Joey Janela has addressed criticism following comments he made in an interview about his match with the late ECW legend Sabu during WrestleMania 41 weekend.
Sabu, who passed away over the weekend, had what was billed as his final match at GCW’s Spring Break 9 against Janela. The bout took place on April 18, and a few days later, Janela and others spoke to Yahoo! Sports’ “Uncrowned” about how close Sabu came to missing the event.
During the interview, Janela recalled that Sabu’s knee locked up two hours before the show, and he was reportedly given kratom — a legal (in some states) stimulant often used for pain relief and energy. Janela said,
“I was fairly confident he was fine. His team said he was training, hitting the gym. Then, two hours before the show, I get a call: ‘Sabu can’t walk.’ They told me his knees locked up and his feet were bleeding- he wasn’t coming. I thought, ‘Sabu’s f**ked.’ We even considered Matt Tremont as a replacement. It was going to be the most embarrassing moment of my career — 2,000 fans, our biggest Spring Break yet—and I’d have to announce Sabu no-showed his own retirement match. Eventually, they gave him something called kratom. You can buy it at a smoke shop — it’s like a legal opiate. Suddenly, I hear he’s jumping on and off the bed, ready to go. He showed up two hours into the show, completely out of it, but the match happened — and it was surreal.”
After the interview was published on Monday, Janela faced backlash from fans questioning why the match went ahead. He responded via Twitter, issuing a series of statements. You can check those out below:
“We didn’t give him kratom — his team did. It’s not illegal, and 85% of pro wrestlers use it, especially on TV. So f**k you.”
“Sabu was a grown man. He did what he had to do. I took care of him the best I could. The goal was to give him one last payday and a final spotlight.”
“That night wasn’t about me — it was about Sabu. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“His friends and family were thrilled with what we did. Again, f**k you and kiss my ass.”
“People use kratom to get off pills. I didn’t give him anything. I didn’t shoot him up or spike his drink.”
“I’m truly devastated. Kratom helped him stay off other substances. He loved weed and kratom. His body was wrecked from 40 years of wrestling.”
Janela also clarified that the interview took place just two days after the match and that some parts — like Sabu being “knocked out” — were exaggerated to enhance the story. He tweeted,
“I didn’t know what would happen weeks later. I was trying to add to Sabu’s lore. He was my idol and my friend. I just wanted to give him and the fans one last great spectacle.”
“I’m sorry for lashing out. But your tweet caused a snowball effect, with people saying I’m partially responsible for my friend’s death. He was fine afterward — he signed at WrestleCon the next day and did several appearances. I don’t know the cause of death, but I’m glad he went out on top.”
According to a report from Fightful Select, Janela admitted that he embellished parts of the interview for dramatic effect. GCW leadership, including Brett Lauderdale, was reportedly embarrassed by the interview and has since spoken with Janela about the matter.
For the record, there is no indication that Sabu’s death was connected to the match or events surrounding Spring Break 9. He continued making public appearances, including one for WrestleCon, after the event.
Sabu was a grown man, he did what he had to do to get out there. I took care of him to the best of my ability, I didn’t think what happened half way through would happen, it was all to get him one great payday and one last shine in the spotlight.
That night wasn’t about me, it…
— “The Bad Boy” Joey Janela (@JANELABABY) May 12, 2025
Sabu’s friends and family are over the moon for what we did for him, once again fuck you and kiss my ass
— “The Bad Boy” Joey Janela (@JANELABABY) May 12, 2025
I moved the board from the post so he didn’t hit his head on the post, I didn’t know he was gonna gun it like he did. But he’s fucking sabu lol
— “The Bad Boy” Joey Janela (@JANELABABY) May 12, 2025
People use kratom to get off pills, I didn’t give shit to him. Unfortunately people are acting like I shot someone up with black tar heroin or dropped something in his drink. https://t.co/aBzEcHBMlY
— “The Bad Boy” Joey Janela (@JANELABABY) May 12, 2025
I’m truly devastated over this and this whole deal has really affected me. Kratom is something Sabu took daily for years it helped him get off other substances, Sabu loved his weed & Kratom his body was wrecked doing what he loved for 40 years.
I did an interview for that… https://t.co/jtLM8S5M6g
— “The Bad Boy” Joey Janela (@JANELABABY) May 12, 2025
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