\Terry Brunk, better known to the wrestling world as Sabu , has passed away at the age of 60. A pioneer of the hardcore style and a central figure in the rise of ECW , Sabu leaves behind a legacy that is as painful to summarize as it was electrifying to witness. He was not just a performer but a movement, equal parts chaos, innovation, and myth.
A Career That Rewrote the Rules
Sabu’s wrestling career began in 1985, trained by his legendary uncle Ed “The Sheik” Farhat, a trailblazer in his own right. Under The Sheik’s tutelage, Sabu learned a brand of violence that felt more like survivalism than sport. His debut came in Big Time Wrestling, but it was in Japan’s FMW and New Japan Pro Wrestling in the early ’90s that he first embraced fire, barbed wire, and glass as in-ring tools, not props.
He signed with Eastern Championship Wrestling, ater Extreme Championship Wrestling, in October 1993 and made an immediate impact. In just his second night with the company, Sabu defeated Shane Douglas to win the ECW Heavyweight Championship. A month later, at November to Remember, he pinned Terry Funk to win the ECW Television Title, becoming a rare double champion and cementing his place as a main event star.
But Sabu was never predictable. In April 1995, he famously no-showed ECW’s “Three Way Dance” to wrestle for NJPW, resulting in his firing by Paul Heyman. By November, he was back—and would begin what many see as his most defining run.
During his time in ECW, Sabu feuded and allied with names like Taz, Rob Van Dam, Justin Credible, and Funk. His partnership with RVD, under manager Bill Alfonso, produced some of the most high-octane, chair-assisted tag team matches of the era. Together, they helped popularize the kind of offense that would later influence WWE ’s TLC (Tables, Ladders, and Chairs) matches.
Sabu’s ECW accolades include:
2x ECW World Heavyweight Champion
1x ECW World Television Champion
3x ECW Tag Team Champion
FTW Heavyweight Champion
ECW’s second-ever Triple Crown Champion
A Style Nobody Could Touch
“To this day, the innovator is still the master of his craft,” Paul Heyman once said. “When Sabu was at his best, no one could touch him.”
He was nicknamed “The Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal, Death–Defying Maniac” for a reason. Stories abound of Sabu taping his torn bicep mid-match after a barbed wire gash, supergluing wounds, and even reattaching his own dislocated jaw—all to continue wrestling.
“On a scale of one to 10 for unpredictability, he was like a 36,” Seth Rollins once said. “Watching him was like watching a crazy fireworks show that had just gone haywire.”
Dean Ambrose (Jon Moxley) described Sabu to WWE.com as “absolutely fearless... a guy who doesn’t have any regard for his own health and safety isn’t likely to have any regard for his opponent’s.”
Mick Foley, a fellow hardcore icon, said he was initially threatened by Sabu’s arrival. “It sounded like my territory, except he was doing it with a much greater degree of athleticism,” Foley said.
Beyond ECW: A Global Footprint
After ECW, Sabu worked across the world, from FMW in Japan to TNA Wrestling in the U.S., where his Barbed Wire Massacre match with Abyss won 2005’s “Match of the Year.”
In 2006, he joined WWE’s ECW reboot and made a strong impression, facing Rey Mysterio at One Night Stand and later clashing with John Cena . Though a drug arrest with Rob Van Dam affected his run, he remained a fan favorite until his release in May 2007.
He continued wrestling on the independent circuit for the next decade, announcing a retirement in 2021 that didn’t last long. His final match was on April 18, 2025, at GCW’s Joey Janela’s Spring Break, where he faced Janela in a brutal No Rope Barbed Wire Match, his first in four years, and ultimately, his last.
He made his final public appearance just last weekend at the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance reunion at the iconic 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.
Remembering the Legacy
News of his passing was first reported by Mike Johnson of PWInsider. At the time of writing, no cause of death has been confirmed.
Tributes have poured in from across the wrestling world. Fellow ECW alum Francine wrote on X, “My heart is broken. Rest in peace to my friend Sabu. I love you always."
I love you always.” Rob Van Dam, his longtime friend and tag partner, posted only a finger pointing skyward, Sabu’s signature pose.
WWE’s Damian Priest added the same emoji with a broken heart, writing: “Rest easy legend.”
Brian Heffron, better known as The Blue Meanie, said: “Rest In Peace Sabu… Thank you, I love you, I’ll miss you… I’m totally devastated.”
Even in his final chapter, Sabu remained defiant. He didn’t do farewell tours. He didn’t speak much, his matches did the talking. From “Air Sabu” to barbed wire bouts to chair-assisted springboards, his ring style was an expression of chaos with form. He was the kind of performer you could never fully prepare for.
WWE is saddened to learn that Terry Brunk, known to wrestling fans as Sabu, has passed away.
— WWE (@WWE) May 11, 2025
WWE extends its condolences to Sabu’s family, friends and fans.https://t.co/7EqPs02bWA pic.twitter.com/T7ZjDHGARJ
A Career That Rewrote the Rules
Sabu’s wrestling career began in 1985, trained by his legendary uncle Ed “The Sheik” Farhat, a trailblazer in his own right. Under The Sheik’s tutelage, Sabu learned a brand of violence that felt more like survivalism than sport. His debut came in Big Time Wrestling, but it was in Japan’s FMW and New Japan Pro Wrestling in the early ’90s that he first embraced fire, barbed wire, and glass as in-ring tools, not props.
He signed with Eastern Championship Wrestling, ater Extreme Championship Wrestling, in October 1993 and made an immediate impact. In just his second night with the company, Sabu defeated Shane Douglas to win the ECW Heavyweight Championship. A month later, at November to Remember, he pinned Terry Funk to win the ECW Television Title, becoming a rare double champion and cementing his place as a main event star.
But Sabu was never predictable. In April 1995, he famously no-showed ECW’s “Three Way Dance” to wrestle for NJPW, resulting in his firing by Paul Heyman. By November, he was back—and would begin what many see as his most defining run.
During his time in ECW, Sabu feuded and allied with names like Taz, Rob Van Dam, Justin Credible, and Funk. His partnership with RVD, under manager Bill Alfonso, produced some of the most high-octane, chair-assisted tag team matches of the era. Together, they helped popularize the kind of offense that would later influence WWE ’s TLC (Tables, Ladders, and Chairs) matches.
Sabu’s ECW accolades include:
2x ECW World Heavyweight Champion
1x ECW World Television Champion
3x ECW Tag Team Champion
FTW Heavyweight Champion
ECW’s second-ever Triple Crown Champion
A Style Nobody Could Touch
“To this day, the innovator is still the master of his craft,” Paul Heyman once said. “When Sabu was at his best, no one could touch him.”
He was nicknamed “The Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal, Death–Defying Maniac” for a reason. Stories abound of Sabu taping his torn bicep mid-match after a barbed wire gash, supergluing wounds, and even reattaching his own dislocated jaw—all to continue wrestling.
Sabu appeared in ECW, FMW, WWE, AEW NWA, AAA, NJPW, AJPW, BJW, Stampede, MLW, ROH, TNA, CZW, GCW, IWA-Mid South, and Zero1 before finally retiring just last month.
— 🅰️🅾️ (@KXNGAO) May 11, 2025
Rest in peace to the Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal, Death Defying Maniac🖤 pic.twitter.com/SaySJeIUw3
“On a scale of one to 10 for unpredictability, he was like a 36,” Seth Rollins once said. “Watching him was like watching a crazy fireworks show that had just gone haywire.”
Dean Ambrose (Jon Moxley) described Sabu to WWE.com as “absolutely fearless... a guy who doesn’t have any regard for his own health and safety isn’t likely to have any regard for his opponent’s.”
Mick Foley, a fellow hardcore icon, said he was initially threatened by Sabu’s arrival. “It sounded like my territory, except he was doing it with a much greater degree of athleticism,” Foley said.
Beyond ECW: A Global Footprint
After ECW, Sabu worked across the world, from FMW in Japan to TNA Wrestling in the U.S., where his Barbed Wire Massacre match with Abyss won 2005’s “Match of the Year.”
In 2006, he joined WWE’s ECW reboot and made a strong impression, facing Rey Mysterio at One Night Stand and later clashing with John Cena . Though a drug arrest with Rob Van Dam affected his run, he remained a fan favorite until his release in May 2007.
He continued wrestling on the independent circuit for the next decade, announcing a retirement in 2021 that didn’t last long. His final match was on April 18, 2025, at GCW’s Joey Janela’s Spring Break, where he faced Janela in a brutal No Rope Barbed Wire Match, his first in four years, and ultimately, his last.
He made his final public appearance just last weekend at the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance reunion at the iconic 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.
Remembering the Legacy
News of his passing was first reported by Mike Johnson of PWInsider. At the time of writing, no cause of death has been confirmed.
Tributes have poured in from across the wrestling world. Fellow ECW alum Francine wrote on X, “My heart is broken. Rest in peace to my friend Sabu. I love you always."
My heart is broken. 💔 Rest in peace to my friend Sabu. I love you always.
— Francine (@ECWDivaFrancine) May 11, 2025
I love you always.” Rob Van Dam, his longtime friend and tag partner, posted only a finger pointing skyward, Sabu’s signature pose.
☝🏼
— Rob Van Dam (@TherealRVD) May 11, 2025
WWE’s Damian Priest added the same emoji with a broken heart, writing: “Rest easy legend.”
💔 rest easy legend #Sabu ☝️
— Damian Priest (@ArcherOfInfamy) May 11, 2025
Brian Heffron, better known as The Blue Meanie, said: “Rest In Peace Sabu… Thank you, I love you, I’ll miss you… I’m totally devastated.”
Rest In Peace Sabu....
— Brian Heffron aka The Blue Meanie (@BlueMeanieBWO) May 11, 2025
Thank you, I love you, I'll miss you...I'm totally devastated. pic.twitter.com/LXtv2upOP6
Even in his final chapter, Sabu remained defiant. He didn’t do farewell tours. He didn’t speak much, his matches did the talking. From “Air Sabu” to barbed wire bouts to chair-assisted springboards, his ring style was an expression of chaos with form. He was the kind of performer you could never fully prepare for.
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