A Night Of Appreciation For Sabu: A Time Capsule And Hilarity
A Night Of Appreciation For Sabu
Date: December 12, 2004
Location: Diamondback Saloon, Belleville, Michigan
Attendance: 700
Commentators: Doc Martin, Jim Paul
This was uploaded by the Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling Youtube channel in light of Sabu’s recent passing. In short, Sabu had some serious health issues back in 2004 and an independent show was put together to help him out. I’ve heard of this show before but never seen it so we could be in for something fun. Let’s get to it.
Conrad Kennedy III is ready to team with Eddie Venom to beat up D-Ray 3000 and Shark Boy. He’s the man with talent on loan from God. Well that’s quite the line and oh my the flashbacks are strong here.
Opening sequence, which is something close to the opening credits with wrestlers being listed.
A1 is ready to win the BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Title from D’Lo Brown.
D-Ray 3000/Shark Boy vs. Conrad Kennedy III/Eddie Venom
Before the match, Kennedy says this is a night for a great wrestler: himself! He’s not scared of D-Ray 3000’s afro and as for Shark Boy, Kennedy has 99 problems and a fish ain’t one. D-Ray and Kennedy fight over a hiptoss to start until D-Ray hits a crossbody and drops the afro to send Kennedy outside. The rather large Venom comes in to shove Shark around, including driving him into the corner.
Shark gets behind him though and bites the back of Venom’s tights, with the villains both going outside. A slingshot dive drops both of them, leaving D-Ray alone in the ring. Shark loads up a chair and teases a Sabu step up dive…but decided D-Ray can do it instead. D-Ray gets on the chair and falls down, which granted might not have been the best idea when the chair was in the middle of the ring.
That’s enough for Venom to come in and hammer away, including a nice jumping shoulder for two. Kennedy comes back in to stomp on D-Ray and it’s quickly back to Venom for an elbow drop. D-Ray gets back up for a double knockdown though and it’s back to Shark to clean house with some Battering Rams. The Dead Sea Drop (Diamond Dust) finishes Kennedy at 11:09.
Rating: B-. This was exactly what the opening match should have been and it was completely acceptable. You had a loudmouthed heel and his big enforcer against two smaller high fliers. The smaller guys fight back with some fun offense (including the Sabu tribute for a nice touch) and then win to shut the loudmouth up. That’s a great way to open the show and it went well.
BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Title: A1 vs. D’Lo Brown
A1 (a powerhouse who was part of Team Canada in TNA), with Jade, is challenging for the top title in Border City Wrestling. They take their time to start until Brown backs him into the corner for some slaps to the chest. Brown asks the crowd what his name is and after they tell him, he asks who A1 is supposed to be. A1 gets taken down and sent outside but he’s able to move before the big running dive.
Brown goes outside as well and hammers away as it’s been one sided so far. Some forearms and right hands stagger A1 but he comes back with a clothesline. Back in and A1 runs him over again, setting up a chinlock (with a foot on the rope because he’s a villain). That’s broken up and A1 misses a charge, allowing Brown to hit a middle rope moonsault for two.
A1 hits a heck of a clothesline but the piledriver is countered with a backdrop. Brown makes the comeback, including the shaky legdrop and the leg lariat for two each. The Sky High sets up….a Sabu point to the sky and the Low Down connects but Jade has the referee. Brown of course kisses her (in a spot that will never age well) but A1 grabs a neckbreaker for the pin and the title at 13:54.
Rating: C+. This was kind of a weird one, as Brown dominated a good chunk of the match but then lost via a near slip on a banana peel ending. A1 had a good look and it’s easy to see why he was given a shot in TNA. I never thought he was all that bad, but he really didn’t wrestle a power style here, which is weird given his look.
Monty Brown vs. Dallas
Brown was on fire at this point in TNA and Dallas is better known as Lance Archer. Brown slugs away to start but Dallas takes over and chokes on the ropes. To mix it up a bit, Dallas chokes in the middle of the ring but Brown is back with a butterfly suplex for two. Brown gets to hammer away…and here is Abyss to take the referee out. Dallas and Abyss beat Brown down and shake hands, allowing Brown to fight up. A Pounce each drops the villains and Brown gets the pin at 6:46.
Rating: C. I know he had a very, very good reason for retiring, but dang Brown continues to be one of the biggest “what if’s” of this generation. He had so much charisma and was starting to figure it out when he had to retire. At the same time, it’s kind of amazing how similar he feels to Big E. They were both power wrestlers with football backgrounds, but Brown has a lot of mannerisms that Big E. would use and it’s almost jarring to see the similarities.
Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles
Well here’s your guaranteed good match of the show. They fight over a lockup to start and actually go to the mat with it before Styles takes him into the corner for the clean break. Styles starts working on a wristlock before taking him down with a hammerlock. That’s reversed into a headlock, but the Last Rites and Styles Clash are both blocked.
Another headlock is broken up so Styles goes for the drop down dropkick, only for Daniels to grab the ropes. Daniels makes the eternal mistake of pointing to his head to show how smart he is though, and Styles hits the dropkick on the second try. Daniels is sent to the floor and that means the big no hands flip dive, which Styles makes look so awesome every time.
Back in and the big knee drop and a clothesline in the corner get two on Daniels. That’s broken up and Daniels gets in a backbreaker for a needed breather. Daniels’ abdominal stretch is broken up with a hiptoss and they trade forearms until a Downward Spiral drops Styles again. Back up and they fight over a waistlock until Styles gets a pumphandle gutbuster for two. Daniels’ Blue Thunder Bomb gets two more, followed by Styles’ belly to back faceplant for the same. They fight over a hurricanrana until Styles takes him down, setting up the Styles Clash for the pin at 16:51.
Rating: B. This is the definition of a match that is going to work no matter what they do. These two are incapable of having a bad match and there is a reason that so many places wants to run it. Styles was about as good as it got around this point and Daniels was one of the few people who could hang with him. Heck of a match here and the best thing on the show by a mile so far.
BCW Tag Team Titles: Team Canada vs. Gutter/James Storm
Team Canada (Petey Williams/Johnny Devine, with Scott D’Amore) are defending. Gutter grabs a headlock on Williams to start and cranks on the arm. An armdrag sends Williams down and a headscissors before a clothesline does it again. Gutter’s running knee gets two so Williams hands it off to Devine. That doesn’t work well either as Gutter takes him into the corner for the tag off to Storm.
Devine fires off some right hands but they roll around a bit until Storm hits the Eye of the Storm for a big crash. Gutter comes back in and gets punched down by Williams, who chokes on the ropes and sings for a bonus. The double teaming has Gutter in trouble, with Williams sending him into the corner for a double elbow. Something like a Dominator DDT gives Devine two and Williams puts on the (assisted) abdominal stretch.
That’s broken up again so a frustrated Devine plants him down for two. A suplex into a Stunner (ouch) gets two on more Gutter, with Storm having to make the save. It works so well that Devine tries it again, with Gutter escaping this time and hitting a German suplex. The tag brings in Storm to clean house, including with a powerslam and spinebuster for two each.
Devine gets sent into a few buckles but Williams hits Gutter with the spinning Russian legsweep. Storm cuts off the Canadian Destroyer with a superkick but D’Amore pulls the referee out. That earns him a superkick of his own but Devine hits Storm with a foreign object so Williams can get the pin at 12:25.
Rating: C+. Good enough tag match here, though I’m a bit curious about why this wasn’t America’s Most Wanted rather than Storm and Gutter. Other than that, you could see the talent involved, with Gutter being fine enough to be involved. Not a great match or anything, but it’s nice to have the titles on the line to make things feel more important.
Post match Gutter and Storm shake hands.
Insane Clown Posse/Rude Boy vs. Breyer Wellington/Corporal Robinson/Zach Gowen
Boy and Robinson get things going, with Robinson slugging away in the corner but getting knocked down by a double chop. With enough wrestling out of the way, it’s time to stab Robinson in the head and go for some blood with a spike. Gowen and Dope come in, with Dope mocking the one leggedness and then running Gowen over with a clothesline. A brainbuster drops Gowen again and we get a Sabu point.
Dope hits a nasty piledriver and it’s off to J for stereo basement dropkicks. J hammers away in the corner until Gowen manages a quick dropkick. It’s back to Wellington to fight back, with a suplex getting two. The chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by a double arm crank. Robinson comes in to kick away in the corner and it’s back to the chinlock.
That’s not working for Dope, who comes in to clean house but gets put out because stabbing someone in the head is fine, but not tagging isn’t ok. Wellington grabs a Death Valley Driver but J is back up with a Hennig necksnap. Dope comes back in to (legally) clean house and the Posse hits a top rope moonsault and guillotine legdrop for the double pin at 8:13.
Rating: C. The Posse have been around all kinds of wrestling promotions and for the most part, they’re perfectly decent at doing moves but they don’t have much beyond that. The same issue was on full display here, making it a passable enough match but not something that gets much better. Everyone else was about the same, making this little more than some of Sabu’s friends being on the show.
Mick Foley says he’s here because he has to be, even though he’s missing a day of his vacation. However, Sabu is a friend of his and Foley doesn’t let his friends down. Sabu was an innovator who influenced a lot of people. Those people made a lot of money and it’s time for them to show respect to Sabu.
We get the same opening sequence.
AT Hawk (former ECW referee) talks about what Sabu means to him after all of their time together in various places. Hawk watched Sabu’s uncle the Sheik and even accepted an award in Sheik’s honor. Now tonight he is going to present it to Sabu. A few years ago, Hawk was talking to 2 Cold Scorpio, who wanted to know what Sabu was like in the ring. Hawk described him as the Sheik with wings, which is actually pretty accurate.
Michael Shane vs. Jeff Hardy
Shane is Shawn Michaels’ cousin and was a big enough deal in TNA. The bell rings and Shane grabs the mic, saying if you keep taking his picture, he’s leaving and not coming back. They take their time before getting going, with the fans pretty firmly behind Hardy. Shane starts in on the arm, which is reversed into a hammerlock. Hardy grabs the hooking clothesline and the legdrop between the legs, followed by a dropkick through the ropes.
A slingshot dive takes Shane down again but he’s fine enough to post Hardy and cut him off. Back in and a neckbreaker gives Shane two and it’s Hardy being sent outside again. Shane grabs a chair but sits down and puts on a sleeper, which is certainly a unique look. Back up and Hardy fights back with the usual, including another legdrop between the legs.
Now Hardy grabs the chair and hits Poetry In Motion for a VERY delayed two. A belly to back suplex cuts Hardy off but he’s right back with a slam. Shane gets smart though and kicks the referee into the ropes for a crotching. Hardy is right back with a top rope clothesline but the Twist of Fate is countered into a rollup with feet on the ropes to give Shane the big upset at 11:27.
Rating: B-. That’s quite the surprising result, with Shane being little more than a decent hand in TNA and Hardy being Hardy. This was the time when Hardy was away from WWE and not a big star yet, but it was certainly one of the better matches on the show. Hardy might have some issues, but he is more than good enough to have an entertaining match with just about anyone.
Shane Douglas talks about his respect from Sabu and how he helped bring wrestling back from its cartoonish nature. Sabu tore his muscle down to the bone and tape it up to finish the match. People who don’t respect the business will take the night off because their money was guaranteed but they had a sprained ankle. Tonight, he hopes they can help Sabu out a bit.
Here is Jimmy Hart to pay tribute to Sabu…and here is Sabu. Hart really puts him over, talking about how hard Sabu works and how the fans have grown to cheer for him whenever hardcore elements are brought in. Sabu actually says thank you, which is more than you usually hear from him, before doing the point. It’s great to have the entire point of the show there, which was far from guaranteed given his health issues.
Here is Mick Foley to be the guest referee for the main event. Foley says the fans were chanting the right name when they were chanting for Sabu. For the first time ever he came out to a KISS song here because it’s what Steve Williams, who is having a tough time of his own, used to do. Wrestling is a weird family and tonight we are here to honor someone who has given and given to the industry. This is one of those nights where he is glad to be a wrestler and he is glad to be here.
Raven vs. Shane Douglas
Mick Foley is guest referee. Hold on though as Douglas talks about breaking into the business with Foley before taking his usual shot at Vince McMahon. That brings him to ECW and how the company revitalized the industry. Douglas has said that ECW was built on his shoulders, but the reality is that it was built on Sabu’s shoulders. Then there is Raven, who disrespected the Sheik, so now it’s time to give Raven a beating for both Sabu and the Sheik.
Raven’s entrance talks about him being on such C level shows (commentary’s words) such as Win Ben Stein’s Money and he was a member of the Cartel on Global Championship Wrestling with someone he can’t remember (Foley), along with once having Foley tickle his feet while Raven was with a woman, despite Foley and Raven meeting just three hours earlier.
We also get Disco Inferno’s home phone number (because reasons) and Raven gets his entrance, but Raven tells the fans to stop cheering him. Raven hates Sabu, the Sheik, charity shows and Christmas. And these fans suck! Sabu can’t stand up and Foley is a big fat slob. NO he will not sell that stupid sock because it’s stupid. And he’ll come after Jimmy Hart too! Raven wants to put Sabu through a table but if he can’t do that, he won’t wrestle. With Raven leaving, Foley says he has two words for him: “No not ‘suck it’. What is this, 1999? JOHNNY POLO!”
THAT makes Raven snap, with Foley saying THAT was the real embarrassment to the business. The fans chant for Polo and Raven covers his ears in vain. Raven gets back in the ring and Foley says make no mistake about it: if that sock comes out, Raven is selling that son of a b**** like a million bucks.
With all that hilarity (I was in stitches over some of this stuff) out of the way, we’re ready to go. Feeling out process to start with Raven bailing out to the apron to glare at the crowd. Douglas runs him over with a shoulder and we stall some more. Raven gets knocked outside and the fans start chanting for JOHNNY. He grabs the mic and demands that the fans do not call him THAT STUPID NAME.
Foley takes the mic and says he did not start calling Raven JOHNNY POLO, but don’t start mentioning Dude Love or anything. Douglas hammers away with the microphone and sends him into a chair in the corner. It works so well that Douglas sends him into the chair again, followed by a crotching against the post. They go to the floor (you knew this was coming) with Raven getting in a few shots before heading tot he bar where Douglas does a different kind of shot. They get back to ringside, with Foley counting to two after about three minutes on the floor.
Raven grabs the mic again and asks why Foley is stealing the show from him in his match. Raven: “Do I come down to Flannel World and steal your t-shirts?” Some jabs and a clothesline put Douglas down and Raven demands that Foley get on his knees and count like Bronco Lubich. That doesn’t happen so Douglas rolls him up for two, with Foley diving down to make the count. Raven yells at Foley for having an ego and Foley tells him to stop stinking up the f****** place.
A running crotch attack against the ropes gives Raven two more and it’s time for the chair. The drop toehold into the chair gives Raven two more and the slow beating is on. Douglas fights up and hits a low blow, followed by the clothesline comeback. Foley gets bumped in the corner so the Even Flow only gets a delayed two. Raven kicks Foley down and hits another Even Flow for no count.
Back up and the argument is on, with Raven accusing Foley of having an ego and being fat. Where was Foley when Raven was getting squashed in WWE??? Raven chokes on the ropes but Foley pulls him away and the brawl is on. The running knee hits Raven in the corner but he’s back with an Even Flow each. Raven gets the mic for about the fifth time and says that NOW it’s about him. He wants a table….and we’re clipped to the match having ended, with Sabu in the ring and Douglas apparently having won. Well we saw about 18:15 of the match if you’re keeping time.
Rating: B. The wrestling was nothing to see here, but this was one of the most entertaining matches I’ve seen in a long time. Raven was hilarious here and they made me buy into he and Foley not exactly liking each other. Douglas was a fine hero to carry the legacy of ECW while Raven was just being his usual goofy self. Hilarious stuff here (Raven’s introduction was outstanding) and I could have gone for seeing how the ending went, just for the sake of completion, but dang what we got was great.
Post match Foley, Sabu and Douglas pose. Jimmy Hart and Foley thank the fans and leave but Raven has the mic again. Raven: “I never liked him anyway. I could have beaten all three of them if I wanted to.” Fans: “RAVEN! RAVEN!” Raven: “ME! ME! ME! I still don’t like you people.” He does however thank Sabu for everything…but Douglas and Foley are still a*******.
We get the opening sequence for the third time.
Raven talks about how talented Sabu is and how sad it is to see someone so talented taken down due to something that wasn’t his fault. Wrestling is a backstabbing business but it’s touching to see something like this. He got to tell Sabu about the show and he’ll always remember the announcement. Unfortunately Fat Guy D’Amore is on the show but anyway, Raven loves Sabu and he admits this is way out of character for him. Raven calls Sabu over and mocks his appearance for tonight, though Sabu won’t talk in front of a camera.
Jimmy Hart talks about what a great night this was and talks about Scott D’Amore calling him up to the show. Then he saw everyone there and it was great. Of course he would set up the ring and park the cars….but he isn’t popping popcorn. He remembers the first time Sabu came to WCW and Goldberg, Hall and Nash were all watching (…….uh……). They gave Sabu a standing ovation after the match….and then the video cuts off. Ok then.
Overall Rating: B. Again, this is a show where you have to consider the point. This was designed to be a bunch of people coming together to support someone who means a lot to them. It’s a stand alone show with some very talented people and some of the matches were rather good. I liked this a good bit and the participants’ love of Sabu was very apparent. Check this out, especially the main event, if you want to see something of a 2004 time capsule.
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