Sabu, one of the most popular hardcore wrestlers during his run with ECW in the 1990s before a brief run with WWE in the mid-2000s, has died.
He was 60. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Sabu, real name Terry Brunk, had his retirement match against Joey Janela last month.
A high flyer who became famous for his work in hardcore matches featuring tables, ladders, chairs, barbed wire and more, Sabu became known as “the suicidal, homicidal, genocidal, death–defying maniac.”
Sabu, the nephew of former wrestling star The Sheik, was a two-time ECW world heavyweight champion, also winning their world television championship and capturing tag team gold three times.
After a run with TNA, joined WWE in 2006 when the company, which had previously purchased ECW, launched a new weekly show for the brand.
Sabu was part of the ECW Originals team that defeated The New Breed in an eight-man tag team match at WrestleMania 23 on April 1, 2007. He was released by WWE a month later.
WWE said in a statement it was “saddened” by Sabu’s death and described him as “a pioneer of hardcore wrestling.”
Sabu, who has also made appearances for WCW, New Japan Pro-Wrestling and AAA, wrestled in various independent promotions before making two appearances for AEW in 2023, which culminated with him being the special enforcer for a match between Adam Cole and Chris Jericho.
The official AEW X account says the wrestling world mourns the passing of Sabu.”
Rob Van Dam, a longtime wrestling star who was a tag team champion with Sabu in ECW, simply posted an emoji of an index finger pointing up on his X account, a nod to Sabu’s signature pose.
Taz, another ECW standout who worked for WWE and is currently an announcer for AEW, said the news of Sabu’s death “breaks his heart.”
[Source: New York Post]
