Excuse Me: Vickie Guerrero Recalls Life in the WWE and the Aftermath

Former WWE general manager, Vickie Guerrero has kept herself quite busy after leaving the company in in 2014.

After making her pro wrestling debut in 2005 alongside her husband, the legendary late great, Eddie Guerrero, Vickie Guerrero was merely a face on the scene. After his passing, Vickie took on a more prominent role with the company and would eventually become one of the greatest heel managers and one of the best general managers in the history of the company. Her catchphrase, “Excuse Me,” was plastered on WWE merchandise and apparel all over the world and those two words was enough to lead to a chorus of boos and cheers; depending on the role she was fulfilling at the time. Equally charismatic and annoying on the mic, Vickie became a major player within the company and love her or hate her, you had to tune-in. She was must-see-tv. After a near 10-year career in the WWE, Mrs. Guerrero decided to part ways with the company to pursue a degree in health care. Her determine outside of the company is matched or surpassed by what she was able to accomplish within the company. Her face and personality definitely belong on the tube.

I recently caught up with, Vickie to discuss her days with the WWE as well as present and future endeavors.

You are one busy lady, so I thank you for your time. How do you keep up and stay on schedule?

Vickie Guerrero: Gosh, you know, I’m making a huge checklist and checking it as I go down the line (laughing). It’s just organizing my day. I’m trying to have some good time management, which sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, so I wouldn’t write a book on it (laughing).

(Laughing). I’m sure busy is good and welcomed and it keeps you motivated and going.

Vickie Guerrero: Yeah! I love a day where I can just sit by the pool and do nothing, but then I think I would get bored if that’s all I did every day.

I always thought the WWE schedule was insane with the amount of traveling and shows they put on. I’m sure this busy is a little bit different from the WWE’s schedule. Is it better to be in your own zone and busy as opposed to on their clock and busy?

Vickie Guerrero: That’s interesting you say that because with the WWE, we have such a structured itinerary, all we could do is focus what they wanted from us. Going on TV or house shows and different appearances. They kind of did the work for us. They told us when to show up and when to catch a flight. Being outside of WWE, I have to hustle on my own. I’m the one responsible for finding a publicist and agents from different events and making my own flights and schedules. So yeah, it’s a little more disciplined being on my own. I’m not pampered anymore (laughing).

You recently stated that you would have liked to have had an opportunity to serve as, Ronda Rousey’s advocate and get her through the beginning stages of her career because her mic skills hadn’t reached its full potential and the crowd let her know it on a few occasions. I think you would have been perfect in that role similar to the role, Paul Heyman fills for, Brock Lesnar.

Vickie Guerrero: Yes! Of course, by the time I even thought of it or started speaking of it, she already left WWE to go have life so to speak. But I think it’s important to have someone like that. When I was with, Edge, he was a perfectionist on the mic. He was amazing. I learned more from him and just being around him and listening to his promos. And then of course with AJ Lee, Dolph Ziggler and LayCool, those were really great moments for me because I love the mic and I love to be the bad guy for another person. That was my strength and I loved it. But for someone not as strong on the mic, I think they really appreciated that, so it kind of balances each other out. They could have the muscles and the strength, and they could do the match. And I will cause all of the chaos and racket and take over from there.

You are such a sweetheart; it lets me know how great of an actress you are because the role you portrayed and who you really are couldn’t be more opposite. That says a lot about your talent.

Vickie Guerrero: Oh Percy, you are making me blush. Come on now. Everyone has a Jekyll & Hyde side to them. In real life, I love life and laughing and enjoying my day and making everyone feel comfortable around me. But when it comes time to be the villain or the biatch of a character, man I’m 100% in and I am ready to go. Every woman can find that in just a few seconds if they look deep into their heart (laughing).

“Excuse Me!” such a simple phrase, but did it rub people the wrong way. How did that phrase become your punchline?

Vickie Guerrero: I’m still baffled that it works today. I got that phrase by forgetting my line one night on a promo on stage in a wheelchair with, Teddy Long behind me. The writers and Vince kept changing my promo about four or five times before we went live. You usually get a promo about 2-hours before we went live and it was a piece a cake, I would go get ready and get in a corner and memorize my lines. But this particular night, they thought it was great to keep changing my promo and I got the last revision probably about 10-till we went live. And Teddy Long pushes me in the wheelchair and he goes, “You’re going to screw this up aren’t you, playa?” And I said, “I think so. I think I’m going to do it.” I had 5-different versions in my head. I was human and I was just like, “God, I don’t think I can do this tonight,” and sure enough I went out there and I just went blank. The promo that they had for me I just jumbled it and I just stopped and was trying to find my place and “Excuse me,” came out and the crowd was giving me such horrible love. I just started yelling this at them and they loved it. They got even louder and the writer’s caught on to that and we used it ever since. Instead of music that’s what I came out to. At first, I thought, “This is going to be a flop, this is why I’m going to leave WWE,” and sure enough, it just became history. It became such a success that I still use it today at all of my wrestling shows. People want video messages of me yelling it in their ear. I thought, “Hey, as long as this works, I will keep using it.”

I have watched videos of you doing it and you’re still tickled by it.

Vickie Guerrero: (Laughing). Fans are telling me and I’m like, “You want me to yell in your ear,” and they are like, “Yeah, go for it.” So, I’m like, “Here goes.” It’s amazing how loud I can be in their ear. I have a lot of fun with it too.

Is there a balance in being such a disliked heel in pro wrestling and your character is meant to rub people the wrong way to who you are as a person? Sometimes fans can’s separate and think that is the real you. Is there a balance or have you not had any issues with it?

Vickie Guerrero: I’ve had more problems than good from it because I think a lot of fans can’t separate the fictional character from the reality. So, when they see me in public at Comic Cons, I see fans walking in front of my booth and they will pass ten times and just stare at me and give me and give me dirty looks and I’m like, “Oh yeah, this is one of these people that can’t separate the two roles.” But after a whole day of watching me, they come up to me and are like, “Oh my God, you’re laughing and having a great time with the people and you’re smiling and just so nice,” and I’m like, “That’s really who I am.” It’s great when they come up because I really want to show them the other side of me; especially kids. The parents are feeding into this and the kids are watching the parents and they can’t distinguish between what’s reality and what’s fiction. I feel it’s my obligation to kind of let them know, this is what I do on TV, but this is not who I am. It’s always a role on TV and not the real people living their day to day life behind the scenes. I think it’s important that we teach kids that this is just a role and not who I am.

Did you ever see yourself actually being in matches and competing and once you realized that that was going to happen, how did you prepare yourself mentally and physically?

Vickie Guerrero: (Laughing), I ran fast, Percy. I ran really fast. First when I was a general manager, this was great. I could put people down and order them around on the microphone and tell them to go do this match or that match. But of course, there is always a payback and when they first started putting me in matches, I was scared because it’s not who I was. Much less a WWE superstar. I came from raising our girls and Eddie [Guerrero] was on the road for weeks at a time, that was my job to be the mom and the dad. So, to progress into being a superstar and them putting me in matches, I had a lot of guys help me. My nephew, Chavo helped me so much. How to fall and how to take care of myself in the ring. And of course, he taught me some cheating skills that I could do to entertain the fans. Everyone that I worked with was so wonderful and perfectionist because if I did my job they looked even better and that was my focus each night.

They had the first all-female Royal Rumble and the Divas have their own reality show. Did you ever think you would see it blossom to that and how refreshing is it to see it happening?

Vickie Guerrero: Oh, it’s great to see the women have those opportunities. It’s also disappointing because when I was in there and the women that were in the locker room with me asked for those same opportunities as well. So, when they weren’t given those opportunities, to see what’s presented to the women today is great, but then also me and other women are like, “We would have loved to have done this too;” being main event matches and having our own show. There is a bitter side to everything, but to see how they have evolved and are given women the opportunities to show their skills and talent, I think it’s awesome.

You have been in the conversation for the best general manager or one of the best general managers the WWE has appointed. This is probably a horrible question for such a humble person, but are you anticipated a call to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame soon?

Vickie Guerrero: You know, I would be blessed if they called me and invited me to be there. But, Torrie Wilson, it took what, 15-years (laughing). I think they are going to wait until I’m on a walker and have dentures. I will be walking that stage (laughing). But you know, whenever they feel the time is right, I will be honored, but for now, I will just continue my journey’s and keep enjoying life.

What are those journeys? What are some of the things you are involved with right now because I know you’re getting into acting and you do a ton of philanthropy work as well?

Vickie Guerrero: Right now, I am focusing on finishing school. I have 10-more weeks left and I will be graduating from Herzing University with my health care administration and bachelor’s degree. I am auditioning for commercials. I’m represented by Page Parkes Agency and VIP Casting in Las Vegas. I’m dreaming and praying that God will bless me with a sitcom or a web series. I’m also doing philanthropy work with, Salvation Army in San Antonio, Texas. My heart goes out to the, Family Emergency Shelter. That’s where my heart is. I try to go at least once every two months and spend time there and do some community service. And then also the, Houston SPCA. I volunteer there at the shelter. I love because, I just want to take all of those dogs’ home and give them a home, but right now I’ll just do the community service and help out (laughing).

It sounds like there is more than one, Vickie Guerrero. You are all over the place. That’s awesome.

Vickie Guerrero: (Laughing). It’s hard, but I love to hustle. I’m writing my autobiography, “Life With Eddie,” and then, “Life After Eddie,” so I will finish that up when I finish school. I have a lot of projects going on. I wish you success and happiness in your journey and God bless you. Thank you to all the fans who will read this. I appreciate the time today.

By Percy Crawford

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