Terry Brunk, better known to wrestling fans as Sabu, has died at the age of 60, as confirmed by WWE and AEW on Sunday. The cause of death has not been disclosed. Sabu’s final match occurred less than a month ago during WrestleMania weekend in Las Vegas, where he faced Joey Janela in a no ropes barbed wire match .
Trained by his uncle, the legendary Ed “The Sheik” Farhat, Sabu debuted in 1985 and became a pioneer of hardcore wrestling in the 1990s. He gained fame in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), where he won the World Heavyweight Championship twice, the World Television Championship once, and the World Tag Team Championship three times . Known for his high-risk maneuvers and use of weapons like tables and barbed wire, Sabu earned the nickname “The Suicidal, Homicidal, Genocidal, Death–Defying Maniac.
Beyond ECW, Sabu competed in promotions such as WWE, TNA, WCW, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and AAA. In WWE, he was part of the ECW Originals team that triumphed at WrestleMania 23 in 2007
Tributes have poured in from the wrestling community. AEW stated, “From barbed wire battles to unforgettable high-risk moments, Sabu gave everything to professional wrestling” . WWE described him as “a pioneer of hardcore wrestling” . Fellow wrestlers like Taz and Rob Van Dam expressed their sorrow, with Taz noting, “I would not have had the career that I have had… if it wasn’t for Sabu.”