When I woke up this morning, the first thought to enter my mind was that of one Eduardo Gory Guerrero, better known to the world as Eddie Guerrero. Today was November 13th, and it has been nine long years since he left the world at the young age of 38. And it still hurts.

I remember the day like it was yesterday. Well, all of it actually. Let me explain…

It was July 2005 and I hadn’t watched wrestling for years…probably since the end of the Attitude Era. One day, my father decided to see what was up in the world of wrestling, and I saw this man with a smug look on his face and an evil little grin. He was talking about how he was going to reveal a dark secret involving a young boy, Dominick, to his supposed father, a masked man by the name of Rey Mysterio.

I found out that this was Eddie Guerrero, and his storytelling and promo cutting skills were phenomenal. The Dominick custody feud, reaching a boiling point at SummerSlam 2005, became known as the storyline that got me completely hooked on wrestling. I then learned of the technical moves and was blown away by Eddie’s skills in the ring. His promo skills and the fact on how hard he made me laugh also added to this fact that I was yearning to see what would happen the next week, tuning in to SmackDown, and eventually RAW as I learned of the other superstars and divas of the WWE. Names like Triple H and Shawn Michaels I had remembered from my childhood. I was introduced to newer guys like John Cena and Randy Orton, and I began falling in love with this spectacle-all started from the allure I received from Eddie.

I soon became a 110% addict of pro wrestling, and Eddie was by far my favorite. He was just perfect and I loved him so much. As the storyline ended, I learned more about Eddie’s past accomplishments, his friendship and feuds with the likes of Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko, and many cherished stories of the Guerrero’s history. I had never been attached to anything so much, and Eddie was the center of my love of pro wrestling.

Then that Sunday fall afternoon, I logged onto my computer to see the latest updates on WWE.com. Eddie still had me rolling from that Friday night when he feigned a chair injury at the hands of Mr. Kennedy. Classic Eddie.

I was delighted to see his image on my screen, thinking, “Oh, what did Eddie get himself into now, haha?”

My heart stopped. I could feel my pulse pound and I began to breath a little heavier. No! I read it wrong…right? No. It’s a joke. What?!?!

“WWE is deeply saddened by the news that Eddie Guerrero has passed away.”

1967-2005.

I was in too much shock to immediately cry. Eddie. My hero. The man who got me hooked on this new passion in my life just months earlier was gone. Had died. Never to come back. I was heartbroken.

At first, I was hoping that it was some sick storyline and he was really away on vacation, since as a new wrestling fan, I wasn’t sure of what to believe and what not to believe. I then saw it on news outlets and realized how real it was.

It still didn’t hit me.

And then, that Monday Night, when I saw his belt, the “I’m Your Papi” tribute shirts, and the tear-stained faces of the wrestlers, I knew it was real. He was gone. And then the tears started flowing.

It was so hard to watch. CM Punk’s words. Cena’s words. Batista’s. The hardest one to watch now is Chris Benoit, knowing what would tragically happen with him. Their hug from WM20 is still one of my favorite moments of all time, even mores o with the extra emotion involved.

However, that 3 hour show reflected positively on the life of one of the greatest men to ever step in the ring. Even though he may be gone, I was thankful to have been lucky enough to watch him perform in his prime. It was beautiful.

Eddie,

Thank you for everything. Without you, I may have never found one of the greatest passions in my life with pro-wrestling. You were my favorite, one of my heroes growing up. You made me laugh, you made me angry, you made me happy. No matter what, I always supported and loved you. You lied, cheated, and stole all of our hearts, Eddie. I wish I could have met you to tell you how much you mean to me and how much of an epic impact you made on my life. Every wrestler that I love and inspires me today…well, I never would have found them or have been as in love with them without you being the wrestler to introduce me to such an incredible world.

Even my friends, friends I’ve made in real life and on the Internet…this never would have happened if there was no you to get me into wrestling the way that you did.

Your skills in the ring. The way you cut promos. You were a husband. A father. A friend. An uncle. A brother. A nephew. A cousin. An amigo. A wrestler. A great. A LEGEND.

I miss you so much, Eddie, but I know that you are in a better place. You may be gone from Earth, but you live on in our hearts. Always and forever.

Gone too soon, but never forgotten. A true legend. Thank you so much for the memories, Eddie Guerrero. We love you, and we miss you.

Rest In Peace ❤

Viva La Raza 

-Celine