Subhojeet Mukherjee on October 1, 2025
Vickie Guerrero is getting raw about her WWE journey, and it turns out the road to becoming one of wrestling’s most hated villains started with a mistake, a flip-off, and a whole lot of doubt.
In a new WWE Vault “Retrospective” on YouTube, Guerrero broke down the truth behind her rise in the business, revealing how her iconic “Excuse Me!” catchphrase happened by accident—and how she was never supposed to be there long-term to begin with. The former SmackDown General Manager shared that she only came to WWE for what was meant to be a brief tribute to her late husband Eddie Guerrero following his passing in 2005.
“After Eddie’s passing, I came to WWE for two months. It was just to be for two months, just to get Eddie’s name to be remembered by the fans,”
“But then it just built. And they’re like, ‘Well, let’s try a year contract.’ And I was like, ‘Sure.’ And then a year turned into five, and then it’s here I am again. It’s been 20 years.”
Those early days were far from easy. Guerrero admitted she struggled as a performer and was met with brutal feedback from locker room veterans.
“My character at the beginning sucked. I was horrible,” she admitted. “From Teddy Long to Dusty Rhodes to Undertaker, they would tell me, ‘You’re horrible, you suck. Your camera work is bad.’ And through those people, they coached me, and they helped me night after night.”
One of the most memorable parts of Vickie’s character came from a moment of panic. She explained how her signature line, “Excuse Me!” was never scripted—it was a spur-of-the-moment reaction after forgetting her lines on live TV.
“I had all these revisions in my head, and I was cued to start, and I forgot my lines,” she said. “The fans caught on right away… I looked at this one particular guy, and he was flipping me off… and I just looked at him, ‘Excuse me!’”
Backstage writers immediately saw its potential—and the phrase went on to define her character for years. She later trademarked it. Guerrero also credited her success as a heel to working alongside Edge, who helped her develop as a performer both in the ring and behind the scenes.
“I contribute a lot of my success to Edge’s knowledge, and just for him believing in me and to trust me,” she said. “Edge taught me a lot. He’s the one who had me close my eyes and teach me how to navigate the ring and be very comfortable in the ring. And he showed me how to work the cameras.”
It’s wild to think that one of WWE’s most unforgettable villains almost never existed. Vickie Guerrero went from a two‑month tribute appearance to a 20‑year run, turning a forgotten line and a fan’s middle finger into an iconic catchphrase that defined an era. Her story shows how doubt, pressure and even mistakes can create something legendary when the right people believe in you.
Did you ever think “Excuse Me!” was an accident? What’s your favorite Vickie Guerrero moment in WWE history? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
October 1, 2025 1:13 pm
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