Showing posts with label Sabu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sabu. Show all posts
Chris "Joseph" Parks stayed in Puerto Rico before making his TNA debut as the Monster Abyss. Since then, he became a major star in TNA engaging in many notable feuds and the most hardcore matches. Among many notable hardcore wrestlers like Terry Funk, the Sandman, and Mick Foley - Abyss has earned his place among them for his outstanding accomplishments and qualities listed:

Abyss' character was so believable - Abyss in his early NWA TNA and IMPACT! days was neither face or heel. He was just a tortured soul trying to reconcile with his traumatic and abusive childhood. At times, he had a soft more child-like side when it came to important parent figures in his life. He was often easily manipulated into doing the bidding of others such as James Mitchell and Goldilocks. Abyss punished himself over his abusive father by enduring agonizing pain in hardcore matches. Despite being a monster fueled by brutality, there are times when we can see his human side as his character grows.

He has a high pain tolerance - Abyss has been slammed into thumbtacks, barbed wire, tables, you name it. The amount of pain Abyss has endured is unbelievable. This makes him a formidable often dangerous opponent in and out of the ring.

Abyss has great ring psychology and story-telling - Unlike hardcore legends like Mick Foley, Abyss used ring psychology well enough to avoid many injuries. He is very smart and knows how the rules work. He knows how to use momentum to his advantage or to sell his or his opponent's moves.

Abyss skillfully uses size and strength - Abyss isn't just a big buff guy with no intellect. He's mobile, strong, clever, strategic, and destructive. He has many impressive moves including the black hole slam.

He's been in the most violent feuds and matches - Abyss has been in some of TNA's most brutal and violent often heated feuds with the likes of Raven, Sabu, Judas Mesias, the list goes on. Despite this, Abyss has aggressively and fiercely accepted each challenge that came his way.

Overall, Abyss is one of the most underrated hardcore wrestlers who ought to have more attention among wrestling fans. While i don't agree with some of his gimmick changes, i will never forget the character that birthed his extreme career.


I highly recommend buying the TNA Wrestling: Doomsday! The Best of Abyss DVD! Throughout the history of Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling, no star has been more destructive or violent than the force known as Abyss. Doomsday: The Best of Abyss contains nearly four hours of the monster's most bloody and chaotic battles inside the ring, as well as a chronicle of the shocking events in his past that transformed Abyss into a cold an calculating killing machine! This collection celebrates Abyss's TNA tenure--including his infamous feuds with Raven and AJ Styles--with a selection of clips from his most memorable matches.

How would you benefit from buying this DVD? 

DVDs are cheaper than streaming - Streaming sites are a waste of money. When you compare the time you're not using your monthly subscription to the time you are, you'll see you're not getting your money's worth. It's worse if your internet is poor to where your movies buffer. You're wasting money paying monthly fees. If you pay more for better internet, that's even worse. With DVDs, you only make one-time buys which save you a ton of money long-term.

DVDs have tangible ownership, streams don't - When you buy DVDs, you technically own them. With streams, you only pay for permission to watch them. If a company no longer wants to have its content in say Netflix's library, the company can request Netflix to remove it. You won't be able to stream it anymore. If a company stops selling a movie on DVD, that's the worst thing they can do. The company won't bother to confiscate your DVD.    

DVDs have exclusive content, streams don't - DVDs (namely special editions) have much more content than streaming services such as extended editions, unrated editions, deleted scenes, interviews, "making of" documentaries, etc. Movie streams don't. Typically, streaming services play only standard editions of movies. 

You can resell DVDs but not streams - You can resell DVDs since you have tangible ownership of them. With streams, you don't own them so you can't. Once again, you save a ton more money buying DVDs than streaming. 

DVDs have better quality than streams - Quality is determined by bitrate. Higher bitrate means higher quality video and audio. Quality can also be affected by codec encoding and compression techniques. Regular DVDs run at 6-8 megabits per second. Streams usually play movies at lower rates. Netflix for example plays movies at around 5 megabits with a standard connection. 

DVDs don't require Internet, streams do - If your internet connection or streaming service fails, you won't be able to finish watching your favorite movies and shows. Nothing is worse than watching one of the most critical and intense scenes in a movie only to be interrupted by say internet lag. It ruins the viewing experience. With DVDs, you don't have those problems. 

DVDs look fantastic on display! - DVDs will make your room look much more alive with its stunning physical artwork! There's nothing like holding a DVD of your favorite film in your hands! With streaming, everything belongs to the streaming service. It can feel like you're just renting your favorite films.  

New copy 


Used copy
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The Suicidal, Homicidal, Genocidal, Death Defying Sabu is one of the most underrated pro-wrestlers. Sabu is a hardcore legend who's forever changed hardcore wrestling. Though he is underrated, he has made a long lasting impact on pro-wrestling. He has wrestled in ECW, WCW, TNA, WWE/WWF, and all around the world against various kinds of opponents. Sabu is a memorable legend for the following:

* He was trained by the Original Sheikh - The Original Sheikh is Sabu's uncle and trainer. The Original Sheikh is one of the pioneers of hardcore wrestling and considered a legend. He was one of pro-wrestling's biggest box office draws and known for using sharp objects such as pencils against his in-ring opponents.

* Sabu is a very athletic high flyer - What separates Sabu from other hardcore legends? Sabu has very acrobatic and high flying signature moves. He's very agile and innovative with his signature moves. He has incredible balance on the ring ropes especially when executing the triple jump moonsault. He also uses the camel clutch and other technical wrestling holds in memory of the Sheikh.

* Sabu's character is original and creative - What i love most about Sabu's gimmick is the fact that he doesn't talk at all. Sabu loves to express himself through actions. The symbolism behind his signature pose via pointing to the skies is used by devout Muslims to signify the oneness of God. Sabu's attire matches well with his middle eastern descent as he was billed from Saudi Arabia. Ultimately, his character is true to who he is as a person.

* Sabu was willing to do the extreme - Sabu's scars are real and a testament that pro-wrestling injuries are real. He has major guts to the point where he would sacrifice his own body for the show. He participated in matches including thumbtacks, fire, tables, ladders, chairs, and even barbed wire. He's suffered some gruesome injuries and lived to tell the story.

* Sabu had memorable matches and feuds - Sabu is widely known for his match with Terry Funk at ECW's Born to be Wired PPV and more such as his feud with Taz. He's also known for wrestling the Sandman.

* Sabu popularized hardcore wrestling - Sabu is known for being the first to creatively using chairs and tables in hardcore wrestling. Sabu is also known for popularizing high flying moves in hardcore or extreme matches.

* Sabu is committed to himself - Sabu sets himself apart from others mainly because he ultimately doesn't care about money which is why he rejected Vince McMahon's offer. He stays true to who he is even if that doesn't get him far in the wrestling business.

Sabu has set a different standard for wrestling and changed the way business is done forever. He will always be remembered and loved by those who knew him as a fearless character who will go beyond the most extreme to reach new heights.
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The Barbed Wire Massacre match at TNA Turning Point 2005 was considered one of the most violent matches in TNA history between the hardcore legend Sabu and one of TNA's hardcore icons - the Monster, Abyss. I will never forget this brutal, bloody, and barbaric match for the following reasons:

* The brutality - This match is absolutely not for the feint of heart and automatically dispels all talk about pro-wrestling being "fake." I don't think anyone in his or her right mind would agree to participate in a match where the ring ropes are replaced with barbed wire and wrestle in that. Sabu and Abyss are the only ones crazy enough to do such a thing. It's not about championships. It's just about sheer bloodshed and who is the most hardcore of them all.

* It had a backstory - While many hardcore matches are thrown out there for the sake of blood and gore, this one had an actual story behind it. The feud began around TNA's Unbreakable where Sabu and Abyss began a series of matches in an attempt to outdo each other using various weapons including thumbtacks. Finally, Sabu found that despite how destructive Abyss was, he had a weakness - barbed wire. They engaged in brawls in the following tapings with Sabu interrupting his matches by wrapping barbed wire around his arm and a steel chair. When Abyss finally used a steel chair on Sabu during one taping, Abyss finally found the courage to overcome his fear.

* It used story-telling and ring psychology - This match dispels the myth that hardcore wrestling takes no skill. There is a build up to the final act and a progression. When you see both men battered and bloodied, you can't help but wonder "what's going through their minds? How far are they willing to go to win? How much pain can they tolerate? What will they gain after the match?" This is what creates drama and drama is what draws.

* It bridged a gap between old and new school hardcore wrestlers - Sabu will always be a hardcore legend for his contributions to hardcore wrestling so when they held this match, it gave Abyss the chance to make his name known among younger fans. Not to mention it was a blend between two highly athletic wrestlers of two different and compatible styles.

Words cannot describe how brutal this match was. This was TNA's first ever Barbed Wire match and what a way to begin!
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Today's generation of wrestling fans have forgotten what hardcore wrestling was all about and it's created a division in the wrestling fanbase. There are fans who love hardcore wrestling because of the art form and those who hate it because of it's lack of skill. Both sides have forgotten what made hardcore wrestling so great which is why most cannot tell the difference between talented hardcore wrestling and what i like to call "garbage wrestling." Here's a list of essential aspects that hardcore wrestlers and fans ought to grasp in order to be phenomenal:   

* Story-telling - What made pro-wrestlers like Mick Foley so great? While they used weapons at their disposal, they told a dramatic story with their bodies. They have a build up from the beginning to middle until the end. Story-telling especially in hardcore matches are what cause audiences to react and jump out of their seats. 

A great example of a brutal hardcore match incorporating story-telling aside is Pentagon Jr. vs Vampiro. As you watch, take note of how it builds up to the final act: 


* Believable characters - Raven is a master at ring psychology and in this case, psychological heel tactics. He's arrogant, disrespectful, ambitious, ruthless, brutal both verbally and non-verbally. You can clearly see that in the way that he mocks his opponents, plays mind games, taunts them, does his signature pose, the list goes on. To stand out as a hardcore wrestler, you must have character be it heel or face. You can have the most brutal match of the century but if you have no character, your reduced to an extreme stuntman. 

Watch his match against Sabu and pay attention to how he shows his character. Notice how Raven mockingly uses the Sheikh's camel clutch against Sabu. 

* Ring Psychology - Sabu is another notable wrestler who skillfully uses ring psychology in his matches. Hardcore wrestlers apply the same principles of pure wrestling to hardcore matches. They still treat pro-wrestling as a sport as opposed to a blood bath by resorting to strategy and applying wrestling techniques in their matches. They are aware of their surroundings, the rules, etc. and use that to sell their moves to the crowd. 

One of my favorite hardcore matches serving as an example of ring psychology is between Sabu and Abyss at TNA's Turning Point barbed wire match in 2005. Notice how both pro-wrestlers struggle over control and try to throw each other into the barbed wire while avoiding it at the same time. Take note of how they took the time to sell their moves as the match progresses.  

* Creativity - Hardcore wrestling contrary to popular belief have creativity in their matches. A fantastic example of this is Tommy Dreamer. Whenever he was tossed a weapon by ECW fans regardless of what it was, he would instantly use it creatively and often painfully on his opponents. It's easy to see why he earned the title of "the innovator of violence." It doesn't matter what weapon you have, it's how you use them that matters.

Any hardcore match that completely lacks all three of these elements and more is what i define as garbage wrestling. There's nothing wrong with garbage wrestling. It's only when hardcore wrestlers and fans forget about the foundations of hardcore wrestling that problems arise. What's wrong with today's hardcore wrestlers? They think that by doing high spots, they are great at hardcore wrestling which isn't true. It doesn't matter how brutal your moves are or how bloody your matches are. If you rush your matches by over-saturating them with gore and lack story-telling, ring psychology, a believable character, and creativity then you won't be a memorable hardcore wrestler. 
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As i watched Sabu wrestle, i noticed the striking similarities between him and his trainer - the Original Sheikh. The Original Sheikh is considered one of the pioneers of hardcore wrestling as he was famous for using pencils and fire in his matches. Similarly, Sabu is often known for his usage of a spike to stab his opponents in hardcore matches like his trainer did while reinventing hardcore wrestling with his own high flying moves.

It seems that modern fans and even pro-wrestlers are forgetting the traditions of the past. There is a lack of respect and admiration for the pro-wrestlers who helped set the foundation for pro-wrestling.

It is precisely for these reasons why i cannot respect some modern pro-wrestling promotions due to the lack of appreciation and knowledge that they have for their traditions. Modern pro-wrestling fans and pro-wrestlers have seem to forgotten ring psychology and what memorable matches look like. I noticed that the very best wrestling legends took inspiration from their trainers and incorporated it into their matches while bringing something freshly unique to the business. This is why i completely admire pro-wrestlers like Sabu because his approach is "how can i hardcore wrestle like my trainer and how can i do it better?"

My concluding advice is for pro-wrestling fans to research the old school legends of professional wrestling if not watch their matches. Respect those who paved the way for pro-wrestling to flourish and left their marks in history. If pro-wrestling is to evolve, we must learn from the veterans and from ourselves to create an outstanding product.

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I have never been into purely athletic wrestlers because they are generic and out of place in an environment where it is about gimmicks. The pro-wrestling world surrounds entertainment not sport. While sports are certainly the means to gain entertainment, it's not legitimate. There's no appeal to pro-wrestlers who treat it as an athletic sport and dress like any other athlete. There are some exceptions like CM Punk but only because they have character which is what i look for. I love wrestling characters such as Stone Cold, the Rock, the Undertaker, Kane, Mick Foley, Raven, Sabu, Jeff Hardy, the list goes on. They have their own style of dress, mannerisms, beliefs, attitudes, goals, and personalities. They are more of entertainers who are very successful in comparison to those who are simply there for athleticism. Wrestling characters are memorable because they are known by fans for their entertainment value and style of wrestling. Athletes on the other hand would do well in the Olympics rather than a pro-wrestling ring.
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Hardcore wrestling is a type of wrestling in which pro-wrestlers wrestle using weapons such as tables, chairs, staple guns, and thumbtacks. Hardcore wrestling was made popular around the 90's. It's also known as "Garbage wrestling" due to it's lack of technical skill that pure pro-wrestling has.

I dislike using the term "Garbage wrestling" because hardcore wrestling deserves more respect. In my opinion, hardcore wrestling takes more skill than pure pro-wrestling (one on one wrestling matches with standard rules). Some argue that it takes no talent for wrestlers to use various weapons on their opponents let alone get injured. This is an over-generalization. Hardcore legends such as Mick Foley, Tommy Dreamer, Sabu, Raven, etc. have made it to big promotions. While it might not take as much technical skill to bash each other with lamps as a pure wrestling match, there is skill in taking serious blows and falls.

Pro-wrestlers in other extreme promotions use fluorescent lamps, barbed wire, glass, wild animals like snakes and scorpions, fire, thumbtacks, C4, knives, tables, along with other dangerous weapons. When pro-wrestlers face opponents in a hardcore match, they have to be careful not to accidentally cut a major artery or stab a vital organ. They also must adapt to different situations such as a burning ring or falling off of a steel cage. Some of the same principles of pure pro-wrestling still apply to hardcore matches.

WWF/WWE stopped hosting hardcore matches as too many wrestlers were getting injured. Other promotions do not host them as often as anymore. Hardcore wrestling isn't as popular as it once was however it's still practiced by other indie pro-wrestlers. I realize it's not for everyone but hardcore wrestling deserves respect for it's gruesome and skillful nature nevertheless.
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With WWE being a major long-standing promotion, it would seem to put smaller promotions like TNA out of business. I beg to differ. TNA though being a small company with a small audience is still a solid promotion. TNA is one of the most entertaining and prestigious promotions in american pro-wrestling. Why should you watch TNA? I'll give you several reasons.






The roster - TNA has developed their own unique and new generation of pro-wrestlers. Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Sting, Raven, Sabu, Rhino, Abyss, and Monty Brown just to name a few. WWF/WWE has the greatest living legends of all time no doubt however there's no guarantee they'll make it to the next generation.






TNA officials - TNA has some notable officials within their company's management team.


Mike Tenay - He started one of the country's first wrestling newsletters, Matt News. He's interviewed pro-wrestlers, wrote for wrestling magazines, and other programs. He's won an award for being the best television announcer and has the nickname "professor Vegas" for his vast knowledge of the pro-wrestling business.












Don West - He has majored in Sports Broadcasting when he attended Purdue University. He is known for his loud and energetic commentaries during matches.

















With Mike Tenay's expert analysis combined with Don West's energy, both make any TNA match exciting to watch.

TNA's unique look - TNA's 6-sided ring is what made TNA stand out from other wrestling promotion that use a 4-sided ring. There are many different angles to view the action from and many turnbuckles for wrestlers to use. TNA's appearance is partially why it's been successful.








Let's not forget TNA's tunnel entrance. It serves a multi-purpose, as a way to enter the IMPACT zone but also a battleground.








TNA's women division - TNA is one of the few promotions with a highly developed women's division. WWE calls their women "divas" and in later years reserved them for eye candy with restricted match time. TNA took their women wrestlers seriously since day one and have put them at equal standing with the men. The women participate in title, main event, and hardcore matches as much as the men do.

TNA'S creative storylines - TNA has almost always delivered interesting storylines, entertaining promos, intense feuds, and booked highly anticipated matches. TNA has never ceased to put up a grand performance.

Fan interaction - TNA is one of the few promotions with strong wrestler-crowd interactions. TNA strives to create an environment where fans are apart of the action. Almost all of the time, you see wrestlers fighting through the crowd. TNA builds a solid relationship with fans which is essential to the company's success.

Non-stop action - TNA wastes no time in petty drama, beer drinking contests, and other things that WWE does on the side. This is why the promotion is called Total Non-stop Action! Almost every minute of the show is devoted to wrestling.

Prestigious title belts -  TNA has held a partnership with NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) in the creation of championship titles. They are memorable due to it's design but also to the matches.

Main events - TNA has a variety of creativity in matches. Promotions like WWE usually have wrestlers deliver chair shots and crash through tables but they keep it professional for the most part. TNA puts more weapons to use in addition to other outrageous stunts in their main events.

Although TNA is not as successful as it was originally, it has not failed as a brand. For these reasons and more, you should tune in every Thursday for TNA impact wrestling.
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