CHAVO GUERRERO Sr.

　　MAGAZINE　ARTICLES　2　　

Chavo Blinds Ernie Ladd And Gets His Sweet Revenge.

( from Aug. 1976 issue of VSS "The Wrestler" magazine )

Ernie Ladd was confident he had broken rookie Chavo Guerrero's spirit.

Chavo proved he's here to stay - and Ernie Ladd has a dangerous new enemy !

　Chavo Guerrero sat dejectedly in his dressing room, his usually high spirits having sunk to a new low.

　He had just been handed his first major technical defeat.　He had lost to the self-proclaimed King of

　Wrestling, Ernie Ladd.　The young man was surrounded by a faithful band of followers who tried to raise

　the wrestler's humor.　But Chavo seemed to be ignoring the words they were saying.　He was thinking 　

　only one thought.　It was an ugly, vicious idea, not worthy of the young man who had priced himself on

　his lofty ideals :　Chavo Guerrero wanted revenge.

　Gory Guerrero, Chavo's father and advisor, was quite worried about the manner in which his son was

　facing defeat.　The fragile world Chavo had built up about himself - that he could not be defeated - had

　crumbled around his feet.　Gory could understand his son's psychological agony.　Yet there was nothing

　the elder Guerrero could do for his son.　Coming to grips with the anguish connected with defeat is

　something each man has to do by himself.　No amount of sage wisdom could lessen the stunning blow.

　Gory's words were of little consolation to Chavo.

　Revenge.　That seemed to be the only comfort young Chavo could find.　He would seek revenge against

　the man who had some humiliated him.　He would battle Ernie Ladd again.　And he would do everything

　in his power to win - no matter what the cost to his personal pride or reputation.

　Meanwhile in Ladd's dressing room, Ernie was jubilant over his victory.　"I guess I showed that little twerp

　something about wrestling," said Ladd.　"I don't think we'll be hearing from him again for a long time.

　To think he thought he could take onthe likes of Ernie Ladd . . . it's really funny !"

　The next day, Chavo and his father met with a prominent Los Angeles promoter.　Chavo made very clear

　to the man what he wanted : a rematch against Ernie Ladd.　The promoter was polite to the young man,

　but expressed his doubts about whether Ladd would want another match against Guerrero.　However, he

　pledged he would see what he could do about arranging the bout.　When the promoter approached Ernie

　and told him of the idea for a rematch against Guerrero,　Ladd broke out into hysterics.　He told the

　promoter, ”That has to be one of the funniest things I've heard in a long time, daddy.　Doesn't that kid know

　when to give up and go home ?　Sure, I'll go against him again. This time, I hope he learns his lesson !"

　Chavo was thrilled when he heard Ladd had accepted the rematch.　He immediately went into intensive

　training, with Gory Guerrero serving as Chavo's guiding spirit.　The rookie spent many hours working out

　in the gymnasium under his father's tutalage.　But in addition to Guerrero's scientific training, he was learning

　something else.　When his father was not present, he was inventing some less than legal maneuvers he could

　use on Ernie Ladd, just in case of an ambush.　Gory discovered Chavo's secret training sessions by accident.

　When he asked his son about the use of illegal moves, Chavo admitted he was considering it.　He pledged to

　his father he would only employ their use if he had to.

　Chavo continueed in his relentless training with his father by day, and his invention of less-than-scientific

　moves by night.　When it came time for the match, the young man felt he was ready to take on the King of

　Wresling.　This time, he vowed to himself, he would win.

　Meanwhile, Ernie Ladd was not too worried about the contest soon to take place.　He figured the rematch

　would just be a repeat of what had happened the first time.　As far as Ernie was concerned,　Chavo Guerrero

　posed no real threat.　He knew nothing of Chavo's secret training.　Ernie would soon regret his casual attitude

　toward the match.

　Emotions ran high on the night of the match.　Fans of both wrestlers turned out to see this very contro-

　versial rematch.　No one was willing to speculate on who the winner would be.

　In the young Mexican rookie's dressing room, Gory Guerrero was lecturing his son about his conduct in the

　impending match.　"Please, Chavo, " said Gory, "do not use any of those techniques you learned.　You don't

　need them.　You can win with your skills alone.　You are a great young wrestler.　Don't lower yourself to the

　level of an animal.　When all is said and done, you will only have your pride and dignity left.　If you lose that,

　son, you have nothing."　But Chavo did not listen intently to what his father was saying.　All Chavo wanted

　was revenge.　Ernie Ladd spent the minutes before the match relaxing and talking with friends.　He seemed

　to be very calm and unworried by the challenge that lay before him.

　Guerrero, followed closely by his father , walked proudly into the arena.　Thousands of fans cheered their

　approval for the young Mexican rookie.　Then Ernie strutted into the arena.　The fans greeted his arrival

　with loud and prolonged boos.　The two men stepped inside the ropes.　Ernie was still waving to the audience

　smiling proudly.　Suddenly, he felt a tug at his jacket.　The next thing he knew, Chavo had knocked him to the

　canvas.　With Ladd laying prone on the mat,　Guerrro made his move.　He took Ernie's jacket, and pulled it

　over Ernie's head.　Ladd could not see.　To make matters worse,　Chavo had tied the jacket in such a way

　it was impossible for Ernie to remove it !

　Chavo proceeded to pound away at Ernie, showing no mercy at all for the blinded "Big Cat".　　If it was

　revenge he had wihed, he had received it.　Gory turned his back on the action.　He was ashamed　and

　disgusted by his son's actions in the ring.　Yet Chavo kept pounding away at Ladd, slamming the King of

　Wrestling around the ring without mercy.　It was a vicious, cruel assault, one Chavo Guerrero should never

　have done.　The referee stepped in and disqualified Chavo, even though the match had yet to officially begin.

　Ladd was untied from his straightjacket and walked quickly back to the dressing room.

　Chavo was satisfied by the revenge he had exacted that night.　The thousands of spectators applauded his

　efforts over Ladd, a wrestler they had never liked.　Though the fans were not used to Chavo employing

　less-than-legal tactics on opponents, they understood the reason for the assault.

　But Chavo still had to face his father.　The young man had pledged to his father before the match he would

　only use illegal tactics if the events necessitated it.　But it had been Chavo who had sneak-attacked Ladd.

　Gory told his son he was ashamed over what had happened.　However, Gory also realized this was a moral

　victory for his son, and therefore he had to forgive Chavo.　

　For young Chavo Guerrero, the satisfaction was now complete.