Often times we take for granted the little things in life such as going out for a coffee with friends, watching a movie with your loved one, or reading a story to your children. When you have been traveling the world as a professional wrestler for your entire adult life you begin to crave normalcy. For Chavo Guerrero Jr. the big lights of the WWE have passed and he has transitioned from wrestler to the role he craved: family man.
Guerrero is a descendant of wrestling royalty. His grandfather, Gory Guerrero, is a wrestling legend in Mexico. His father, Chavo Guerrero Sr., grappled across the globe for decades along with his siblings Mondo, Hector and Eddie. Wrestling has been a part of Chavo Jr.’s life for as long as he can remember and he eventually made his in ring debut in 1994. From then until his recent parting with TNA, Chavo has been on the road, going from city to city to ply his trade. He decided it was time to come home.
“It was time to enjoy the fruits of my labour,” said Chavo at a recent Canadian Wrestling Federation show in St. Catharines, Ontario. “Sleeping in my own bed and being with my family are two of the greatest luxuries of being off the road.”
Chavo Guerrero during his run in TNA. Photo courtesy impactwrestling.com
Instead of going from the airport, to the arena, and to the hotel, Chavo is taking time to enjoy each day.
“I get up and have a coffee on my own couch,” reflected Guerrero. “I get the kids ready for school; go to the gym, walk the dog and work on the honey do list.”
His decision to leave the world of full-time wrestling enabled him to be the dad he always wanted to be. “I missed so much of my kids’ life,” said Guerrero. “Now I coach their football and basketball teams and the sports I don’t coach I make sure I am at every game and practice.”
The aches and pains of two decades of wrestling have caught up with him. “Recovery is harder and it takes a lot longer.” Guerrero continued, “I had to change my workout to less heavy weights and now I do hot yoga. I work out smarter not harder.”
When asked about his time with TNA he felt that “it was a lot of fun.” He complemented the organization. “TNA is filled with good people and the roster is the most talented in the world.”
Guerrero truly hopes that TNA succeeds. “It is great for the wrestlers to have another place to work and create competition.”
Chavo still wrestles sporadically. Picking and choosing the shows based on his family’s schedule. “I like the small crowds at the indy shows,” said Guerrero. “Performing at Wrestlemania is easy because the crowd looks like a mass and everyone is going to cheer. At a small show you can see everyone and you must be good at your craft to make them cheer.”
Frank Ryckman, owner of the CWF, thoroughly enjoyed having Guerrero on the show. “Chavo is a first class wrestler and an awesome person.” Guerrero provided a training seminar for Ryckman’s students. “His knowledge is top notch. Everyone who took his seminar walked away learning a lot more then they knew going in.”
Outside of wrestling Chavo Guerrero has become involved in a few ventures. He has partnered with MMA star, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and they are in talks for films, a reality show, a fight league and celebrity endorsements. Also, he is involved in a company that deals with monetizing social media for celebrities called Tweet Secret for which he is the celebrity ambassador.
Chavo Guerrero may not be in the big leagues of wrestling any longer, but the throng of fans who came to watch him wrestle on a miserable winter night are a testament to his popularity. He wanted send a message to all of his fans. “Thanks for supporting the Guerrero family and Chavo Jr. Everything I do in wrestling is for the fans. Thank you for letting me live my dream.”
RELATED LINKS
