Smark Out Moment

In FIVE MOVES OF DOOM, we break down a particular wrestler's moveset and examine the five signature maneuvers that they perform on a regular basis.

These are the moves that fans watch out for during a match and are usually in a sequential pattern, building up to and including their finishers that typically get the biggest pop of suspense from the crowd each and every week.

This week's edition focuses on the late, great Eddie Guerrero: the technically gifted grappler from El Paso, Texas, who lived by the mantra of "Lie, Cheat and Steal." The veteran had competed in Mexico and Japan before making it big in the States, initially with ECW and WCW before his two stints in the WWE. He was the youngest son of the legendary promoter Gory Guerrero and the most renowned member of the Guerrero brothers - Chavo, Mando and Hector. He is also the uncle of former superstar Chavo Guerrero, Jr. Guerrero was a former European, United States, Intercontinental and Tag Team Champion, and defeated drug and alcohol addiction to become WWE Champion. He died in 2005, and was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame.


1. Hilo

Guerrero moves to the ring apron closest to an opponent knocked down on his back. Usually followed by some theatrics, Guerrero clasps the top rope with both hands and launches himself back over the rope, landing on the victim with a senton. Guerrero was also noted for using this move when his opponent was sandwiched within or lying upon a ladder. This move damaged his opponent's ribs and gut, depending on where Guerrero landed, and was often applied earlier in the match.

2. Gory Special

A move adopted from his father, Gory Guerrero, the Gory Special is a back-to-back submission hold. Guerrero hooks both his arms onto his opponents whilst facing the opposite direction. Then, he hoists the victim onto his own back, stretching them across it. This can be used as a pure submission hold, or can be transitioned into a facebuster takedown, where Guerrero grabs the legs of his opponent whilst they are stretched, releasing the arms and forcing them face down onto the mat. This causes damage to the opponent’s shoulders and back, and potentially the face and chest with the added slam.

3. Lasso From El Paso

A modified version of a Texas Cloverleaf. Guerrero approaches his downed opponent at the legs, lifting them up. He bends one of the legs behind the knee of the straight leg, and places the ankle into his armpit. Guerrero then locks his hands through the opening in the legs, and uses the leverage to turn his opponent onto his chest. Then, he stretches his opponent, with Guerrero going the extra step of placing his knee in the back of the victim for additional discomfort. This submission hold causes pain to the opponent's lower back and legs.

4. Three Amigos

Often used towards the climax of the match, Guerrero places the opponent in a suplex position, when their arm is draped over the performer's neck during a front facelock. They are then lifted overhead and slammed back first onto the mat. Guerrero then maintains the facelock, and spins his hips to regain a vertical base. Still in the suplex hold, Guerrero applies the move twice more before releasing the victim. This damages the opponent’s back, and is usually the set-up for Guerrero's finishing maneuver. It is the move most often performed by today's Superstars to pay tribute to Guerrero following his premature death.

5. Frog Splash

Guerrero's finishing maneuver is performed from the top rope onto a prone opponent. With the victim flat on the mat, Guerrero ascends one of the turnbuckles, often with some theatrics and taunting. Perched on the top rope, Guerrero dives off in a horizontal position, bringing his hands and knees together and apart before landing on the opponent. This is often followed by a pin attempt. It causes damage to opponent's ribs or gut, depending on the landing. Guerrero popularized the move in the 1990s and it is another maneuver that is employed by others to pay tribute to him.

CONCLUSION

Eddie Guerrero is rightly regarded by both peers and fans as one of the most technically gifted wrestlers in history. With his breadth of experience across the globe, attempting to encapsulate what embodies his moveset in five examples undermines his comprehensive understanding of ringcraft. His legacy is so great that even nine years after his death, the wounds of his passing have not yet healed in his fans. Guerrero won everything it was possible to in WWE, and his climb to the top of the mountain was one of pure inspiration. His legacy was continued through his nephew, Chavo, his close friend, Rey Mysterio, and his widow, Vickie. But, the span of his impact on the world of professional wrestling has been shown most vividly in the moves that he innovated, which, whenever employed today, are eternally followed by chants of "Eddie! Eddie!"