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I was surfing around the net today and I came across a post that said 'Sabu
to WCW?....' and something else.  Upon reading that I blew it off figuring
that it was just another phony post that was circulating around.  These
rumors like to come up every few months and there is never anything to them.
Upon opening it I read that WCW.com was posting that they were negotiating
with Sabu.  If you have been paying attention you realize that he actually
did sign with WCW; see 'The Radicals'.

My first reaction to reading this was shock.  Why would Sabu leave?  And why
would he go to the sinking ship that is WCW?  He can look around his current
locker room and see a lot of examples of why going to WCW is a bad idea
(except for Mikey who got paid to sit around for a year).  I'm sure he
realizes that as well.  The obvious answer is that WCW is desperate for
established wrestlers now and offered Sabu a big contract.  With 'The
Radicals' leaving WCW recently WCW has freed up some money to be able to
sign Sabu at terms that Paul E.  couldn't or shouldn't match.  Sabu probably
at least doubled his money (rumored to be $500,000) and got it guaranteed
for at least 2 years.  When you factor in that his matches most likely will
be less physically demanding this was probably an easy decision for Sabu to
make.  Also, with all of the defections lately Sabu has the opportunity to
be a featured player in WCW, although we all know how that usually turns
out.

Sabu's new contract with WCW is something that Paul E. couldn't do,
especially when you consider Sabu's age and the fact that he is on the
downside of his career.  It would also upset the salary structure that he
has in place now.  If he gave Sabu the big bucks he would then have to do it
for everyone else or he would have all sorts of locker room problems.

To me Sabu was the epitome of what ECW is all about.  If anyone in ECW was
extreme it was Sabu.  There really isn't too much of a debate there.  But
Sabu could also wrestle if he wanted/needed to and that's also a big part of
what ECW is today.  Sabu always worked hard and he always worked hurt, a lot
of times when he probably shouldn't have.

The lasting impression I will always have of Sabu is a house show match back
in the Winter of 1997 in Waltham, Mass.  He and RVD were taging against
Dreamer and Sandman.  It was a match that was pretty typical of what you
would expect out of these 4 back then; that being a great match.  The match
was progressing pretty well and it was about the time in the match when the
tables were being brought into the ring.  Fonzie slid a table into the ring
and it was sitting in the ring upside down.  Sabu set a chair up for the
triple jump moonsault onto the Sandman.  He hopped onto the chair, then onto
the top rope and then flipped back.  I was seated on the side that Sabu was
coming back towards.  As he flipped over you could see that his jump was
slightly off and that he was headed for the table that was upsidedown in the
ring.  It was almost like he was moving in slow motion.  As he came down his
jaw hit square on one of the table legs.  It was one of the most sickening
things I have ever seen (besides a Hogan/Nash match).  After hitting the
table leg he promptly slid to the outside of the ring and onto the floor
where he clutched his jaw.  He stayed on the floor as the match continued.
I don't remember what happened next as my attention was focused on Sabu.
After a few minutes someone was placed on a table in the middle of the ring,
Dreamer I believe.  Van Dam went to the top turnbuckle in one corner and
Sabu got up climbed onto the apron and then to the top opposite turnbuckle.
They then did their legdrop/frogsplash combo to finish the match off.  Sabu
quickly left the ring and ran into the locker room holding his jaw.  I was
amazed.  This man was seriously injured (what I believe ended up being
fractured jaw and a few chipped teeth) and he continued the match.  And this
was a house show!!!  A stupid house show!!!  There was no reason for him to
continue the match and yet he did.  I'm still amazed when I think about it
now.

There's no way anyone should be bitter about him leaving.  Sabu always
busted his ass for ECW.  While I'm definitely disappointed that he is
leaving ECW I wish him the best.  Hell, I might even accept free tickets to
go to a WCW show now.