Wrestling great, JBL, recently made an appearance on the “Something To Wrestle With” podcast where he credited the legendary ECW wrestler, Sabu, who left us recently at 60 years old.
Among other podcast highlights discussed below:
Talking about Sabu and Rob Van Dam’s effect on professional wrestling: “The nature of the business transformed due to Sabu and Rob Van Dam. Several instances can be credited for such change. I recall a match between 2 Cold Scorpio and Chris Benoit in WCW in the mid-90s that was a highlight in novel wrestling styles. There were times when Sabu and Van Dam multiplied these instances with their never-seen-before performances. They were nothing short of mesmerizing. My relationship with Sabu was quite friendly as well. Although we never had the chance to spar, I did wish for it. Recently, me and Gerry Brisco discussed with Brian Solomon about Sabu’s uncle’s influential wrestling history on Blood and Fire. His uncle was a game-changer in the wrestling world and his nudgings played a strong role in ushering Sabu’s successful career.”
“Sabu was not only a brave and adventurous performer but an esteemed friend as well. His daredevil act with Onita in the FMW of Japan in the early ’90s was stupendous. His continuous run in the ECW made him a distinctive wrestler. His wrestling style still strikes one as having a careful reasoning behind every action paired with an ability to aptly stage the increasing level of difficulty. All his stunts were thoughtfully planned, characterized by a unique touch of meaning and value to them.”
Referring to Sabu’s persona in the ring: “Sabu was an exceptional wrestler, with a power to charm his audience. He made safety a priority in all his actions. His execution of the dangerous and adrenaline-inducing stunts was always perfectly timed to the ongoing match, making it appear logically sequenced. He followed in the footsteps of his uncle, who regularly trained him like an old school wrestler, despite his extraordinary wrestling capabilities. It was only upon their first visit to Japan that his uncle acknowledged his high-fly stunts and encouraged him to continue them.”