Rey Mysterio says his WWE championship win wouldn’t have happened without Eddie Guerrero

Rey Mysterio Jr. is one of the most decorated and influential figures in professional wrestling history. As a pioneering luchador, he helped bridge the gap between Mexican lucha libre and major American promotions like WCW, ECW, and WWE. His innovative in-ring style, tireless work ethic, and enduring popularity have left a lasting mark on the industry. Among his many accomplishments, winning the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 22 in 2006 stands as one of the crowning moments of his career. Yet, for all his individual achievements, Mysterio often credits that milestone to the inspiration and influence of his close friend and fellow wrestling icon, Eddie Guerrero.

“I truly believe in my heart that that moment wouldn’t have happened if Eddie hadn’t passed,” Rey explained on a recent episode of the No Contest Wrestling podcast. “Because the connection that Eddie and I had—even though we were feuding at the end… But that connection that we had, you know, everything that we did together was so unique, so real, so organic.”

Following Eddie Guerrero’s passing, Rey Mysterio revealed that Pat Patterson — then Vince McMahon’s senior creative consultant — was the most vocal supporter of giving him a major push, ultimately leading to his WWE Championship victory.

Rey continued, “When Eddie passed, I believe Pat Patterson was the one that mentioned to Vince at the time, ‘You got to put the title on him’… it happened so fast and it was so surreal.”

Mysterio became only the second Superstar in WWE Royal Rumble history to win after entering at the #2 spot, dedicating the emotional victory to Eddie Guerrero following Guerrero’s passing in November 2005—a tribute made even more poignant when Mysterio captured the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 22.

Mysterio defeated Kurt Angle and Randy Orton in a triple threat match to win the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 22, a win which Angle reiterated as an incredibly momentous win for both Mysterio and the memory of Guerrero.

“It was incredible! I was so happy for Rey,” Angle said on an episode of WWE’s The Bump from 2021. “You know, the whole thing was in memory of Eddie. This was a great storybook ending to a program that meant so much to Eddie Guerrero, to his family and to the WWE Universe. This was the perfect finish for a WrestleMania main event, and I was really happy for Rey!”

Rey later reflected on the match as one of his finest in-ring performances and among the accomplishments he’s most proud of in his career.

“I go back and watch this match over and over by myself and then with my son. We learned so much still to this day from that match,” Rey Mysterio mentioned. “Timing was impeccable that night. I felt like we all brought our A-game. There were a lot of what fans call ‘holy s–t’ moments. But at the end of the day, there was only one task in mind, and that was to beat either Kurt or Randy to become World Champion.”

What do you think of the fact that Rey Mysterio says his WWE championship win wouldn’t have happened without Eddie Guerrero? Do you agree? And do you think his victories at the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 22 served as a fitting tribute to Guerrero — another iconic figure who played a crucial role in breaking barriers for Mexican wrestlers in WWE?