Latest news with #hardcorewrestling
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sabu, legend of pro wrestling's 'hardcore' style, dies at 60
Sabu looks on while in the ring during ECW at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y., on Nov. 28, 2006. (Rich Freeda / WWE via Getty Images) Sabu, a "hardcore" professional wresting legend whose real name was Terry Brunk, has died at 60 years old, World Wrestling Entertainment announced Sunday. "WWE is saddened to learn that Terry Brunk, known to wrestling fans as Sabu, has passed away," the company said in a statement. Advertisement All Elite Wrestling also announced the news in a post on social media. "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 released Sunday, and it was not clear when he died. Sabu rose to fame while wrestling for Extreme Championship Wrestling in the 1990s, where he was "a pioneer of hardcore wrestling, leaping from chairs and driving his opponents through tables and even barbed wire," taking after his uncle, Hall of Famer Ed "The Sheik" Farhat, WWE wrote. Advertisement As a part of ECW, Sabu wrestled contemporaries like Rob Van Dam, Mick Foley and Taz. In a company known for pushing the envelope in terms of the risks wrestlers were willing to take, Sabu still managed to stand out. Whether he was leaping off the ring ropes to his opponents on the outside or delivering double leg-drops through tables and ladders, his style of wrestling — not always pretty but certainly impressive and eye-catching — made him a fan favorite. He signed with WWE as part of the company's revival of the ECW brand in 2006. The next year, at WrestleMania 23, he and fellow ECW originals Van Dam, Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman defeated the New Breed in front of 80,000 fans in Detroit. He departed the company that same year. Both before and after WWE, Sabu wrestled for top promotions across the globe, including New Japan Pro-Wrestling, AAA and CMLL, as well as dozens of other independent promotions. Advertisement He continued wrestling long after many of his contemporaries had already retired. His final match — and first since 2021, according to Cage Match — was April 18, when he defeated Joey Janela, getting driven through a table and landing on barbed wire in the process. Janela called Sabu "my idol, a trailblazer, a gamechanger and an icon," in a memorial post on X that featured photos and videos of he and Sabu. Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer called Sabu the "king of the death matches" on Wrestling Observer Radio on Sunday, and credited him with popularizing hardcore wrestling in the U.S. "He was the godfather of it in every way," Meltzer said. Advertisement Big names from across the wrestling world took to social media to remember Sabu as a legend in the field and as a friend. In a video posted to X, Taz said Sabu's death "breaks my heart," and added that he had watched an old interview of Sabu's as recently as Saturday night. "I would not have had the career that I have had and I've been blessed to have if it wasn't for Sabu," Taz said, noting the pair debuted against each other for ECW in 1993. The X account for docu-series "Dark Side of the Ring" said Sabu's death "comes as a shock," as he is featured in the episode airing Tuesday that pays tribute to his uncle. Advertisement "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." In an X post, AEW wrestler Mark Briscoe said, "Nobody made me want to be a wrestler more than Sabu. R.I.P. to a true hardcore legend." This article was originally published on
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sabu, ECW legend and former WWE star, dead at 60
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, according to He was 60. A cause of death was not disclosed. Advertisement 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, a longtime pro wrestler known for his time in ECW and WWE, has died at age 60. Getty Images 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. He was one of the faces of hardcore wrestling as its popularity increased in the '90s. 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. From left: Sandman, Sabu, RVD and Tommy Dreamer celebrate their win at WrestleMania 23. WWE 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. Advertisement 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. 'AEW and the wrestling world mourns the passing of Sabu,' the official AEW X account posted Sunday. '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.'' Advertisement 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 my heart.' 'I would not have had the career that I have had, and I've been blessed to have, if it wasn't for Sabu. That man got me over, and he didn't have to get me over, and he did,' Taz said in a video posted on X. 'A great heart and soul. I'm gonna miss him immensely.'
News.com.au
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Wrestling legend dead at age 60 with WWE world left devastated
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 has not been disclosed, according to Sabu, real name Terry Brunk, had his retirement match against Joey Janela last month, The New York Post reports. 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. AEW: Double or Nothing | MON 26 MAY 10AM AEST | Don't miss one of AEW's biggest events of the year, Double or Nothing, LIVE from the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. He was one of the faces of hardcore wrestling as its popularity increased in the '90s. 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. 'AEW and the wrestling world mourns the passing of Sabu,' the official AEW X account posted on Monday morning (AEST). '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.' 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 my heart.' 'I would not have had the career that I have had, and I've been blessed to have, if it wasn't for Sabu. That man got me over, and he didn't have to get me over, and he did,' Taz said in a video posted on X. 'A great heart and soul. I'm gonna miss him immensely.'
