What interviews has Sabu done?

[LucharesuFan619 0]

How many interviews/promos has Sabu done in his career? I think he did a promo back in the early '90's with Gideon Wainwright, then he did a hotline interview in like '94 I think it was (the one where he said he'd like to wrestle Bret Hart and HBK if he ever got the chance), a Wrestling.IGN.com interview, and an interview for Rampage Wrestling Magazine. I also seem to remember him saying something about Taz being a midget on an ECW show. But anyway. Anyone have any memories of seeing/hearing him talk? How does he sound? Has anyone met him and talked to him? I tried to get an interview with him a few weeks ago and even went through one of his closest friends in the business, and even they told me they could try, but they really doubted he'd be willing to. Shows you how much the guy LIVES his gimmick. And also - are there any video clips anywhere on the net of him doing promos?

[Guest Pigsy]

On Crossing the Line '99 Sabu calls out Taz. His "promo" goes as follows:

 

"Taz... motherfucker Taz!"

 

That's the only time I've heard him speak.

[PsychoDriver 0]

I remember he cut a promo in ECW once

 

"3/20/97

Sabu vs Spike Dudley - Sabu wears orange and black and wins using a T-bone Tazplex followed by the Tazmission. Sabu actually gets on the mic and speaks, and he puts Bill Alfonso through a table"

[Steviekick 0]

On Crossing the Line '99 Sabu calls out Taz. His "promo" goes as follows:

 

"Taz... motherfucker Taz!"

 

That's the only time I've heard him speak.

I remember that.

 

Other than that, I don't ever remember Sabu saying anything.

[LucharesuFan619 0]

Found this old interview with Wade Keller on RSPW...

 

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&...a.lm.com&rnum=2

 

Apparently, there's a part two to it somewhere, also.

 

 

 

 

 

K:In terms of your career, are you pretty happy with the way things have

gone for you in terms of bookings internationally and domestically?

 

S:I'm happy, but I'm not satisfied.

 

K:In what ways are you happy?

 

S:I'm happy because I don't have to take a booking if I don't want to

because I have one to back it up. I can get the kind of money I want

now because if they don't give it to me I can take another booking and

probably get it. I don't have to take a booking if I don't feel like

it. I'm taking every booking I can get, but I like the freedom of not

having to. Before I felt so pressured I had to take it. Now I just

feel pressure, that everybody's watching me.

 

K:In what ways aren't you satisfied.

 

S:I want to make more money, of course. Probably get something

national.

 

K: Would you be interested in working for WWF or WCW anytime soon if the

offers were right? Or do you have some things you still want to

accomplish before going with one of the big two?

 

S:I talked to somebody last Monday [This interview was conducted August

9, 1994] from WWF. They still want to change my name. They didn't say

anything about money. They said I'd make a lot of money, but they still

want to change my name so I said "When you guys decide you don't want to

change my name, I'd probably come"

 

K: Why is keeping your name so important?

 

S: The name itself I like. I like it because now I feel it's my name.

Sheik gave it to me, but I built it so I don't want to sell out yet. If

I can't find work, then yes maybe I will sell out, but right now I can

find work. I'm not making a million dollars a year, or even close, or

even one hundred thousand a year, but I think if I stick with it I will

- on my terms.

 

K: Does the WWF want to keep your image or gimmick but change the name?

 

S: I'm not even sure if they want to keep the gimmick.

 

K: Lightning Kid changed to 123 Kid and kept his image the same. WOuld

you be willing to slightly change the name so they could at least

trademark it but it would still be something similar to Sabu?

 

S: Yeah, yeah. If they wanted to call me Zabu or something. Even Sabu

with something at the end of it. They didn't go into detail. They just

said they wanted to change it. They had no idea what they were...they

probably do, but they didn't want to tell me. They said they didn't

have any idea what it would be, but they would definitely be changing

it. I told them I didn't want to come yet.

 

[Anyone know why they couldn't leave it at Sabu and still trademark

it???]

 

K: What about WCW?

 

S: They don't ever call me.

 

[Once again, a shining testimony to the infinite wisdom that is WCW]

 

K: Do yo uever call them?

 

S: No. I hear it's a bad time now because of Hogan because I guess

they're not giving out no money now.

 

K: Earlier you said you were feeling pressure. In what ways are you

feeling pressure and is that good or bad pressure?

 

S: The way it was before, when I would have an average match as Sabu,

people would rave and go "Wow! That's great." Now when I'm having what I

feel are good matches they've seen me enough to where they're saying

they want more. SO my good matches are below average now, I think.

 

K: Do you feel a pressure to satisfy the fans in various towns who are

there every time to see you or are you satisfied to put on good matches

for the vast majority who don't see every match and aren't that

critical?

 

S: I'm trying...I'm...I don't know what I'm doing. I'm just trying to

work harder every time, you know what I mean? I'm trying to please

everyone and I can't.

 

K: Are yo ucoming to the point where you're telling those people who

always want to see you improve on the last performance that you are

going to give them a good show, but not always exceed expectations and

improve 10 percent every time?

 

S: Well, I'm trying to improve 10 percent every time to please those

people, but eventually I'm not going to be able to. The people who have

been seeing me a lot are saying "Well, that match wasn't as good as the

last match you had" or something like that. I don't believe that. I

think the last match I had with (Chris) Benoit was pretty good, but I'm

sure some people probably don't think it was.

 

K: When you talk about wanting to improve 10 percent every time, does

along with that improvement necissarily include doing more dangerous

things or does it simply mean getting a better variety of things that

aren't necessarily dangerous?

 

S: Both. Not necessarily something more dangerous, but something

original. Every time I go to ECW I try to bring in a new move. Same

with Japan. Every time I make a tour of Japan, the same thing. I've

still got about eight moves I haven't debuted yet [DRROOOOLLL!!!!! ]

because I'm trying to stay ahead of everybody else, but I don't want to

get ahead of myself. I'm not just wrestling for myself, I want the

people to see it. I don't want them to see so much they can't remember

it.

 

K: Who are some of the opponents you feel fortunate to have had the

chance to wrestle or learned from wrestling them?

 

S: I can't explain it. I know what you mean. I've learned something

every time I wrestle someone like Chris Benoit or Too Cold Scorpio or

Terry FUnk. Every time I wrestle Terry FUnk I feel I've learned

something. Or I'm closer to where I want to be. I've learned from

every match lately, but I can't really explain what I've learned.

 

K: Do you feel fortunate you are able to wrestle as wide a variety of

opponents as you have lately? A lot of wrestlers, especially in the

major promotions, wrestle the same guy for two or three months and then

another guy for two or three months?

 

S: Yeah, I love it. I can't believe I get to wrestle that wide range of

guys. I'm very fortunate for that.

 

K: Are you concerned about the risks you take in the ring? Do you ever

feel you shouldn't have done a move after you do one or you should just

cool it a little bit? Do you ever regret a move that injures you or do

you take it as a challenge to come back and do it again and not get

injured?

 

S: I've had both feelings. I mean sometimes I go "Why did i do that? I

could have ended the match without doing that." Terry Funk said one

time after I wrestled the Lightning Kid and I tried to do a

Frankensteiner and he was supposed to reverse it into a powerbomb and it

kind of looked like it almost broke my neck, he goes "You could have had

that whole match and you could have cut out that spot and nobody would

have even noticed." Sometimes I do get that feeling, that I could have

done the whole match and not done certain moves that hurt me and nobody

would've noticed.

 

K: Do you believe that if you go to the WWF and they invest television

time in you that by definition you're goin to have to tone down a little

bit? They don't want their investment in you with you having to sit out

three to six months with a broken leg. Will you have to be more

routine?

 

S: Yeah. Well, no. I'm not goint to be a routine wrestler. I refuse

to do that. I refuse the hiptoss, armdrag, leapfrog, dropkick style -

what everybody does. [Guess we can't look forward to any classic matches

like Ricky Steamboat eh? ] I refuse to do that. But I can adjust my

style so it's less dangerous, of course. But just to make them happy.

I can ease in my dangerous stuff without them noticing.

 

K: Would you feel a responsibility to satisfy your commitments over the

long run by not necessarily going after the table every night where you

might break a rib for the sake of lasting longer?

 

S: Okay, this is my plan. My plan is to do this stuff as long as I can,

until I get into a major promotion. I'm going to keep doing this

dangerous stuff for at least another two years, then I'm gonna ease it

down to where hopefully I'll be over enough to where my little things

will get as big of a pop as my big things. Like, the other night when I

wrestled Benoit, he kicked the shit out of me like a heel. When I made

small comebacks, I tore the house down. Instead of having to bust the

table to tear the house down, that wasn't important to the people. I

still did it only because I wanted to, not because I had to. I think in

a couple of years, if I keep this up, I can slow it down and I don't

think the people will notice. Right now the people who haven't seen me

who haven't heard of me, I want them to see me and say "Yeah, he is as

good as they say". Instead of saying "He isn't as good as I thought he

was. " I don't want to let them down yet. I'll let them down slowly.

Not let them down, but I mean ease down my intensity.

 

K: You mean to extend your career not to rest on your laurels?

 

S: I want to wrestle 20 more years, until I'm 50 like Terry Funk. I've

always thought like that. I never went out there and thought maybe

tongiht would be my last match. I never think that. Even if I did

break a leg, I could still work. I'd make myself work. WHy not? I'm

hungry still. I'm as hungry as I've been since I started.

 

K: What's your situation in Japan right now?

 

S: I'm going back August 25th. They still like me.

 

K: Are you still satisfied working for FMW?

 

S: I'm not 100 percent satisfied. I will never turn my back on them

because they made me money when no one else would. They've given me the

opportunity to do anyting I want in that ring. Most people say you

can't do this and you can't do that. When they saw me the first time

they said do whatever I wanted. I did and they loved it. I plan to be

with them the rest of my career if possible.

 

K: Do you sometimes feel left out not being able to be in one of the

major two promotions in Japan and wrestling some of the guys you'd like

to on a regular basis?

 

S: Yeah, I feel that, but then that's just selfish on my part. They

gave me a break, so I'm going to give them a break until they don't want

me no more. I've been offered a lot of money to go to New Japan. The

money sounds really great, but the double-cross doesn't sound real

good. The way I could go is if I double-cross. They're (FMW) not going

to let me go. If I go, it would be a double-cross.

 

K: FMW is not going to look at you leaving like Jim Cornette looks at

Brian Lee joining the WWF, as a natural progression and an opportunity

for you?

 

S: It would be totally different. It would be like me going to the

competition.

 

K: Who are some of the guys in Japan you'd most like to wrestle?

 

S: Mike Awesome, Goto, Onita, Dr. Luther, and Judge Dred since he's

there now.

 

K: How about some of the guys outside of FMW you'd like to wrestle?

 

S: LIger, Samurai. I'd like to wrestle Benoit in Japan. I think we'd

get a better reaction in Japan. Ultimate Dragon. I'd like to wrestle

him. I'd like to wrestle Stan Hansen. He'd probably kick the shit out

of me, but I'd like to wrestle him. (Laughs)

 

K: Are you satisfied with your role and your placement in ECW in the

last few months? Are you happy with your progression and the

progression of the company?

 

S: Yeah, I don't mind it. I guess it's okay.

 

K: You don't sound entirely enthusiastic.

 

S: Well, because they put me back with Shane again and they keep trying

to put me in tag matches. I'm not letting them. I don't want to be a

tag wrestler. Because with my gimmick, especially the way they brign me

to the ring out on the gurney and all that, how can I stand on the apron

and wait for a tag? But then they want me to break character, they say

"The fans are smart here" They say we're wrestling for the hardcores,

the 'smart-marks' or whatever they call them. Why let the people know

they're smart? I still say treat it like they don't know. I'm not

really excited about the way they're using me, but they're treating me

good otherwise, I guess.

 

K: Are you satisfied with the way your character is portrayed now,

tweening with the fans cheering you even though you haven't changed

your style?

 

S: I like it. It's not like I'm kissing up to them and trying to get

them to cheer me. It's just happening that way. I like it, but if they

didn't cheer me, I'd like it just as much. I'm just glad they like my

wrestling.

 

K: Do you feel a similar loyalty to ECW as you do FMW?

 

S: No. My loyalty to ECW comes up in December. If they can't give me

more matches per month or more money - I'm not trying to pressure them,

but I'm not getting any younger and neither is my mother. I want to

take care of my mother better. SO the only way I can do that is to make

more money. If they can't give me more money by December, then I think

I might go somewhere in January. I talked to Onita and I told him I

want to take a year absence from Japan and I will never return for

another company. If I'm gone for five years, I wouldn't return for

another company until I come back to FMW. I want to take a whole year

off because I think when I come back I could make a bigger impact in

Japan. Plus, I want to take a year off to build up my name in the

States.

[Guest DeputyHawk]

That's kinda sad actually. Sabu really caught a rough ride.

[Scroby 0]

S: No. My loyalty to ECW comes up in December.

 

For some reason I liked that comment a lot. That interview gave me a bit more of respect for Sabu. I like how he had a whole plan for wrestling and how he just enjoys it and doesn't care if he made it to WWF or WCW at the time.

 

The only time I ever really heard Sabu talk was that barbwire match with Terry Funk where he was joking around and yelling out "ITS IN MY EYES!!!' when he was all tangled up with Funk.

[Guest The Rising Star]

I would certainly have liked Stan Hansen giving Sabu a real lariat every time he f***ed up a move, which would be at least 10 times during a normal Sabu match!

[Guest Jesse]

I met him and Bill Alfonso in the parking lot before an MLW show last year. Talked to them for about 15 minutes and drank a beer with them. Sabu only said a few words, but he seemed like a nice enough guy. Fonzy was talkative as hell and pretty much as hyper as he always is on tv.

[Guest netslob]

I would certainly have liked Stan Hansen giving Sabu a real lariat every time he f***ed up a move, which would be at least 10 times during a normal Sabu match!

yeah, cause Sabu is the ONLY guy who EVER makes mistakes in the ring...put him in front of a firing squad, he deserves it.

[LucharesuFan619 0]

Hey...sorry for bumping, but I was watching Living Dangerously '99 and in the first 30 seconds of the match, they breakup after the initial tieup and Sabu backs up and touches a cameraman with his foot so he turns around and says, "Get the fuck ooutta my way," absolutely clear as day. You can hear it perfectly. Good stuff.