Tony Schiavone Discusses Sabu’s Foundational Role In ECW

On the latest What Happened When with Tony Schiavone episode, the AEW broadcaster paid a heartfelt tribute to the recently departed hardcore legend Sabu. You can check out some highlights below:

On Sabu: “I only knew him briefly. Of course, he was with WCW in 1995, and it wasn’t for long. “Watching the old ECW tapes or programs, [I] got an appreciation for what he could do, which was unbelievably incredible.”

On Sabu’s foundational role in ECW: “The risk that he took, the things that he did, he was one of the guys obviously that made ECW what it was. So it shocked me that he passed away at age 60. I got to see him again recently last year during a WrestleCon, during WrestleMania weekend in Philadelphia. And it was really a shocker. In his later years —- and of course, when I saw him back in 1995 he was still in his prime. But in his later years, he was very much appreciative and a very mellowed-out guy. But I don’t think he much mellowed out to do the things that he did in the ring, right? My God, they were incredible. So I’m not really the proper guy to talk about him, but I can talk about him from the appreciation of what he brought to the ring and what he brought to the matches.”

On Sabu’s lasting influence: “I think he had a profound impact on a lot of what we’re seeing today.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit What Happened When with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.