• On This Day In Pro Wrestling History (November 27, 1999) – Old School Wrestling Legend Passed Away
On this day in 1999, we lost Old School Wrestling Legend Hiro Matsuda at the age of 62 due to prostate cancer.
Matsuda wrestled professionally all over the planet during the 50s, 60s, 70s & 80s, but also worked as a pro wrestling teacher in the meanwhile.
Some of the students he trained, who eventually became household names were “The Immortal” Hulk Hogan, “The Total Package” Lex Luger, “Cowboy” Bob Orton Jr., “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff, “Faarooq” Ron Simmons and “Razor Ramon” Scott Hall.
In 2018, Hiro Matsuda was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the annual Legacy-Wing inductions.
REST IN PEACE!
(July 22, 1937 – November 27, 1999)
• Former WWE Star On If Chris Benoit Changed After Eddie Guerrero’s Death, Benoit Not Being Able To Handle Deaths Of His Friends
In this flashback article, we take a look at an old conversation between Chavo Guerrero & Chris Jericho, where Chavo & Jericho discuss changes in Chris Benoit after the death of Eddie Guerrero.
You can read their conversation below:
Jericho: Did you see a decline in Chris (Benoit) personality-wise after Eddie’s death? Because at this time you were riding with Chris pretty much exclusively.
Chavo: Yes, me and Chris, we had a big program together, a feud, if you want to call it and we ended up sticking together. Really, it was just he and I. We stuck up for each other. And I remember Chris saying, “Hey man, I don’t know what to do now. Eddie was like my go-to guy.”
And I’m like, “Bro, I’m gonna be your go to guy.” That took a little time to build up, that trust. But we did and we were like brothers. We would, before we go to wrestle, we would give each other kiss on the cheek and say, “Bring it… Okay bring it!!” And we go out there completely blank.
We go, “You blank. I’m blank. Okay, let’s go out there and we’d got twenty-five minutes.” Just call the whole thing in the ring. So we had no idea. We knew each other that well. The only time, four days a week, that we wouldn’t be together was when he’d go to his room and I go to my room which were next to each other. We’d get up, eat breakfast together, train together. We would do everything together.
Jericho: It’s interesting because around that time Black Cat who was good friend of Chris passed away, Johnny Grunge who was another very close confidant of Chris passed away, Ray Traylor (Big Boss Man) passed away.
I remember when Ray died, he said, “I can’t take this anymore. I can’t handle all my friends dying.”
And then just a few months after that Eddie passed away.
Chavo: I never saw a change in him and I was with him more time. People always say it’s concussions and this and we did scans on his brain and he had the brain of an 80 year old man and stuff. And I totally understand people looking and trying to find out why.
I was with him for the eight months before more than anybody. I didn’t see it man I didn’t. I would have seen something different because we’re with each other so much. I never saw a change in him. I never saw.
People say when Eddie died, he got so religious and this and that. I didn’t see. I mean we’re religious in our way and pray together before the matches and stuff like that. But unless he was just really, really, really, really good at hiding it from me, you know, obviously there’s something else going on.
Also Read: Chavo Guerrero Gives Details On Eddie Guerrero’s Death – Recalls Eddie Dying In His Arms.
