JBL says there was “not one chance in a million” that he was going to defeat Chavo Guerrero on WWE’s tribute show for Eddie Guerrero in 2005.
During a recent episode of “Something to Wrestle,” JBL and co-host Conrad Thompson discussed tribute shows in professional wrestling. The WWE Hall of Famer recalled the difficult circumstances surrounding the Raw and SmackDown tapings held immediately after Guerrero’s passing.
JBL revealed that there was initially some discussion about him defeating Chavo on the tribute edition of SmackDown, an idea he immediately rejected.
“Shortly after we were going to Europe and all of a sudden you’re doing a tribute show for a guy that you think will live forever,” JBL said. “And at first they had the match and there was a talk of me going over. I said, ‘Hey, there ain’t a chance in the world I’m going over. Not one in a million. I’m not doing it.'”
Instead, JBL specifically requested to work with Chavo and have Guerrero’s nephew defeat him using Eddie’s signature Frog Splash.
“And I said, ‘I want to work with Chavo and I want [Chavo to beat me] with a frog splash.’ And that’s what we did,” he said.
JBL added that he was grateful to share the ring with Chavo on such an emotional night, recalling how difficult it was for everyone involved to get through the tribute shows.
“And I was glad that I got to work with Chavo. And I was glad Chavo made it through,” JBL said. “The same reason that, you know, like Elton John said about Princess Diana, you made it through because you had to, because it was for somebody that was important and that’s what you do.”
For JBL, the show was ultimately about doing whatever they could to honor Guerrero.
“It’s a tribute,” he continued. “And you make it through because of who they are. And at that point, you’re doing something that you feel like really all you can do for them.”
Chavo went on to defeat JBL with the Frog Splash on the Eddie Guerrero tribute edition of SmackDown, which aired on November 18, 2005.
JBL had been one of Guerrero’s biggest rivals the previous year. Their lengthy WWE Championship program included JBL defeating Guerrero in a Texas Bullrope Match at the 2004 Great American Bash to capture the title. JBL later retained the championship against Guerrero inside a steel cage at the July 13, 2004 SmackDown taping.
Guerrero passed away from arteriosclerotic heart disease at the age of 38 on November 13, 2005. He was found unconscious in his Minneapolis hotel room by Chavo.
WWE was scheduled to tape Raw and SmackDown in Minneapolis that day and instead dedicated both shows to Guerrero. The Raw tribute aired on November 14, followed by the SmackDown tribute on November 18.
