10 Worst WWE Moments Of 2006
1. Randy Orton’s “Eddie’s In Hell” Line
Urgh.
Eddie Guerrero's passing in late-2005 was a hammer blow to his family, friends and the entire wrestling community. WWE honoured his memory with a touching tribute show, and paying homage to Eddie became a go to for Rey Mysterio, Chavo Guerrero and others during matches. Rey dedicated his Royal Rumble 2006 win to 'Latino Heat', and Guerrero's memory became part of his feud opposite Randy Orton afterwards.
Fair, but they really didn't need to go as far as they did. On the 3 February episode of SmackDown, Orton was making light of Mysterio’s repeated tributes to Guerrero and said: “Eddie ain’t in heaven. Eddie’s down there...in hell”. For context, this promo aired 82 days after Eddie's death. It was designed to put some more juice behind the upcoming Randy vs. Rey match at No Way Out.
That was it. It was a cheap heat device from guys who should've known better. They'd likely argue that 'Eddie would've wanted this', and they absolutely knew Guerrero better than some internet writer/wrestling fan, but still. There was just no need to go there and outright say that Eddie was in hell rather than heaven. It was a shameful line, and there would've been tasteful ways to skirt around things to be more sensitive.
Some would say that Randy's heel character was vicious enough to make such brutality essential, but it still classes as one of 2006's most unsavoury moments for sure. All of that for a quick, 'Oooooooooh' response from the live crowd in Orlando? Yeah, something about that doesn't sit right.
What other moments from WWE's 2006 belong here? For more like this, check out 10 Worst WWE Moments Of 2004 and 10 Worst WWE Moments Of 2005!