Entertainment
WWE Icon Dead at 60
Fans of professional wrestling were left stunned over the weekend after reports that Terry Brunk, known for his role as Sabu in WWE, passed away unexpectedly at just 60 years old.
He was among the first to popularize “hardcore” style wrestling events, including the introduction of barbed wire, folding chairs, and other props into the ring.
The WWE announced SABU’s passing in a statement.
“WWE is saddened to learn that Terry Brunk, known to wrestling fans as Sabu, has passed away,” the company said.
All Elite Wrestling also announced the news in a social media post on Sunday.
“From barbed wire battles to unforgettable high-risk moments, Sabu gave everything to professional wrestling,” AEW wrote on X. “Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and his fans.”
Sabu’s cause of death was not included in either statement, and it was not immediately clear what may have occurred, NBC News reported.
Born Dec. 12, 1964, the Staten Island native entered the ring in 1985 after being trained by his uncle Ed “The Sheik” Farhat. He was originally expected to become a technical wrestler proficient in complex and dangerous takedowns but carved out a niche for violent flair in his act.
Sabu rose to fame during the Extreme Championship Wrestling of the 1990s, where he became “a pioneer of hardcore wrestling, leaping from chairs and driving his opponents through tables and even barbed wire,” WWE wrote. He fought other icons of his generation including Rob Van Dam, Mick Foley and Taz and managed to stand out in a corner of the wrestling world where his peers were already known for pushing the boundaries of what professional wrestlers were willing to incorporate into their acts.
Whether delivering double-leg drops through tables or backbreaking ladder falls, his gruesome style of wrestling was always a fan favorite with WWE crowds.
The height of Sabu’s time with WWE came during Wrestlemania in 2006, where he joined with ECW originals Van Dam, Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman to defeat the New Breed in front of 80,000 fans in Detroit.
He departed WWE the following year and went on to perform with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, AAA and CMLL, as well as dozens of other independent wrestling federations.
Even in his late 50s, Sabu wrestled long after his contemporaries had left the ring. His last match was on April 18 when he defeated Joey Janela, but not without being thrown through a table and landing on barbed wire.
Janela called Sabu “my idol, a trailblazer, a gamechanger and an icon” in a social media post on Sunday.
Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer called Sabu the “king of the death matches” on Wrestling Observer Radio on Sunday and credited him with popularizing some of the profession’s most dangerous stunts ever performed.
“He was the godfather of it in every way,” Meltzer said.
The X account for docu-series “Dark Side of the Ring” said Sabu’s death “comes as a shock” as he had just recorded a segment paying tribute.
“Sabu was a trailblazing groundbreaker who played a major role in the expansion of what a pro wrestling match could be,” wrestler Matt Hardy said on X. “The fact that tables are commonly utilized in pro wrestling is because of Terry Brunk & how he made an inanimate object like a table a must see component in his match.”
Hardy also called Sabu “heavily influential on today’s current style, even though his contributions are still under appreciated by most.”
