Star wrestler's family will hold funeral in Scottsdale, AZ
As reported in today's Arizona Republic...
Nov. 15, 2005 12:00 AM
If fans want to pay their respects to pro wrestling superstar Eddie Guerrero, they will likely have to stick to Web logs and fan clubs.
Details of Guerrero's Scottsdale funeral will not be made public.
He was found dead in his hotel room Sunday morning in Minneapolis, where he was scheduled to appear that evening in a wrestling event.
World Wrestling Entertainment, the Connecticut-based corporation that featured Guerrero on its series WWE Smackdown, announced that Thursday's funeral will be private to avoid an overflow of fans.
"Eddie loved his fans," said Joe Villa, a WWE spokesman. "But if the funeral was publicized, thousands of people would show up."
Guerrero, 38, moved his family to Scottsdale from Florida less than a month ago, Villa said. The family has relatives in the Valley.
Fans united on the Internet on Monday, as chat rooms continued to buzz with news of his death and several Web sites posted messages to honor the man nicknamed "Latino Heat."
Some fans in the WWE chat room said they had been crying since they heard Guerrero's body was found. Many had questions about what killed him.
"Eddie, we will always remember you," one chatter wrote. "R.I.P. Eddie," another wrote. Yet another wrote, "I can't stop crying."
According to the WWE Web site, the wrestler is survived by his wife, Vickie; and daughters Shaul, 14; Sherilyn, 9; and Kaylie Marie, 3.
Guerrero's on-air archnemesis, John Bradshaw Layfield, said Guerrero was popular because he was personable and exuded an energy that drew fans into the match.
"Eddie was as passionate as anybody I've ever seen," said Layfield, who goes by the persona "JBL." Despite the on-air feud between the two men, Layfield said he and Guerrero were good friends. Guerrero was a groomsman in Layfield's wedding.
"He was probably the greatest performer I've ever been in the ring with . . . it was like being out there with electricity," Layfield said. "It was intoxicating.
After Guerrero didn't respond to a wake-up call in his hotel room Sunday morning, his nephew, fellow WWE wrestler Chavo Guerrero, and hotel security staff members forced their way in and found him on the floor, authorities said.
News of his death hit some fans hard, as many turned to Internet chat rooms to try to find out why he died and to share their grief.
The WWE posted messages from fans who submitted e-mails.
"I was extremely happy when he became WWE Champion because me as a Mexican-American had someone to look up to," wrote Adrian Ruiz, a fan. "I know this loss must be tough on the Guerrero family so I would like to say that Eddie may be gone but he has left a legacy that will never be matched."
