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Joey Janela Comments On Interview About His Match With Sabu, Clarifies Statements

May 12, 2025 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas
Joey Janela's Spring Break 9 Sabu 4-18-25 Image Credit: GCW

Joey Janela has received some heat for an interview in which he talked about his match with the late Sabu over WrestleMania weekend, and he has spoken up to clarify some comments. As reported, the ECW legend passed away over the weekend. Sabu’s last match was at Janela at Spring Break 9 in what was announced as Sabu’s final match, and Janela and others spoke with Yahoo! Sports’ Uncrowned a few days after the April 18th show about how Sabu was nearly unable to make the show.

Part of the interview features Janela recounting how Sabu’s knee locked up two hours before the show and that Sabu was given kratom, a stimulant that can provide more energy and reduce pain at higher doses. The drug is not banned at the federal level. Janela noted:

“I was fairly confident that he was fine. I was kept in contact with him and he has a team of people around him, guys this time. They were all saying he was ready to go, that he was going to the gym, that he was on a training program. I believed them until the day of the show. Then two hours before, I get a call: ‘Sabu can’t walk.’ What do you mean Sabu can’t walk? They said, ‘Yeah, Sabu, something with his knee — they’re locked up. He can’t walk. And his feet are bleeding. He’s not coming. Sabu’s not coming.’

“I said, ‘Sabu’s f**ked.’ So we talked to [indie wrestler] Matt Tremont, and Tremont is about to be the replacement for the match. And I feel like this is going to be the most embarrassing moment of my wrestling career. There’s 2,000 people here. This is one of the biggest Spring Breaks ever. The biggest crowd ‘Mania weekend, indie-wise. And I’m going to have to go out there and announce that Sabu, once again, no-showed. And no-showed his own retirement match…

“We are an hour into the show and I said, ‘Just get Sabu here.’ So they gave him something called kratom. You can buy it at a smoke shop or something; it’s like a legal opiate or something. They said, ‘He’s hopping on the bed, he’s hopping off the bed, and we’re going to get him to the show.’ So he shows up two hours into the show. Sabu was on a different f**king planet. Everyone in the backstage was like, ‘What the f***? Is this match going to happen?’ And my God, did it happen.”

The interview was posted on Monday and has earned Janela criticism from fans, who questioned why the match was allowed to go on. Janela took to Twitter to comment on the matter, writing in a series of tweets:

“We didn’t give him kratom his team did, it’s also not illegal and 85% of professional wrestlers do it especially the ones on tv. So f**k you”

“Sabu was a grown man, he did what he had to do to get out there. I took care of him to the best of my ability, I didn’t think what happened half way through would happen, it was all to get him one great payday and one last shine in the spotlight.

“That night wasn’t about me, it was about sabu and I wouldn’t change a thing”

“Sabu’s friends and family are over the moon for what we did for him, once again f**k you and kiss my ass”

“People use kratom to get off pills, I didn’t give s**t to him. Unfortunately people are acting like I shot someone up with black tar heroin or dropped something in his drink.”

“I’m truly devastated over this and this whole deal has really affected me. Kratom is something Sabu took daily for years it helped him get off other substances, Sabu loved his weed & Kratom his body was wrecked doing what he loved for 40 years.

I did an interview for that article 2 days after the match not knowing what would transpire weeks later & I said he was “knocked out” after that spot when despite being a rough deal, he was not that. I was just trying to add to the lore and unpredictably of sabu. I loved sabu he was legitimately my idol growing up, & my friend I just wanted to give him & the fans one last great sabu spectacle.

I’m sorry for lashing out at you but your tweet caused a snowball affect that has many people saying I was in part responsible for my friends death. Sabu was fine after, the day after signed at wrestlecon and has been doing many appearances since, I don’t know what the cause of death all I can say is I wouldn’t change a thing & happy he went out on top.”

Fightful Select has confirmed that Janela did the interview shortly after the match and notes that Janela claimed he embellished parts of the interview, to add to Sabu’s “lore.” GCW is said to have been frustrated, embarrassed and humiliated by the interview itself, and Brett Lauderdale spoke with Joey Janela about the interview and situation.

For clarity, there is no indication that GCW’s match or anything else related to that situation was connected with Sabu’s death, and he worked a show for Wrestlecon after the Spring Break bout.

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Joey Janela, Sabu, Jeremy Thomas

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