RIP Sabu.

[jaedmc]

RVD and Taz are doing a live show remembering Sabu on youtube and they're telling some great stories. Like how Sabu's headdress was usually a sheet from the hotel, and how Sabu started doing the point to the ceiling.

[RazorbladeKiss87]

2 hours ago, JLowe said:

Late to this but he’s pro wrestling’s Dwarves

Hm. So who's pro wrestling's GG?

[Technico Support]

The We Watch Wrestling pod today reposted for free a Sabu interview they did a little while ago for their Patreon.  It’s a fun half hour listen.

[JLowe]

21 hours ago, RazorbladeKiss87 said:

Hm. So who's pro wrestling's GG?

I don’t really know much of the death match stuff but other than the scat part maybe Necro Butcher?

[AxB]

Ian Rotten probably fits better than Necro, but then both are falling down on the whole "being dead" thing (and the Heroin addict thing too).

[hammerva]

On 5/15/2025 at 10:46 PM, jaedmc said:

RVD and Taz are doing a live show remembering Sabu on youtube and they're telling some great stories. Like how Sabu's headdress was usually a sheet from the hotel, and how Sabu started doing the point to the ceiling.

This is another shameful moment in internet wrestling tied to the Sabu death.  if you are one of the people who every time someone does the point to the ceiling thing and think it is any way related to Roman Reigns,  I immediately chalked you to either be under 14 or a douchebag

[Curt McGirt]

On 5/15/2025 at 2:24 PM, AxB said:

• Sabu $2

That was in the ECW book Hardcore History too with the rest of the list, and it came off like a cruel punchline. Jaw-dropping and such a 'fuck you' from Heyman. They really must've had heat for that New Japan cancellation, but Paul E. should have realized how much money he was making and understood that he would have done the exact same thing if he'd been double booked like that.

Pro wrestling's GG... hmmm. I almost wanna say New Jack. 

[zendragon]

  Brian Solomon did a nice tribute on his podcast to Sabu with The Blue Meanie

[The Natural]

My attempt at essential Sabu matches of those I've seen. I'm not ranking them as a countdown from best to worst as it's not appropriate with the man passing away. Listed as they came to mind:

• Sabu vs. Terry Funk. ECW Born To Be Wired 1997.
• Sabu vs. The Sandman. ECW House Party 1998.
• Sabu vs. The Sandman. ECW November to Remember 1997.I
• Sabu vs. Taz. ECW Barely Legal 1997.
• Sabu vs. Taz. ECW Living Dangerously 1999.
• Sabu vs. Abyss. TNA Turning Point 2005.
• Sabu vs. Abyss. TNA Genesis 2005.
• Sabu vs. Rey Mysterio. ECW One Night Stand 2006.
• Sabu vs. 2 Cold Scorpio. ECW CyberSlam 1996.
• Sabu vs. Rob Van Dam. ECW Hostile City Showdown 1996.
• Sabu vs. Rob Van Dam. ECW Hardcore Heaven 1996.
• Sabu vs. Terry Funk vs. Shane Douglas. ECW The Night The Line Was Crossed 1994.
• Sabu vs. Samoa Joe. TNA Lockdown 2006.

Edited May 19, 2025 by The Natural

[twiztor]

2 hours ago, The Natural said:

My attempt at essential Sabu matches of those I've seen. I'm not ranking them as a countdown from best to worst as it's not appropriate with the man passing away. Listed as they came to mind:

no Foley match? 
there's an indie match from i wanna say 1993 vs. Lightning Kid that i remember really liking. haven't seen it in years, but i feel like i should rewatch that, as well as Sabu vs. SyxxPac from 3PW just to compare and contrast since they would be roughly a decade apart.

[The Natural]

33 minutes ago, twiztor said:

no Foley match? 
there's an indie match from i wanna say 1993 vs. Lightning Kid that i remember really liking. haven't seen it in years, but i feel like i should rewatch that, as well as Sabu vs. SyxxPac from 3PW just to compare and contrast since they would be roughly a decade apart.

Good calls.

[AxB]

Yeah, that's a good list, if you're just listing Sabu's best ECW & TNA matches. But he also had good matches in FMW, NJPW, AJPW, and lots and lots of indie promotions.

[The Natural]

30 minutes ago, AxB said:

Yeah, that's a good list, if you're just listing Sabu's best ECW & TNA matches. But he also had good matches in FMW, NJPW, AJPW, and lots and lots of indie promotions.

Honestly, I'm not familiar with Sabu away from ECW, TNA and WWE ECW. I'm not an expert like I am Bryan Danielson, Bret Hart and Kenta Kobashi to name but a few.

Edited May 19, 2025 by The Natural

[Robert S]

27 minutes ago, AxB said:

Yeah, that's a good list, if you're just listing Sabu's best ECW & TNA matches. But he also had good matches in FMW, NJPW, AJPW, and lots and lots of indie promotions.

I just saw that Sabu teamed with Gary Albright in the 96 RWTL, that's certainly a ... team. AJPW sometimes gave you WAR-esque teams at the RWTL.

[Cobra Commander]

If there’s any place where Sabu’s early match leg dives and amateur wrestling spots could be more fun than usual, it’s 1990s AJPW

Here are some of the teams that Albright/Sabu wrestled:

• Kawada/Taue
• Ace/Dr Death
• Akiyama/Misawa
• Hansen/Omori
• Kobashi/Patriot
• Kimala II/Izumida

Take your pick on which matchup you wish aired in full on AJ TV

[AxB]

There's probably people who consider themsselves big wrestling fans that legit think that The Hardy Boyz came up with the Poetry in Motion themselves.

It's just Air Sabu. Giant Baba told Sabu he didn't want him bringing chairs int othe ring, and so his tag partner (RVD) started dropping to all fours so Sabu could jump off his back to hit a leg lariat in the corner.

Here is Sabu vs Hayabusa, from 28 August 1994:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmK6hqNYSCc&pp=ygUQaGF5YWJ1c2EgdnMgc2FidQ%3D%3D

Highlights from Sabu & Horace Boulder vs Atsushi Onita & Sambo Asako from 1992 (no-rope barbed wire match):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jANAqcV0Pz8

Sabu & The Sheik vs Atsushi Onita & Mr Gannosuke:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh6ByyB15Ac

[Technico Support]

13 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

Paul E. should have realized how much money he was making and understood that he would have done the exact same thing

That's called empathy, something old school wrestling promoters don't have or have surgically removed as a rite of passage before they promote their first show.

[Robert S]

51 minutes ago, Cobra Commander said:

If there’s any place where Sabu’s early match leg dives and amateur wrestling spots could be more fun than usual, it’s 1990s AJPW

Here are some of the teams that Albright/Sabu wrestled:

• Kawada/Taue
• Ace/Dr Death
• Akiyama/Misawa
• Hansen/Omori
• Kobashi/Patriot
• Kimala II/Izumida

Take your pick on which matchup you wish aired in full on AJ TV

That year's edition was a double-round robin. One of the Kobashi/Patriot matches actually aired in full. Hansen & Omori aired twice in finish-only form. The rest did not air at all - at least they are not available in the "archive".

[Cobra Commander]

seeing Misawa wrestle Sabu feels like the sort of matchup that some people would have sold their kidney for in the 90s

it might be a Misawa/Bret Hart in 1990 thing where it'll never be as good as you imagine

[Peck]

13 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

That was in the ECW book Hardcore History too with the rest of the list, and it came off like a cruel punchline. Jaw-dropping and such a 'fuck you' from Heyman. They really must've had heat for that New Japan cancellation, but Paul E. should have realized how much money he was making and understood that he would have done the exact same thing if he'd been double booked like that. 

Speaking of, has Heyman made any sort of public comments or tribute since Sabu passed?

[Curt McGirt]

I don't know why they didn't go Sabu/Kobashi and Patriot/Albright instead. Sabu/Kobashi seems like probably the real team that traders would have jizzed over. Plus they could have kayfabed Patriot/Albright as United States and Canada teaming up if they didn't want to emphasize his amateur background, haha. 

[RazorbladeKiss87]

5 hours ago, twiztor said:

no Foley match? 
there's an indie match from i wanna say 1993 vs. Lightning Kid that i remember really liking. haven't seen it in years, but i feel like i should rewatch that, as well as Sabu vs. SyxxPac from 3PW just to compare and contrast since they would be roughly a decade apart.

On the PW TORCH site, Wade used to post his old radio shows from.the early 90s. One featured people calling to react to that match (Nwa Grand Slam I which also featured Funk vs Hawk and my favorite indie name, The Hater, but I digress) and the callers are almost to a person just mind blown. I no longer have a subscription so I can't find it anymore but it's fun to hear. 

[Curt McGirt]

2 hours ago, AxB said:

Highlights from Sabu & Horace Boulder vs Atsushi Onita & Sambo Asako from 1992 (no-rope barbed wire match):

Oh man I can't believe I haven't seen this loonyness before. The hanging spot is unreal dangerous. Sambo reminded me that he was in the absolutely vicious beating against Masanobu Kurisu you can see here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKwYJJimLQE&ab_channel=sceduk an electric barbed wire match against Onita here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWZ43BxLxNQ&ab_channel=PuroresuHeaven-Wrestlingプロレス天国-日本のプロレス and a Tarzan Goto match I can't find anymore that was really mean too. He was a pretty brave tub of guts. 

Here is Sabu vs. Goto in a barbed wire match in FMW, terrible handheld but hey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avskFrERoqE&ab_channel=WWCWVRPR Making it even weirder is there is a jazz sax solo playing over the whole thing (?!). 

Edited May 19, 2025 by Curt McGirt

[Curt McGirt]

5 hours ago, twiztor said:

there's an indie match from i wanna say 1993 vs. Lightning Kid that i remember really liking. haven't seen it in years, but i feel like i should rewatch that

You're in luck! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3pbWYsuVII&ab_channel=IndieWrestlingArchive

[AxB]

13 minutes ago, Curt McGirt said:

Sambo reminded me that he was in the absolutely vicious beating against Masanobu Kurisu you can see here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKwYJJimLQE&ab_channel=sceduk 

Happy 35th Birthday to this show (19th May 1990)