5. The Special Relationship With Fans
The outpouring of support for The Guerrero family after Eddie died was absolutely heart-warming. Tough guys like Batista openly wept, while evil old Vince McMahon broke character and actually fell to pieces on-air. But Eddies fellow wrestlers werent alone. Seemingly moments after the tragic news broke, thousands of fans clamoured to tell stories about the times they spent with the man, or else send their heartfelt condolences to his widow and children. It was nothing short of an industry-wide gesture of respect, solidarity and love. The sad truth is that wrestlers die all the time, but rarely does the news provoke that level of earnest, genuine emotion, bare-boned sorrow and absolute adoration. One story I particularly like is by a US soldier who was serving in Iraq. Being of Mexican/American heritage, he had always seen Guerrero as a sort of hero, a person to aspire to. The soldier actually met Guerrero in an airport and talked to him for a little while. When Eddie was interrupted by a phone call, he returned a few minutes later and continued the conversation right where it had left off. He had been telling the soldier how much he respected him and what he did for a living. Do a Google search and see for yourself, there are tons of stories where a fan has met Eddie Guerrero and Eddie has actually found time to chat to them, sign things for them, or (as in the case of the soldier) talk with the fans friends or family on the phone. That level of fan interaction is probably very difficult when youve been Frog Splashing off of the top rope all night, so you know that Eddie put in the time and effort when it came to the WWE fans. It paid off in a big way...