10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Rey Mysterio
2. Exploiting Eddie's Death
Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio were close - so close, in fact, that the latter has the initials "EG" tattooed on his body - and unfortunately, WWE weren't shy of exploiting this after 'Latino Heat's' death.
It's often said that the only reason Rey was ever elevated to main event level was because Guerrero had passed away. If that sounds crass, it's because it is, but it all coincides. Acute heart failure took Eddie away in November 2005. Rey started dedicating his matches to his friend's memory soon after, and two months later, he became a record-breaking Royal Rumble winner.
Mysterio's sights were set on Randy Orton, and that's when things got really bad. 'The Legend Killer' made several disparaging remarks about Guerrero throughout the feud, creating some of the Ruthless Aggression era's most tasteless television, and prompting an immediate fan backlash. Fortunately, Rey got his happy ending by beating Orton and Kurt Angle in a WrestleMania 22 Triple Threat, but we could've done without the disrespect.
These successes are an important part of Mysterio's legacy, but while WWE will rightly point them out, you won't hear a whisper of Rey's cynical journey to the top.