WWE's poster for Sabu.
Credit: WWE
In a recent incident that devastated wrestling fans, Terry Brunk, better known as Sabu, has passed away at the age of 60.
According to a report by PWInsider, the former Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star passed away on 11th May, nearly a month after he announced his retirement after defeating Joey Janela in what was dubbed as his “retirement match.”
Who was Sabu, and why was he so famous?
Sabu was a pro wrestler known for “hardcore” moves before the word hardcore gained popularity. He was doing dives off chairs, moonsaulting through tables, and brawling when most wrestlers often played it safe. He is known for inventing various increasingly violent moves that gained popularity in wrestling.
His showmanship was more than spectacular, it was often considered to be revolutionary. His matches in the ECW in the 90s often invoked a great sense of uncertainty with viewers being unsure whether his actions would lead to disaster, and that led to him garnering a strong fanbase and increasing viewership for the sport.
He held three ECW World Heavyweight titles and garnered immense respect from his fans and from his colleagues. He also held a varied career him taking his talents across the world, wrestling in New Japan, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), and WWE.
How did he get his name
The name "Sabu" was not an arbitrary choice; it was in honour of Indian-American actor Sabu Dastagir, the paramount star of the 1930s and 1940s, who was famous for his roles in cinematic classics such as The Thief of Bagdad and Jungle Book. Ed "The Sheikh" Farhat, an ancestor of Sabu and a great wrestling legend, was fascinated by Dastagir's exotic and adventurous flair on screen and felt the name perfectly suited his nephew's mysterious and fierce wrestling persona. The intuition was right. The creation of the character gave it kayfabe origins with Sabu having alternatively been billed from "Bombay, India," or "Saudi Arabia" to further enhance his aura of mystery, danger, and raw energy that kept the crowds enthralled.
The death of the Wrestling star has led to a plethora of tributes from many wrestlers and pro wrestling organisations, including the famous WWE. An X post by Francine, a fellow ECW alumnus, paid tribute to the legend, writing: "My heart is broken. Rest in peace to my friend Sabu. I love you always." Many more wrestlers paid their tribute through social media posts, including The Blue Meanie, also known as Brian Heffron to ECW and WWE fans, Rob Van Dam, his longtime colleague and opponent in the ring, and WWE star Damian Priest.