IT'S OVER FOR SABU AND VAN DAM

Why They Can Never Be True Friends Again

Within the span of a few months, Sabu and Rob Van Dam went from being the closest of friends to enemies to friends again. It won't be long before they're enemies again!

By Dan Murphy

AFTER ROB VAN DAM upset Bam Bam Bigelow for the ECW TV title in Buffalo, New York, on April 4, "Mr. Monday Night" held court for a handful of reporters and loudly proclaimed a new era in wrestling had begun. The ponytailed high-flyer with the devastating kicks and the breathtaking split-legged moonsaults had captured his first title in ECW.

"The first of many," Van Dam crowed, holding the belt high above his head as photographers' flashbulbs sparkled. At Van Dam's side, manager Bill Alfonso cocked his elbows and jerked his thumbs toward his head in Van Dam's signature sign of superiority, blowing his whistle the whole time.

Sabu skipped the impromptu press conference and caught another ride back to the hotel.

Though Van Dam wrestled a gritty and determined match against Bigelow, "The Beast From The East" used his superior strength to pummel Van Dam. Bigelow appeared ready to complete another successful defense of his belt- until Sabu hit the ring and repeatedly gouged at Bigelow's eye with a foreign object. With Bigelow incapacitated, Van Dam was able to mount the top rope and launch a final splash on Bigelow. Three mat slaps later, Camp Alfonso claimed the gold.

Yet lost in all of Van Dam and Alfonso's hype and celebration was the fact that Van Dam's win effectively destroyed one of wrestling's most dangerous and talented tandems.

Sabu had been scheduled to challenge Bigelow for the TV title at the Wrestlepalooza pay-per-view. Alfonso had Van Dam wrestle Bigelow prior to the PPV in an attempt to "soften up" the big man for Sabu's match. What Alfonso failed to realize was that the contract Sabu signed called for him to wrestle the TV champion at Wrestlepalooza, whomever that may be. As luck would have it, that was Van Dam.

Alfonso was livid when he realized his blunder.

"Bill came into my office yelling and screaming even more than usual," ECW head Paul E. Dangerously said. "He was ranting and raving about being tricked. He even threatened to sue ECW to get out of the match at Wrestlepalooza. What could I say? Alfonso made his own bed, and he was trying to get out of lying in it. That's not how we do things in ECW."

Alfonso was justified in his concerns about allowing Van Dam and Sabu to square off. The two feuded extensively in 1993 and again in 1996. When they formed an alliance under Alfonso, they became a formidable team. On several occasions, Van Dam even donned a turban and passed himself off as Sabu, interfering in Sabu's matches, including his win over The Sandman at the Living Dangerously pay-per-view.

But in recent months, Van Dam's ego was beginning to weigh on Sabu.

"I think Van Dam was getting on Sabu's nerves a long time before he won the belt," observed Axl Rotten. "Sabu doesn't say much. He likes to get his work done in the ring. It was really only a matter of time before Sabu had enough of Van Dam's showboating and hogging all the interview time. I think just about everybody was expecting Sabu to let it all hang out against Van Dam at Wrestlepalooza."

Sabu did just that, and Van Dam responded in kind. Any feelings of friendship between the two men disappeared very quickly into the contest. For thirty minutes, Sabu and Van Dam battered each other with everything in their respective arsenals. And all Alfonso could do was watch the nightmare match that he had inadvertently signed.

When the bell rang to signal a time-limit draw, Alfonso hit the ring to try to salvage what he could of his stable. Alfonso snatched the TV belt and presented it to Van Dam, exhorting the two to shake hands and put their differences behind them. After pleading, Sabu agreed to offer his hand to Van Dam, but the champion instead bailed from the ring with the belt.

After the match, Alfonso insisted that things were all right between his charges.

"Everything's fine, just like I said it would be all along," he proclaimed. "Everybody is so afraid of facing Sabu and 'Mr. Monday Night' that they tried to break up the team by forcing them to wrestle. But Van Dam and Sabu are blood brothers. They wrestled each other once, and now they know it's time to get back to business. And it doesn't matter who has what belt, because they're both equally great, the two greatest wrestlers in the world. That's all there is to it!"

Okay, so Alfonso makes a decent point. Less than two weeks after Wrestlepalooza, Van Dam teamed with Lance Storm against Sabu and Chris Candido at the ECW Arena. The violent, spirited match ended in a no-contest as Van Dam high-fived Sabu and the two of them held up the TV belt together.

So they're back together. How long will this last? Until one of them makes a critical mistake and the other blames him for a key loss, perhaps? Until Van Dam interferes in one of Sabu's matches when Sabu doesn't think interference is necessary, maybe?

Don't think Sabu has forgotten that it was his interference that put the TV title around Van Dam's waist in the first place...or that for at least a few weeks, the TV title was much more important to Van Dam than a friendship. For a long time, Sabu and Van Dam trusted each other 100 percent. That kind of trust will never exist between them again.

Right now, Alfonso ought to enjoy watching his two charges work together in harmony, because sooner or later- probably within a few months- he'll be trying to prevent a full-scale explosion between Sabu and Van Dam.

And if their match at Wrestlepalooza was any indication- the sport could be on the verge of one of the most exciting feuds in ECW history!