Sabu a Day

[Victator]

I took out a data disc full of Sabu matches. So I started watching them and they are awesome. I decided at my blog http://drvictatorpresents.blogspot.com/ to write about one Sabu match a day.

 

Sabu a Day:Day 1 vs Abyss some time in 2004.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yrm7LBVXVY...player_embedded

First day is a Sabu vs Abyss falls count anywhere match from 2004.

 

This match is from one of the old weekly TNA PPV shows. This was a part of the build up to the first match with Raven. Not sure why Abyss is involved.

 

I'm not a big fan of Abyss for whatever reason, he and Sabu have great chemistry. I have never seen them have anything less than a good match. They had a feud in 05 that culminated in TNA's only Barbwire match.

 

This is a street fight. Abyss has control of the early portions of the match using his size to take away Sabu's speed and crazy advantage but the match still goes to the outside. Sabu wears him out with chairshots. He hits a great looking Air Sabu dive to the floor. No seriously check it out, he gets some crazy hang time.

 

They fight up to the entrance set. I forgot how rinky dink the TNA "Asylum" looked. I'll still take it over the Impact Zone.

 

So a table is set up and Abyss and Sabu are fighting above it. Trading punches perilously above it as if the table was hot lava. I've said it before, but Sabu really understands how to get the most out of a table spot. Even matches with multiple table spots build in intensity. Sabu hits a sweet looking elbow splash into the table wreckage on Abyss getting a two count.

 

They fight back to the ring with Abyss continually going on the attack. Sabu has another chair and again gives Abyss noggin a floggin. Gets him down and hits an Arabian Facebuster.

 

The chair is all mangled and broken. Which is a cool visual. Abyss tries to catch Sabu on the turnbuckle but Sabu catches it and cracks Abyss skull. The match is kinda like a Road Runner cartoon with Abyss as the Coyote.

 

 

To further illustrate this point, Abyss takes out his chain. Sabu ducks grabs the chain and hog ties Abyss.

 

Abyss catches Sabu with a tossed chair as he tries the Triple Jump moonsault. Its interesting that every time Abyss gets any sustained offense it is thru cheating.

 

They fight down by the stage again. Sabu puts Abyss on a table and leaps off the bleachers onto Abyss.

 

Sabu does not pin him instead wanting to get another table to finish Abyss for good. Now Sabu is at the highest point in the Asylum. Lights go out and Raven pushes him off onto the table and it doesn't break. Raven dives off onto him with an elbow. Abyss gets the three.

 

I don't know if that was improvised but that was certainly a sick bump for Sabu to take.

 

I wish Kane vs Sabu had happened once in Sabu's WWE tenure. If he can do good work with Dollar Tree Kane, then surely he could do great work with real Kane.

 

 

Sabu a Day:Day 2 vs Kevin Thorn ECW 2006

This match is from the Halloween 2006 episode of ECW on Syfy. Sabu is facing Kevin Thorn for a spot in the Extreme Elimination Chamber. Which as an aside is an unfairly slagged match BTW.

 

 

I love Kevin Thorn. I think I was singing his praises in 06 but not nearly enough. Loved his feud with Stevie Richards in 2007. I wish he had been moved to Smackdown to feud with Taker.

 

But this match is with Sabu. You get a similar dynamic to the match with Abyss. Though in the case of Thorn he is wrestling more like a monster. While Abyss was acting like a 6ft6 300 pound chickenshit heel.

 

Initially Thorn runs over Sabu. Having a clear cut size and power advantage. Until Sabu takes over using his speed and general unorthodox style. Thorn goes to the floor and Sabu dives onto him. I liked Ariel's 'Holy Shit" reaction. Sabu presses the advantage with a beautiful looking slingshot splash. One thing I loved about Sabu's eith month WWE tenure was he got a lot more creative without being able to use chairs and tables. So you never know where he is going to spring from.

 

Thorn gets back the advantage by turning an attempted leaping DDT into a sit out Spinebuster. Thron runs Sabu's shoulder into the turnbuckle and does a good job working him over on the mat with a chinlock and armbar. Not rest holds, really working him over.

 

Sabu catches Thorn with a sweet looking leaping leg lariat off the second rope. Follows it with a nice looking leaping clothesline and flying back elbow. He comes off the second rope and Thorn hits him with a nasty looking clothesline. Thorn misses a charge, and Sabu hits him with a GREAT flying DDT. Then hits him with a flipping legdrop and gets the rare submission win with the Camel Clutch.

 

I love this match. A perfect sub five minute TV match.

 

 

 

 

 

Sabu a Day:Day 3 vs Big Show MSG Extreme Rules

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow91UbO9ydo...player_embedded

 

 

So on the first day I said in regards to Sabu vs Abyss

 

 

"I wish Kane vs Sabu had happened once in Sabu's WWE tenure. If he can do good work with Dollar Tree Kane, then surely he could do great work with real Kane."

 

Today we put that theory to the test as we watch Sabu vs Big Show in an Extreme Rules match from Madison Square Garden.

 

This match is the blow off to the Sabu/Big Show feud. They had a match at Summerslam that Big Show won. They had a rematch where Sabu got a visual pinfall. That match had Sabu bloodying Show with a ring bell and it was great. It set this match up.

 

First things first, I think Big Show is the best ECW Champion ever. You could of put his reign in the original ECW and it would not of seemed outta place. Every week they were bringing in special attractions from Raw and Smackdown trying to take down Show. Mixed in with him feuding with ECW regulars like RVD,Sandman and of course Sabu.

 

Match starts and the size difference is obvious. Sabu tries to use a chair and Show swats it aside casually.

Show ragdolls Sabu around the ring. Bashes his head in with headbutts. Hits him with chops. As a dick move he tosses him outside and lets Heyman's bodyguards beat up on Sabu. Heyman is outside kissing Show's ass, and Show has this dopey grin on his face. Big Show has the absolute perfect balance between genuine monster and hateable dick head.

 

Show takes the chair Sabu tried to use earlier and destroys it. He actually rips it apart with his bare hands. Sabu takes this as a sign to get it in gear but Show crushes him with a clothesline. After being worked over, Sabu tags Show in the nuts. Dropping him to his knees. Sabu grabs a chair and tags him in the face with multiple chair shots. He tries to lock on the camel clutch which looks crazy. Like my two year old nephew trying to choke me out. Show picks him up and turns it into a side slam.

 

Sabu dodges a big boot, causing Show to crotch himself.. Sabu hits a flying dropkick, knocking Show to the floor. Heyman's guards help Show back into the ring. Show easily kicks out of a pin attempt and is already back in control.

 

Show is ready to end things. He tries to chokeslam Sabu thru a table but Sabu reverses it into a DDT. Show is so huge Sabu is briefly trapped under his arm. Like someone in a collapsed building under a beam. Sabu is up and has the chair and goes to town. Heyman is great wincing and crying. One last shot sends Show to the floor thru another table.

 

Outside the ring, Sabu attacks Heyman's guards. I love how when Sabu punched them he shifted his hand to a different position to protect his knuckles. Show tries to slam him but Sabu gets out of the way and shoves him into a turnbuckle post.

 

Show is draped on a table. Sabu comes off the top for a legdrop, sees Show has moved and adjust to hit him with Air Sabu but Show catches him and Chokeslams him thru the table. Back in the ring and the Cobra Clutch Back Breaker and Hog Log ends it.

 

I loved the first three months of ECW on Sci fi. It went downhill after Show lost the belt. I know it occasionally had its moments until it croaked last year. But nothing compares to Big Show tearing shit up with Sabu and Sandman every week.

[Guest Paul Kersey]

I liked that Sabu vs Abyss barbed wire match. It's not the only one TNA did, as Abyss had another one vs Judas Mesias too (which I haven't seen.)

[Victator]

Thought I mighta missed one.

[El-P]

When I did my whole ECW project, Sabu is a guy whose stock went up, and by the end of his stint I still wasn't tired at all of watching him.

This post almost makes me want to check out the beginnings of WWECW. Almost.

[Victator]

Check out anything with Sabu and Big Show. There is a really good Sabu/Angle match that I'll get to. I loved a lot of RVD's stuff from this time but I know he is a polarizing figure. He had some really good matches with Bob Holly and Test.

[El-P]

RVD was the exact opposite of Sabu, at the end of my ECW watch, I was just sick of watching him, I couldn't stand his matches. Whereas I could have watched Sabu on every show. I don't mind him on small dose, and he had some really fu matches. But he's way way below Sabu in my totem pole. Not even in the same category.

[BBscout]

Once he got the TV strap, I thought RVD's 10-15 minute matches were great to watch (especially 1st Lynn on TV, 1st Storm on TV) but the longer stuff was a drag.

 

I don't remember reading it explained why but I do know he is one of the guys people shit on.

 

I can see not acknowledging his ability to innovate a ton of great mid-level-creative offense combined with risking himself for the occasional crazy spot, being a natural cool and cocky that complimented the moves to make his character really believable as a top guy, and actually be the most popular wrestler in the company and then the most popular among those that moved on to either WWF or WCW, but I thought he also actually did a lot of little things that people usually gravitate to pointing out on here.

 

He threw mainly forearms and jabs as opposed to bullshit chops and haymakers, he would strike back if there felt like there was too much time to act unconscious between the exectution of a spot and the opponent setting him up for it, and he'd play to the crowd instead of just having blatant tunnel vision and hitting move after move.

 

Those little things combined with all the other shit mentioned before it made for a good watch.

 

EDIT - And I just realized this was a Sabu thread, who I feel real similar about. Anyone want to respond to the RVD stuff, it'll be in ECW memories.

 

(Points to Sky and leaves)

[Victator]

 

 

Sabu a Day:Day 4 vs La Parka

MLW should have been the best of the three upstart promotions of 2002. They did not do the stupid shit TNA did and they were not wrestling as performance art indy classic bullshit of ROH. But nothing they did ever worked. Even stuff that should have been good in theory.

 

 

 

The Sabu vs La Parka feud however is one of the things that did work. This is not their first match. That one ended with Sabu bludgeoning Parka with scissors. Tearing his mask open and leaving him a bloody mess. It had this awesome visual of a bloody Parka crawling desperately toward Sabu.

 

 

This is the rematch some months later. They did some angle where Parka injured Bill Alfonzo, so he sends his brother the Cuban Assassin in his place. Parka comes out in some sweet ring gear. Wearing a crazy rubber skull mask over his regular crazy skull mask. Joey Styles wonders if it is a Missy Hyatt mask.

 

 

Match starts with some nice mat work. Sabu takes down Parka with an armbar. They end up brawling on the floor. Both of them taking some nasty bumps. Watching this I wonder if they genuinely dislike each other. Sabu throws a chair in Parka's face and Parka tries to cave in Sabu's skull.

 

 

Parka tries to throw Sabu into a table, Sabu escapes and slams Parka's head into the hardwood. Looks really nasty. Parka responds by trying to decapitate Sabu with a short arm clothesline. These two are dropping bombs like a lightweight Hansen/Vader.

 

 

Parka hits a great looking suicide dive. Parka misses a senton in the ring. Sabu locks on a Camel Clutch but Parka fights to the ropes. Guys dragging guys to the ropes to escape submissions sometimes bugs me. Like seeing Rey Mysterio pull Edge across the ring to escape the Sharpshooter. But here it works with Parka having a size advantage and it really looks like a struggle.

 

 

Lot of people dislike Joey Styles. Hell he bugs me at times. But I think he was good here. One thing he got across was how familiar he was with Sabu. Later he pointed out that Sabu was at a disadvantage not having Fonzie, since he had no chemistry with Assassin. But putting over Assassin is a wrestler which makes him less of a liability.

 

 

Parka faceplants Sabu into a chair and again it looks nasty. Parka and Sabu trade punches on the turnbuckle. Parka gets the advantage and faceplants Sabu into the chair from the second rope. Ref tried to move it but you see Parka threaten him. He tosses Sabu out and hits another brutal looking suicide dive.

 

 

Parka hits Sabu with a broken table and I don't know where it came from. The match is not edited so I must have missed something.

 

 

Sabu tosses Parka into the table shrapnel in the corner. Sabu pins Parka covered in the shrapnel and it is a great visual. The match is disjointed in places. But they go by that old rule of when in doubt beat the shit outta each other and it works. Parka knocks down Sabu and cuts a little jig.

 

 

Parka is a guy who really should have been a far bigger star in this country. Lots of charisma, good in the ring and big enough to credibly fight heavyweights.

 

 

Weird spot on the apron. It looks like they are having a disagreement on what to do so Sabu hip tosses him into the ring and Parka reverses.

 

 

Parka hits a stiff standing enzugiri on Sabu. Hits a sitout Powerbomb, but he can't finish him off.. Sabu escapes the table but is hit by a Crossbody block off the top. Assassin comes in and knees Parka in the gut. The type of brute force that Fonzie can't provide. Sabu hits the Triple Jump Moonsault spot on.

 

 

 

Assassin proves a liability. He can't move as fast as Fonzie or set up the tables and chairs properly. Which for Sabu is crucial and he pays for it in the end. While Sabu is climbing up top, Assassin comes into hold Parka down. But Parka nails him with a chair and Sabu puts Assassin thru the table. Parka hits a moosault somersault block onto Sabu for three.

 

 

This match is not perfect. It is disjointed in places. But the action is stiff and nasty enough I can overlook its flaws.

[Victator]

Once he got the TV strap, I thought RVD's 10-15 minute matches were great to watch (especially 1st Lynn on TV, 1st Storm on TV) but the longer stuff was a drag.

 

I don't remember reading it explained why but I do know he is one of the guys people shit on.

 

I can see not acknowledging his ability to innovate a ton of great mid-level-creative offense combined with risking himself for the occasional crazy spot, being a natural cool and cocky that complimented the moves to make his character really believable as a top guy, and actually be the most popular wrestler in the company and then the most popular among those that moved on to either WWF or WCW, but I thought he also actually did a lot of little things that people usually gravitate to pointing out on here.

 

He threw mainly forearms and jabs as opposed to bullshit chops and haymakers, he would strike back if there felt like there was too much time to act unconscious between the exectution of a spot and the opponent setting him up for it, and he'd play to the crowd instead of just having blatant tunnel vision and hitting move after move.

 

Those little things combined with all the other shit mentioned before it made for a good watch.

 

EDIT - And I just realized this was a Sabu thread, who I feel real similar about. Anyone want to respond to the RVD stuff, it'll be in ECW memories.

 

(Points to Sky and leaves)

RVD was essentially a spinoff of Sabu. They are so intertwined its hard to discuss one without the other. Well I think Sabu stands alone fine. But RVD feels like a car missing a wheel without Sabu.

 

I love RVD. I love the unneeded flips. I love the dickhead arrogance and I love the Carrot Top offense. Because it all feels like a natural extension of RVD. He reminds me of the Ultimate Warrior. He created a persona and played it perfectly. I think it is why he stayed so over no matter where he was.

 

On a personal note, I missed meeting him by five minutes twice last Thursday and am bummed out.

[Victator]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpCBvC-IOM4...player_embedded

 

 

This is the match with Big Show that set up the Extreme Rules rubber match. Even if it is weird since Show beat Sabu at Summerslam and won here by DQ. But that's modern wrestling for you.

 

 

 

One thing I loved with this feud was Heyman begging Show not to underestimate Sabu. But Show is all "Don't worry I got this. I'm a giant." and slowly reality sets in like when Rocky knocks Apollo Creed on his ass in Round One.

 

 

Show was perfect during this period. The perfect mixture of Unstoppable monster/vulnerable heel Champion. You can buy ancient melting man of wax Flair beating Show. Or the Sandman beating Show. Because ECW is this alien planet with its own customs. While the WWE wrestlers were like settlers converting the natives to Christianity. Until eventually the natives entire culture is assimilated.

 

 

This match starts like the other Sabu/Show matches. Show comes in overwhelming Sabu. Headbutts, Chops and crazy looking military presses dominate. Show drops him from the press slam on the top rope and Sabu dropped directly from the floor.

 

 

With Big Show a basic bodyslam looks brutal. Sabu starts firing off some punches and Show wipes him out with a Lariat. He just suffocated Sabu with half his body.

Show clamps him in a bearhug and Sabu tries to gogue his eyes out. Ref reprimands Sabu while Show starts to realize what he is dealing with.

 

 

Blinded, Show accidentally wipes out the referee with a spear. Sabu leaps off the ropes and Show catches him. He hits a crazy Fallaway Slam that sends Sabu flying across the ring.

Sabu heads outside, Show pursues and Sabu cracks him in the head with a chair. Catches him with a few more shots, finally toppling him with a chair shot off the top rope.

 

 

He hits the Triple Jump Moonsault and Arabian Facebuster but no referee. Another ref runs in and Sabu gets a two count. Sabu goes fuck it and grabs the ring bell. He splits Show's scalp open and the referee cowers in the corner.

 

 

Sabu is enraged and hits Show over and over. He is covered in blood and pleading with Sabu to show mercy. Because of how good Show and Sabu are you buy it. He keeps hitting him and Show goes over the top thru a table. Sabu is DQ'ed I think. Or maybe Show was for wiping out the first Ref.

 

 

Sabu stands looking crazed holding the bell in his mouth.

[Dylan Waco]

RVD is weird in that I tend to think matches built around him taking hideously dangerous bumps are really good, but his offense is what he's known for and with some exceptions his matches built around that I find boring and tedious as fuck. That is not a hard rule, but I would much rather watch RVD/Jericho or RVD/Furnas from his ECW tenure than one of his needlessly long Carrot Top improv acts from his tv title run. I know Vic loves it and thinks it added to the act, but once Fonzy came in I think it killed a lot of what made RVD interesting as a wrestler to me, even if it may have enhanced his star power. I do think he had some excellent and unheralded matches with Scorpio, but that's neither here nor there since Scorpio was God in ECW.

 

Sabu is Abdullah The Butcher with cooler highspots. Take that as a compliment.

[Victator]

 

Sabu a Day 8: vs Billy Black

 

 

 

In the DVDVR thread I kinda slagged this match. Watching it now, I can see where I was coming from but it improved on a second viewing.

 

Billy Black in a very small circle, is a bit of an underground legend. He was a really talented guy who never made it. He worked a SMW taping or two. An All Japan tour then three ECW shows in 1996. After that he was in the news for pistol whipping a wrestling promoter in public. Which honestly, is not even a crime in most states.

 

The most interesting thing was his look. He had a big arsenal of fancy moves but looks like the scummiest Southern County Fair indy wrestler.

 

This is Black's biggest match in ECW. It did not make TV but it is a match with Sabu which in 96 is the default main event.

 

Match starts out good. Black dodges Sabu's leg dives, and drops and elbow and catches him with some great looking uppercuts. Really they look fantastic. He catches him with some knees, front suplexes him on the top rope and European Uppercuts him to the floor. His strikes are William Regal/Finlay level.

 

Black climbs to the top rope and hits a beautiful Flying Body Press to the floor. Then he rolls Sabu in and clamps on a bodyscissors. This is when I turned on the match last time. This is not a Sabu structured match. It feels like Black had a good segment mapped out did it and needs to think of something else. I see this in Sting matches sometimes so Black is in good company. To his credit he does not do a chinlock or headlock. He tries to keep it visually interesting.

 

Sabu fights out of it turning It into a leg submission and Black rakes his eye to escape.

 

Black works him over on the ropes. Hits another of those uppercuts, they rule. Sabu catches him with a spinning heel kick that doesn't quite hit Black flush. Sabu slams him and hits a springboard leg lariat. We hear Tommy Rich tell Sabu to use the table.*

 

Sabu pulls him up and DDTs Black and heads outside. Grabs a chair and hits a beautiful Air Sabu in the corner on Black. Sabu whips him in the opposite corner but Black reverses and hits a hard clothesline.

 

Sabu reverses a suplex, but Black catches him with a boot in the corner and drops a great looking elbow. Black is like the ECW version of Bob Cook. This dude with not quite the most conventionally good look. But has these awesome looking strikes and you can buy him getting offense on way bigger stars. Like Cook fucking up Dick Murdoch in a TBS squash.

 

Black clamps on an abdominal stretch. It looks really good and I think it should be brought back as a finisher. It has not been seen in years. A properly applied one could be a credible finish. I love how Black releases it when he realizes Sabu will not submit. He hits a nasty elbow to the back of the head.

 

He whips Sabu into the ropes but Sabu flips over and spin kicks Black sending him out of the ring. Sabu puts him over the guard rail and hits Air Sabu. Back in the ring and Sabu starts tagging him with punches and Black fires back. it is a rare occasion when a dude out punches Sabu. But damned if Black did not do it. This section has some good back and forth brawling. They keep reversing a waist lock til Black hits a picture perfect German Suplex for two.

 

Fans are into this as they are chanting Sabu. They hit a brutal double clothesline. Side tangent but I remember the first time I ever saw a double clothesline. It was Hogan vs Warrior at the 1990 Royal Rumble and it blew my mind. I never saw such a brutal move. I thought they had killed each other.

 

They fight back up to their feet and Sabu has the advantage. Gets Black in the corner and hits a cool looking Stinger Splash clothesline.

 

Sabu hits his flipping legdrop and locks on a Code Red Armbar but Black is near the ropes. Sabu catches him with a big clothesline. Sabu is that rare smallish wrestler who can hit a credible looking clothesline. Black pulls himself up and Sabu tags him again. Up again and Sabu hits the springboard leg lariat. Then hits the Arabian Press moonsault.

 

Black comes off the ropes and blocks a hip toss with a bulldog. He goes for a moonsault and misses. But Sabu was not positioned right. I swear like only a tiny percentage of wrestlers know how to position a dude for a moonsault.

 

Black gets knocked to the outside. Sabu props him on a table and hits a flipping senton onto Black and the table does not break. It looks very painful. Like hitting the floor woulda felt better. Sabu has a "Fuck it it lets go home" look on his face.

 

Back in the ring Sabu misses a charge in the corner and Black hits a nice looking spin kick. Then hits a good looking spinning heel kick in the corner. Black tries to go to the top and Sabu catches him. He hits a Hurracarana, and Black takes a nasty looking bump. One Arabian Facebuster later and its over.

 

On a second viewing I was wrong about this match. It had some structure problems but kicked ass too.

 

 

 

*Not Tommy Rich but an incredible simulation.