One MIND-BLOWING Secret From Every WWE Royal Rumble

1994 - Sabu Rejected A Cameo Spot

The prevailing narrative is that Vince McMahon was a puerile, size-obsessed enemy of the wrestling art form, a despot who spat in the face of workrate. He only booked good matches when he had no other choice. Elements of this are true, but Vince loved a rollicking midcard match at almost every turn in his career as a promoter. He seemed to love that more than his successor, strangely enough.

In 1993, he was sufficiently taken with Sabu, or at least saw enough of him in a mixed October 1993 series of tryout matches, to offer him a spot in the ‘94 Rumble match. (According to Joe Lanza of Voices of Wrestling, Vince selected Owen Hart as a Sabu dark opponent purely because he thought it would rule).

Sabu was free to do it, as a true independent contractor, but was also so over as a lucrative touring sensation that he could literally afford to be discerning. If he didn’t like the idea, he didn’t have to do it, and he was always mindful of the unique, underground aura. Going to “the Fed” might have diminished that; he could always cash in later. (Also, despite its exceptionalist marketing, there wasn’t that much money to be made up north in 1995).

Sabu turned down the cameo because, almost two full years before Survivor Series 1995, Vince wanted Sabu to break a table - a table that Sabu would bring to the ring himself. Sabu thought the idea was contrived; in those earlier years, he liked to “find” a table that would ordinarily be placed near ringside.