Cause of death: Heart Failure due to Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease - Aged 38 There's no denying the fact that Eddie Guerrero was one of the most gifted technical wrestlers in the history of professional wrestling. He was also one of the most charismatic and universally respected performers in the ring and in the WWE locker room. Taking nothing away from his in-ring accomplishments, Guerrero's unexpected death at the age of 38 was likely precipitated by a lifetime of anabolic steroid abuse. Standing just 5'8" tall, Guerrero's 230 pound muscular frame at the time of his death was eerily reminiscent of the heavily roided bodies of the Dynamite Kid and longtime friend Chris Benoit. Though the official autopsy report refused to speculate that steroid abuse contributed to Guerrero's death, Sports Illustrated published a story in 2007 that detailed Guerrero's alleged continued purchase of anabolic steroids just months before his death. Impact of Guerrero's Death Eddie's passing had an immediately positive but ultimately horrific impact on professional wrestling. The good: WWE honored the life of Eddie Guerrero with an extremely rare 10-bell salute on the Monday Night RAW following his death. He was also posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame just 4 months later by his nephew Chavo Guerrero. WWE also instituted a real talent wellness policy as a result of Guerrero's death that many experts agree is among the most stringent performance-enhancing drug policies in all of professional sports. The horrific: Though it is merely speculative, many family members and friends of Chris Benoit believe that the death of Eddie Guerrero played a huge role in Benoit's double-murder/suicide just 19 months later. Benoit was clearly distraught by the loss of his best friend in the business, and he kept an ominous diary-like collection of letters written to the deceased Guerrero. In one of the most disturbingly prophetic entries, Benoit wrote, "I will be with you soon." These letters to Eddie would be cited by many as early warning signs of the psychosis that would eventually consume Chris Benoit.
