Pro restling Archive

 Interview: Eddy Guerrero

Eddy talks about his jump to the WWF and his new "Latino Heat" character!

April 24, 2000

IGN's Mike Tavares caught up with WWF European Champion Eddy Guerrero at the Gary Albright special indy show last week. A topic of controversy as of late has been Guerrero's character portraying a stereotypical new-age Latino. Here he discusses his feelings on that situation, his jump to the WWF, his recent elbow injury and more.

Tavares: Can you tell us your thoughts thus far with your career with the WWF?

Guerrero: It's been an up and down one from dislocating my elbow to right now with what I am doing with Chyna, which is great. Like I said, I had that mishap with the elbow (during his first match with the WWF, Guerrero badly separated it executing a Frogsplash on Smackdown.) It was really depressing. You start out with a new company and you want to do the best you can. It really held me back right off the bat. Now I'm starting to get back into my flow, and right now I am happy because everything seems to be going good.

Tavares: Your current gimmick, Latino Heat, has really picked up and people are catching onto it. What are your thoughts on that?

Guerrero: Well, I think it's great. For me it's a blessing because, like I said I get to rub shoulders with Chyna...ultimate professional. For me, just being with her there and doing something with her is great.

Tavares: How did the character come about?

Guerrero: I don't know. I guess they saw something when we were getting ready for the PPV at WrestleMania. I guess they saw something and they liked it. I really don't know. I just go with what they tell me.

Tavares: Because you pull it off so well. It's great and it's entertaining. It's what the WWF is, sports entertainment.

Guerrero: Well, I'm having fun.

Tavares: And, that's the important thing. What about with what happened at WCW?

Guerrero: Well you know I have nothing against them. It's just that it was a situation that unfortunately got really bad. It was never meant to be bad, it never was supposed to be bad. It never started out bad, it just became bad. We went in there and expressed our feelings that we were not happy with the structure of things and we just brought it to their attention that we were so unhappy that if it was going to stay like that, then we would like to leave. I guess they felt they didn't need us, they didn't want us, so we got our releases.

Tavares: That was a mistake.

Guerrero: Well you know, everyone is expendable. I don't care who they are. The business will still go on with us or without us. You can be Stone Cold, you can be the Rock, I don't care who you are, you know the business is going to go on. Maybe not as good for a while without those guys obviously because those guys are great and they produce and draw a lot of fans. They help make everybody money, but they're expendable.

Tavares: So, you're having a lot of fun in the WWF?

Guerrero: I am, I really am. I enjoy what I am doing, I like my character. What I like about WWF is they don't give you something and force it on you. They kind of let you do something you're comfortable with. This is me. I'm comfortable with it. This is where I grew up. I grew up around guys like this. You know I am Chicano. I'm Mexican-American. I'm proud of it. Just because I don't talk with the accent and all that doesn't mean I can't do it. Heck, I grew up around those characters. A lot of those guys are great friends of mine and I love it. So, I am doing what I like and I think that a lot of Chicanos that are watching me on television, I hope I am giving them a good time and entertaining them and letting them have fun with our culture because that's what it is about.

Tavares: I'm Mexican and I'm having fun with it.

Guerrero: All right, good.

Tavares: My entire family is Mexican and we watch it. It's so funny. (Guerrero laughs) It's hilarious.

Guerrero: Thank you, thank you. You gotta have some fun with it and that's what I want to do.