- Below are some highlights, courtesy of Patterson from NJ, from an interview that former WWE star Chavo Guerrero did with The Big Mosh and Todd Vincent from Monday Night Mayhem. The full show and more is available at MondayNightMayhem.com.
If he was actually considering leaving the WWE prior to asking for his release earlier this summer and why he believes the theory of “when you need wrestling, that’s when wrestling doesn’t need you”/”when you don’t need wrestling, that’s when wrestling needs you”: “I was thinking about leaving for the last few years to be honest, maybe two and half years. I’d be kicking around (the idea) with my wife. She was very supportive and told me to do what I have to do. Sometimes you get caught in a rut, being you get a family, you get kids. It’s a great job for a young guy who’s single. ‘Hey, go travel the world, and make some money. It’s great.’ And then, they start sucking you in a little bit, because you got this and that, and you kind of need wrestling. When you need wrestling, that’s when wrestling doesn’t need you. When you don’t need wrestling, that’s when wrestling needs you. CM Punk is an example. What he is doing is great, but it’s not like he changed anything. It’s not like he just became a great wrestler or great on the mic. What happened was he was leaving, and finally they had to something to keep him, and they let him fly off the cuff a little bit.”
Whether or not Vince McMahon and the WWE used the Guerrero name in the proper way after the tragic passing of his uncle (Eddie Guerrero): “I think Vince McMahon was very leery and careful in how he used the Guerrero name, because he didn’t want to just capitalize on Eddie’s death. I know if I turned around the next day, and they would have pushed me through the roof, and I became champ, you would have the same people that are saying ‘Vince didn’t use the name right.’ The same people would have said ‘They’re exploiting Eddie, and that’s the only reason Chavo got his push.’ Sometimes you can’t make people happy. It’s a business. Vince McMahon is a business man, and if he could make money off of you, then he’s going to use you. My feud with Rey Mysterio was a direct result of the same question that you asked.”
What he sees as the most intriguing aspects about Ring of Honor and TNA when considering the next chapter of his own in-ring career: “Ring of Honor is definitely an up-and-comer. You can’t deny their athleticism and what they can do in the ring. That’s definitely appealing to me; going out there, being able to wrestle, not having your hands tied, and the brass telling you you have five minutes out there. There’s a reason main eventers like John Cena and others have good matches a lot, because they have a 30 or 45 minute Pay-Per-View match. Well, give me 30 or 45 minutes out there, and I’m going to tear the house down. I guarantee it. TNA is also a huge up-and-coming company that you want to see succeed. Not only is my uncle Hector there, but the X-Division there is tremendous. You have Kurt Angle there, one of the best wrestlers of all-time. They have some great talent, and there’s such big potential there to really do good.”
If he was actually considering leaving the WWE prior to asking for his release earlier this summer and why he believes the theory of “when you need wrestling, that’s when wrestling doesn’t need you”/”when you don’t need wrestling, that’s when wrestling needs you”: “I was thinking about leaving for the last few years to be honest, maybe two and half years. I’d be kicking around (the idea) with my wife. She was very supportive and told me to do what I have to do. Sometimes you get caught in a rut, being you get a family, you get kids. It’s a great job for a young guy who’s single. ‘Hey, go travel the world, and make some money. It’s great.’ And then, they start sucking you in a little bit, because you got this and that, and you kind of need wrestling. When you need wrestling, that’s when wrestling doesn’t need you. When you don’t need wrestling, that’s when wrestling needs you. CM Punk is an example. What he is doing is great, but it’s not like he changed anything. It’s not like he just became a great wrestler or great on the mic. What happened was he was leaving, and finally they had to something to keep him, and they let him fly off the cuff a little bit.”
Whether or not Vince McMahon and the WWE used the Guerrero name in the proper way after the tragic passing of his uncle (Eddie Guerrero): “I think Vince McMahon was very leery and careful in how he used the Guerrero name, because he didn’t want to just capitalize on Eddie’s death. I know if I turned around the next day, and they would have pushed me through the roof, and I became champ, you would have the same people that are saying ‘Vince didn’t use the name right.’ The same people would have said ‘They’re exploiting Eddie, and that’s the only reason Chavo got his push.’ Sometimes you can’t make people happy. It’s a business. Vince McMahon is a business man, and if he could make money off of you, then he’s going to use you. My feud with Rey Mysterio was a direct result of the same question that you asked.”
What he sees as the most intriguing aspects about Ring of Honor and TNA when considering the next chapter of his own in-ring career: “Ring of Honor is definitely an up-and-comer. You can’t deny their athleticism and what they can do in the ring. That’s definitely appealing to me; going out there, being able to wrestle, not having your hands tied, and the brass telling you you have five minutes out there. There’s a reason main eventers like John Cena and others have good matches a lot, because they have a 30 or 45 minute Pay-Per-View match. Well, give me 30 or 45 minutes out there, and I’m going to tear the house down. I guarantee it. TNA is also a huge up-and-coming company that you want to see succeed. Not only is my uncle Hector there, but the X-Division there is tremendous. You have Kurt Angle there, one of the best wrestlers of all-time. They have some great talent, and there’s such big potential there to really do good.”