10 INSANE Risks WWE Took With Their Biggest Stars

7. Rey Mysterio

Stone Cold Steve Austin Sable
WWE.com

A number of WWE full-timers were beyond consoling when they lost friend and colleague Eddie Guerrero in 2005, and Rey Mysterio stood bravely as one of the most heartbroken.

Brothers in all but blood, the two wrestled epics with and against one another, infamously feuding shortly before 'Latino Heat' passed in a silly story that has since charmed viewers in the passage of time.

On the first of two tribute shows, Mysterio wrestled Shawn Michaels in something of a dream match and one the pair wanted to have in the fallen star's honour. In the weeks to follow, Guerrero included an "EG" tribute arm band as part of his permanent gear, and scored tag team gold with Batista in another sweet presentation of two men that loved Eddie coming together to share both the real pain of his loss and the storyline success of a title gained.

But WWE didn't know when and where to stop. Mysterio went the distance to earn a WrestleMania title shot in the 2006 Royal Rumble, crediting his #2 position to Guerrero playing a prank from heaven. If that ever-so-slightly soured a sweet tone, an awful follow-up programme with Randy Orton conclusively destroyed it.

Mysterio was barely even a sympathetic figure by the time he became World Heavyweight Champion in Guerrero's honour at the subsequent 'Show Of Shows', and was booked so poorly with the belt after the fact fans simply never felt motivated to latch back on.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back almost 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 60,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett