Wrestler Of The Week- SABU

Sabu

AKA- Terry Brunk

Billed From-

· Saudi Arabia

· Bombay, India

· Bombay, Michigan

Finishers- Arabian Clutch & Arabian Facebuster

Nickname- “The Homicidal, Suidcidal, Genocidal, Death-Defying (Maniac) ”

Music- “Haku Blues”

Accomplishments-

· ECW Heavyweight Champion (2x)

· ECW Tag Team Champion (6x)

· ECW Television Champion (1x)

· NWA Independent Champion (1x)

· Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s #5 Wrestler In PWI’s Top 500 For 1995

When his distinctive entrance music hit, you knew the next match was about to steal the show. Sabu was that rare wrestler that would put his body on the line, no matter how crazy the spot or situation was. He was trained by the legendary Sheik and garnered fans early on for his deranged nature and total disregard of his opponent’s health or his own. Making his first big break on the ECW promotion, Sabu was depicted as a maniacal, deranged wrestler with a knack for demolishing tables. Some notable matches in his first ECW run featured a three-way contest at The Night The Line Was Crossed against Shane Douglas and Terry Funk, and his tag team battle with Taz against Public Enemy in a double ladder match for the strap.

Sabu would have a short run in WCW before returning back to the “extreme” promotion, where he notably fought Terry Funk in a no rope barbed wire match. The battle saw both men bleed profusely and was so graphic and horrifying that Paul Heyman said he would “never ever dare to schedule another one like it”. During his second ECW run, Sabu endured many injuries including breaking his neck twice, among also breaking his ribs and jaw.

After his second run at ECW commenced, he went to TNA where he had some notable feuds with Raven and Abyss that included some violent stipulations matches that incorporated chairs, barbed wire and tacks. He later signed a contract with the WWE in 2006. He was granted a World Heavyweight Title shot at One Night Stand against Rey Mysterio that went to a No Contest after both men were deemed unable to compete after a bad table bump. Sabu would later earn another title shot, this time for John Cena’s WWE Championship at the companies’ Vengeance pay per view. He lost that Extreme Lumberjack match and then went on to fight against the Big Show to try and win the newly reinstituted ECW Championship. After failing on numerous occasions to win the strap, Sabu would later move on from the main event picture and got involved with the New Breed feud before being eventually being let go by the WWE in mid 2007.

Sabu has recently done a few independent bookings in the United States and Mexico, but has been limited due to back issues. Though it appears his days of extreme wrestling may be coming to an end, Sabu has left a lasting impact on the wrestling landscape. He revolutionized the use of tables in matches for years to come and also his unique use of a chair to use as jumping leverage will probably never be seen again. Sabu truly is an extreme legend that not only earned his induction into the Hardcore Hall of Fame in 2009, but also his aptly fitting nickname “The Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal, Death-Defying Sabu”.