Eric Bischoff Says Sabu's Legacy Will Be Tarnished By Staying In ECW
During the latest episode of the 83 Weeks Podcast, Eric Bischoff talked about TNA Turning Point 2010, which he deemed as a successful event. Bischoff also talked about Sabu, who was involved in a ten-man tag team match between Fortune and EV 2.0. He said Sabu isn't somebody who has a memorable legacy, and talked about why ECW felt more like the indies rather than a major, mainstream wrestling company.
"I was never the super indie guy," Bischoff said. "Not taking anything away from it, but it's just not me. Sabu made a huge name for himself in ECW; he was a big fish in a small pond. Despite the legacy, and narrative, and perspective of wrestling fans of ECW, it really never was mainstream, and neither was Sabu as a result.
"When Sabu did get an opportunity to get himself onto the mainstream, he self-sabotaged. That's what people are going to remember. I'm sure if Sabu does an autograph signing in Queens New York, there's always going to be people that show up and remember that. But on a larger scale, not so much. That was the choice he made."
Bischoff continued to talk about how Sabu staying with ECW for his career ruined his legacy. He also said that it's tough to look back on somebody who had career with a company that wasn't as big as WWE or WCW and talk about their success.
"I respect him for wanting to do things his own way and not wanting to do things in a corporate style," Bischoff said. "I get that. I do; I respect it, but you pay for that. It comes with a cost, and I think it cost him what could've been a much greater legacy."
Bischoff also continued to talk about another superstar involved in the show, and that was Robbie E (now Robert Stone in NXT). He said he's never been around anybody that made him laugh as hard and consistently as Robbie E.
"What a fun guy to hangout with," Bischoff said. "God, what a comedian this guy is. I don't even know if it's a gimmick. He was so good at it; I'm still not convinced one way or the other. Whether he was the dumbest human being I've ever met, or the most talented, or the smartest, he played the role of being stupid so well. It's confusing. When you were talking to him, he would say some of the dumbest sh**.
"He had people like me convinced that this guy probably shouldn't be allowed behind the wheel of a car. He's actually too stupid to be allowed to leave the house alone, because anybody as dumb as Robbie E pretended to be should not be out of the house alone. He was so good at it. His comedic instincts were so f***ing good that it was hard to delineate between the act he was putting on and the real person. It took me a long time to figure it out. He was hilarious and a very gifted talent in the ring."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit 83 Weeks with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.