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Eddie Title Win

By
Scott,

I was randomly reviewing some of your rants from 2003 and was interested in following the progression of Eddie Guerrero from summer to Wrestlemania.  In the SummerSlam rant, you said he was crazy over and they needed to do something with him right them.  By early 2004 (No Way Out) they had the WWE Title on him.  However, along the way, they didn't seem so sure about Eddie's push, as he worked midcard feuds, jobbed to Big Show, and did another PPV match as los Guerreros against the Bashams.  It didn't seem like they were all that sure until they finally pulled the trigger.  So my question: was Eddie's title win the long-term plan all along or was it a relatively last-minute decision?  He certainly wasn't getting the typical rocket push from summer on or anything.

Related question: How far out was Benoit's title win planned?  Did they always intend to have Eddie & Benoit leave Wrestlemania XX as champs, or were there other plans for that show?

Thanks Scott

Eddie was absolutely the long-term plan all along.  As I've noted before, I was basically told months in advance "We're putting the World title on Eddie at No Way Out because it's in a heavy Hispanic arena and it'll be awesome."  That was right after Brock won the title back from Kurt Angle in the iron man match on Smackdown, so there was clearly a plan in place.

Benoit I don't know for sure about, unless he was with-holding the info to keep it as a surprise for me.  You would have to assume that it was also the long-term plan, especially since they did the angle where Benoit lost his last title shot and thus would have to win the Rumble to get another one.  

Comments

  1. cultstatusJanuary 25, 2013 at 10:44 PM

    It's a shame Eddie felt so much pressure being champ because from what I've read over the years it sounds like Vince was behind him and was going to let him run with the belt for a bit.

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  2. Stuart_ChartockJanuary 25, 2013 at 11:08 PM

    Both of them had some very odd feuds before their big main-event pushes - Eddie with Luther Reigns and The Bashams, Benoit with A-Train and The FBI.


    Tests to see if they could remain over, perhaps?

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  3. Jose GomezJanuary 25, 2013 at 11:27 PM

    It was also confirmed that Eddie was set to win the Big Gold Belt around the time he passed away (the week after i think)

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  4. Billy CastilloJanuary 25, 2013 at 11:47 PM

    I thought that was this proven is groovin

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  5. jvc113January 25, 2013 at 11:48 PM

    Stephen all but said it on the tribute show for Eddie.

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  6. Mar SoloJanuary 25, 2013 at 11:59 PM

    But at the same time, you had to respect a guy who felt that he wasn't bringing in the crowds enough as champion, and felt someone else should get the shot.


    How many main event guys can you say that about?

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  7. Buster AbbottJanuary 26, 2013 at 12:09 AM

    Hindsight being 20/20, I'll bet WWE really wishes they'd booked Eddie to win the Rumble and saved his big title win for Wrestlemania. That would've saved a lot of historical walking-on-eggshells when referring to the 2004 Rumble and WM 20. Of course, if hindsight was really 20/20, WWE would've done a lot more than just rebook things if they knew what was going to happen.

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  8. AmericanWolves02January 26, 2013 at 12:18 AM

    Somewhat related: Anyone seen the Perry Saturn YouShoot? Sad stuff man. But I'm really glad to see him getting his stuff together.

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  9. Nick RomanJanuary 26, 2013 at 12:21 AM

    What in particular was sad about it?

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  10. stagger_geeJanuary 26, 2013 at 12:35 AM

    I think the general gist of it was that he'd been to see Stephanie and said he was in much better shape mentally and if they wanted to put the belt back on him (which they did) he'd be cool with it.


    What wasn't the case was that he was going to win it back the night he died. But I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd taken it off Batista sooner rather than later

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  11. stagger_geeJanuary 26, 2013 at 12:36 AM

    Yep, one of the best told in ring stories in recent years (he says recent then realises that was nearly ten years ago now... christ)


    Just DIE Eddie. Glorious

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  12. AmericanWolves02January 26, 2013 at 12:36 AM

    Maybe it's just my background with addiction(my father was an alcoholic for many years and my sister also had bad problems with drugs as well) So I feel for his story. Just a guy that I was a fan of and hearing how he almost died, got hooked on meth, was homeless for many years, and some of his great friends died without his knowing. He seems like a nice guy who just got addicted and it almost ruined his life.

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  13. Jose GomezJanuary 26, 2013 at 12:45 AM

    That would kinda suck if it was, i would like to see him have another run with the belt

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  14. justicegrayJanuary 26, 2013 at 12:47 AM

    "Benoit I don't know for sure about, unless he was with-holding the info to keep it as a surprise for me."

    BACK UP THERE BUD.


    So you and Benoit were actually in regular communication??! That is crazy!!!

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  15. AmericanWolves02January 26, 2013 at 12:52 AM

    Yeah that caught my eye. Whassupwitdat?

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  16. Robert Bradley CurranJanuary 26, 2013 at 12:53 AM

    It did stick out to me when they had Michael Cole's call of Mankind winning the WWF Title in Mick's Hall of Fame video packaging.

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  17. cultstatusJanuary 26, 2013 at 1:19 AM

    Might be tough.

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  18. AmericanWolves02January 26, 2013 at 1:36 AM

    I suggest you check it out. He is brutally honest about pretty much everything. It's pretty shocking. He owns up to bad shit.

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  19. Buster AbbottJanuary 26, 2013 at 4:38 AM

    I thought the rumour was that Eddie/HBK was in the cards for WM22? Ah well, either way it would've been a great match and damn sight better when HBK/Vince or Taker/Henry.

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  20. Jabber2January 26, 2013 at 5:17 AM

    The "he" is the inside source Scott referenced in the first paragraph, not Benoit himself. I'm not sure if justicegray is joking, though.

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  21. Jabber2January 26, 2013 at 5:22 AM

    I'm pretty sure Orton was the guy who was getting the belt, and Eddie was in the match to take the fall so that they could hold off on Orton/Batista, a money match they were clearly setting up down the road (WM22 before Batista's injury). All the booking, storylines, history, Batista's injury, etc. pointed to that being the case. I think people just jumped on something an emotional Stephanie said and took it too literally.

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  22. Fistic GloryJanuary 26, 2013 at 6:49 AM

    You're not crazy - I remember that too. Scott's kayfabbing us!

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  23. YankeesHoganTripleHFanJanuary 26, 2013 at 7:41 AM

    This post has got me wondering...it has been alluded to by Scott on several occasions that Eddie "couldn't handle" being champion. My question is what does that mean exactly? Was he back on drugs? Having bad matches? Missing bookings? Just wondering.

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  24. YankeesHoganTripleHFanJanuary 26, 2013 at 8:11 AM

    Gotcha. Thanks.

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  25. White ThunderJanuary 26, 2013 at 9:06 AM

    No one mentioned how awesome the actual Eddie - Lesnar match was. One of my all time favorites.

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  26. JohnPetukaJanuary 26, 2013 at 12:23 PM

    He said, "I was told 'there were also big plans for Benoit'"

    Unless Benoit talks about himself in the third person, I don't think Scott was insinuating that he was talking to Benoit.

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  27. PhredericJanuary 26, 2013 at 4:09 PM

    Ah...that makes much more sense.

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  28. Phil StubingtonJanuary 26, 2013 at 11:12 PM

    It thought it was generally accepted it was the stress of being the top man - I don't recall it being a emphemism for anything else. There is a good section in the Stone Cold DVD about the stress he felt once he became "the guy" as well - and they were making more money than God at that point whereas the company was sliding backwards when Eddie was champ so he must have felt it even worse.

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  29. PC02January 27, 2013 at 12:32 AM

    Are you comfortable revealing who "he" was in giving you that information?

    Just curious. It would be fun to know.

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  30. Mark SatrangJanuary 27, 2013 at 2:22 AM

    Yeah I had to go find the Kidman "rhino" clip immediately after reading this...wow...

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  31. Fistic GloryJanuary 27, 2013 at 5:33 AM

    One can only hope they were all screaming "GORE! GORE! GORE!"

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