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CALDWELL'S MEDIA CLUB: Eddie Guerrero DVD review Day 25 - Eddie's final PPV match; Batista comments on Eddie's death Dec 22, 2008 - 1:34:54 PM
Eddie Guerrero's final PPV match was October 9, 2005 at the Toyota Center in Houston against Batista. Coincidentally, Eddie's best friend, Chris Benoit, was scheduled for what-turned-out-to-be his final PPV appearance at the Toyota Center prior to the Benoit family tragedy in June 2007.
As for Eddie, the final match on PPV was a 20:00 WWE main event style heavyweight title bout that showed Eddie's unbelievable range. Eddie was able to take 20 minutes of time with Batista, who was still learning how to be a main event wrestler, and tell a complete story.
The story revolved around Eddie fighting his conscious to wrestle Batista, the babyface, honorably without resorting to his usual "lie, cheat, and steal" tactics.
Throughout the match, Eddie wove the storyline into the action to spread out the slow spots, rest holds, and Batista selling injured body parts.
Eddie being the in-ring technician worked the body part. Eddie being the storyteller played to the top row of the building to show the conflict he was experiencing.
Eddie's final PPV match was another one of those moments that captured Eddie's essence as a professional wrestler in WWE - he was able to work with anyone and work according to the audience reactions.
Batista says on the Eddie DVD that Eddie was always there for him, trying to make him look good since WWE had invested a significant amount of time into Batista as a main event star.
"Eddie had really kind of taking a liking to me," Batista says. "He really kind of showed me the ropes."
Batista talks about receiving the call about Eddie's death on November 13, 2005 and recounts being in disbelief that could be possible. He also reveals a voice mail Eddie left him the night before a Smackdown taping in Minneapolis where Eddie was possibly going to win the World Hvt. Title, which Batista held.
"The night he died, he called me and left a message. We had talked about certain things Vince (McMahon) wanted to do," Batista says quietly fighting tears. "Eddie called and said you have to trust him; Vince knows what he's doing and he said he loved me. That was the last I heard from him."
Batista says that more than being a great in-ring worker or underappreciated wrestler, Eddie was a personal friend who took care of him and took interest in his personal problems.
"He was one of those guys I could turn to," Batista says. "He was there for me through some real harsh times."
TOMORROW: The after-math of Eddie's death and wrestlers remember Eddie
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