RIP Sabu.

[RazorbladeKiss87]

3 hours ago, Ziggy said:

I seen a clip from a Shoot Shawn Michaels did with RF when he retired the first time from 2000 of him praising RVD but saying some of what he does looks choreographed. It's funny because that's RVD and Sabu complaint about guys today. When they talk about their work they talk about they didn't talk about much. In later years in WWE they had to run alot of the bigger spots by the agents or Vince because of the people in the truck having to catch things on camera. It makes sense now that sometimes Sabu would purposely mess up spots to add to his match. It's irritating that people can have a minor slip up and people would call it a botch. I don't agree that everything has to come off super clean and crisp or otherwise people will consider it a botch. McAfee slipped on the ropes at Backlash and a few people called it a botch. Shouldn't it be believable that a part timer or celebrity can mess up a move even if it isn't intentional. I like Charlotte. She's a great athlete and I enjoy her matches most times but honestly most of the time she looks like 90° from injuring herself and her opponent. The lack of smoothness in her moves add to her appeal in a weird way.

It wouldn't be fun if everyone was a smooth as Curt Hennig or Bret Hart in the mid to late 80s. Or maybe it would be, it's just unrealistic 

I was thinking about Sabu saying that he would sometimes "botch" on purpose and I really love it. If wrestling were real, it would definitely look like a struggle.  Sometimes there's beauty in the chaos. 

 

Also, I hate the Canadian destroyer.  

[RazorbladeKiss87]

1 hour ago, odessasteps said:

In case no one posted it yet, the vault posted a Sabu v Scott Taylor match

https://youtu.be/5RQLNzf3Q2U?si=7kHWADQMWsMGnSZn

The lack of Vince and Co. talking over the ring sounds really highlights how much those rings must have sucked to bump in. Just sounds brutal.  

If they got a wild hair up their ass and hired him, who is Sabu working in 1993 WWF? I know he had an indie standout with Waltman. Owen? I can't see any of the top guys wanting to get in there with him. A 1993 Sabu/Taker match actually intrigues me. 

[odessasteps]

That’s what I said to Matt earlier. He doesn’t seem like a good fit in 1993 WWF. 

[Technico Support]

1 hour ago, Ziggy said:

Alot of guys like MVP were never afraid of bringing up their criminal past.

MVP : jail time :: CrossFit Bros : Crossfit

ie if you didn’t know MVP did time, just wait, he’ll tell you all about it.  

[Cobra Commander]

1 hour ago, RazorbladeKiss87 said:

The lack of Vince and Co. talking over the ring sounds really highlights how much those rings must have sucked to bump in. Just sounds brutal.  

If they got a wild hair up their ass and hired him, who is Sabu working in 1993 WWF? I know he had an indie standout with Waltman. Owen? I can't see any of the top guys wanting to get in there with him. A 1993 Sabu/Taker match actually intrigues me. 

yeah I don't think you're getting Sabu in the Foreign Fanatics working Tatanka

[The Great ML]

Sabu and Doink…that’s money, or awful, not sure!

[Ziggy]

1 hour ago, RazorbladeKiss87 said:

The lack of Vince and Co. talking over the ring sounds really highlights how much those rings must have sucked to bump in. Just sounds brutal.  

If they got a wild hair up their ass and hired him, who is Sabu working in 1993 WWF? I know he had an indie standout with Waltman. Owen? I can't see any of the top guys wanting to get in there with him. A 1993 Sabu/Taker match actually intrigues me. 

Shinzaki (Hakushi) was bigger than him and no one wanted to sell for him but Bret. 

I was thinking earlier that Bret would have worked with him and had some great matches. Bret was really open minded and he would have went out his way to have the best matches he could.

Undertaker after working with Giant Gonzalez,  I don't think he would have mind at all working with Sabu even with the size difference. Especially if they brought Sabu in as a strong enough character for Taker then yes. He could have been what Mankind was in '96.  The strong character that he could also display his ability to work. 

Thinking about it now it's still a very small list of guys that would be willing to sell for him. Even if he did come in i don't see him staying too long but it would have been fun to have him in WWF during those early days of Monday Night Raw when they were actually experimenting with stuff. That early Raw crowd would have really liked him too and that probably would have forced Vince to get behind him. 

It's surprising in hindsight that Sabu didn't last atleast a few months in WCW during those early Nitros. By the time I got to watch WCW,  he was gone. Eric had brought in a ton of guys that he was already familiar with. He could have really been a highlight for Nitro.

[Nice Guy Eddie]

22 minutes ago, The Great ML said:

Sabu and Doink…that’s money, or awful, not sure!

Sabu vs. Matt Borne probably could have been something good. Sabu vs. Ray Apollo, eh not so much.

What about Sabu vs. Bam Bam Bigelow in 1993? Sabu vs. Mr. Perfect? or even Sabu vs. Bret?

[porksweats]

16 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Sabu vs. Matt Borne probably could have been something good. Sabu vs. Ray Apollo, eh not so much.

What about Sabu vs. Bam Bam Bigelow in 1993? Sabu vs. Mr. Perfect? or even Sabu vs. Bret?

We realistically could've had Sabu vs Bob Backlund. The idea of Sabu vs Tito Santana is also very exciting to me.

[Peck]

Putting Giant Gonzalez through a 30-foot-long conference room table?

[Cobra Commander]

Sabu vs Macho Man Randy Savage is the 5 minute match we probably would have gotten in 1995/96 WCW

Randy might have been generous too since he worked for the Sheik in the mid-70s just breaking in

[Nice Guy Eddie]

3 minutes ago, Cobra Commander said:

Sabu vs Macho Man Randy Savage is the 5 minute match we probably would have gotten in 1995/96 WCW

Randy might have been generous too since he worked for the Sheik in the mid-70s just breaking in

Now, I'm having horrible images of Sabu vs. Hogan with Hulk squashing Sabu, killing all his mystique in the process. Maybe it's for the better Sabu didn't last in WCW. 

[Nice Guy Eddie]

17 minutes ago, porksweats said:

We realistically could've had Sabu vs Bob Backlund. The idea of Sabu vs Tito Santana is also very exciting to me.

Sabu vs. Backlund would be a styles clash to say the least. 

[Cobra Commander]

4 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Now, I'm having horrible images of Sabu vs. Hogan with Hulk squashing Sabu, killing all his mystique in the process. Maybe it's for the better Sabu didn't last in WCW. 

"Eric, we need to bring in The Sheik so he can throw a fireball at me and I'll hulk up"

[Nice Guy Eddie]

10 minutes ago, Cobra Commander said:

"Eric, we need to bring in The Sheik so he can throw a fireball at me and I'll hulk up"

I gave the sad reaction because I could totally picture that conversation taking place. I could see Sabu ending up in the Dungeon of Doom. Yeah, I think Sabu dodged a bullet there. 

Edited May 14 by Nice Guy Eddie

[zendragon]

8 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I gave the sad reaction because I could totally picture that conversation taking place. I could see Sabu ending up in the Dungeon of Doom. Yeah, I think Sabu dodged a bullet there. 

I also think he dodged a bullet on turning down that Sultan gimmick, that shit went nowhere fast. Vince couldn't "get" Vader no way he was getting Sabu.

 

Now I know it easy (and fun!) to dunk on Jelly Nutella but what do we really think did Sabu in? That final hit of Kratom or all the shit he did in his life (both in and out of the ring) prior to that?

[RazorbladeKiss87]

11 hours ago, Ziggy said:

Shinzaki (Hakushi) was bigger than him and no one wanted to sell for him but Bret. 

I was thinking earlier that Bret would have worked with him and had some great matches. Bret was really open minded and he would have went out his way to have the best matches he could.

Undertaker after working with Giant Gonzalez,  I don't think he would have mind at all working with Sabu even with the size difference. Especially if they brought Sabu in as a strong enough character for Taker then yes. He could have been what Mankind was in '96.  The strong character that he could also display his ability to work. 

 

I could see Bret taking it as a challenge to meld their styles. Would he be able to? I'm not sure but it'd be interesting.  

Sabu/Taker would probably go that Mankind route but with more of Sabu throwing himself at Taker from heights. I'm honestly sad we didn't get that now. 

[The Natural]

I can see Bret Hart and Sabu working out. Clash of styles sure but Bret Hart is a genius at wrestling and putting together a match. It's a shame we only got the one Bret Hart vs. Mankind match. Better to have one than none at all. Bret Hart and Mick Foley have always been very complimentary about each other.

[Guest lounging]

16 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Sabu vs. Matt Borne probably could have been something good. Sabu vs. Ray Apollo, eh not so much.

What about Sabu vs. Bam Bam Bigelow in 1993? Sabu vs. Mr. Perfect? or even Sabu vs. Bret?

https://youtu.be/-es8AbtVAYw?si=Fq5SOIMmSvpB1GRi

[For Great Justice]

This was mentioned up thread, but I was thinking about it yesterday and can I submit Sabu in 1995 WCW as the most out of place a particular wrestler has ever been at a particular place at a particular time?

It was like this alien being had arrived through a wormhole from some alternate reality. Like one minute there’s a “Sullivan, my son” skit and the next Sabu and Sheik are throwing a fucking fireball at some hamandegger and putting him through a table.

It feels almost impossibly juxtaposed. A couple of others that come to mind are the Earthquake WWE dark match in 2001 and ECW showing up on RAW. But nothing tops Sabu in WCW I don’t think. Some serious David Lynch shit.

[NikoBaltimore]

It always felt out of place to me seeing Sabu in WCW or WWF/E.  The bigger the place the weirder it was seeing him in it.    Not saying it was a waste of using him, just weird is all.

[SirSmUgly]

IMO Sabo vs. Disco Inferno in 1995 WCW is sublime. Sabu had a top-three "cup of coffee" run of all time in '95 WCW. 

[Ziggy]

3 hours ago, For Great Justice said:

This was mentioned up thread, but I was thinking about it yesterday and can I submit Sabu in 1995 WCW as the most out of place a particular wrestler has ever been at a particular place at a particular time?

 

Did you think Public Enemy seemed out of place in WCW. WCW had alot of teams that were good at brawling and just throwing hands that it help hide whatever they lacked. If Sabu had stuck around,  i doubt they would have been able to rely on the Tables as much in WCW which also helped. When they got completely exposed but im sure most of that had more to do with WWE not wanting them to get over. You would thing they would have done better stylistically in 99 WWF because it's not like you had to be anywhere close to a decent work or even had to go 10 minutes or longer unless you were headlining 

[odessasteps]

The whole NWA in WWF, especially the RNR, comes to mind. 

[Execproducer]

I watched Terry Brunk-Richie Magnet from 86 in Hawaii. Seeing Sabu wrestle as an early 80's white-meat babyface was certainly something. They go to a draw in a 'scientific match'. I was thinking about two minutes in that he was giving me Rick Martel vibes and about two minutes later one of the announcers had the same opinion. I doubt he would ever been as good in that role as Martel was but he certainly could have been in a Tom Zenk or Steve Olsonoski spot. But then we wouldn't have the gift of Sabu.

 

Edited May 14 by Execproducer