10 High Profile Wrestlers With Forgotten NWA Championship Runs
2. Sabu
When you look at the track record of 'The Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal, Death-Defying Maniac' that is Sabu, it’s fair to say that the tradition of the National Wrestling Alliance is not the first thing to enter your mind. Which makes it all the more difficult to comprehend that Sabu is a former NWA Champion.
Having left ECW for good earlier that year in February, the extreme icon found himself without a wrestling home for much of 2000, predominantly floating between XPW in the States, BCW in Canada, and All Japan Pro Wrestling overseas, as well as cup of coffee in the UK's FWA.
Sabu’s globetrotting adventures and legendary reputation made him a prime candidate for NWA Championship and on 14 November 2000, Sabu defeated Mike Rapada to become the new NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion. Despite only holding the title for 38 days, Sabu went on to defend the title against a handful of wrestlers during that time - notably including a young Chris Hero - before dropping the title back to Rapada in late December.
Sabu would be given several opportunities to regain the title against a number of different championship opposition in the years that followed, squaring off against Steve Corino, Ken Shamrock, and Jeff Jarrett for the title. However, he was unsuccessful on all occasions and his run in late 2000 remains his only NWA Title reign.