It had become a running joke in AEW, lights go down, and someone jokes that “It’s Sabu,” when it never ends up being Sabu. That all changed on Wednesday night.
Sabu appeared during a contract signing segment between Chris Jericho and Adam Cole that was done to hype their Unsanctioned match this Sunday at Double or Nothing.
Jericho and Cole went back and forth on the attack on Britt Baker and then Jericho made it clear to Cole that he has more backup than Cole for the match on Sunday. Cole, who knew that Jericho would say that, said that he was going to bring someone even crazier than him and the JAS and that person would be there, along with Roderick Strong, to back him up this Sunday night.
Sabu’s music played and he took out the JAS with chair shots to the face.
For all intents and purposes, Sabu is retired, having not wrestled a match since 2021, which makes him the latest in a long line of veteran wrestlers that have appeared in AEW as something of a mentor figure. Sabu is something of a left-field choice for Cole and Strong but with Kyle O’Reilly recovering from neck surgery and Bobby Fish seemingly on the outs with the company, Cole needs someone in his corner alongside Strong, and Sabu’s hardcore bona fides make him a good fit.
Sabu has a history with another piece of AEW’s lineage, as he is the only other man in the history of Extreme Championship Wrestling to hold the FTW Championship besides Taz, which has become something of a legacy title in AEW, currently held by Taz’s son Hook. Sabu has not received a graphic indicating that he is in any way signed to AEW.
Sabu was a key part of the ECW roster, helping popularize a particular type of high-flying action that would be emulated by countless wrestlers in the years that followed. Industry veterans who worked with Sabu, such as Rob Van Dam and Paul Heyman, believe Sabu should be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame for his contributions to the industry, and it seems Waltman would be in agreement. During his tenure with ECW, Sabu was a two-time World Heavyweight Champion and a three-time World Tag Team Champion. Additionally, Sabu previously performed in WWE, WCW, NJPW, TNA, and countless independent promotions over the years.
Sabu was hospitalized following a medical emergency just last month. Sabu later gave an update on social media, stating that he was feeling much better.
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