AEW stars react to ECW legend Sabu's passing

AEW and its stars are mourning the passing of hardcore wrestling legend Sabu today. Amid a deluge of tributes and memories, several of All Elite Wrestling's talents have shared their reactions to the news on social media.

Sabu wrestled his final match—fittingly, a no-rope barbed wire bout—at Joey Janela's Spring Break 9 last month. He then hung up his boots at the age of 60. Many of his longtime friends and rivals shared memories of the ECW original today, including AEW's Taz.

Now, several other All Elite stars have paid tribute to the hardcore icon. Mark Briscoe revealed that more than any other wrestler, Sabu was the one who inspired him to chase his dream:

"Nobody made me want to be a wrestler more than Sabu. R.I.P. to a true hardcore legend Suicidal, homicidal, genocidal 4-ever."

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ROH Women's World Champion Athena was shocked by the legend's passing:

"Omg no! #RIPSabu. Legend through and through."

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Meanwhile, Josh Alexander shared a wild story about Sabu trying to stab him in a 2019 match:

"I wrestled Sabu in 2019 a few months after he had a hip replacement. He springboard tornado ddt’d me out of my boots. It was wild! Then he wanted to stab me with a spike for a bit but we figured it out. RIP Sabu One of very few who can say they changed the entire industry."

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Sabu has history with AEW and its stars

Sabu was a big enough figure in the wrestling industry to receive tributes from nearly every corner of the business, from WWE's top brass all the way to lesser-known Japanese stars. All Elite Wrestling has also issued an official statement on the legend's passing.

Sabu made a few appearances for Tony Khan's promotion in May 2023. While he didn't have a match, he did get physical with members of the Jericho Appreciation Society.

AEW issued a solemn tweet to mark the ECW icon's passing today, along with a flood of reactions from the company's talent. What may have choked fans up the most was Taz's touching tribute to his old rival.

Sabu will be remembered as an innovator and prolific talent. We at Sportskeeda Wrestling also extend our condolences to the legend's family and friends during this difficult time.

About the author

Jacob is an AEW contributor and editor at Sportskeeda Wrestling. He has edited and published over 8,000 articles for Sportskeeda Wrestling in just over two years, and subsequently donned the hat of a contributor, demonstrating his commitment to continuous learning. His experience goes beyond wrestling, with five years as an editor for several independent publishing houses and three years as a captioning specialist.

Jacob's first memory of pro wrestling dates back to Sting vs. Ric Flair for the World Heavyweight Championship at Great American Bash 1990. He later began writing for a newsletter and blog at the University of North Texas, and his love of wrestling naturally led him to seek opportunities in the media.

His favorite wrestler is The Icon, as he feels Sting has evolved throughout his career on a parallel path with his own growth as a person. He was Jacob's childhood hero and teenage idol, and now he makes him less afraid of getting older.

Jacob ensures relevance and accuracy in his articles by working hard to maintain his ideals and objectivity without sacrificing his unique voice, inspiring other writers in the section to follow suit.

Jacob’s non-wrestling interests include Anime, video games, and fantasy novels.

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Edited by Sayantan Niyogi