Wrestling legend dead at age 60 with WWE world left devastated

An icon of the wrestling world has died just weeks after his final match with stars of the industry left “heartbroken”.

Sabu, one of the most popular hardcore wrestlers during his run with ECW in the 1990s before a brief run with WWE in the mid-2000s, has died.

He was 60. A cause of death has not been disclosed, according to PWInsider.com.

Sabu, real name Terry Brunk, had his retirement match against Joey Janela last month, The New York Post reports.

A high flyer who became famous for his work in hardcore matches featuring tables, ladders, chairs, barbed wire and more, Sabu became known as “the suicidal, homicidal, genocidal, death–defying maniac.”

Sabu, the nephew of former wrestling star The Sheik, was a two-time ECW world heavyweight champion, also winning their world television championship and capturing tag team gold three times.

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Sabu enters the ring. Photo: X and WWE.

He was one of the faces of hardcore wrestling as its popularity increased in the ’90s.

After a run with TNA, joined WWE in 2006 when the company, which had previously purchased ECW, launched a new weekly show for the brand.

Sabu was part of the ECW Originals team that defeated The New Breed in an eight-man tag team match at WrestleMania 23 on April 1, 2007. He was released by WWE a month later.

WWE said in a statement it was “saddened” by Sabu’s death and described him as “a pioneer of hardcore wrestling.”

Sabu, who has also made appearances for WCW, New Japan Pro-Wrestling and AAA, wrestled in various independent promotions before making two appearances for AEW in 2023, which culminated with him being the special enforcer for a match between Adam Cole and Chris Jericho.

From left: Sandman, Sabu, RVD and Tommy Dreamer celebrate their win at WrestleMania 23. Photo: WWE and YouTube.

“AEW and the wrestling world mourns the passing of Sabu,” the official AEW X account posted on Monday morning (AEST).

“From barbed wire battles to unforgettable high-risk moments, Sabu gave everything to professional wrestling. Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and his fans.”

Rob Van Dam, a longtime wrestling star who was a tag team champion with Sabu in ECW, simply posted an emoji of an index finger pointing up on his X account, a nod to Sabu’s signature pose.

Taz, another ECW standout who worked for WWE and is currently an announcer for AEW, said the news of Sabu’s death “breaks my heart.”

“I would not have had the career that I have had, and I’ve been blessed to have, if it wasn’t for Sabu. That man got me over, and he didn’t have to get me over, and he did,” Taz said in a video posted on X.

“A great heart and soul. I’m gonna miss him immensely.”

— This story originally appeared on The New York Post and has been republished with permission.