In Final Match, Sabu Goes Out On A High-Flying Note

Review of Sabu's Final Match at JJSB9

At Joey Janela’s Spring Break 9, the main event between Sabu and Janela, a no rope barbed wire match, had fans in suspense. What shape would Joey be in after his arm injury? Better yet, what shape would Sabu be in? Could the two put on a stellar match in their current condition? And would Sabu even show up? Those questions were answered last night.
Here’s a breakdown, Joey Janela walked out first sporting a new pink and leopard print hair color. Next, Sabu came out wearing all white blazer, white pants, sneakers and blue keffiyeh. Some odd off mic banter from Sabu leaves everyone puzzled, Sabu points to his knee a few times.. Emil powers through and continues the introductions despite Sabu’s interruption. Sabu hits the signature finger in the air pose and Janela strikes first while the legend has his back turned. The two exchange a flurry of punches and kicks, Sabu gains control and tosses Janela into the barbed wire. Janela stops short of touching the rope and sets up a reversal. Sabu falls for it by charging at Janela. Janela throws and overhand and Sabu ducks under putting to much on that left knee which seems to be bothering him.
The two start grappling Sabu gets a waistlock, takes Janela’s back, rolls him to the mat then switches to a front face lock. Sabu gives up the hold and goes for a whip which Janela quickly reverses. Sabu grazes the barbed wire rope. Janela in control starts beating on Sabu occasionally taking a moment to gloat. Janela goes for a suplex but Sabu counters to a wristlock into clothsline.
Sabu pulls out a spike and carves up Joey’s forehead.
Then, former ECW ref and manager Bill Alfonso briefly diverts everyones attention from the action by blowing his whistle. He tosses Sabu a chair and instructs him to go outside the ring. Sabu unfolds the chair and places it in the center of the ring. Seems like Sabu’s setting up a dive, but Janela rolls out of the way. Sabu stops short of committing to the move, goes back to the chair and launches at Joey’s face. With Janela down, Sabu sets up the chair again only to have Janela roll outta of the way at the last sec and Sabu gets nothing but barbed wire. Sabu bursts through the wire rope and falls face first into the barbed wire bed lying outside the ring. He gets tangled and mangled in the wires he needs assistance from both refs to get free. The look of shock on Janela’s face says it all.
Sabu, back in the ring, is still tangled in barbed wire around his hair and jacket. Janela launches a chair at Sabu’s head. Then, Joey helps Sabu get untangled by removing Sabu’s blazer. He throws some half-hearted punches to try and cover up the assistance. Sabu is bloodied and winded after all of that. He rests on his knees while Janela prepares the next spot.
Janela places a barbed wire board against the flimsy wire ropes and whips Sabu into the board. Sabu smashes through the board shoulder first and lands right on his head outside the ring. Officials swarm Sabu to check on him. A puddle of blood lays near Sabu and it doesn’t look. Sabu is figiting in pain. This match might be over here.
Out comes running the Cogars, Atticus and Otis. Atticus with skewers in hand starts attacking Joey. Bill Alfonso tries to intervene and Atticus attacks him next by DVD’ing “Fonzie” in to a barbed wire board. The announcer mistakenly says The Cogars are there to get revenge for Sabu. Wait, what?
The lights go out and another ECW cameo from The Sandman who appears in the balcony. Sandman goes from crowd to crowd pouring beers into people’s mouths while fans sing along to Metallica’s hit song “Enter Sandman.” Meanwhile, Joey’s laying on the ground in the ring, skewers in head, bloodied and beaten by The Cogars. The Cogars are waiting patiently for Sandman to complete his long entrance towards the ring.
Sabu returns with a big bloody gash on his back. He begins attacking Janela with punches from outside the ring but then runs off when Atticus swings a barbed wire bat. Finally, Sandman arrives to the ring and slowly climbs in. He yells to The Cogars, “Hold on“ while he takes another moment to engage with the cheering fans.
Atticus orders Otis to attack Sandman, and Otis charges forward with his arms up in the air only to get hit with Sandman’s kendo stick in the mid section. It’s Atticus’ turn next to attack but he is beaten by Sandman in similar fashion. The Cogars roll out of the ring and make their way backstage. Janela returns to action by knocking down Sandman from behind and Sandman leaves the ring. It’s hard to tell who’s against who at this point.
We’re now back to our regularly scheduled main event. Sabu ready for revenge tosses Janela through the ropes into a barbed wire doors outside the ring. Joey gets freed from the barbed wire and steps back into the ring. Sabu offers a handshake to lure Joey in. Joey reaches in and Sabu irish whips Joey to the other side of the ring where Joey falls on to that barbed wire bed.
Janela screams out in pain and Sabu launches a chair at Janela’s head. Sabu continues taunting Janela by offering him a hand. Janela gets back to his feet and Sabu again offers a fake hand shake which Janela meets with a fist. The two trade punches until Janela goes for a folding chair. Janela throw the folding chair at Sabu’s head and Sabu falls to the ground. Then, Janela offers Sabu a free shot with the folding chair. Sabu instead goes for a stike to Janela’s midsection then lands a DDT on a folding chair. Sabu follows up by smacking Janela in the head with the folding chair. Then, goes for a leg drop on Janela with the folding chair in between them. Sabu covers for the pin, three count. Sabu defeats Joey Janela by pinfall.
Janela gets a mic and gives praise to Sabu. Then, shoots on how Sabu skipped his GCW Hall of Fame induction the previous year. He says they’re gonna right that wrong by treating this match as his induction ceremony. Janela brings out the plaque honoring Sabu. The two hit a Sabu pose and that’s it folks. Overall an entertaining match that will appear the nostalgia of ECW fans. Storyline-wise it was all over the place, the ECW cameos felt forced and didn’t really enhance the story in the match, however the fans in attendance seemed to pop for them. From and ultra-violence perspective there was some gruesome spots that many will remember when the think back to Sabu’s final match.