"He was the exact opposite of what you saw" - Sabu remembered by ECW veteran after his passing

ECW and wrestling legend Sabu tragically passed away at 60 on May 11, 2025. Tributes have been pouring in from around the wrestling world, with The Human Highlight Reel's colleagues like Sandman, Tazz, and others paying their respects to him.

Sabu made his name in ECW as an original member of the company's roster. He became a two-time World Champion during his time with the promotion and developed a close personal relationship with the founder and former owner of Extreme Championship Wrestling, Tod Gordon.

During an exclusive chat with Hall of Fame journalist Bill Apter on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, Gordon delved deeper into his relationship with the ECW original. He referred to him as one of his closest friends even outside the business, and shed some light on the wrestler's personality outside of the ring.

''He was the exact opposite of what you saw on TV and in the ring. He was actually, and I've said this before, the funniest. They ask me who's the funniest guy in the whole locker room, and I'd say Sabu, they go 'What? What do you mean? Sabu?' He was the funniest guy in the locker room to me. He could make me laugh harder than anybody could. He had this understated, quiet sense of humor where he'd just like drop a little dig in somewhere and you'd think 'Wait, what'd he say' and it'd be hysterical. He was just so funny and clever,'' Gordon said.

Gordon was visibly emotional during the entire chat as both he and Apter talked about their experiences of getting to know The Human Highlight Reel. The two shared a lovely moment during the conversation where they hit the legend's iconic pose and paid tribute to him.

If you use quotes from here, please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling and embed the YouTube video.

About the author

Faiz is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. He is a BBA graduate who is passionate about sports and wants to make a career in that field. This passion led to a postgraduate degree in Journalism, which helped him pivot into becoming a sports writer. When writing, he puts the utmost importance on accuracy and thorough research.

Faiz has six years of work experience across four companies. He started his career with Zomato and then moved to Amazon. He shifted to becoming a football writer at TV9 Digital and is now with Sportskeeda. He covered the Wrestling Xtreme Mania event in Gurgaon in 2025, where he had the opportunity to interview Raj The Maharaja, fka Jinder Mahal. At the same event, he also got quick interviews with former WWE Superstar Dijak and Japanese Joshi legend Emi Sakura.

When it comes to his favourite wrestlers, Faiz has two names in mind. He loved to watch Triple H before the current WWE CCO retired, and he is a huge fan of Roman Reigns. Being a loyal fan since the Tribal Chief's SHIELD days, Faiz credits Roman's mic skills and unmatched in-ring storytelling for his mega success. When he was young, one in-ring story left a lasting impression on his mind and eventually got him hooked on WWE. That match was Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24. Apart from that, he is also a fan of RAW.

When Faiz is not writing for Sportskeeda, he loves to keep up with other sports. He is an avid cricket and football fan, a huge gamer, and loves playing some RPGs on the PlayStation.

Know More

Edited by Pratik Singh