• News
  • Sports News
  • WWE and ECW icon Sabu passes away at 60: What made his legacy especially special

WWE and ECW icon Sabu passes away at 60: What made his legacy especially special

Sabu, the legendary ECW icon, has passed away at 60, leaving behind a groundbreaking legacy in professional wrestling. Known for his extreme, high-flying style and death-defying stunts, he revolutionized hardcore wrestling. From his iconic ECW battles to his role in shaping the modern wrestling landscape, Sabu’s impact is undeniable, cementing his place as one of the industry's true pioneers.
WWE and ECW icon Sabu passes away at 60: What made his legacy especially special
Image Credit WWE.com
\Terry Brunk, better known to the wrestling world as Sabu, has passed away at the age of 60. A pioneer of the hardcore style and a central figure in the rise of ECW, Sabu leaves behind a legacy that is as painful to summarize as it was electrifying to witness. He was not just a performer but a movement, equal parts chaos, innovation, and myth.

A Career That Rewrote the Rules

Sabu’s wrestling career began in 1985, trained by his legendary uncle Ed “The Sheik” Farhat, a trailblazer in his own right.Under The Sheik’s tutelage, Sabu learned a brand of violence that felt more like survivalism than sport. His debut came in Big Time Wrestling, but it was in Japan’s FMW and New Japan Pro Wrestling in the early ’90s that he first embraced fire, barbed wire, and glass as in-ring tools, not props.
He signed with Eastern Championship Wrestling, ater Extreme Championship Wrestling, in October 1993 and made an immediate impact. In just his second night with the company, Sabu defeated Shane Douglas to win the ECW Heavyweight Championship. A month later, at November to Remember, he pinned Terry Funk to win the ECW Television Title, becoming a rare double champion and cementing his place as a main event star.But Sabu was never predictable. In April 1995, he famously no-showed ECW’s “Three Way Dance” to wrestle for NJPW, resulting in his firing by Paul Heyman. By November, he was back—and would begin what many see as his most defining run.During his time in ECW, Sabu feuded and allied with names like Taz, Rob Van Dam, Justin Credible, and Funk. His partnership with RVD, under manager Bill Alfonso, produced some of the most high-octane, chair-assisted tag team matches of the era. Together, they helped popularize the kind of offense that would later influence WWE’s TLC (Tables, Ladders, and Chairs) matches.

Sabu’s ECW accolades include:

2x ECW World Heavyweight Champion1x ECW World Television Champion3x ECW Tag Team ChampionFTW Heavyweight ChampionECW’s second-ever Triple Crown Champion

A Style Nobody Could Touch

“To this day, the innovator is still the master of his craft,” Paul Heyman once said. “When Sabu was at his best, no one could touch him.”He was nicknamed “The Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal, Death–Defying Maniac” for a reason. Stories abound of Sabu taping his torn bicep mid-match after a barbed wire gash, supergluing wounds, and even reattaching his own dislocated jaw—all to continue wrestling.
“On a scale of one to 10 for unpredictability, he was like a 36,” Seth Rollins once said. “Watching him was like watching a crazy fireworks show that had just gone haywire.”Dean Ambrose (Jon Moxley) described Sabu to WWE.com as “absolutely fearless... a guy who doesn’t have any regard for his own health and safety isn’t likely to have any regard for his opponent’s.”Mick Foley, a fellow hardcore icon, said he was initially threatened by Sabu’s arrival. “It sounded like my territory, except he was doing it with a much greater degree of athleticism,” Foley said.

Beyond ECW: A Global Footprint

After ECW, Sabu worked across the world, from FMW in Japan to TNA Wrestling in the U.S., where his Barbed Wire Massacre match with Abyss won 2005’s “Match of the Year.”In 2006, he joined WWE’s ECW reboot and made a strong impression, facing Rey Mysterio at One Night Stand and later clashing with John Cena. Though a drug arrest with Rob Van Dam affected his run, he remained a fan favorite until his release in May 2007.He continued wrestling on the independent circuit for the next decade, announcing a retirement in 2021 that didn’t last long. His final match was on April 18, 2025, at GCW’s Joey Janela’s Spring Break, where he faced Janela in a brutal No Rope Barbed Wire Match, his first in four years, and ultimately, his last.He made his final public appearance just last weekend at the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance reunion at the iconic 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

Remembering the Legacy

News of his passing was first reported by Mike Johnson of PWInsider. At the time of writing, no cause of death has been confirmed.Tributes have poured in from across the wrestling world. Fellow ECW alum Francine wrote on X, “My heart is broken. Rest in peace to my friend Sabu. I love you always."
I love you always.” Rob Van Dam, his longtime friend and tag partner, posted only a finger pointing skyward, Sabu’s signature pose.
WWE’s Damian Priest added the same emoji with a broken heart, writing: “Rest easy legend.”
Brian Heffron, better known as The Blue Meanie, said: “Rest In Peace Sabu… Thank you, I love you, I’ll miss you… I’m totally devastated.”
Even in his final chapter, Sabu remained defiant. He didn’t do farewell tours. He didn’t speak much, his matches did the talking. From “Air Sabu” to barbed wire bouts to chair-assisted springboards, his ring style was an expression of chaos with form. He was the kind of performer you could never fully prepare for.
author
About the Author
TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

End of Article
Follow Us On Social Media