WWE Legend to Retire from In-Ring Action in Brutal Match During WrestleMania 41 Week

Hardcore wrestling icon Sabu will step into the ring one final time in a match fitting his legendary career. The extreme wrestling pioneer is set to conclude his storied run in professional wrestling with a No Ropes Barbed Wire Match against Joey Janela during WrestleMania week.

The brutal stipulation was revealed by Janela himself during GCW The Philly Special on April 6. The match is scheduled for GCW Spring Break 9 on April 18, as part of the independent wrestling festivities surrounding WrestleMania 41. The dangerous encounter will feature the ropes removed and replaced with barbed wire, creating one of wrestling’s most treacherous environments.

During his announcement, Janela delivered an impassioned promo about the sacrifice required:

I gave my life. I gave my blood. I gave my soul for these three letters – GCW. I fell through doors. I got hit with chairs. I got set on fire. I fell and got punctured by thumbtacks. I fell through glass panels. I got hit with fluorescent light tubes. I got thrown off buildings for these three letters – GCW. And, I got involved, and was involved, in this. You know, I know, we all know what this is. This is real. This is not rubber. This is real sharp barbed wire.
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Sabu, who began his in-ring career in 1985, had brief WWE runs in 1983 and again in 2006. The two-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion initially announced his retirement in November 2021 but made a special appearance in AEW in 2023 as a special referee. This No Ropes Barbed Wire encounter is now positioned as his definitive farewell to professional wrestling.