Before Sabu became the “Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal, Death–Defying Maniac” in ECW. He looked very different from the wild, scar-covered hardcore legend fans remember today.
Recently, a throwback photo of a young, babyfaced Sabu resurfaced online, giving fans a rare glimpse into his early days before fame. The picture was shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, by user @allan_cheapshot, and quickly caught the attention of wrestling fans.
It originally came from the popular Reddit community r/SquaredCircle, a community where fans often share rare and historical wrestling content. In the photo, Sabu appears calm and clean-cut. This was a huge contrast from his later hardcore image, which made him famous in ECW during the 1990s.
Sabu: Vince McMahon tried to help me overcome struggles with promos, turn me into a friendly babyface
In a February interview on the One of a Kind podcast with RVD, ECW legend Sabu opened up about his struggles with promos during his time in WWE. Sabu told a story about how Vince McMahon tried to get him to cut long, unnatural promos which went against what the Sabu character was.
“One day Vince McMahon goes to me, ‘You should be a top babyface. You need to talk, be a friendly babyface.’ I said, ‘Yeah, but I’m getting over the way I am.’ He goes, ‘I could get you over so much more.’ I said, ‘Yeah, but I kind of like what I’m doing, you know? I did it myself,’” Sabu explained. “He says, ‘No, no, you talk, and I can make anybody talk. Just me, you, and the camera.’ I said, ‘Alright.’”
Sabu says McMahon wanted it to be the two of them working on it, but Sabu invited RVD to join him for moral support.
“I couldn’t do it. [Vince] tells me, ‘Say ‘Homicidal, Genocidal, Suicidal. I am Sabu.’’ I can’t do that. I don’t call myself that.’ I was too afraid to say it,” he continued. “I’d never say I’m the greatest or the best—I’d never say it. It’s hard. I’m not an actor. I can’t act. Wrestling, to me, isn’t acting—it’s natural. I act like myself, and that’s easy. But if I have to act, it’s harder work. If I see through it, the fans will see through me.”
Related: Sabu: WWECW Got Less Like ECW As Each Week Went By
