellent cruiserweight title match
that shows a more technical side to Chris Jericho than WWE Fans are used to
seeing. Eddie Guerrero looks ripped here and both he and Chris Jericho put
on a wrestling clinic that was proberbly the first match i saw where Eddie
Guerrero really caught my eye back in 1997. 9.5/10-A near perfect wrestling
match that
Chris Jericho himself claims is one
of the best of his career and it's hard to argue with that!
Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio-1997-WCW-(Halloween Havoc 1997)-Eddie's
Cruiserweight Title vs Rey's Mask. This match is awesome and is definetly
in the top 10 wrestling matches of 1997! Rey Mysterio pulled off some of
the most electrifying moves i've ever witnessed during this match while
Eddie played his heel character to perfection. 10/10-A real crowd pleaser
of a match and perhaps Eddie and Rey's best match together and boy have
they had their share of classics!
Eddie Guerrero vs Chavo Guerrero-1998-WCW(Bash At The Beach 1998)-Hair vs
Hair match. Although it's not much of a "wrestling" match, it's not really
intended to be. Chavo Guerrero played his insane gimmick brilliantly,
playing with Eddie in the ring and really getting under his skin. 7/10-A
great piece of entertainment.
Eddie Guerrero vs Rob Van Dam-2002-WWE(Raw)-Intercontinental Title Ladder
Match. This is a truly awesome match and one of the best TV matches i've
seen featuring some jaw dropping moves off the ladder, including a rolling
powerbomb from the top of the ladder by Eddie to RVD. 9/10-RVD and Eddie
had quite a few great matches during their brief feud in 2002 and this may
have been their best.
Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit vs Los Guerrero's vs Rey Mysterio &
Edge-2002-WWE(Survivor Series 2002)-Triple Threat Tag Team Title
Elimination Match. In my opinion, this match stole the show from the
overhyped first ever Elimination Chamber match at the 2002 Survivor Series.
All 6 men involved were on top form and they not only produced the best
match of the night but also one of the best matches of the year.
8.5/10-Another excellent match worthy of his collection.
Eddie Guerrero vs Chris Benoit-2003-WWE(Vengeance 2003)-U.S Title
Tournament Finals.This match took place around the time that the newly
turned heel Eddie Guerrero was starting to get cheered as much as he got
booed(which was ALOT!). This is one of the best matches of 2003 and both
Eddie and Chris put on a technical masterpiece for the most part until the
disappointing run in ending featuring Rhyno goring Benoit. The Rhyno/Benoit
feud went nowhere and i would have rather had Eddie win the match by lying,
cheating and stealing on his own accord. 9/10-Excellent match and would
have been a Match Of The Year candidate if only the ending was better.
Eddie Guerrero vs Brock Lesnar-2004-WWE(No Way Out 2004)-WWE Title Match.
This was the big one for Eddie Guerrero. The night he did the impossible
and against all odds, shocked the wrestling world by capturing the WWE
Championship-a title most associated with bigmen like Hulk Hogan and The
Rock. However, every now and then the title landed around the shoulder of
someone who truly deserved it, no matter how big they were. Bret Hart,
Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley and others had their day but this day belonged
to Eddie Guerrero who defeated Brock Lesnar in a back and forth, 30 minute
epic. This match was not only a great wrestling match but it also "told a
story" in that squared circle as the underdog Eddie, cut down the giant
Brock by attacking his legs, and no matter how many spinebusters, suplexes
or powerslams Brock would devestate Eddie with, Latino Heat refused to
quit! The match would have been ruined if Eddie had won on a pinfall after
Goldberg's spear to Lesnar but thankfully Brock kicked out and unlike the
Eddie/Benoit match mentioned above, Eddie was able to lie, cheat and steal
on his own accord and finally hit a huge frog splash on Lesnar to score the
1-2-3! 9/10-One of the best matches of 2004, almost spoilt by a run in
ending and a bunch of unappriciative idiots in the audience who chanted
"boring" at one point.
Overall a very good DVD with a very powerful, inspirational and
entertaining documentary charting the sometimes rocky but ultimately
rewarding life of Eddie Guerrero. From his early days of wrestling in his
back yard ring, to his stints in Japanese and Mexican leagues, to his short
but successful run with ECW, His troubled but memorable times in WCW and
finally the most successful point of his career in the WWE, where in 2004
he cemented his place in wrestling history by capturing the WWE
Championship title and not only did he become the first wrestler of Mexican
heritage to hold the title but i'm pretty sure that at 5 feet 8 inches, he
was the shortest Champion the WWE has ever had-which was something noone
could have predicted considering Vince's well documented love of "larger
than life" bigmen, but hats off to Vinnie Mac for recognising talent over
size and giving Eddie Guerrero something he had truly earned. The match
featuring Eddies family members and a young Mick Foley is an interesting
addition but you'll proberbly not watch it more than once. The 9 matches on
offer featuring Eddie showcase Eddie at his best but i still feel there
were a few more matches that would have been perfect for this DVD. A
streetfight in which Eddie Guerrero battled Edge on Smackdown in 2002
should have been here even though Eddie lost. The match was awesome and
Eddie recieved a standing ovation after the match. Eddie Guerrero vs Edge
from "Summerslam" 2002 was also great and would have been a worthy
addition. Also missing is Eddie Guerrero vs Rob Van Dam from "Backlash"
2002 which i thought was a great encounter. But perhaps the one match that
is missing that should have been included without a doubt is Eddie Guerrero
vs Kurt Angle from "Wrestlemania XX". A classic battle with a brilliantly
original and hilarious ending. Eddie recieved a mixed reaction at the start
of the match but as the match progressed the crowds appriciation for Eddie
grew and by the time the match had ended, Eddie had won over just about
every fan in the packed Madison Square Garden arena. Other matches i'd have
liked to have seen included are Eddie Guerrero & The Steiner Brothers vs
Too Cold Scorpio, Cactus Jack & Dean Malenko from ECW which was mentioned
briefly on the DVD. It featured six of the best workers in the business and
from the brief footage looked quite fun. Eddie Guerrero vs Too Cold Scorpio
in ECW was also highlighted on the DVD and i'd liked to have seen this one
here too. Eddie Guerreo vs Dean Malenko from WCW "Uncensored" 96 or 97
could have been here too as could Eddie Guerrero vs The Rock from Raw
2002-a very underrated match IMO. Eddie Guerrero vs Triple H from Raw in
2004 on the night of the draft lottery was great too, despite the DQ ending
and could have been included. All in all though, a great DVD that belongs
in the collection of anyone who claims to be a "serious" wrestling fan.
9/10-The last thing i would want is the WWE to cash in on Eddie's untimely
death but i'd love them to re-release this DVD possibly with a third disc
featuring both Eddie Guerrero Tribute Shows as well as some of the missing
matches i mentioned above. Plus they could also include some of Eddie's
more recent matches, most notably his suprisingly decent war with JBL at
Judgement Day 2004 and of course his ladder match with Rey Mysterio at
Summerslm 2005 If the WWE did re-release it like this though, then i think
it's only fair that all proceeeds should go to Eddie's family.
RIP Eddie. VIVA LA RAZA FOREVER!
p.s I think Eddie Guerrero should be inducted into the 2006 WWE Hall Of
Fame at Wrestlemania XXII
By Reader The Antichrist : email your views on this to theantichrist4@activemail.co.uk
The title of this DVD may sound redundant now following the tragic news
that Eddie Guerrero is no longer with us, but i dont think it is! Eddie
truly DID cheat death on a number of occassions in his life and although
his past would eventually catch up with him on November 13th 2005, Eddie
Guerrero is a real inspiration to life and proof that the smallest man can
make a difference and it's not about the size of the man, it's about the
size of his heart! Over a week after Eddie's passing i still find it hard
to believe that we will no longer see Latino Heat Lying, Cheating and
Stealing his way to victory but Eddie Guerrero left behind such a rich
legacy that athough he is gone in physical form, his spirit will be with us
forever thanks to the fond memories we have of both his matches in the ring
and his personality out of the ring.
This DVD features a 45 minute documentary, which is essentially a biography
of Eddie's life, from his birth into a family of wrestling legends, to
becoming a wrestling legend in his own right chronicling his stints in
Japan, Mexico, ECW, WCW and finally the WWE. The documentary is excellent
while it lasts and i really wish it had been longer and gone into more
detail in some places but no matter how short it it, it's still an
inspirational and powerful programme that will make you both laugh and cry.
I'll
give the documentary 8.5/10-Brilliant but brief!
Also on the DVD are some extra features which included the classic Los
Guerrero Vignettes performed by Eddie and his nephew Chavo Guerrero JR,
promoting themselves as lying, cheating and stealing latino's. My favourite
Vignettes would have to be th Valet and Baby Carriage ones. We also get to
see the controversial in ring promo that started the Eddie/JBL feud in
2004, where JBL attacked Eddie at a house show then scared his mother to
the point where she had a heart attack. Also in the extras is a chance to
see the aftermath of Eddie's title win over Brock Lesnar-a very emotional
moment for Eddie and his fans. We also get to see a special look at
Wrestlemania XX where Eddie Guerrero successfully defended his WWE Title
against Kurt Angle and later famously joined newly crowned World Champion
Chris Benoit in the ring for an emotional hug that noone who saw it live
will ever forget. Why the Kurt Angle/Eddie guerrero Wrestlemania XX match
is not on this DVD though is as much a mystery as it is a crying shame! We
get a look at Eddie filming a YJ Stinger commercial,
plus the finished YJ Stinger Ad's in both English and Spanish. There are
some other extras talking about Eddie's childhood, upbringing and family,
most notably Eddie wrestling his pet monkey and a feature on Eddie's late
father Gory Guerrero.
Also on the DVD the following 10 matches presented.
Mondo, Hector & Chavo Guerrero vs Cactus Jack & The Rock N Role
RPM's-1988-(Superclash 3)This match does not feature Eddie, but his three
older brothers. Also look out for a younger and very lighter Mick Foley
wrestling as Cactus Jack and future "Beverly Brother" Mike Enos as the
referee. Hector Guerrero(wearing the white trunks) looks and moves alot
like Eddie did and you could be forgiven for thinking you are watching
"Latino Heat" himself in the ring here. The match is ok but may be abit too
obscure and old school for new fans. 7/10-Some good spots featuring the
Guerrero's.
Eddie Guerrero & Art Barr vs Octogon & El Santo-1994-(Triple A's "When
Worlds Collide" PPV)-Eddie & Art's Hair vs Octogon & Santo's Masks. This
was the match that got Eddie noticed by many of the top promotions of the
time, from up and coming companies like ECW to established franchises like
WCW who often raved about this particular match in their magazine in the
build up to Eddies WCW debut. The match itself is excellent and despite
Eddie and Art sporting some truly awful mullets, they pull off some
incredible moves here, most notably Art Barr's flawless frog spalsh.
Unfortunately Art Barr would pass away soon after this match and judging by
his performance here, the wrestling world lost a very promising prospect
indeed. 8/10-A great 2 out of 3 falls match from start to finish.
Eddie Guerrero vs Dean Malenko-1995-ECW(2 out of 3 falls match)-This is in
my opinion a perfect
wrestling match! Not only is it a testiment to both mens abilities but this
should be compulsary viewing for anyone who claims to like wrestling! You
can here some of the first "Eddie" chants here and anyone who says ECW was
just about tables, ladders and chairs would be soundly silenced upon
watching this wrestlingg classic. 10/10-This match is 25 minutes of pure
wrestling, psychology and suspense with a perfect draw ending considering
both men were leaving the company.
Eddie Guerrero vs Chris Jericho-WCW-(Fall Brawl 1997)-WCW Cruiserweight
Title Match. Oh how i miss the old
WCW double ringed PPV! The WWE really ought to have a go at resurrecting
this PPV not to mention the annual double ringed, steel caged "War Games"
event that ruled the wrestling world before Hell In A Cell came along.
Anyway back to the review, this is an excellent cruiserweight title match
that shows a more technical side to Chris Jericho than WWE Fans are used to
seeing. Eddie Guerrero looks ripped here and both he and Chris Jericho put
on a wrestling clinic that was proberbly the first match i saw where Eddie
Guerrero really caught my eye back in 1997. 9.5/10-A near perfect wrestling
match that
Chris Jericho himself claims is one
of the best of his career and it's hard to argue with that!
Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio-1997-WCW-(Halloween Havoc 1997)-Eddie's
Cruiserweight Title vs Rey's Mask. This match is awesome and is definetly
in the top 10 wrestling matches of 1997! Rey Mysterio pulled off some of
the most electrifying moves i've ever witnessed during this match while
Eddie played his heel character to perfection. 10/10-A real crowd pleaser
of a match and perhaps Eddie and Rey's best match together and boy have
they had their share of classics!
Eddie Guerrero vs Chavo Guerrero-1998-WCW(Bash At The Beach 1998)-Hair vs
Hair match. Although it's not much of a "wrestling" match, it's not really
intended to be. Chavo Guerrero played his insane gimmick brilliantly,
playing with Eddie in the ring and really getting under his skin. 7/10-A
great piece of entertainment.
Eddie Guerrero vs Rob Van Dam-2002-WWE(Raw)-Intercontinental Title Ladder
Match. This is a truly awesome match and one of the best TV matches i've
seen featuring some jaw dropping moves off the ladder, including a rolling
powerbomb from the top of the ladder by Eddie to RVD. 9/10-RVD and Eddie
had quite a few great matches during their brief feud in 2002 and this may
have been their best.
Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit vs Los Guerrero's vs Rey Mysterio &
Edge-2002-WWE(Survivor Series 2002)-Triple Threat Tag Team Title
Elimination Match. In my opinion, this match stole the show from the
overhyped first ever Elimination Chamber match at the 2002 Survivor Series.
All 6 men involved were on top form and they not only produced the best
match of the night but also one of the best matches of the year.
8.5/10-Another excellent match worthy of his collection.
Eddie Guerrero vs Chris Benoit-2003-WWE(Vengeance 2003)-U.S Title
Tournament Finals.This match took place around the time that the newly
turned heel Eddie Guerrero was starting to get cheered as much as he got
booed(which was ALOT!). This is one of the best matches of 2003 and both
Eddie and Chris put on a technical masterpiece for the most part until the
disappointing run in ending featuring Rhyno goring Benoit. The Rhyno/Benoit
feud went nowhere and i would have rather had Eddie win the match by lying,
cheating and stealing on his own accord. 9/10-Excellent match and would
have been a Match Of The Year candidate if only the ending was better.
Eddie Guerrero vs Brock Lesnar-2004-WWE(No Way Out 2004)-WWE Title Match.
This was the big one for Eddie Guerrero. The night he did the impossible
and against all odds, shocked the wrestling world by capturing the WWE
Championship-a title most associated with bigmen like Hulk Hogan and The
Rock. However, every now and then the title landed around the shoulder of
someone who truly deserved it, no matter how big they were. Bret Hart,
Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley and others had their day but this day belonged
to Eddie Guerrero who defeated Brock Lesnar in a back and forth, 30 minute
epic. This match was not only a great wrestling match but it also "told a
story" in that squared circle as the underdog Eddie, cut down the giant
Brock by attacking his legs, and no matter how many spinebusters, suplexes
or powerslams Brock would devestate Eddie with, Latino Heat refused to
quit! The match would have been ruined if Eddie had won on a pinfall after
Goldberg's spear to Lesnar but thankfully Brock kicked out and unlike the
Eddie/Benoit match mentioned above, Eddie was able to lie, cheat and steal
on his own accord and finally hit a huge frog splash on Lesnar to score the
1-2-3! 9/10-One of the best matches of 2004, almost spoilt by a run in
ending and a bunch of unappriciative idiots in the audience who chanted
"boring" at one point.
Overall a very good DVD with a very powerful, inspirational and
entertaining documentary charting the sometimes rocky but ultimately
rewarding life of Eddie Guerrero. From his early days of wrestling in his
back yard ring, to his stints in Japanese and Mexican leagues, to his short
but successful run with ECW, His troubled but memorable times in WCW and
finally the most successful point of his career in the WWE, where in 2004
he cemented his place in wrestling history by capturing the WWE
Championship title and not only did he become the first wrestler of Mexican
heritage to hold the title but i'm pretty sure that at 5 feet 8 inches, he
was the shortest Champion the WWE has ever had-which was something noone
could have predicted considering Vince's well documented love of "larger
than life" bigmen, but hats off to Vinnie Mac for recognising talent over
size and giving Eddie Guerrero something he had truly earned. The match
featuring Eddies family members and a young Mick Foley is an interesting
addition but you'll proberbly not watch it more than once. The 9 matches on
offer featuring Eddie showcase Eddie at his best but i still feel there
were a few more matches that would have been perfect for this DVD. A
streetfight in which Eddie Guerrero battled Edge on Smackdown in 2002
should have been here even though Eddie lost. The match was awesome and
Eddie recieved a standing ovation after the match. Eddie Guerrero vs Edge
from "Summerslam" 2002 was also great and would have been a worthy
addition. Also missing is Eddie Guerrero vs Rob Van Dam from "Backlash"
2002 which i thought was a great encounter. But perhaps the one match that
is missing that should have been included without a doubt is Eddie Guerrero
vs Kurt Angle from "Wrestlemania XX". A classic battle with a brilliantly
original and hilarious ending. Eddie recieved a mixed reaction at the start
of the match but as the match progressed the crowds appriciation for Eddie
grew and by the time the match had ended, Eddie had won over just about
every fan in the packed Madison Square Garden arena. Other matches i'd have
liked to have seen included are Eddie Guerrero & The Steiner Brothers vs
Too Cold Scorpio, Cactus Jack & Dean Malenko from ECW which was mentioned
briefly on the DVD. It featured six of the best workers in the business and
from the brief footage looked quite fun. Eddie Guerrero vs Too Cold Scorpio
in ECW was also highlighted on the DVD and i'd liked to have seen this one
here too. Eddie Guerreo vs Dean Malenko from WCW "Uncensored" 96 or 97
could have been here too as could Eddie Guerrero vs The Rock from Raw
2002-a very underrated match IMO. Eddie Guerrero vs Triple H from Raw in
2004 on the night of the draft lottery was great too, despite the DQ ending
and could have been included. All in all though, a great DVD that belongs
in the collection of anyone who claims to be a "serious" wrestling fan.
9/10-The last thing i would want is the WWE to cash in on Eddie's untimely
death but i'd love them to re-release this DVD possibly with a third disc
featuring both Eddie Guerrero Tribute Shows as well as some of the missing
matches i mentioned above. Plus they could also include some of Eddie's
more recent matches, most notably his suprisingly decent war with JBL at
Judgement Day 2004 and of course his ladder match with Rey Mysterio at
Summerslm 2005 If the WWE did re-release it like this though, then i think
it's only fair that all proceeeds should go to Eddie's family.
RIP Eddie. VIVA LA RAZA FOREVER!
p.s I think Eddie Guerrero should be inducted into the 2006 WWE Hall Of
Fame at Wrestlemania XXII
posted by The Informer at
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