Next week will mark 20 years since the world lost Eddie Guerrero, who tragically passed away on November 13, 2005. His final match took place just days before his death, where he defeated Mr. Kennedy during a SmackDown taping.
On a recent episode of Something to Wrestle, John âBradshawâ Layfield reflected on his late friend and longtime rival, while addressing persistent internet rumors suggesting that a chair shot in that final match played a role in Eddieâs death.
JBL was quick to dismiss the claim. âNo, yeah, never. Not one time, no. And I think Iâve heard that over the years. I think it kind of kind of sounds familiar, but nobody thought that. You know, guys have gotten 1000s of chair shots over the years, and guys donât die from chair shots, you know? And so I get why the conspiracy gets put together. Hard chair shot you die, however long later it was. And I get why people could put, you know, two and two together like that, and get that. But nobody at the time thought that, and I certainly donât believe that.â
JBL also recalled how Guerrero seemed healthy and in good spirits before his sudden passing, making the tragedy all the more shocking.
âApparently, his heart just stopped. You know, I talked to, you know, Chavoâs told the story about finding him in his bathroom. You know, he got up in the morning, brushed his teeth, and just died. You know, his heart just quit. His life was over. You know, his life ran out, and there was nothing really, you know, Eddie had, there wasnât, there werenât any specific health issues at the time, and there certainly wasnât anything in ring, you know, itâs just something that it wasnât like a deteriorating condition. You know, unfortunately, his heart was just given out on him, and he didnât know it, and all of a sudden it just stopped one morning. And you know, there was not something that led up to it, that he was tired or he was despondent, or anything like that. There was nothing like that. I was around him as much as anybody, you know, and Chavo hadnât mentioned anything about it either. You know. He just got up one morning, and unfortunately, his heart stopped.â
The official autopsy confirmed that Eddie Guerrero passed away from acute heart failure caused by underlying arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. His passing remains one of the most heartbreaking losses in wrestling history, and his legacy continues to inspire fans and wrestlers two decades later.