10 Wrestlers Who Succeeded Against The Odds

3. Eddie Guerrero

One of the most fondly-remembered wrestlers in history? Check.

A member of the celebrated Guerrero wrestling dynasty? Check.

A hugely popular WWE act, from the day he walked-in to the day he departed? Check.

Guerrero had all of the above and a whole lot more going for him, but it was more than balanced-out by the hardships he endured throughout his career. He was a mercurial talent and a fantastically entertaining personality, but was often considered an undersized wrestler in the land of giants, particularly early in his WWE run.

Eddie suffered a horrific car accident early in his WCW career that should’ve forced him to retire, but he came back stronger than ever. Further misfortune followed when he suffered a nasty elbow injury on his WWE debut, but he made a full recovery there too. His longstanding personal demons reared their head and saw him fired from WWE in 2001, but he kicked his addictions to the kerb, rebuilt his life, and fought his way back to the company in 2002.

Some of his problems were self-created, but Eddie Guerrero overcame the kind of problems that would’ve ruined lesser men. His 2005 autobiography says it all: “Cheating Death, Stealing Life”. It’s a title that sums-up Eddie Guerrero in a nutshell, and his WWE Championship victory over Brock Lesnar at No Way Out ‘04 remains a poignant, emotionally-charged moment.