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Boston Globe
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Terry Brunk, professional wrestler known as Sabu, dies
Known for using tables and chairs in the ring, Mr. Brunk rose to national prominence with Extreme Championship Wrestling, a smaller and grittier circuit compared with the more mainstream World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling companies. 'Sabu became a national star as part of ECW, where he was a pioneer of hardcore wrestling, leaping from chairs and driving his opponents through tables and even barbed wire,' WWE said in its statement. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Mr. Brunk later joined the WWE in 2006, with which he performed for a year, including at WrestleMania 23 in Detroit, Mr. Brunk's hometown. Advertisement As recently as last month, Mr. Brunk was slinging chairs around a barbed-wire ring, returning once again as Sabu in an event with wrestler Joey Janela that was billed as Sabu's retirement match. Although widely remembered for his use of props and tables in the ring, Sabu was wary of professional wrestling's spectacle. He would go on to criticize the larger-than-life stunts that would come to define later iterations of the WWE and other wrestling promotion companies. 'In an Olympic match, you cannot stack a couple tables and then climb something and jump off. That's a stunt,' Mr. Brunk told an interviewer with Covalent TV at Wrestlecade in 2024. 'I'm not a stuntman or an actor.' Advertisement Terrance Michael Brunk was born on Staten Island, N.Y. He was trained by his uncle Edward George Farhart, a WWE Hall of Fame wrestler known as 'The Sheikh.' 'I went over all the basics every day,' Mr. Brunk recalled in his Covalent TV interview. His uncle, he said, made him set up and tear down the training ring for months before ever giving him a chance inside it. For many fans, Mr. Brunk represented an era of professional wrestling when storytelling took priority over spectacle. Mr. Brunk said in his 2024 interview that even his use of a single table could keep an audience engaged — there was a narrative arc, a setup, a tease. Not so in modern professional wrestling, he said. 'When they break a table,' Mr. Brunk said, 'they're just doing it for the crash.' This article originally appeared in
Los Angeles Times
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Sabu, a.k.a. hardcore wrestling pioneer Terry Brunk, dies at 60
Terry Brunk, the professional wrestling pioneer known to fans as Sabu, has died at age 60, World Wrestling Entertainment announced Sunday. No cause of death has been given. The nephew of WWE Hall of Famer Ed 'The Sheik' Farhat, Brunk wrestled on several circuits, including a handful of appearances with WWE (then known as World Wrestling Federation, or WWF) in 1993. He then rose to fame with Extreme Championship Wrestling, for which he was a two-time champion. Known as an originator of hardcore wrestling, Sabu often leapt from chairs and threw his opponents through tables and barbed wire. He signed with WWE in 2006 as part of the company's ECW revival and competed against Rey Mysterio for the world heavyweight championship and against John Cena for the WWE championship. He and his fellow ECW Originals (The Sandman, Tommy Dreamer and Rob Van Dam) defeated the ECW's New Breed (Elijah Burke, Kevin Thorn, Marcus Cor Von and Matt Striker) at WrestleMania 23 in Brunk's hometown of Detroit. Sabu left WWE in 2007 and continued to wrestle in various leagues, including All Elite Wrestling in 2023 and Game Changer Wrestling, for which he wrestled his final match last month. 'AEW and the wrestling world mourns the passing of Sabu,' AEW wrote on X. 'From barbed wire battles to unforgettable high-risk moments, Sabu gave everything to professional wrestling. Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and his fans.' GCW posted a tribute video to Sabu on YouTube. 'He was an outlaw and a gamechanger,' the organization wrote in the caption. 'He inspired so many that stepped inside a GCW ring and he will continue to inspire for generations to come. His legacy will last forever and he will never be forgotten.' Van Dam also posted a tribute to his longtime friend on X. 'Sabu was as irreplaceable in my life as he was in the industry,' the WWE Hall of Famer wrote. 'You all know how important he was to my career, and you know how much he meant to me personally. He's been a tremendous influence since I was 18 years old , when I met him. 'Learning to be an adult, while you're in the crazy environment of this business can go several different ways. I'm proud to have been able to carry on so many of Sheik and Sabu's values, both in and out of the ring. Sabu helped make me the wrestler I am, the person I am, and I'll always be proud of that and grateful.' Many others from professional wrestling paid their respects on social media. WWE star Sami Zayn wrote that Sabu belongs in the organization's hall of fame, calling him a 'one of a kind, absolute legend and a true game changer for professional wrestling.' Longtime wrestling announcer Tony Schiavone called Sabu 'an incredible talent that will obviously put someone through a table in the afterlife.' Mysterio posted on Instagram: 'Feel truly honored to have shared the same ring with you many times and even more to have called you my friend. Always had me on my toes. ... You will be missed.' Retired WWE wrestler Marc Mero wrote that Sabu 'was not only a remarkable performer but also a gracious and engaging person.' 'Sabu's wrestling style was fearless and relentless,' Mero wrote. 'From his intense barbed wire battles that tested the limits of both his body and spirit, to his high-risk maneuvers that left audiences in awe, often deafening in their excitement. He truly gave it all every time he stepped into the ring. His dedication, courage, and passion for wrestling have left an indelible mark on the sport and its fans.' Fellow retired WWE wrestler Jake 'the Snake' Roberts wrote: 'He was a pioneer in our business, a talented performer, and most importantly, a good man.'
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sabu, High-Flying ‘Hardcore' Pro Wrestling Pioneer, Dies at 60
Sabu, the high-risk, high-flying 'hardcore' professional wrestling pioneer who helped bring tables, chairs, barbed wire and other instruments of brutality into the mainstream, has died, according to multiple reports. He was 60. His death was first reported by PWInsider and later confirmed by All Elite Wrestling and TMZ. No additional details were available. AEW and the wrestling world mourns the passing of Sabu. From barbed wire battles to unforgettable high-risk moments, Sabu gave everything to professional wrestling. Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and his fans. — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 11, 2025 Born Terry Brunk in Staten Island, Brunk grew up in a wrestling family, and was trained by his uncle, Ed Farhat, better known as The Sheik. Farhat's high-risk style suited his nephew, who went on to become a champion in Extreme Championship Wrestling and a fan favorite for his extreme style. Sabu began wrestling in the 1980s, primarily in Japan, where he honed his death-defying acrobatics and hardcore punishment. Sabu later rose to prominence in the ECW, where his nickname was 'The Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal, Death-Defying Maniac.' Sabu had brief stints at the top levels of pro wrestling, including the WCW and WWE, bringing his signature daredevil brutality to mainstream fans – but some of it was just too much, and he left over creative differences. Most of his career took place in fringe tiers, like Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he pioneered moves like the 'Arabian Facebuster' and 'triple-jump moonsault.' Often performing while injured, Sabu's intense toughness and use of tables, barbed wire and other gnarly implements inspired future generations of hardcore wrestlers. Sabu died less than two weeks after his final match on April 18 during Game Changer Wrestling's Joey Janela's Spring Break 9 in Las Vegas, where he faced Joey Janela. According to multiple reports, he left with a bloodied face. The post Sabu, High-Flying 'Hardcore' Pro Wrestling Pioneer, Dies at 60 appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former WWE Star and ECW Legend Passes Away at 60
The wrestling world is mourning the loss of one of its most fearless names, Sabu, who has passed away at the age of 60. The cause of his death remains unclear at this time, leaving fans in shock. Born Terry Brunk, Sabu became a hardcore icon in Paul Heyman's Extreme Championship Wrestling in the 1990s. He was trained by his uncle the original Sheik, gaining notoriety for his relentless style, daring moves, and barbed-wire fights that contributed to the formation of ECW. He was a two-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion and a key figure during the promotion's rise to cult status. Advertisement After his short stint at Total Nonstop Action, Sabu also had a notable run in WWE and during the 2006 revival of ECW under Vince McMahon. Though the environment was tamer than his heyday, he still thrilled fans with his signature Arabian Facebuster and table-smashing chaos. With his unconventional style of attack and desire to test the limits of physical stamina, Sabu motivated a generation of wrestlers throughout several decades. He also competed at AEW after coming out of retirement at All or Nothing for an unsanctioned match. The late 60-year-old had an incalculable influence on the profession, particularly in the hardcore wrestling movement. The report of his passing was first shared by PWInsider's Sean Ross Sapp. And evidently, fans were shocked to hear ECW Legend's death. "Damn RIP", wrote one fans while the one commented, "so sad, at least he can rest now". One fan even noted how the deceased superstar was rumored to fight in few days, but the reports remain unclear. More tributes poured in from across the wrestling world, as fans remember Sabu not just for the violence he brought to the ring, but for the passion and authenticity he always displayed. His legacy will forever be etched in the blood-stained history of pro wrestling.
