Sabu (Terry Brunk), the former ECW World Champion celebrated as one of the most vibrant and groundbreaking professional wrestlers of his era, has reportedly passed away, according to a report from PWInsider.com.
Trained by his uncle, the legendary Sheik (Ed Farhat), Sabu became a pivotal figure in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) during the 1990s. Known by monikers such as the “Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal, Death-Defying Maniac,” he was a two-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion, a one-time ECW World Television Champion, and a three-time ECW World Tag Team Champion (once with Taz and twice with Rob Van Dam). His intense and often bloody feuds with the likes of Taz, Terry Funk, and Rob Van Dam became hallmarks of the promotion.
Sabu’s innovative, high-risk, and hardcore style, which frequently incorporated tables, chairs, and barbed wire, made him a cult icon and a significant influence on a generation of wrestlers. Beyond his defining tenure in ECW, Sabu also competed internationally, making a notable impact in Japan with promotions like Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He also had stints in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), TNA/Impact Wrestling, and was part of WWE’s ECW revival in the mid-2000s, where he notably faced John Cena for the WWE Championship.
Sabu wrestled his final match on April 18, 2025, during WrestleMania weekend in Las Vegas, where he defeated Joey Janela. His last public appearance is believed to have been at the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance reunion show convention at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia during the weekend of May 3-4, 2025.
On behalf of everyone at WrestlingNews.co, we send our deepest condolences to Sabu’s friends and family.
