Eddie Guerrero, an American professional wrestler, was found unconscious in his hotel room at the Marriott Hotel City Center in Minneapolis on November 13, 2005, and passed away at the age of 38.
His untimely passing was labeled as a heart attack due to heart disease caused by a history of anabolic steroid usage.
15 years since we lost Eddie Guerrero…
— WWE on TNT Sports (@wweontnt) November 13, 2020
One of the greatest, thinking of him can't help but make you smile ❤️
Miss you, Eddie 🙏
𝓥𝓲𝓿𝓪 𝓛𝓪 𝓡𝓪𝔃𝓪 pic.twitter.com/LV8qHiJ9mJ
Guerrero was renowned for his tenure in WCW and WWF/WWE. He was considered to be one of the greatest and most influential professional wrestlers of all time.
He was a resourceful wrestler who would do anything to win a match, and his catchphrase “I lie! I Cheat! I Steal!” was used as one of his entrance themes.
Despite being a heel for most of his career, he was popular among the other wrestlers and was at the peak of his career as a face during 2003–2005.
The son of first-generation wrestler Gory Guerrero spent much of his early career wrestling on the Mexican professional wrestling scene before joining ECW in 1995.
Later, he moved to WCW, where he became WCW United States Champion and WCW Cruiserweight Champion.
During the Attitude Era with his WCW colleagues, he joined the WWF but was released due to addiction issues. He was rehired in 2002 and formed Los Guerreros with his nephew Chavo.
Eddie Guerrero Appeared Unhealthy During His Last Match Due To Steroids
Eddie Guerrero was one of professional wrestling’s most beloved figures, whose charisma and in-ring brilliance earned him worldwide admiration.
However, behind his legendary career lay a dark struggle with substance abuse, which ultimately contributed to his untimely death at just 38 years old.
Guerrero’s battles with addiction began in the 1990s after multiple injuries led him to rely on painkillers, alcohol, and performance-enhancing drugs.
His dependency grew so severe that he suffered three near-fatal drug overdoses before WWE released him in 2001.
He fought hard to get sober, making a triumphant return to wrestling and even capturing the WWE Championship in 2004. But the physical toll of his past substance abuse had already taken hold.
People dont realize that a heart is also a muscle. Drugs and steroid abuse enlarged his heart and eventually, his heart just gave out. He looked pale and unhealthy during his last match.
Thurein_wai
Fans who watched Guerrero’s final matches noted his visibly bloated appearance, a common side effect of steroid use. While his in-ring performances remained stellar, his body was clearly under strain.
His death served as a grim reminder of wrestling’s darker side, where pain, pressure, and performance demands often lead to dangerous habits.
Eddie Guerrero Passed Away In His Hotel Room
On November 13, 2005, the wrestling world was shaken by the sudden and heartbreaking death of Eddie Guerrero, one of the most beloved and talented performers in WWE history.
His nephew, Chavo Guerrero, found him unconscious in his hotel room at the Marriott Hotel City Center in Minneapolis.
Chavo later shared that Eddie had collapsed in the bathroom with a toothbrush in his hand, the sink water still running. Despite efforts to revive him, Eddie was pronounced dead upon the arrival of paramedics.
As per the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office in Minneapolis, the official cause was arteriosclerotic heart disease, a hardening of the arteries linked to long-term steroid use.
The autopsy also cited recent narcotics use as a contributing factor.
Despite these findings, Eddie’s death was reported mainly as natural causes by mainstream media, with little attention given to the role of steroids and painkillers.
Even updates noting the toxicology results were mainly ignored, allowing the wrestling industry to avoid uncomfortable conversations about drug abuse.
Eddie’s funeral was officiated by WWE legend Superstar Billy Graham, with friends, family, and fellow wrestlers paying their respects to the man known for his charismatic “Lie, Cheat, Steal” persona and incredible in-ring ability.
Emotional tributes from wrestlers and heartfelt video packages highlighted his impact on the industry and the lives of those who knew him.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes, the son of Herlinda Guerrero and Salvador Guerrero Quesada, was born on October 9, 1967, in El Paso, Texas.
- His father was one of the premier Mexican-American professional wrestlers in the early days of Lucha Libre and was renowned as Gory Guerrero.
- He married Vickie Guerrero in 1990 and had two daughters, Shaul Marie Guerrero and Sherilyn Amber Guerrero, both of whom became wrestlers.
- His other daughter, Kaylie Marie Guerrero, was born during his two-year separation from Vickie.