Wrestling legend dead at age 60, just a month after retirement match
Sabu made a name for himself during the 1990s as part of ECW, becoming one of the hardcore promotion’s biggest stars.
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Sabu, an icon of hardcore professional wrestling, died on Sunday at the age of 60.
His cause of death has not been disclosed.
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Sabu, real name Terry Brunk, made a name for himself during the 1990s as part of ECW, becoming one of the hardcore wrestling promotion’s biggest stars. He later had a brief run with WWE in the mid-2000s as part of a takeover storyline after the company bought ECW.
Last month in his retirement match, Sabu competed against Joey Janela in a “No Rope Barbed Wire” match at Joey Janela’s Spring Break 9 event as part of Game Changer Wrestling.
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Sabu was known as a high-flyer who would often leap from heights onto his opponents. He became famous for his work in hardcore matches featuring tables, ladders, chairs and barbed wire, earning the moniker of “the suicidal, homicidal, genocidal, death-defying maniac.”
During his 40-year in-ring career, Sabu was a two-time ECW world heavyweight champion while also capturing the promotion’s world television championship and the tag team title three times.
In a statement, WWE said it was “saddened” by Sabu’s death and described him as “a pioneer of hardcore wrestling.”
His final major TV appearance came in 2023 with AEW, when he served as a 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.”
Many past and present wrestlers shared tributes to the hardcore icon on social media.
“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.”
WWE superstar Sami Zayn shared that he had been pushing to get Sabu into the WWE Hall of Fame.
“This is a gut punch. I was pushing this agenda again a few weeks ago after Sabu had his final match,” Zayn wrote. “RIP Sabu. One of a kind, absolute legend, and a true game changer for professional wrestling.”
Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts shared a photo of himself and Sabu at a convention, writing, “I’m very sad to learn of the passing of Sabu.
“He was a pioneer in our business, a talented performer, and most importantly, a good man. RIP.”
Rob Van Dam, himself an ECW mainstay, posted an emoji of an index finger pointing up on his X account, a nod to Sabu’s signature pose.
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