- 5/13/2025
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FunTranscript
00:00Ladies and gentlemen, this is your main event.
00:05One fall,
00:09your referee, senior official, John Finnegan.
00:14The TNA World Heavyweight Champion.
00:44RVD, rock and dab, accompanied by Bill Alfonso.
00:49And some interesting pre-match comments between RVD and Alfonso as it relates.
00:56Yeah, no interesting rush.
00:58As it relates to the man that RVD is going to face Sabu.
01:02I mean, Alfonso, right in the middle of this situation.
01:05You talk about his history.
01:07Bill Alfonso, first of all, the whistle.
01:09I'm just getting nightmares right now. Hear the whistle.
01:11For many years, this man, Bill Alfonso, managed me.
01:15It was a big part of my success.
01:17And I kind of inadvertently was in the middle of this whole thing
01:20with Van Damme and Sabu back in the day.
01:23So, to me, this match is just so cool,
01:26not just to get to watch as a fan,
01:28but to get the call as a commentator.
01:30Bill Alfonso, what you gonna do here?
01:32He's gonna manage both.
01:34That's what he said.
01:35He said he's gonna manage right down the middle?
01:37Well, that's just right down the middle, Danny.
01:39That's all I was gonna say.
01:41But, but, Bill Alfonso has done this before,
01:44meaning that he's managed both Van Damme and Sabu at the same time.
01:48Bill Alfonso's multitasking, my man.
02:09There, is no place to lose.
02:30.
02:37History between Sabu, RBD touched on as well earlier.
02:42Goes back to their original training days.
02:44Both trained by Sabu's uncle, the original fire throwing sheet.
02:50To me, it's just awesome to see Sabu, I mean, my career wouldn't be where it is if it wasn't
03:04for competing against this guy when I did.
03:06Ladies and gentlemen, this match is a non-title match.
03:10Ladies and gentlemen, introducing first, he is the manager of champions, the man who calls
03:18it right down the middle, Mr. Bill Alfonso.
03:23Ladies and gentlemen, introducing first in the corner to my left, from Bombay, Michigan,
03:39he is homicidal, he is suicidal, he is genocidal.
03:45This is Sabu!
03:50And his opponent, to my right, from Battle Creek, Michigan, he is the whole effort show, Rob
04:05Bad Damn!
04:10.
04:11.
04:24.
04:25.
04:26.
04:28That long hair he used to have, for those who haven't realized, Sabu shaved his head.
04:32.
04:35.
04:36I, uh, you know, all the matches I've had with Sabu, never wrestled him with no hair
04:40on his head.
04:41I might have lost more.
04:42I used to use his hair as a weapon a lot of times, to be honest with you.
04:46.
04:48Senior official, John Finnegan, calls for the bell.
04:51.
04:52.
04:53.
04:54.
04:55.
04:56.
04:57.
04:58.
04:59.
05:00.
05:01.
05:09.
05:10.
05:11.
05:12It's these two guys, they know each other better than each other, better than
05:15anybody else.
05:16That's my point.
05:17You got it?
05:18.
05:19As we touched on earlier, back to those original training days, man that was U.S.
05:23champion for decades, based in Detroit, Michigan, nobody had the aura of the Sheik, Sabu's uncle.
05:30Oh, absolutely, I've had the opportunity to meet the legendary, original Sheik, Sabu's uncle,
05:34and, uh, I know Rob Van Dam has just loads of respect he had for the Sheik, and the respect
05:44that Van Dam has for Sabu in my years knowing both these men, the conversations I've had with
05:50them, the way Rob has always kind of looked up to Sabu, he always did, always.
05:55You know, in our first time back then in the original promotion, in our, um, first live
06:02pay-per-view, Sabu and I had the opportunity to face each other, and, uh, Van Dam kind of
06:08interjected himself in the match at the end, and Bill Alfonso turned on me, and Nick Sandoval
06:12beating the hell out of me.
06:13What's up with that?
06:15Part of that great history that we have been talking about throughout this Hardcore Justice
06:20pay-per-view event, originally scheduled to be RVD and Jerry Lynn.
06:24We told you earlier, the severe back injury that was suffered by Jerry Lynn in training,
06:30preventing him from, or even getting on an airplane and flying down to Orlando, Florida
06:34for the match, and RVD and Sabu, that's turning a real negative into a tremendous positive.
06:40Well, I, I think it's phenomenal.
06:43I mean, I feel really bad for Jerry Lynn.
06:45I'm a huge fan of his, of his work, always have been, and I know Jerry's a competitor,
06:48it's gotta be eating him up, they can't do this.
06:50But I, I'm sure Jerry's watching this and loving this match here already, between Sabu
06:56and Rob Van Dam.
06:59Went for the dropkick to try and take out the leg and the knee of RVD.
07:05And both men stand at the ready, and you can just tell that RVD, happy with what he accomplished
07:11as he was one step ahead of Sabu, and there's the famous Sabu pose.
07:15R.B.
07:17R.B.
07:17R.B.
07:18R.B.
07:19R.B.
07:20R.B.
07:21R.B.
07:22R.B.
07:23R.B.
07:24R.B.
07:25R.B.
07:26R.B.
07:27R.B.
07:28R.B.
07:29R.B.
07:30In the middle, but to who?
07:31Directly in the middle.
07:32Tug of war with the steel chair.
07:34Uh-oh, watch out.
07:36Possession, Sabu.
07:38And he throws it with authority right in the face of Van Damme.
07:43One of his patented moves, climbs the chair.
07:47Oh, rocks right back into the chair.
07:51Sabu to try and take advantage.
07:54Yes, Sabu.
07:58You know, be careful out there, Rob,
08:00for Sabu will come out and saw and fly into your body.
08:06Oh!
08:07Sliding dropkick.
08:09And the impact of the dropkick sends Van Damme
08:12over the guardrail and into the crowd.
08:16Here we go, baby.
08:17Classic Sabu.
08:21I've been unable to do that thing.
08:24I'd rather be sitting here.
08:25Well, Sabu can still fly, can't he?
08:30You ain't kidding.
08:39Well, we heard some of the TNA superstars
08:42talk about their reaction to what we did
08:44back in the original promotion,
08:45and Jesse Neal said it best, in my opinion.
08:48He said,
08:49what we did back then
08:51wasn't like the other promotions were doing,
08:53and that was by design.
08:54We were an alternative,
08:56and that's exactly what extreme athletes
08:58like these two guys here, Sabu and Van Damme, bring.
09:02Look at that.
09:03Springboard right into Van Damme goes Sabu.
09:07We were different.
09:08Again, an alternative.
09:10By design.
09:11The big companies went left,
09:12we went right.
09:14They went right, we went left.
09:16And that's what we're celebrating tonight.
09:18Yep.
09:18Come on, Rob.
09:21Difficult to see, but one would anticipate.
09:25There's the shot there of the reverse chin lock,
09:27so close to the camel clutch.
09:29That's exactly what it is,
09:29and he always, Sabu usually traps one arm.
09:32And again,
09:33oh!
09:34And that camel clutch,
09:35a move that was made famous
09:36by his uncle, the Sheik,
09:38and now using the camel clutch
09:40with the chair
09:42across the back of Van Damme.
09:44Come on!
09:47Yeah, you know,
09:48Sabu is a,
09:49he's a,
09:49he's a vicious competitor,
09:51very rugged,
09:52rugged,
09:53fleet-footed,
09:54you know,
09:54very quick competitor,
09:55and can sustain so much punishment.
09:58I'm telling you,
09:59I've,
09:59I hate this,
10:01I've hit Sabu
10:02with so many different types of suplexes
10:03over the years,
10:04and the guy just gets up.
10:05It's amazing
10:06the punishment he can take.
10:08Now the TNA World Heavyweight Champion,
10:10Van Damme dishing out,
10:11and look at the back of Sabu's head.
10:14Just split up in the back of his head somewhere.
10:19How about RVD?
10:22Catching Sabu off guard.
10:25Drop kick of the chair.
10:27Sabu in trouble.
10:29Rolls into the corner,
10:30monkey flip out of that corner.
10:32Well, just the elbow,
10:33the elbow of Sabu,
10:34I think the intent was
10:35for the spine of Sabu
10:36to hit that chair
10:36and the monkey flip.
10:38The elbow,
10:38that might be worse.
10:39I was just gonna say,
10:40think of the pain
10:40that's gotta be shooting
10:41through his arm.
10:44Watch yourself.
10:44Oh, man.
10:46Look at the elbow,
10:47look at the,
10:47Sabu's elbow
10:48swept up already.
10:52Van Damme on top
10:53for the cover.
10:54One, two, three,
10:56three, one, five!
11:01Way to break your elbow,
11:02getting monkey flipped
11:02on a steel chair,
11:03I'll tell you that.
11:05Just no defense for it.
11:06There's no way
11:07to prepare for something
11:08like that.
11:08Sabu,
11:09the quick reversal
11:10sends Van Damme
11:11into the corner,
11:11gets the impact going
11:13by springing off the ropes
11:14with a clothesline
11:15that decks RBD.
11:17Great timing
11:18by Sabu.
11:19Here we go.
11:20On top for the pin.
11:21Two, three, one!
11:23And Bill Alfonso shouting out
11:28the instructions
11:29to both Rob Van Damme
11:32and Sabu.
11:32As Sabu continues,
11:38the offense strikes
11:40in the corner.
11:40Here goes Van Damme.
11:42Oh, both men at the same time
11:45had the same thought.
11:46Exactly, exactly what happened.
11:50It was like at the exact same time,
11:54they sprung off at the same time.
11:56I mean, that's got to go back
11:59to training together.
12:00Yeah, absolutely.
12:01That's exactly what it is.
12:02This could be the turning point
12:03in the match here, Mike.
12:04Now Bill Alfonso's in the ring.
12:06So, a little more to break.
12:09There you go.
12:12Right down the middle.
12:14That's what I've seen before.
12:15Right down the middle, Danny.
12:18A little mid-match break.
12:20Sometimes they need a little,
12:21you know, water.
12:24Now they're both rushing to get...
12:26Yeah, both RBD, Sabu,
12:28they've been hydrated.
12:31They've been hydrated.
12:32Nice.
12:32That was good.
12:33And we talked earlier
12:35about the same idea
12:37at the same time.
12:39Oh, mirror images now.
12:41Oh, a low blow right there
12:43by the T&A World Champ
12:44out of that lockup.
12:47That was smart.
12:48Oh!
12:49How quick is Van Damme?
12:50That's just too much.
12:52Fast as feet off.
12:53Just that one fluid motion
12:54quickly up to the apron,
12:55extends the leg,
12:56connects with the kick.
12:57Awesome athlete.
12:58Tremendous flexibility
12:59and power in Van Damme's lower body.
13:02Insane power in those legs.
13:04You get kicked by Van Damme.
13:05It's like getting hit
13:06by something that hurts.
13:10Come on.
13:10Oh!
13:11Front suplex.
13:13Van Damme hanging Sabu
13:15on the guardrail.
13:19Sabu's just sitting there.
13:21Come on!
13:21Van Damme!
13:22Better watch this leg drop, buddy.
13:24Yeah, I can see.
13:25I've been there.
13:26You can see what that was gonna be.
13:28Yeah, and I'm guessing
13:28that one's not much fun either.
13:30No, that's a corkscrew leg drop
13:32while you're hanging over
13:33a steel guardrail.
13:43And Alphonso right in the ear
13:45of Sabu.
13:45This is our group!
13:49This is our group!
13:51This is our group!
13:53And Van Damme has positioned
13:57Sabu on the table.
14:05Nice catch.
14:06Yeah, Alphonso with the steel chair
14:08into RVD.
14:08Now what?
14:09Oh!
14:12Oh, my God!
14:14Slingshot leg drop
14:15directly onto the chair
14:18that was placed on Sabu's chest.
14:20RVD!
14:20RVD!
14:21RVD!
14:21RVD!
14:22RVD!
14:23RVD!
14:24RVD!
14:25RVD!
14:25RVD!
14:26RVD!
14:26RVD!
14:27RVD!
14:27RVD!
14:28RVD!
14:29Oh, you can just
14:30feel the physicality.
14:33Let's take another look here.
14:35Watch the steel chair.
14:37How it just, bam,
14:37right across the throat,
14:39the sternum.
14:39Watch this,
14:39back live!
14:40Two, three, two, three!
14:45Two count only,
14:46says Finnegan
14:46on the pin attempt
14:47by Van Damme.
14:48Sabu fired off
14:58into the corner
14:59but quickly turns it around,
15:01reverses it on Van Damme
15:02and then gets caught
15:02with the elbow
15:03as he charges in.
15:04Yeah, those quick hands,
15:05Van Damme able to get
15:06that elbow in the face
15:07of Sabu.
15:07Watch this.
15:08Oh, God,
15:09right in the skull.
15:12What a big part
15:13of this match
15:14that Bill Alphonso
15:15is playing in this thing here
15:16for both sides.
15:17It really is.
15:19Can't really say
15:19he's favoring one guy
15:20over the other.
15:21Oh!
15:22Oh, my God!
15:23Oh, God!
15:24Jumps into the air,
15:25springs off the ropes,
15:27snaps off the hurt of Canrana,
15:28and Van Damme
15:29goes flying into the chair.
15:34Oh!
15:35Rabian Face Buster.
15:37That might be it.
15:38One, two, three!
15:38Oh, he almost had it.
15:41You still got it!
15:43You still got it!
15:44You still got it!
15:46You still got it!
15:48See, he still got it,
15:49all right?
15:49He never lost it.
15:50Back to the camel clutch.
15:51Perfect time.
15:53Consummate pro,
15:54a veteran.
15:55Go for that submission
15:56when you know you got the man hurt.
16:01With the fans' response
16:02of you still got it,
16:04you think the longer this match goes,
16:05it would be advantage Van Damme
16:06because of the schedule he's had
16:08as of late as he catches Sabu.
16:09Could be.
16:10I mean, Sabu seems to be
16:12in tremendous ring shape,
16:13even though right there,
16:14he just got his face smashed
16:15into that chair.
16:17I don't know where Sabu's bleeding
16:18from, in the back of his head
16:19or if it's an ear.
16:22The back of his head, right?
16:25Checking on the back of his head.
16:27Looks like he's also checking
16:28to see if his nose may be broken.
16:29Sabu trying to fight it off,
16:41but to no avail,
16:43he gets crutched on the top rope
16:44by Van Damme.
16:47Look at that right hand,
16:48Rob, how quick that was.
16:52Wait.
16:54You know what?
16:56I think this is an old-school move
16:59that Van Damme told me
17:00he was gonna pull out.
17:01Pulls with the Van Assassin.
17:03Yeah, I think that's what
17:04this is gonna be here.
17:08D'Alfonso holding the chair.
17:10He drives it right
17:11into Sabu's face and head.
17:13The assassin,
17:14he almost assassinated Sabu.
17:16Sabu rolls in,
17:28tries to roll out.
17:29Van Damme cuts him off.
17:30Gonna go split leg.
17:32Moonside on the money.
17:33He's got him!
17:34Pinned!
17:34Pinned!
17:35Pinned!
17:35Pinned!
17:36Pinned!
17:36Pinned!
17:37Pinned!
17:37Pinned!
17:37Pinned!
17:38Pinned!
17:38Pinned!
17:38Pinned!
17:39Pinned!
17:40Pinned!
17:40Just two, again,
17:41amazing series of near-falls
17:43between these two competitors
17:44in the Hardcore Justice main event.
17:47Major League toughness by Sabu,
17:49able to kick out
17:50with that split leg of Moonsault.
17:52Pinned!
17:52Pinned!
17:53Pinned!
17:53That's the table that both Van Damme and Sabu tried to incorporate earlier at the same time.
18:08Let's give Sabu an opportunity to recover here, Taz.
18:12Yeah, Van Damme doesn't succeed!
18:17Watch out!
18:18Oh, my God.
18:20Oh, God.
18:22That was sick.
18:24Freaking nasty.
18:28Double leg drop.
18:30Goes for the pin, but Finnegan sees that.
18:32Yeah, referee Jon Finnegan making sure it's legal.
18:34It's been chanced, tables.
18:37Good job, Jonny!
18:41A little nuance as a referee.
18:44Double sledge, follow-up shots in the corner.
18:48You know what? That's how it was back then.
18:50You know, in the original promotion, that's how it was.
18:52We just, it was like no rules to anything.
18:54We just kinda went crazy.
18:56Referees just counted the pinfall submission, to be frank with you.
18:58Referees just turned them loose.
19:00Now watch.
19:06Rolling Thunder!
19:10Rolling Thunder!
19:11Ow!
19:12Man, now you can see the anguish, the pain that Sabu's in.
19:16He might have cracked the rib.
19:18And what about Van Damme's back?
19:20Yeah, that was nasty, man.
19:21He might have caught it right in the sternum.
19:23But you're right, Van Damme's back.
19:26Quickly runs out.
19:27Go for win!
19:39Boy, both of these individuals just fighting through the fatigue at this point.
19:43Yeah, you can just, it's just heavy-duty, massive physicality.
19:48Like, this is how it was night after night.
19:50I mean, this is what it was all the time.
19:52You know, and it didn't, it didn't matter if there was a hundred people in the audience or a thousand people in the audience.
19:57That was the, you know, we talk about the work ethic, the passion, the desire.
20:00That's what it was from.
20:01It's the words that you used right at the top of this broadcast.
20:04Nobody was mailing it in, man.
20:05Drop kick into the chair, pulls him back to the middle, and whoa, that one was close.
20:09And what it was, was competitive in the locker room.
20:12We tried to outdo each other, match after match after match.
20:16Especially myself and these two guys had a lot of competitive things going on.
20:20Shane Douglas, arguably one of the greatest season of the world champions of all time.
20:24I mean, him and I had a series of competitive things going on, too, and wanted to outdo each other.
20:29That's what made the promotion so cool.
20:32We tried to outdo each other, but yet it was a team attitude.
20:34Sabu is, springs off the rope.
20:37Go!
20:38Almighty!
20:39Twisting!
20:40DDT head first goes Daedam right into the chair.
20:45Could this be enough?
20:46That might be enough.
20:47Sabu for the cover.
20:48Finnegan counts two.
20:50Two, two!
20:54Sabu, multi-time world champ in the original era.
20:57Defeating Shane Douglas for the title one time.
21:00Terry Funk the other as he goes air.
21:02Oh, God!
21:05And Van Damme has just been drilled several times, somehow, someway, with a chair near his face and head.
21:12Leg drop in the chair.
21:13Arm extended and draped over the chest of Van Damme and again two.
21:17And you know, look, Van Damme's got to defend his T&A world title in four days on Spike TV and a whole effing show against the Monster Abyss in the Stairway to Janice match.
21:28That sick weapon that Abyss has.
21:31I mean, that's just-
21:32How the hell is he gonna-
21:33What's he gonna believe on?
21:34The things you concentrate on a night like this and you don't take into account the schedule that Van Damme has had.
21:39Appearing on Impact this past Thursday.
21:41Like Taz says, what he's got lined up with events.
21:43That time he just got out of the way.
21:46He seems up, he seems up, he seems up, he seems up, he seems up, he seems up, he seems up!
21:54Well, watch Van Damme!
21:57Five star at the top!
22:01Hook in the head, got a cradle!
22:03He's got a cradle there!
22:05What a match.
22:07Ladies and gentlemen, your winner of the match,
22:14the whole epic show, Rob Van Dam.
22:31Unbelievable series of near falls back and forth.
22:36The time, the momentum changed repeatedly throughout this match,
22:40but the five-star frog splash of RBD, the TNA World Heavyweight
22:44champ, it proves the difference, Taz.
22:46Absolutely.
22:47I mean, you want something that's physical.
22:50You want bodies getting smashed and drilled.
22:54Sabu and Van Dam brought it big time.
22:59Good God, Sabu has not missed a beat.
23:03That was awesome outing by Sabu.
23:08Rob Van Dam, TNA World Champion.
23:12He's got to deal with abyss, man.
23:15This Thursday night on Spike TV.
23:18The whole epic show.
23:23And that's, I'm sure, a question that we're going to be asking this Thursday night,
23:29the whole epic show, the impact version on Spike TV.
23:33When RBD faces the monster abyss in that stairway to Janice matchup,
23:38we're going to be wondering how this match is going to impact his performance just days later.
23:45Well, that remains to be seen, but right now, an excellent victory over a friend,
23:50and I guess you could say rival, the great Sabu.
23:54.
24:02Will Alfonso, he stays in the court right down the middle.
24:04He managed both men.
24:05He's running around like a psycho.
24:07.
24:25That's pretty cool to see.
24:28.
24:32Still hurting, Sabu's still hurting.
24:34But he insisted on making sure that he raised the hand of RBD in victory.
24:41.
24:51Tab, we've got to go back.
24:52We've got to take another look at this incredible hardcore Justice main event.
24:56.
24:57Well, again, two friends, two rivals.
24:59.
25:00.
25:01That springboard right into it.
25:04.
25:05That is just patented Sabu right there.
25:07.
25:08With the same thing in mind, drilled each other.
25:11.
25:12.
25:13.
25:14.
25:15.
25:16.
25:17.
25:18.
25:19.
25:20.
25:21.
25:22.
25:23.
25:24.
25:25.
25:50.
25:51five-star big-time frog splash off the top by rvd proves the difference weren't sure we were
26:01gonna get that handshake but then the hug between rvd and sabu as we come back live and here comes
26:10the locker room i just got chucked the beer by cw that works
26:21no nothing better than a hardcore justice post-event celebration and a big-time toast
26:34kicking it old school that's how it was done boys having a good time
26:51you talked about it at the top of hardcore justice taz you talked about the passion the dedication
27:02and the desire of this original group
27:09and we're seeing we're seeing it all right here and this is what it's about i mean this is what this
27:13is what it was always about at the end of the day no matter the fights the arguments
27:19in the locker room backstage the competitiveness who you know who had paul hayman's ear more who
27:25didn't all that stuff at the end of the day we were a team we were the team and we we were a successful
27:32team paul hayman accentuating the positives on all of us hiding our weaknesses
27:38team and a president dixie connor yep she was responsible for this hardcore justice event
27:48and she's part of the toast as well that's pretty cool
27:51excuse me excuse me mike tanae taz thank you so much we got some beers for you i got my own atlas
28:12each and every one of you here tonight and everyone at home watching thank you this could not have
28:22happened tonight without dixie carter thank you dixie
28:39dixie
28:53dixie
29:07to all the men and women in tna we set the bar and we expect you to raise it god bless everyone
29:23there dixie for everyone who said we were old for everyone who said we couldn't do it
29:32that was one hell of an effing pay-per-view thank you so much i love you
29:37thank you
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