Sabu Dies at 60: Wrestling Icon's Legacy Honored Post Retirement

ECW icon Sabu, real name Terry Brunk, has sadly died at the age of 60.

The wrestling pioneer , who also had performances for WCW, WWE Over a four-decade career with TNA Wrestling and numerous other promotions, his last match occurred in Las Vegas during the previous month’s WrestleMania weekend on April 18, when he triumphed against Joel Janela for GCW.

His final public appearance is thought to have been at the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance reunion show convention, which took place just last weekend.

Considered one of the most innovative entertainers of his time, he also claimed the title of World Heavyweight Champion thrice.

PWInsider has verified that the legend has passed, though providing minimal details regarding the reason for his departure.

Admirers and buddies of the iconic wrestler have started to show their tributes.

ECW alumna Francine honored the late star on X with these heartfelt words: 'My heart is shattered. May he rest in peace—my dear friend Sabu. My love for him endures forever.'

His long-time buddy and on-screen opponent Rob Van Dam showed his respect using just an upward-pointing finger emoji, alluding to Sabu’s signature stance in the wrestling ring.

WWE superstar Damian Priest shared the same emoji along with a broken heart, and added: 'Rest easy legend.'

Brian Heffron, familiar to ECW and WWE enthusiasts as The Blue Meanie, penned these words: "Rest In Peace Sabu... Thank you, I love you, I'll miss you... I'm completely heartbroken."

Sabu learned wrestling from his uncle Ed 'The Sheik' Farhat and began his career in 1985 initially in the United States. He later gained prominence in Japan with FMW (Frontier Martial-Art-Wrestling) and New Japan Pro Wrestling.

He initially competed in ECW from 1993 to 1995, then made a return later that very year for a groundbreaking five-year tenure.

Many title reigns and legendary matches came after, with Sabu playing a key role in introducing an extreme form of wrestling that gained global popularity.

A few years after ECW shut down and was absorbed into WWE, he would later have a stint with TNA Wrestling, where he teamed up with the masked monster Abyss claimed the match of the year in 2005 with their Barbed Wire Massacre bout.

That year, he defeated Rhino at the inaugural ECW One Night Stand pay-per-view held at the Hammerstein Ballroom, then joined WWE in 2006 prior to competing against Rey Mysterio in a frenzied match at the subsequent edition of the event.

This initiated a stint on WWE’s ECW revival show on Syfy, featuring matches against Big Show, Rob Van Dam, and John Cena.

Over the following twenty years, he carried on wrestling, with his recent GCW match last month famously advertised as his farewell fight.

In an emotionally charged video posted on X, former wrestler Taz — who collaborated with Sabu during their time in ECW, later had a long-standing career in WWE, and currently serves as a commentator for AEW — honored his dear friend. He confessed that the news left him deeply saddened.

'It breaks my heart. I was actually watching a video quite recently last night; I was fooling around on YouTube.'

He shared: "In 1993, we both made our debut in the ECW Arena for ECW, facing off against one another. While many are aware of this fact, here’s something you might not know—he was the one receiving the major promotion at the time."

'[Paul] Heyman aimed to really promote him, which was justified. My role was to enter for a single match, face him in the ring, and highlight him.'

'Sabu didn't have to allow me to participate in that match at all. It was all about him, not me.'

He stated: “I wouldn’t have achieved anything without him. However, what Sabu has managed to achieve throughout his career has been astounding.”

'This fellow is incredible and has such a kind spirit. I will really miss him. This situation makes me feel terrible. May you rest in peace, my brother Sabu. Indeed, please rest in peace.'

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