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Retro Match Review: Eddie Guerrero vs Brock Lesnar No Way Out 2004

This is an opinion based series where I watch matches and give my thoughts about them! I started out with one of my favorite matches ever with one of my favorite wrestlers ever. I hope you enjoy!

In February of 2004, one of WWE’s hottest stories was coming to an end. Eddie Guerrero’s popularity had skyrocketed and the “Next Big Thing” Brock Lesnar was looking for a way out. Eddie had collected various championships throughout his career, but one had evaded him- the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. However, the stars were finally aligning for Eddie to get a chance to get a shot at the big one.

The story leading up to the match was very David versus Goliath-like. Brock was the taller, younger, formidable heel. Eddie was the underdog. There was surely no way that Eddie could beat him! However, where Brock was harder hitting- Eddie was faster and more calculating. Where Brock was the rookie and lacked ring experience- Eddie was considered a veteran who knew the ring like the back of his hand.

One of the highlights of the feud leading up to the championship match was Eddie’s “I’m an addict” promo. Brock had been consistently mocking Eddie’s storied past with addiction, along with his Mexican ancestry. That promo, to this day, remains one of the greatest promos in Eddie’s career- if not one of the greatest in the entire company. Eddie wasn’t shy when he talked about his past. He even went as far as to detail a moment in his life when he was high in one of the locker room showers.

And one of the last things that Eddie says to Brock is: “Yeah, I am an addict. I’m addicted to the high I get from them!" He pointed to the crowd as passion spilled through every word that he uttered. That promo proved how much that championship meant to him. It proved how much the crowd and the fans meant to him. And I’m sure if you were in the vicinity of the building while he was speaking- your ears were sure to be ringing. In that moment after the promo, nobody had more of the crowd on their side than Eddie Guerrero.

Finally, we are at the long-awaited match between David and Goliath. The rookie and the veteran. Eddie Guerrero versus Brock Lesnar. The story going into the match was carefully crafted to make the crowd and fans at home believe that anything could happen. There was truly no way at that point to make a prediction. But you could feel that the crowd was so fully behind Eddie that even the viewers at home could surely feel the energy through their screens. They believed in Eddie. But was their belief in him going to be enough?

Whenever Eddie would gain an ounce of momentum, Brock was there to squash it. With every pin attempt there would be a kick-out. The final sequence of events was something out of pure cinema. The title was brought into the ring by Brock- who felt like he needed to resort to Eddie’s lying, cheating, and stealing ways to put his opponent down. When it looks like Brock is going to use the title on Eddie, Goldberg storms the ring and lays Brock out with a spear. The title is now in the middle of the ring as Eddie begins to stir.

He grabs the title as Brock slowly gets to his feet. He’s taunting Lesnar at every chance, just itching to get the pinfall. But surprise! When Eddie is about to hit Brock with the championship, Brock counters Eddie into an F-5. There is desperate cheering from the crowd. This can’t be how it ends! However, Guerrero is not out yet. He counters the F-5 into a DDT onto the championship.

Brock goes down. An exhausted Eddie throws the title out of the ring before executing one of the most iconic moments in WWE history. Taz’s cries of “Eddie cheated!” as Michael Cole cheers Eddie on along with the crowd as he hits a frog splash. Eddie calls for the referee, desprate to get in the three count before Brock gets up again. And in what seems like several agonizing minutes, the ref counts one…two…three!

The fans in attendance go absolutely insane. After years of fighting against his own personal demons and working his way back up the ladder, Eddie Guerrero has finally won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship! It is truly an unforgettable moment. This is the ultimate feel-good match. It is the match that you watch when you want to feel something. There is a reason that this match is on lists of greatest matches. It is one of the best from one of the greatest men to ever do it.