Hardcore Icon SABU Passes Away at 60
Pro wrestling lost a trailblazer today. Former ECW World Champion Sabu (real name Terry Brunk) has died, according to a report from PWInsider. He was 60.
Details surrounding his passing have not yet been released, but his death comes just weeks after what was billed as his final match over WrestleMania weekend in Las Vegas on April 18, where he defeated Joey Janela. Sabu’s last public appearance took place this past weekend at the Tri‑State Wrestling Alliance reunion show and convention inside Philadelphia’s famed 2300 Arena, the building forever linked with the Extreme Championship Wrestling legacy he helped forge.
Why Sabu Mattered
Bursting onto the mainstream radar in the mid‑1990s, Sabu fused Japanese death‑match chaos with mystique, redefining what “hardcore” could look like in North America. The scar‑ridden daredevil hurled himself through tables, balanced steel chairs between ropes for springboard leg drops, and wrapped barbwire around his body long before it was a meme.
His style influenced virtually every high‑flyer and hardcore wrestler who came after him, from Rob Van Dam and Jeff Hardy to today’s death‑match specialists and indie risk‑takers. Moves like the Arabian Facebuster and the Triple Jump Moonsault became required study for wrestlers chasing that next‑level adrenaline rush.
Personal Reflections
I discovered Sabu late at night on ECW’s syndicated show, and my mind was blown. It felt like hearing Slayer for the first time—raw, fast, and unapologetically extreme. He was controversial, sure, but he also pushed the art form forward, showing an entire generation that there is an art in chaos.
Legacy of a Mad Genius
Sabu’s résumé spans ECW, FMW, NJPW, TNA, WWE, GCW and countless independent promotions. Championship gold followed him everywhere, but his real legacy is the mindset he left behind: no risk, no reward.
He is survived by a rabid fanbase and an industry that will forever borrow from the blueprint he sketched in blood, sweat, and broken tables.
Rest in peace, Sabu. You changed the game, and you will be missed.