We Lie, We Cheat, We Steal

While some would argue that Professional Wrestling isn't a real sport (and are probably right), I have to comment on the sudden, tragic passing of Eddie Guerrero. While wwe.com doesn't have much information, other than a brief, official statement, Pro Wrestling Torch has a wealth of coverage up on its site.

Eddie was 38, still in his prime as a wrestler, and held one of the versions of the WWE World Heavyweight Title just 18 months ago. I was shocked to read the news of his death while making my weekly visit to the wrestling news sites, but really I shouldn't have been. He follows in the footsteps of other wrestlers such as Brian Pillman, Louie Spicolli, Ravashing Rick Rude, Road Warrior Hawk, Bobby Duncum Jr., "Mr. Perfect" Curt Henning, and countless others who have passed away at a young age, in large part due to a history of drug (normally pain killer) use. In Eddie's case, heart failure is the official cause of death, and there's no connection yet to a history of pain killers, but it should be noted he has publicly talked about his long-term addiction.

Every time a young wrestler passes away, I hope that there can be a silver lining, which is this: that the promoters of wrestling, networks who air wrestling, the fans, and the lawmakers in the country will take note of this trend and demand or take action to correct it. If so many workers in an industry are reliant on painkillers, and having their lives cut short because of it, something is seriously wrong, and needs to be addressed. Let's hope it happens this time.


"Latino Heat" Eddie Guerrero (1967-2005)