Open the Muggy Gate 0 Report post Posted March 15, 2004 I wrote this last night after watching the end of Wrestlemania XX. I don’t know why… I just felt like it. It was last night, so some stuff is probably wrong. Oh well.... Last night was a special night for two men. Their names are Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit. For almost ten years, these men have been seemingly on the same path. They roomed together. They had car rides around the entire country going from one arena to the next. They wrestled in Japan together. They wrestled in WCW together. They wrestled all over the world together. And for the past 4 years, their home has been the WWE. They have traveled up and down the roads, flown to different countries, suffered setbacks that would send normal people packing. Benoit needed neck surgery to fix what nearly 15 years had done to him. He had to sacrifice his time, his well-being, and his time with his family. And he did it all for the wrestling business. Eddie Guerrero had suffered injury after injury in his first two years in the WWE. His body continued to betray him. He finally was able to resist injuries for a while... and then along came the now well-known drug problem. It has been documented, analyzed, and examined over and over by the WWE. Eddie Guerrero was able to fight that off. He went through rehab, and lost time with his family as well. He wanted to get back into the WWE soon. He wanted to get back into the wrestling business as well. They both returned to the WWE in 2002. Eddie and Benoit were two of the "Smackdown Six", a group of 6 wrestlers that became the workrate of Smackdown. Eddie and Benoit certainly didn't lose their touch after all that time out of the ring. Eddie and Benoit tore the house down in many different arenas across the country. In 2003, Benoit received a title shot at the Royal Rumble against Kurt Angle.... and it was regarded as the match of the year by many in the internet community and wrestling publications. Benoit proved he still was one of the best.... Eddie had made a great comeback in 2002 as well. He had formed a team with his nephew Chavo and formed Los Guerreros. They played a stereotypical card by claiming to lie, cheat, and steal openly. For Eddie, this gimmick became one of the more popular attractions in the WWE. Even when he turned heel.... the fans cheered for him. And they cheered loudly... so loudly that the WWE started to realize it too. They also started to listen to the crowd for Chris Benoit as well. They also watched his matches. He could make nearly anyone look good. The WWE started to finally realize that. At the start of 2004, Chris Benoit won the Royal Rumble to a great response from the fans in the arena and the world around. At that same Royal Rumble, Eddie Guerrero finished a feud with his nephew Chavo after a violent breakup. The crowd was responding to him unbelievably well. So the seeds were planted the night after the Rumble. Benoit showed up on Raw and challenged Triple H for his World Heavyweight Title. Meanwhile, Eddie Guerrero on Smackdown won a Mini-Rumble to earn a shot against the WWE champion, Brock Lesnar. In one of the most memorable moments for me and for many wrestling fans, Eddie Guerrero won the WWE Title from Lesnar. The crowd erupted and loved it. The stage was soon set at Wrestlemania at Madison Square Garden, Eddie Guerrero defending his title, HIS TITLE against Kurt Angle. Meanwhile, Benoit would wrestle the World Champion Triple-H and Shawn Michaels for the gold. Tonight, we saw the roads cross once again. Eddie entered Benoit's locker room and fired him up for his match, and then Eddie wrestled his match. With a little thinking and cunning ability, Eddie retained his title against Angle. Meanwhile, I sat at the edge of my bed watching the match between Benoit, Michaels, and HHH. I was turning into a mark all over again. I was a Benoit mark in this case... I marked out for anything Benoit did. I said prayers. I was into this match more than any other I had ever been into in my whole life. I was loving this. This is why I watch wrestling, for matches like this. This match had tons of moments. It had two men bleed for their art, and boy did they bleed. The 3 men fought for the longest of time until Michaels was hurled out of the ring. HHH went for the pedigree, and it was countered into the crossface. HHH tapped out, and MSG erupted into an insane roar. The crowd was going nuts to say the VERY least. I was marking out all over the place. I was screaming at the TV "YES!!" over and over. Benoit had won a world title finally. Eddie then entered the ring and both men stared at each other. They embraced as the crowd cheered, the confetti fell from the ceiling, and tears fell down their cheeks. They crossed roads again, and the crossroad was Madison Square Garden. I stood right there at my TV and clapped for both men. This was a special moment for them. They were holding the only world titles in wrestling today. They stood in MSG as the TRUE... best in the business. Their names are Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit, and they will remember this night for the rest of their lives. -Muggy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kardo 0 Report post Posted March 15, 2004 I want a poster of those two holding their titles ups together with the confetti around them in my room. So everytime I look at it I can remember the moment when everything felt right with wrestling. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RavishingRickRudo 0 Report post Posted March 15, 2004 Yes, FINALLY, Benoit has won the title he has wanted ever since the night after RR04, and FINALLY, Eddie has the title he wanted ever since 3 weeks before NWO. .... FINALLY Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2GOLD 0 Report post Posted March 15, 2004 Just remember Rudo, in another dimension you got the match you wanted and it was a 5 star classic with Benoit hitting a top rope headbutt for the three count. Just close your eyes and think of that wonderful reality. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RavishingRickRudo 0 Report post Posted March 15, 2004 Actually, my fantasy has him hitting a top rope powerbomb Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cran Da Maniac 0 Report post Posted March 15, 2004 All I can say is "Who'd a thunk it?" Seriously, did anybody really think that on the WWE's biggest night, 2 Smark darlings would walk out the champions of the WWE? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest wildpegasus Report post Posted March 15, 2004 Actually, my fantasy has him hitting a top rope powerbomb onto the other opponent laying in the middle of the ring. Than a pin on both opponents stacked on top of each other executing the Jericho most muscular pinning pose while holloring out at the top of his lungs, "Is this the best that the WW..-- clique has to offer?" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RavishingRickRudo 0 Report post Posted March 15, 2004 Well.... No... but that's good too Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Silence 0 Report post Posted March 15, 2004 Benoit and Guerrero as World Heavyweight Champions=Unbelievable, but in a good way, of course. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eclipse 0 Report post Posted March 15, 2004 Wow, it was quite a surreal moment to see them there in the ring together. What made it even better: Eddie's match was mostly mat based, grapples, etc. Not even a BORING chant around. Compare that to Brock/Berg's match... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
