15 Days That Changed Wrestling Forever (4)

4. Eddie Guerrero Death, November 13th 2005

The death of Eddie Guerrero of heart failure aged just 38 in 2005 had huge ramifications for the wrestling industry.
There had been other wrestling deaths in the past, notably Owen Hart, but the Eddie death really changed things. The 24 hour media and the internet were all over the story, discussing the tragic death of the major WWE star. He was legitimately in the top 5 main event acts of WWE in 2005. The company went into shock.
Vince McMahon looked at the media hysteria and realised he needed to make industry changes. Eddie was the culmination of a frighteningly long list of wrestler deaths at an early age. While personal responsibility is a fair point, Vince had to take some of the blame. The industry he created was biased toward bigger bodies and demanded talent endure considerable physical pain in bumping during matches. The result was widespread steroid and pain killer abuse in the industry. Eddie was also an alcoholic, which had nothing to do with wrestling, but the WWE pretty much admitted there were errors in their industry.
The result was the implication of a large Wellness Policy. This changed the course of WWE forever, effectively putting an end to large muscular bodies. Guys like Randy Orton seemed to shrink. Talents such as CM Punk were able to emerge. Steroid abuse and pain killer problems were finally being dealt with.
It has been a great positive for the business. Attention to healthcare is drastically improved, and men who couldn’t handle the rigours of WWE such as Kurt Angle had to leave the company. In my opinion, lives have undoubtedly been saved by WWE’s hardline policy following the death of Eddie Guerrero.