Robbie’s Top 20 WrestleMania Moments – 13. Rey Mysterio Wins Gold In Honor Of Eddie Guerrero
Sup yo? If you’re unaware, I’m doing a blog per day leading up to WrestleMania where I talk about my personal favorite 20 Mania moments of all time. Keep in mind I’m 18, so a lot of my picks will be on the more recent side. Sorry for the delay on today’s.
13. Rey Mysterio Wins Gold In Honor Of Eddie Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero’s death in the fall of 2005 came out of nowhere and was one of the most tragic deaths in the business. A few of Eddie’s closest friends started wearing an “EG” armband to the ring every night, in tribute to him, and it was shortly incorporated into storyline. After Rey won the Royal Rumble in honor of Eddie, Randy Orton (who was the last one eliminated) urged him to put his #1 contender’s spot up for grabs by making many disparaging remarks about the late Guerrero, including saying he was in hell. As a kid, I never really thought about the real life consequences these may have on Eddie’s family, but looking back, it probably wasn’t the smartest idea.
Orton won Rey’s #1 contendership at No Way Out right before the Show of Shows, and CRUSHED me. Rey was my favorite wrestler. The flips, the mask, the superhero themed attire, what’s not to love? Teddy Long decided to re-add Rey to the match at Wrestlemania 22 however, making it a triple threat match.
Kurt Angle (c) vs Randy Orton vs Rey Mysterio wasn’t given much time on the show, clocking in at just 11:28, but no match in wrestling history has ever capitalized more on the time they were given than this one. I consider this triple threat match to be the greatest under 15 minute match of all time, and since it’s so short, there’s no reason not to watch it if you haven’t seen it! There’s action from start to end, amazing sequences, and believable false finishes in the first five minutes. When Rey Mysterio finally won, I vividly remember fist pumping, and running up and down my stairs about a hundo times. For such a small guy, I really never thought he’d win the World HEAVYweight Championship, and I was actually fine with that! Then, he wins it here, in such an emotional moment, and celebrates with Eddie’s family at the top of the ramp. Like it or not, bringing the death into storyline made this title win that much more touching. I still get teary when Rey wins and they cut to this sign:
Again, sorry for the delay on today’s blog, but come back tomorrow at 2pm, our regularly scheduled time, for another action packed moment. We’re getting awfully close to the top ten!
Catch up on the list:
20. Butterbean Knocks Bart Gunn Into Another Dimension
19. The Term “Divas” Is Abolished As The Women Steal The Show
18. Hogan V. Vince: 20 Years In The Making
17. Edge Spears Mick Foley Through A Flaming Table
16. The Undertaker Pulls Off The Greatest False Finish Of All Time
15. The First Ever Ladder Match On The Grandest Stage Of Them All