Sabu is a name that resonates with wrestling fans around the world. As a pioneer of the extreme wrestling style, he left an indelible mark on the wrestling industry.
The nephew of the original Sheik, Sabu was a mainstay in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) during the 1990s, captivating audiences with his high-flying, death-defying moves and intense hardcore matches.
Despite his popularity, Sabu’s career has been marked by controversies and personal struggles, and he never achieved success in mainstream promotions, as much as he deserved.
In this article, we will delve into what happened to ECW legend Sabu, why he was fired by the WWE and his ultimate retirement from the squared circle.
What Happened To Sabu?
Sabu was fired by the WWE for being late to an ECW, which was the culmination of a number of behaviour issues for the former ECW Champion.
Before an episode of ECW in May 2007, Sabu was detained at an airport, having his bags searched and holding him up.
He caused a scene at the airport, leading to him being detained and lengthening his stay, making him late to the backstage area in WWE.
Once he made it to the arena, Sabu was informed that he was to put over Kevin Thorn (a vampire character in the ECW reboot).
However, he informed the WWE that he had a neck injury and could not put over the young talent. This was the last straw, and Sabu was fired by WWE for the day of transgressions.
Sabu later commented that he was sick of the travelling for the WWE, and no longer wanted to work for the company.
After leaving WWE, he wrestled all across the world on the independent scene. This included two brief returns to TNA, and a long spell with Juggalo Championship Wrestling.
Sabu’s Last WWE Match
Sabu’s last match in the WWE came on the 1st May, 2007 on an episode of ECW on Sci Fi.
On the show, Sabu wrestled his final match with the WWE, in an “Extreme Rules Fatal 4 Way Match”. This meant that the match had no rules, and featured four ECW originals competing in the bout.
Sabu took on The Sandman, Tommy Dreamer and Rob Van Dam in this throwback match, although it only lasted 6 minutes, despite the Extreme starpower in the match.
Former WWE Champion Rob Van Dam won the match, and earned himself a match against Vince McMahon the following week, whilst Sabu would be fired not long after.
He Announced His Retirement In 2021
In November 2021, Sabu announced his retirement from professional wrestling.
The ECW legend had spent over 30 years in the wrestling, innovating a hardcore style of wrestling that lives on to this day.
He recently appeared on an episode of the “Wrestling Shoot Interviews”, where he discussed all facets of his career, before announcing his retirement.
“I’m not doing real good. I hurt my back about a year ago and it’s still been hurting. I wrestled a couple of weeks ago but I shouldn’t have. I’ve only wrestled like twice in the last year…I only went to the gym a couple of times the last year ’cause I hurt my back. I’m probably not gonna wrestle no more… I’m probably just gonna do autograph signings and personal appearance-type stuff .”Sabu, announcing his retirment