The wrestling world sadly lost Sabu on May 11th at the age of 60.
Sabu competed in his retirement match on April 18, facing Joey Janela at Spring Break 9 in a no ropes barbed wire bout. In an interview with Phil Schneider of Yahoo's Uncrowned, Janela and GCW promoter Brett Lauderdale revealed complications leading up to the match, including concerns that Sabu wouldn't show up or be able to perform.
The interview was done before Sabu passed away.
The match went forward and included a spot where Sabu took a hard bump to the outside, where his head hit against the concrete floor.
Janela, Lauderdale, and GCW came under fire from fans online for allowing Sabu to perform, given his stated condition.
Lauderdale issued the following statement on the matter:
As a rule, I try not to respond to every claim made on social media, but sometimes I need to speak up and get on the record.
When I received word of Sabu's passing on Sunday, I was devastated. I have known Sabu personally for almost 20 years and been in constant contact with him for the last 2 years.
We were friends, and I cared about him and had/have deep respect for him. In the months leading up to the match, I told him repeatedly how much I believed in him and how excited I was for him to finally get his flowers and be celebrated the way he had earned and deserved. He was both nervous and excited, but determined to give the fans 1 last extreme performance to remember.
Any suggestion that I or "GCW" or Joey Janela "forced" him to do this match, supplied him with substances or somehow caused his death is irresponsible, disingenuous, hurtful, and false. It's upsetting and discouraging to see people so eager to cast judgment without knowledge of the
facts.I would never knowingly put someone who I believed was a danger to themselves or others in the ring and my track record shows this to be true. I have pulled people - in a public and painful manner - from big matches before, sometimes literal moments before a match was to begin and I would do it again if I had to.
I spoke to Sabu moments before the match, and he was Sabu. He was the same Sabu I had encountered in years past when I participated in his matches as a referee and later as a promoter. He was the same Sabu I met with the following day at Wrestlecon, andthe same Sabu that made multiple appearances on podcasts and at conventions in the weeks that followed.
The truth is Sabu lived a hard life both in and outside the ring. He was fearless and reckless... qualities that both endeared him to millions and made us worry about him at the same time. Decades of extreme took it's toll and no matter what we want to believe, nobody is immortal.
While SABU will live forever, Terry Brunk will not and unfortunately his time has finally come. It's sad, and my heart goes out to his friends and family and I join them in mourning his loss.
I feel lucky and blessed to have known him and I am proud to have been able to host his final match. Sabu was a legend and his impact in our world was immeasurable. He will never be forgotten.
Sabu was my friend, and I was devastated to learn of his passing...
— brett lauderdale (@Lauderdale11) May 13, 2025
Please read: pic.twitter.com/yNJUxJJJgu
Fans can read Janela's statement on the matter by clicking here.
