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Fans flock to Scottsdale to pay respects to wrestling star
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Eddie Guerrero fans flocked to a Scottsdale cemetery Friday to pay tribute to the pro-wrestling star they knew as the "Latino Heat."
A funeral for Guerrero was Thursday at the Green Acres Funeral Home in Scottsdale, but the service was restricted to family and friends. The time and location were kept quiet, and even delayed once, to guard against an expected onslaught of fans.
Guerrero, 38, a Mexicoborn World Wrestling Entertainment champion, moved to Scottsdale last month and was found dead Sunday morning. The cause of death is still unknown.
After the funeral, the location of Guerrero’s grave was made public.
Carol and Hector Valdez of Tempe brought their 13-yearold son, Hector Jr., to the cemetery near Hayden and McKellips roads to say goodbye.
Standing next to a mound of flowers on top of the grave site, tears ran down Hector Jr.’s face as he recalled watching his hero on WWE’s "Smackdown."
"Last week he was doing wrestling moves and finishers," Hector Jr. said. "Now he’s gone."
Carol Valdez described herself as a pro-wrestling fan for the past 30 years. When she heard the news of Guerrero’s death Monday morning, she woke her son — who she describes as Guerrero’s No. 1 fan — to tell him.
"He cried all week long," she said.
The funeral home has been flooded with fans visiting and dropping off flowers since his grave’s location was made public, said Ella Wudel, a Green Acres employee.
Scottsdale resident Michael Lee never met Guerrero and saw him perform live only once, but felt he had to come Friday to share happy memories with other wrestling fans.
"It was his flair and personality," Lee said.
"There was just something about him."
All week, fans had been paying their respects with poems and messages to the family on several of the prowrestling and tribute Web sites.
Guerrero leaves behind a wife and three daughters.
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