Former NWA Worlds Champion Retires | Wrestling News

After 36 active years in the business, Sabu has announced his retirement. ” The Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal” Sabu began his in-ring career in 1985. Sabu had worked for most of the modern-day wrestling promotions. Most remember Sabu for his time in ECW. Sabu radicalized hardcore wrestling in Japan and in the United States. He brought a reckless abandon to his matches that was unmatched.

Sabu as NWA Champion

Between departures from ECW and All Japan Pro Wrestling, Sabu would work for the NWA. NWA New Jersey or Championship Wrestling America was Dennis Coralluzzo’s wrestling promotion. From 1992 to 2000 he ran events all over New Jersey. Later Sabu would taking bookings with the NWA in Michigan. Keep in mind, this was between tours of FMW, Michinoku Pro, All Japan, and New Japan.

Sabu won his first NWA Championship when he defeated Al Snow. The short-lived Independent World Championship may have been a title created just for Sabu. The Championship lasted as long as Sabu’s reign from July 1994 to January 1995. But it wasn’t until 2000 when Sabu would be a serious contender for the Ten Pounds of Gold. Interestingly enough, Sabu was also the XPW World Champion at the time. While on break from ECW, Sabu would begin to work in Florida with the NWA, leading to his opportunity to challenge the champ. On November 14th, at “Night of Choices” Sabu would defeat Mike Rapada, to become NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion. Sabu would go on to defend his title against Air Paris, future Worlds Champion AJ Styles, Chris Hero, and more from across the NWA. But the real story was Sabu vs. Rapada. They would battle a total of five times for the title. Rapada would regain the NWA title in the familiar confines of Nashville, Tennessee. Sabu would and have one more shot at Rapada, but would come up short.
Sabu would make his return to ECW and would continue his hardcore legacy, but for a brief time, he was NWA Worlds Champion.

In 2001 Sabu would return to the NWA to challenge Steve Corino for the Worlds title but came up short. In 2002 he challenged Ken Shamrock for the title, in a ladder match but came up short. In 2005 with Impact he would be part of another match for the NWA Championship. The Fight Network Launch Party promoted a match between World Champion Jarret, Rhino, Sabu, and Samoa Joe. Oddly enough all three of those four matches happened in Canada.