Slam Wrestling wrote an excellent article on Sabu and how he continues to entertain fans while battling serious injuries and pain. Here is the article:
By -- SLAM! Wrestling
For most of his career, Sabu has had the nickname "Homicidal, Genocidal, and Suicidal." Few would doubt that it suits the madman from Bombay, Michigan.
The nephew of the late Original Sheik, his body is covered in scars from wrestling in fire, on barbed wire and putting his body through more punishment than most humans could take. The ring is his war ground, and tables and chairs are his weapons of choice. An innovator in pro wrestling, his classic ECW matches against Rob Van Dam, Tazz, Cactus Jack and so many others are still talked about today. He was an early creator of "Hardcore".
At the recent POW shows in Saskatoon, Sabu added to his reputation, wrestling five nights with his arm in a cast. The reason? A week before he had his bicep surgically re-attached.
"If you look at his arm, it is still fresh from surgery and has an open, gaping wound. Usually when they reattach a bicep, you aren't supposed to do anything physical for six weeks, let alone get on a plane and wrestle," said fellow SLAM! contributor Don Callis, who knows Sabu from their days together in ECW and frequently books him on No Holds Barred tours.
It was near the end of April when Sabu's bicep was torn off of his arm during a match. He continued with bookings, including a classic battle in Calgary with Ted Hart for Stu Hart's 88th Birthday. During the surgery, doctors reattached the bicep to his arm; his tendon, however, was so badly damaged, the surgeons took a tendon out of a cadaver, attached it to his bicep and then to his bone. Doctors told him not to wrestle, but he was determined to fulfill his contractual obligations.
"I told him he didn't have to come, that we could find someone to replace him," said POW Owner Crash Crimson. "I was concerned about his welfare, but he was determined to be here, and wow, what a job he's done."
Crimson had a feud with Sabu during the week, culminating in a highly anticipated clash on the final night of the show. Crimson defeated Sabu, but had nothing but praise for his skill. "For a guy with one arm he has been doing some amazing stuff. His trademark triple-jump moonsault, he is landing it so that not only is he not hurting his opponent when he lands, he doesn't hurt himself either. That takes a lot of skill and talent. It's not that he's crazy, well, I'm sure he's slightly crazy, but he is that damn good and that is all there is too it."
For Wavell Starr, watching Sabu work despite the injury was a source of inspiration. "It was gut check time. Some people may have had bumps and bruises or been tired, but no one was hurting like him. Sabu was injured, no question about it. I don't think he should have been there, he probably should have been at home, but he showed everyone, the fans, the workers what work ethic is all about. He worked his ass off and did what he could, and that is a good lesson and very inspiring."
Seemingly invincible to pain, Sabu didn't show any of the agony he had to be feeling in his arm. The cast he had was a hard cast, but by the end of the week he had taken so many bumps on it, it was shattered.
The dedication brought about the question, is there anything Sabu won't do? He has worked through many injuries, most notably when his neck was broken in a match against Chris Benoit (and thus "The Crippler" moniker was born) and missed little if any time. Apocalypse and Juggernaut both wrestled him during the week and had been on tour with him in the past. Said Juggernaut, "I have no idea what it takes for Sabu to say 'I can't do it.' I've never seen him say it."
Added Apocalypse, "I'm pretty sure you could cut off his foot and he would still say 'Eh, I'll wrestle.'"
The main comment of every wrestler who faced Sabu during the week was the fact that he was able to wrestle so well with just one arm. The potential was there for not only Sabu to get injured, but his opponents as well. The fact that everyone came through unscathed speaks volumes about not only Sabu, but his opponents for the week.
"I've been amazed at the fact that he is tough enough to do this, the great matches he has had with one arm, and his body control. He is hitting all of his normal moves and spots and is able to adjust his body in mid-air to compensate for the fact that he can't land on his arm," said Callis. "He really is a phenom in this business."
