The Steve Austin Show

Episode: Chavo Guerrero Jr. PART TWO – SAS CLASSIC
Date: December 11, 2025
Host: Steve Austin
Guest: Chavo Guerrero Jr.

Episode Overview

This episode of The Steve Austin Show continues the wide-ranging conversation between Steve Austin and second-generation wrestler and Hollywood stunt coordinator Chavo Guerrero Jr. The theme centers on Chavo's unique post-wrestling journey in television, film, and stunt coordination—particularly his behind-the-scenes role on Netflix's GLOW—as well as their shared experiences in wrestling, fond memories of Eddie Guerrero, and reflections on the evolution of the business. The episode is equal parts storytelling, industry shop talk, wrestling history, and gratitude for new opportunities beyond the ring.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Chavo's Transition from Wrestling to Hollywood

• Chavo's move to Lucha Underground:
  • Chavo recalls being recruited to help produce Lucha Underground, noting Hollywood’s differences from wrestling: "I realized that this is not a wrestling company, it's a TV show... they're TV guys that don't know wrestling." (13:09)
  • Took an unusually hands-on producer role (costumes, set design, camera work, aging matches) often calling matches with a headset before wrestling the same night, highlighting the wrestler’s relentless work ethic.
• Entry into stunt work:
  • Stunt coordinators in TV (on "Grimm") recognize his unique skill set and encourage him to join Stunts Unlimited, opening doors throughout Hollywood. (15:00)
• How GLOW happened:
  • Despite initial failed attempts to connect with the creators, Chavo gets recruited by the show's stunt coordinator, thanks to Eve Torres’s referral.
  • Chavo shares an anecdote about his uncle, Mando Guerrero, who trained the original GLOW wrestlers and his own determination to honor that legacy.
  • His approach in Hollywood: honesty over bravado—“Everybody in Hollywood says, 'I can do this and I can do that.’ ...I’m not gonna bullshit you guys. If I can't do it, I'm gonna tell you that I can't. But I'm gonna figure out a way to do it.” (18:48)

2. Chavo’s Approach to Training GLOW’s Cast

• Ground-up approach with total beginners:
  • “These are pure actresses… I had to tailor the training to every person. Some had only done T-ball or Shakespeare as kids.” (34:14)
  • Importance of explaining the "why" and ring psychology, not just the “how.”
  • Anecdote of rookie mistakes (actresses trying to “pin” someone lying on their belly), emphasizing the unvarnished, humorous struggle of starting from scratch (37:04).
• Building real skills and empowerment:
  • GLOW actresses performed nearly all their own wrestling and stunts: “These girls are upset if we put somebody else in their spot. That’s how much they love wrestling.” (27:45)
  • Genuine moments of empowerment, e.g., Jackie Tohn (Melrose) crying after hitting her first slam: “I never thought I could do that... I never thought I could be this empowered.” (42:09)
• Parallels between wrestling and TV production:
  • “They didn’t know wrestling. But as I taught them, they taught me TV. I’m not going to Harvard for TV.” (26:01)
  • “Actors are like wrestlers: you can never make us happy... It’s the same thing in Hollywood.” (41:39)

3. Protecting Wrestling’s Integrity on TV

• Role as wrestling authenticity guardian:
  • Chavo was actively consulted on scripts, helping to avoid language and stories that would “insult or demean the business,” thereby preserving wrestling’s core appeal to fans. (23:08)
  • “We have a built-in audience with wrestling... The wrestling fans will watch until you tell them not to. But if you start insulting them, they will turn on you.” (23:08)
• Wrestling in television as “theater with a camera”:
  • Chavo explains that wrestling is its own performance art—a blend of Shakespeare, Monty Python, and physicality—and guides the GLOW actresses to play to both audience and camera. (45:32)

4. Chavo and Steve's Reflections on Wrestling’s Past

• The Guerrero legacy and Eddie’s influence:
  • Steve and Chavo reminisce about Eddie Guerrero—his struggles, incredible charisma, and backstage demeanor.
  • “Eddie would sit on the back of a turtle and go 'wee'... until he went to that camera. Then it was like Superman.” (50:42)
  • Eddie’s commitment to wrestling and how "he got clean when he didn’t have to be clean anymore." (51:08)
• On becoming “the man” and learning humility:
  • Both men recall moments of feeling awed by peers and adapting to being “the man” or supporting others who reached that status, highlighting the peer-to-peer mentorship in wrestling. (54:58, 55:30)
• Vignettes and the transition from heel to face:
  • Chavo and Eddie’s “Lie, Cheat, and Steal” tag team act—how a single entertaining vignette transformed them from heels to babyfaces. (60:14)
  • “We started doing light sheet steel, but in a cute way... nothing else changed, just those vignettes, and the fans cheered us.” (61:27)
• Wrestling heat, changing audiences, and protection of the business:
  • Chavo discusses “shoot heat” from his family’s territory days, when fans would attack wrestlers and cars would be vandalized. Contrasts with today’s crowds: “You had to sneak out the dressing room window because they had so much heat... The business has changed now.” (63:42)
  • Powerful modern example from India, where crowds still “believed.” (63:59)
• Personal lessons and advice:
  • On finding their own voice and style: “The Rock told me, ‘Be you. Don’t be Eddie. Be you.’” (67:01)

5. The GLOW Experience and Looking Forward

• Production details:
  • Used an 18-foot ring—a sweet spot between space and camera logistics. (27:01)
  • Typical training days could be 12+ hour slogs, mirroring wrestling’s own grueling schedule. (40:33)
• Season 2 anticipation:
  • “We didn’t want to come in as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 2… we came in as Terminator 2. We topped season one.” (69:19)
• Hollywood life and the security of SAG work:
  • Chavo appreciates health insurance and structure: “I went from a family of four, $1,200/mo, to SAG insurance, $375/quarter... It’s the union, man. Something I’ve never really experienced before.” (48:20)
• Ongoing hustle:
  • “If I don’t keep hustling, those [shows] will end up drying up and then I’m out of work. So get another under my belt, keep chasing.” (48:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Translating the wrestling mindset to Hollywood:
  • “No one knows the work ethic of us wrestlers… We just go. You make the town, period.”
    —Chavo Guerrero Jr. (14:00)
• On being authentic in Hollywood:
  • “If I can't do it, I'm gonna tell you that I can't. But I probably know somebody who can… I’m not gonna bullshit you guys.”
    —Chavo Guerrero Jr. (18:48)
• Preserving wrestling’s reputation:
  • “We have a built-in audience... When you start insulting [wrestling], they will turn on you.”
    —Chavo Guerrero Jr. (23:08)
• On empowerment for the GLOW actresses:
  • “When [Jackie Tohn] slammed somebody, she stopped and started crying. ‘I never thought I could do that... I never thought I could be this empowered.’”
    —Chavo Guerrero Jr. (42:09)
• Eddie Guerrero’s passion for performing:
  • “He would walk through the curtain and it was like Superman. He would just take off, man.”
    —Chavo Guerrero Jr. (50:42)
• Protecting the business:
  • “I want people hating me, spitting on me, throwing piss on me. That's what I want. That's when I'm doing my job right.”
    —Chavo Guerrero Jr. (66:58)
• Chavo’s advice from The Rock:
  • “‘Be you. Don’t be Eddie. Be you.’ And from that forward I dropped the fake accent…”
    —Chavo Guerrero Jr. (67:01)
• On the never-ending grind:
  • “If I don’t keep hustling, those will end up drying up eventually and then I’m out of work. So get another one under my belt... keep chasing.”
    —Chavo Guerrero Jr. (48:50)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Chavo transitions to TV/stunt work: 13:09 – 17:30
• Getting the GLOW gig, Hollywood audition story: 17:00 – 19:44
• Reflection on uncle Mando training original GLOW: 19:47 – 22:03
• Protecting wrestling’s authenticity in scripts: 23:01 – 25:08
• Training the actresses – from scratch to empowered: 34:14 – 43:31
• Comparing wrestling and TV production: 40:19 – 42:08
• Discussion of early wrestling learning curves: 34:14 – 37:22
• Memories of Eddie Guerrero; becoming “the man”: 49:01 – 54:58
• On “Lie, Cheat, and Steal” as a face turn: 60:14 – 62:11
• Reflections on old-school heat: 63:33 – 65:57
• Final GLOW rundown and future plans: 69:15 – 70:07

Conclusion

This heartening, candid episode highlights the resilience, diversity, and crossover skills of professional wrestlers, as Chavo details how his in-ring grit and heritage prepared him for creative, physical, and leadership success in Hollywood. For wrestling fans, it offers a unique peek behind the curtain—both of the squared circle and the television stage—while serving up memorable stories and wrestling wisdom from two industry legends. The episode is a love letter to wrestling’s past, present, and evolving future.