Joey Janela has taken to social media to clarify a story about the late Sabu that he recently gave to Yahoo’s Uncrowned.
In a recent interview with Yahoo, Janela reflected on Sabu taking kratom ahead of his match at GCW. The herbal extract that’s often used as a pain reliever and energy stimulant. Janela noted that he was given the supplement after worries that he wouldn’t show up to the event began surfacing.
“We are an hour into the show and I said, ‘Just get Sabu here,’” Janela continued. “So they gave him something called kratom. You can buy it at a smoke shop or something; it’s like a legal opiate or something. They said, ‘He’s hopping on the bed, he’s hopping off the bed, and we’re going to get him to the show.’ So he shows up two hours into the show. Sabu was on a different f***ing planet. Everyone in the backstage was like, ‘What the f***? Is this match going to happen?’ And my God, did it happen.”
Janela also mentioned that, during the match, Sabu was knocked “out cold” after an Air Sabu attempt. Shortly after the interview, fans began pointing fingers to the use of kratom as a trigger for Sabu’s sudden death.
Janela explains the interview and Sabu’s kratom usage
In response to the messages, Janela took to social media. In a lengthy post on X, Janela said that kratom was something Sabu took “daily for years.” According to Janela, the legend took it to help him get off other substances that he had been addicted to. Janela also said that he embellished certain facts in the interview, including the fact that Sabu had been knocked out.
“I did an interview for that article 2 days after the match not knowing what would transpire weeks later.” said Janela. “I said he was “knocked out” after that spot when despite being a rough deal. He was not that. I was just trying to add to the lore and [unpredictability] of Sabu.”
In a follow-up report from Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp, he notes that GCW was “frustrated, embarrassed and humiliated” by the interview. The report goes on to say that there was no evidence suggesting the match led to Sabu’s death.
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.
— “The Bad Boy” Joey Janela (@JANELABABY) May 12, 2025
I did an interview for that… https://t.co/jtLM8S5M6g
