Sabu tragically passed away over the weekend, which was just weeks after he wrestled his retirement match at GCW’s Joey Janela’s Spring Break 9 event. And while there is no evidence that the no rope barbed wire bout had any connection with Sabu’s passing, some fans have taken to social media to accuse GCW and Janela of being partly responsible for his passing.
This is because Janela disclosed in a just-published interview that the ECW legend had to take kratom to get through the match, and at one point was knocked out, but GCW allowed the match to continue regardless.
And now, following online backlash, Janela has taken to X to clarify his comments, noting that Sabu had been taking the drug for years, and while he did claim that Sabu had been knocked out in the interview, this was false, and he was trying to “add to the lore” of the hardcore icon. Janela also claimd that Sabu was fine after the hard-hitting match and boasted that “he went out on top.”
Letting a 60-year-old man who was high and allegedly unable to walk just hours beforehand compete in such a dangerous match is obviously a terrible look for GCW. However, trying to blame the company or any individual for his death three weeks later, considering Sabu’s well-documented addiction issues, does feel like a stretch. Still, it appears there are lessons to be learnt, and it is likely that everyone involved in putting on Sabu’s retirement match will review how they can put wrestlers’ safety first with some official protocols.
