Eddie Guerrero's Daughter Shaul's Brief & Forgotten WWE Career, Explained
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The wrestling industry is no stranger to superstars belonging to rich lineages who decide to lace up a pair of boots and get inside the squared circle in hopes of making their own legacies and even surpassing those who came before them. However, not everyone can hold up on their own in the business and many fail to make a mark much like their past family members did. A prime example of this is the late Eddie Guerrero's daughter, Shaul Guerrero.
Shaul Guerrero followed in her father's and ancestors' footsteps and pursued a career in the wrestling industry. She was signed by WWE in 2010 and began her career in the company's developmental system, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW).
However, while Eddie rose to become one of the most beloved and entertaining WWE superstars of all time, Shaul's attempt at taking her father's legacy ahead with her in-ring skills and talent was a failed stint in the company. So let's explore the short WWE career of Eddie and Vickie Guerrero's daughter, Shaul.
RELATED: Shaul Guerrero Explains Why WWE Wouldn't Let Her Use The Guerrero Name
Shaul Guerrero Began Her Career In WWE's Developmental Territory
Shaul Guerrero began her career in WWE's previous developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling, under the ring name, Raquel Diaz, in 2010. She quickly made an impact in FCW, displaying her natural athletic abilities, and charisma, and even adopted traits of her father, Eddie Guerrero, in her personality and moveset.
Eddie Guerrero's daughter claimed her first major accolade in the company, winning the Queen of FCW by defeating Aksana in November 2011. Only a month later, Shaul won the FCW Divas Championship by defeating Audrey Marie and simultaneously held the title and the crown. Her title reign saw her pick up victories over upcoming stars like Paige and Audrey Marie, and she even surpassed Naomi as the longest-reigning FCW Divas champion. However, her dominant reign came to an end at the hands of fellow developmental talent Caylee Turner in June 2012, with Guerrero holding the title for 197 days.
Shaul Guerrero made her debut in the newly christened WWE developmental brand, NXT, in 2012 under the gimmick of the"ultra diva" on an "exfoliating ugliness tour" and picked up a huge win over Paige. Moreover, she had a classic feud with her long-time rival Audrey Marie in NXT along with battling the likes of future stars like Tamina Snuka and Emma.
Shaul Guerrero Was Not Allowed To Use Her Family Name In WWE
As mentioned, Shaul Guerrero competed in WWE, under the ring name, Raquel Diaz and not under her family name. This came as a shock to many fans who expected her to adopt her father's name as her own in her career. Shaul Guerrero claimed in an interview with Chris Van Vliet that WWE urged her to perform under the name Raquel Diaz rather than her true identity out of concern that she may jeopardize her late father's reputation. This came as a shock as she had a successful start in WWE. “I remember being told, I’m not going to say by who, that if you suck, we can’t drag your family’s name in the mud. I understood that. Again, it’s like they never said I had to be as good as my dad, but there was always little things like that which are hard to ignore. That was day one.”
Shaul also opened up about the challenges of being the offspring of Eddie Guerrero and trying to break into the wrestling industry. “When I first went into wrestling, I went into the largest and most prestigious company in the world. I am very grateful for that, but that also comes with the biggest amount of pressure. It was so intense, not to mention the Guerrero way, go hard or go home. High expectations are just in the family. I was having panic attacks just going to training sessions."
RELATED: 5 Guerrero Family Members Who Had Success In Wrestling (& 3 Who Failed)
Shaul Guerrero's WWE Departure & Failed Second Coming
Shaul Guerrero reportedly asked for her WWE release due to an eating disorder and made it official that she was leaving the company on September 30, 2012. Vickie Guerrero, Shaul's mother, revealed in September 2013 that Shaul was returning to Orlando to work at the new WWE Performance Center. Later, Guerrero would confirm that she was going back to Orlando. Then, she declared that she was "back" and revived her WWE Twitter account using the Raquel Diaz identity. On October 5, Diaz would make a comeback during an NXT live event, and even competed at another one in a tag team match.
This short comeback would not last for long and Shaul Guerrero was released by WWE in April 2014. Despite coming from one of the most accomplished families of wrestlers in the business, Shaul failed to carve out her own legacy in WWE but continued to be a part of the business even after that, working on the indies and even as a ring announcer for Lucha Underground and for AEW's Women's Tag Team Cup Tournament.
