REST IN PEACE SABU

Former NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion and hardcore wrestling pioneer passed away at GCW’s Joey Janela’s Spring Break 9 during WrestleMania Weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada. This bout was a hardcore, no-ropes barbed wire match.

Sabu’s accolades in the world of professional wrestling are acknowledged and well documented. However, his time with the National Wrestling Alliance was part of the lost years of the early 2000s for the NWA.

Perhaps the biggest threat to the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship in 2000 was that of ” The Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal” Sabu. Between Sabu’s departure from Extreme Championship Wrestling, he would become XPW World Champion, compete in All Japan Pro Wrestling, but the call from the Ten Pounds of Gold would beckon him. Kicking off his NWA tenure working in New Jersey for Dennis Corralluzo, Sabu would then travel south to begin working for Joe Price and NWA Florida. This is where he’d finally get a shot at Rapada.

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 has one more shot at Rapada, but would come up short.

Sabu would go on to challenge for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship against Steve Corino for ECCW twice as part of the ECCW Summer Tour. Sabu would challenge Ken Shamrock’s reign as Worlds Heavyweight Champion in TNA in a Ladder versus Submission Match.

Sabu was only 60 years old. He was the spirit of Extreme. He pioneered hardcore wrestling. And he’ll be remembers as an Icon of the business. Rest in peace, Sabu.