The WrestleMania Dream Match Snatched Away By Death: Eddie Guerrero vs Shawn Michaels

November 13th, 2005.

On this day the wrestling world lost one of the greatest to ever do it when Eddie Guerrero passed away due to acute heart failure. His death was a huge blow to the world of wrestling. Eddie was a special talent that far exceeded everything that was ever expected of him. 

In the years since his death, many of the talents that surrounded him have revealed parts of the booking that was planned, including a plan for him to defeat Batista in the coming weeks to win the World Heavyweight Championship. As time went on it was also revealed that the tentative plan for WrestleMania 22 in 2006 was for Eddie Guerrero to face off against Shawn Michaels. A dream match that would leave any wrestling fan salivating, one has to wonder how exactly the booking would have gone for Eddie leading into what very well could have been a career-defining feud with Mr. WrestleMania. So we decided to think about what could have been if Eddie had not passed that fateful day and had continued to entertain the masses with his endless appeal.

When Eddie passed, the SmackDown brand was building to Survivor Series which occurred two weeks after his death. Given the reputable rumors that Eddie was going to win the World Heavyweight Championship on an episode of SmackDown, we would see Eddie win the strap from Batista on the final episode of SmackDown before Survivor Series, putting both men in an intriguing position as teammates on Team SmackDown. As most recall fondly the end of Survivor Series included the Undertaker returning after Randy Orton was the last man standing. I would keep this booking, removing JBL from the team in place of Orton to allow this to still happen. During the match constant arguing causes Batista and Eddie to be eliminated following miscommunications. This allows them to build to their rematch at Armageddon, where Eddie goes over, retaining the title.

As the build to the Royal Rumble begins, Rey Mysterio defeats Batista with help from Eddie to be named the Number One Contender for the Rumble. Assuming that Batista goes down with an injury as he did in the real timeline, this removes him from the title picture and the Rumble itself. At the Royal Rumble Eddie and Rey put on one of their timeless classics and Eddie wins clean to retain the championship. As Rey is no longer in the Rumble itself, we need ourselves a new winner. In this case, Shawn Michaels becomes the last man standing, eliminating Randy Orton last just as Rey did.

The following night on RAW, Shawn Michaels declares his desire to face Eddie Guerrero. He proclaims that both men hit rock bottom, found God and came back to the business stronger than ever, but he needs to know which of them is the best. On SmackDown Eddie accepts the challenge while making subtle digs that Shawn’s newfound faith isn’t truly genuine like his own. As in the real timeline, The Undertaker is granted a title shot at No Way Out, but now faces Eddie Guerrero instead of Kurt Angle. As the weeks build The Undertaker stays on the fringe as Michaels and Guerrero continue trading barbs, with Michaels announcing his intention to sit ringside during the title match at No Way Out.

As one would expect, Guerrero and The Undertaker put on a classic 25+ minute match with Michaels sitting at ringside. As the match comes to a close Randy Orton attempts to interfere but is cut off by Rey Mysterio who is still standing by Eddie’s side despite his slow descent back to the dark side brought on by his feud with Undertaker and the impending match with Michaels. As in the real timeline, this allows Mark Henry to attack Undertaker and bringing Michaels into the ring as the match breaks down into a complete fracas. This sets up three of the big matches at WrestleMania 22. As in reality, Mark Henry and The Undertaker battle in a Casket Match with the Streak on the line. Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio face off in a singles match to settle their differences, and Eddie Guerrero defends the World Heavyweight Championship against Shawn Michaels.

As ‘Mania approaches, Eddie slips farther and farther into heeldom, not being able to deal with the idea that Michaels is the superior wrestler. Given WWE’s insistence on bringing religion into their angles, the dispute between the two becomes about who is God’s chosen favorite. A bit tasteless perhaps but remember that in reality only a month later God himself was part of a match, so let it go.

As WrestleMania approaches, the two manage to never come to blows until the go-home episode of SmackDown which sees matches between Michaels and Rey while Guerrero faces Orton. Guerrero defeats Orton with Michaels on commentary who enters the ring following the match and offers his hand as a show of good sportsmanship. Eddie turns and leaves, but returns to do commentary while Michaels faces Mysterio. Before the match can conclude Eddie finally loses it and attacks Michaels on the outside of the ring, bloodying him with a steel chair shot to the head. Mysterio tries to stop Eddie but gets thrown into the ring steps for his troubles leaving Eddie standing tall holding the World Heavyweight Championship in the middle of the ring with Michaels’ blood smeared on his chest.

Finally, we come to WrestleMania 22. As anyone with a functioning brain would expect from a match featuring Eddie Guerrero and Shawn Michaels, it is an instant classic worthy of 5 Stars on the so-called Meltzer scale. The two go for over 30 minutes before it finally ends when Eddie’s confidence in himself gets the better of him allowing HBK to hit Sweet Chin Music for the victory and the World Heavyweight Championship. 

As is usually expected from a big WrestleMania match, we would see a rematch at the next SmackDown PPV, which would also save the world from the god-awful McMahons vs. HBK/God match at that year’s Backlash. Where the story goes from there can be open to any interpretation, depending on who you prefer, but one can only imagine how well the story would be told by Guerrero and Michaels, undeniably two of the greatest to ever do it.

So, how would you have booked the two together into WrestleMania 22 had we been given that glorious option?