8 Wrestling Angles Which Exploited Real Life Deaths

1. "Eddie's Down There, In Hell"

Was it ever going to be anything else? The shining example of how NOT to use a real life tragedy to further a story line.

The entire run that Rey Mysterio took from winning the Royal Rumble, into his World Heavyweight Championship win at WrestleMania 22, was fueled by Eddie Guerrero-based sympathy. Some people thought it fit Mysterio's character arc, others thought it was shameless exploitation. It was a polarising period of time.

No matter your thoughts on how Rey utilised references to Guerrero, everyone is on the same page when it comes to Randy Orton's use of the Guerrero tragedy. The night after he was eliminated last in the Royal Rumble, Orton came out to interrupt Mysterio, himself celebrating his win with Eddie's entrance and attire.

Orton challenged his smaller foe to a match, with Mysterio's championship match on the line, but when Mysterio looked to the sky for an answer, Orton wasted little time in picking him off.

"You're looking to the heavens, you're looking for Eddie. Let me tell you something, Eddie ain't in heaven. Eddie's down there... IN HELL!"

It had barely been a month since Guerrero's passing, and while many other wrestlers were using his name around Raw and SmackDown, Orton's use was a mile out of line for all the wrong reasons.