Joey Janela has issued a public clarification following widespread online reactions to comments he made about the late ECW icon Sabu. The remarks, originally shared in an interview with Yahoo’s Uncrowned, have drawn attention in the wake of Sabu’s passing, with some fans wrongly linking the wrestler’s use of kratom to his death.

In the interview, Janela recounted a chaotic day at a GCW event where Sabu was scheduled to appear. As concern grew backstage that Sabu might not show up, Janela claimed the veteran was given kratom, an herbal extract sometimes used for pain relief and stimulation.

“We are an hour into the show and I said, ‘Just get Sabu here,’” Janela recalled. “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 fing planet. Everyone in the backstage was like, ‘What the f? Is this match going to happen?’ And my God, did it happen.”

Janela also stated in the interview that Sabu was “knocked out cold” following an Air Sabu spot during the match. However, as social media users began circulating the quote, many began speculating that the kratom might have contributed to Sabu’s untimely death.

In response to the growing speculation, Janela took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify his statements. In a lengthy post, he revealed that Sabu had used kratom “daily for years” as a way to manage pain and overcome past substance issues.

“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.”

Janela further emphasized that his account in the interview included some embellishments, and he stressed that Sabu’s longtime use of kratom was not a recent or isolated incident.

According to a follow-up report from Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp, officials within GCW were reportedly “frustrated, embarrassed and humiliated” by the fallout from the interview. The report also clarified that there is no indication the match or Sabu’s kratom use on that night had any direct connection to his 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.

I did an interview for that… https://t.co/jtLM8S5M6g

, “The Bad Boy” Joey Janela (@JANELABABY) May 12, 2025