Rob Van Dam Says Sabu Always Kept Nail In His Boot, Reflects On TV Title Win

Rob Van Dam recently recalled how Sabu kept a nail in his boot for self-defense while looking back on his ECW World Television Title win. The WWE Hall of Famer won the ECW World Television Championship on the April 4th, 1998 episode of ECW’s television series in a match against then-champion Bam Bam Bigelow and Sabu. RVD would go on to hold the title for a record 700 days, only relinquishing it when he had to due to an injury.

Van Dam appeared in a new WWE Vault retrospective video looking at his career highlights, and spoke about the TV Title win. He recalled that Sabu, who used a nail on Bam Bam during the match, always kept it in his boot for protection throughout his wrestling career. He also noted that the match is what elevated him into stardom. You can see the highlights below:

On Sabu Carrying a Nail With Him:

“This was awesome. I loved working with Sabu. He’s pulling out a nail now — people don’t know this. Sabu carried a nail in his boot all the time for protection. That’s what he just pulled out and stabbed [Bigelow] in the eye with.

“But he always had that, even in a — it wasn’t a gimmick. It was something —- ever since we started, he always had a nail in case something didn’t go his way and he needed to defend himself in the ring.”

On the Match Elevating Him:

“Yeah, this match right here, that moment right there [a Van Daminator] put me up. It elevated me to a whole level as a superstar for sure. The whole world treated me different. Paul knew it before I did.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit WWE Vault with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.