Juventud Guerrera Reveals He Nearly Missed His AEW Debut
WCW legend Juventud Guerrera was on a recent episode of The Wrestling Inc. Daily. Guerrera made his AEW debut a few weeks ago against long-time friend and rival Chris Jericho, and Wrestling Inc. Managing Editor Nick Hausman asked Guerrera how the match came together.
"Well, before I start on that. He ripped my mask, so I gotta take advantage. I gotta get another match against him, maybe as a tag team," Guerrera said. "I got a lot of respect for Chris. He's one of the greatest. Actually, it's hard to say this, but I was really pleased for a guy like him to take out my mask, not just a random guy.
"Chris Jericho is a mega star. He's somebody that's been changing the game, and we have a bond together. Everything was building to this moment. In the last year was when we started getting in contact and finally getting this situated and sorted out because I didn't have a visa. They helped me to get the visa and to get all the paperwork, and I was really happy. They got a great team behind them."
Guerrera was announced as Jericho's Third Labor a week before as MJF made the announcement on the Dynamite before. However, Guerrera revealed some trouble that he came across.
"They flew me in a day before. At this time, it was three hours in customs," Guerrera revealed. "I missed the connecting flight from Houston to Jacksonville. I called the company. I called Chris Jericho. They're like, 'Okay, don't worry,' and then the next flight, it was 10 in the morning, but that was sold out and then the following flight, it was 11:30.
"I was to arrive in Jacksonville at 3:30. I was like, no, this is my comeback, and I can't be there late because of customs. I was trying to relax because there's nothing you can do so just relax. They got me a hotel in Houston, and then I was rushing. I gotta wake up at six in the morning, go to the airport, take the plane and then arrive in Jacksonville. I got there at 1:00, so they picked me up and then straight to the arena. A lot of emotions in between."
Guerrera dedicated his match against Jericho to the late Eddie Guerrero. He recalled how he felt on the AEW entrance ramp as he was entering the ring for the match.
"It was fantastic. I was backstage, and I had this new gear, which is actually pretty juicy. Everything I design myself, so I have to actually take my time to do this because I really want to make a statement with my gear (Guerrera shows off his gear on camera)," Guerrera noted. "Before I came out, all the boys were like, 'Whoa, my god! Wow, you looking amazing. This is great.' Right before the entrance, Jericho was first, and I was just trying to focus, stretch out myself.
"I was just like, okay, this is your moment. This is your time, relax, and then my music came in and then... pop . The reaction from the crowd, from the people was amazing. I was just living it my friend. I was just living something really special in my career, in my life. It was an explosion of emotions for the fans because they were waiting for a week to see me. There was so much love and so much support from the fans. Even the company and the wrestlers, they wanted to see The Juice after so many years."
You can follow Juventud on Twitter @JUVENTUDGUERRE2
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