Eddie Guerrero's emotional WWE championship win is one of wrestling's greatest moments

The late Eddie Guerrero would have been 55 today and so it only feels right to celebrate his legacy by remembering his greatest ever moment.

At the No Way Out pay-per-view in 2004, Guerrero beat Lesnar to win the WWE championship for the first time.

Guerrero won a battle royal to earn the chance to face Lesnar and conjured up the performance of a lifetime to win gold in what was a massive upset.

The 30 minute spectacle largely consisted of Lesnar decimating his much smaller opponent, but 'Latino Heat' was not giving up easy.

While he needed a bit of assist from an interfering Goldberg who hit Lesnar with a brutal Spear, this was all about Guerrero.

Ever the opportunist, Eddie looked to capitalise and cover his opponent but the Beast kicked out at two.

When Lesnar went to put his opponent away with a second F5, Guerrero produced one of the greatest counters ever seen in professional wrestling when he reversed the maneuver into a DDT onto the championship belt - the referee still out and oblivious to what was going on.

Guerrero then climbed to the top rope and with the rabid fans on their feet, delivered his tried and trusted Frog Splash and got the referee to count the pinfall to pick up the unlikeliest of victories and cement his place as one of the very best in-ring performers in history.

His infectious personality, charisma and sheer wizardry in the ring helped Eddie become a real fan favourite - and watching his only world championship win back after all of these years gives goosebumps galore.

His first walk to the ring as the champ is equally as emotional, with Guerrero having such an incredible connection with the WWE fans.

Following on from the big win, Guerrero would successfully defend his crown at Wrestlemania against Kurt Angle, while Goldberg and Lesnar would have an absolute stinker of a match on the 'Grandest Stage Of Them All' and both men left the company after the match, which was riddled with boos and groans from the fans in attendance.

Guerrero lost his title to JBL later that year, before turning on Rey Mysterio in 2005 to start a storyline that saw the two fight over the custody of Rey's real-life son Dominik.

He lied, he cheated, he stole and he won the WWE Championship.

Topics: WWE, Wrestling

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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