A quick question for all of you today: Where were you on November 13th, 2005?

For us pro wrestling fans, that date is a somber one that we all hold in our hearts.

Because on that day, wrestling lost a hero, a champion, and an overall decent human being.

His name, in case you haven't guessed, was Eddie Guerrero.

On 11/13/2005, in a hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Guerrero was found dead in a hotel room. He was scheduled to compete in a World Heavyweight Title match for a taping of WWE Smackdown, and apparently he was supposed to be the victor of this matchup.

He had died due to an acute heart failure, a condition caused by his past life of drugs and alcohol.

Now the sad fact is that, for the past 4 years, he was clean. No drugs, no booze, just living healthy and conquering his demons.

How do I factor into this story? Easy: Because I remember where I was on that day.

I had come home from church, and I went to my computer to check on the status of the upcoming Smackdown vs Raw 2006 game. I was looking at all the bulletin boards on the web and I kept on seeing topics on Eddie, in the past tense.

For a while I thought it was someone else. So I went to WWE.com to check the headlines as I usually do, and I saw this....


My heart sank immediately. I couldn't believe that he was dead, just like that. He had been such a good person in and out of the ring, and now he lost his life, in one quick moment.

Floored by this, I call over my brother and dad, who are also shocked as well. For the next few hours, I was on WWE.com, reading the tributes, watching the press conference, trying to get a grasp of this and realize that this guy, who overcame demons, was gone.

Now if you know me well, you know that I am a passionate pro wrestling fan. I play the video games, watch the TV shows, go to events, listen to the music, wear the T-shirts, talk to my friends about it....it's a huge part of my life.

Learning about his death was quite a moment for me, personally. Eddie has been involved in quite a few pivotal moments in my wrestling fanship. For example, he was involved in the 1st title change I saw as a WWE fan (losing to Matt Hardy in April 2001), he was at the 1st WWE live event I went to (Smackdown in July 2005), and more importantly, he was involved in the most shocking title change I ever saw, when he pinned Brock Lesnar in February 2004 to become WWE Champion.

Now I know you can all say that it's fake and predetermined, but to hell with it...Eddie winning the title was more powerful than most any movie I have seen in my life. It showed that no matter how crippling the problem is, it can be overcome. It inspired me to believe that even when my life is hopeless, I can "win the title" and redeem myself.

But back to Eddie. I still remember watching the RAW Tribute episode the day after, and I felt a tear drop. Seeing all the superstars, agents, refs and others out on the ramp, in a solid stance of community for their fallen brother made me realize how fragile life is, and how decisions made in the past never leave.

Maybe Eddie's death had an impact on my life decisions. Maybe that's why I declared myself to be straight-edge and abstain from drugs. Maybe I now take a while to make a decision that's crucial.

But all I know is this: Eddie Guerrero was many things. A WWE Superstar, a loving husband, a dedicated faher. He was one more thing: An inspiration for me to live and enjoy my life, and never lose hope.

R.I.P. Latino Heat: 1967-2005