Provided that Eddie Guerrero spent the majority of his profession wrestling for powerhouse promotions similar to WCW, WWE, ECW, and Recent Japan Pro-Wrestling, one would figure that the best match of his profession needed to occur in considered one of those places. But what if the match many consider the best Guerrero had wasn’t in any of those promotions? Somewhat, what if it was for a Mexican promotion, where Guerrero’s first name was spelled with a “y” (his preferred way of spelling his name), and where he was just one fourth of a match that featured two all-time lucha libre legends and considered one of the largest what-if’s in wrestling history?
To be fair, the When Worlds Collide match that saw Guerrero and Los Gringos Locos teammate Love Machine Art Barr battle El Hijo del Santo and Octagon in a mask vs. hair match has turn out to be the stuff of legend over time. It was considered one of two marquee matches in the primary ever lucha libre event broadcast over United States pay-per-view, alongside Konnan vs. Perro Aguayo, it was the culmination of the most popular period in AAA’s then short history, and it sadly proved to be the apex of Barr, who’s death just days after the event left a everlasting mark on Guerrero — who subsequently adopted Barr’s finisher, the Frog Splash, as his own.
What it also was, nonetheless, was a match that had been broiling for generations. While Guerrero has since turn out to be considered one of wrestling’s most legendary figures, he began his life because the son of Gory Guerrero, an early lucha libre legend who just so happened to be the tag team partner of El Santo, considered by many to be the best luchador, and maybe the best wrestler, to ever live. So when Guerrero and Hijo del Santo decided to follow their fathers into lucha, and wound up in AAA at the identical time, it was only natural to team them up as La Pareja Atomica (The Atomic Pair), the identical name Gory and Santo had used during their many years teaming together. But jealousy on Guerrero’s part, and Barr manipulating Guerrero into believing Hijo del Santo had betrayed him, caused the team to separate, birthed Los Gringos Locos, and led to When Worlds Collide.
From a moves standpoint, Guerrero could have had higher matches, most notably his bout with fellow When Worlds Collide alum Rey Mysterio at Halloween Havoc 1997. However the history, the story, the stakes, and a hot, pro-Mexico crowd within the LA Sports Arena, combined with the good motion to create not only the high water mark for lucha libre, but for Guerrero’s profession. Other matches could have more flash, others could have been more accessible. But so far as this author is worried, nothing can hold a candle to the magic Guerrero created that night, with an assist from Barr, Santo, and Octagon.
Written by Eric Mutter