Sabu, the legendary wrestler whose decorated professional wrestling career became synonymous with hardcore matches, has died.
He was 60 years old.
Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), All Elite Wrestling (AEW), and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) were among the pro wrestling companies who mourned the hardcore legend’s death over the weekend, as well as fans and performers around the business.
“He was an outlaw and a gamechanger,” GCW wrote in a social media post Sunday. “He inspired so many that stepped inside a GCW ring and he will continue to inspire for generations to come. A true LEGEND. His legacy will last forever and he will never be forgotten. Rest in Peace, and…Long Live SABU.”
AEW also paid tribute to Sabu, who made an appearance on the company’s “Double or Nothing” program as a special guest referee. “From barbed wire battles to unforgettable high-risk moments, Sabu gave everything to professional wrestling,” the wrestling promotion wrote on X. “Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and his fans.”
WWE said in a statement Sunday that the company was “saddened to learn that Terry Brunk, known to wrestling fans as Sabu, has passed away.”
A cause of death was not announced Sunday.
Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty
Sabu in 2007
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Sabu was considered a pioneer of the hardcore wrestling genre, which often included matches featuring a significant amount of blood spilled from its performers, who calculatedly used everything from barbed wire to sheets of glass to fight on another. The style became the hallmark of Extreme Championship Wrestling during the 1990s, where Sabu became one of the top wrestlers between 1993-2000 before mostly performing on the independent wrestling circuit throughout the rest of his career.
The Staten Island, New York native briefly joined WWE in 2007 and was featured in a hardcore match at WrestleMania 23. First trained by his uncle, WWE Hall of Fame wrestler Ed “The Sheik” Farhat, Sabu went on to win three world championships throughout his career — twice winning the ECW World Heavyweight Championship and once being crowned the NWA World Heavyweight Champion.
Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty
Sabu entering for a match at Madison Square Garden on 2006
Sabu’s career spanned the globe, performing for the likes of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, the European Wrestling Association and the Xtreme Latin American Wrestling promotion in Mexico, in addition to dozens of other small independent promotions around the United States.
He last wrestled last month in Las Vegas during Wrestlemania 41 weekend in a retirement match against Joey Janela, promoted by GCW.
“Thank you to my idol, a trailblazer, a gamechanger and an icon,” Janela wrote on X, sharing photos of him and Sabu, including one of them hugging in the ring after his final match. “I Love you and will miss you dearly Sabu, rest now.”
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