WWE releases must-see Sabu dark match against 3-time champion
The WWE Universe and the rest of the wrestling world continue to pay tribute to Sabu. The ECW Original tragically passed away on Sunday, May 11, at the age of 61. It was reported that he passed away from a heart attack. Sabu's run in World Wrestling Entertainment was memorable, but many fans are not aware of his first shots with the company.
The Human Highlight Reel had been wrestling for 8 years when WWE called him for a tryout in mid-October 1993. Sabu had actually debuted for ECW less than three weeks before defeating Scott Taylor, aka Scotty 2 Hotty, in a pre-RAW dark match on October 18 in Poughkeepsie, NY. One night later, Sabu lost a dark match to Owen Hart at the Wrestling Challenge tapings in Glens Falls, NY. The next day, the two-time ECW World Champion defeated Taylor in another dark match before the Superstars of Wrestling tapings in Burlington, VT.
WWE Vault continues to be a popular wrestling channel on YouTube. To remember Sabu this week, the company shared rare footage of his pre-RAW dark match over Taylor from October 18, 1993. The match went around five minutes and saw the future hardcore wrestling legend earn his pop from the crowd.
Check out the contest below:
Sabu's second dark match win over Taylor was his final date until RAW on June 23, 1997, where he and Flash Funk, aka 2 Cold Scorpio, fought to a double count-out. Sabu did not return to the company until June 7, 2006, at the WWE vs. ECW Head-To-Head special. He lost to John Cena via DQ in the main event.
WWE CCO Triple H pays tribute to Sabu
The wrestling world paid tribute to Sabu with countless tributes this past week. Triple H is among the wrestling stars who took to X/Twitter to remember the multi-time champion.
World Wrestling Entertainment's Chief Content Officer remembered Sabu as an innovator.
"The ECW original whose innovative style helped bring the entire wrestling world to a new extreme. We send our condolences to his loved ones," Triple H wrote.
Sabu was inducted into the Hardcore Hall of Fame in 2009 and GCW's Indie Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2024. The ECW legend defeated Joey Janela in a No-Rope Barbed Wire retirement match during WrestleMania 41 weekend, at the GCW-hosted Joey Janela's Spring Break 9.
