On May 11, 2025, the wrestling world fell silent upon learning that Terrance Michael Brunk, better known as former WWE Superstar and ECW legend Sabu, had ed away at the age of 60. This news comes just shy of a month removed from what would be Brunk's last professional wrestling match, competing in a No Rope Barbed Wire Match against Joey Janela at GCW Joey Janela's Spring Break 9.
Some readers will argue that a 60-year-old geriatric man well past retirement age had no business in such a violent stipulation, let alone a wrestling match, but those familiar with Sabu's career understand that his in-ring acumen was defined by violence. Some will argue that a swan song like this is how the Suicidal, Homicidal, Genocidal, Death-Defying Sabu would want to go out. One thing that can't be denied is that Brunk always entertained in the ring, whether he competed in the Indies, ECW, WWE, or even his brief stint in AEW. These matches - listed chronologically - rank among his best.
6 Sabu vs. John Cena - Extreme Rules Lumberjack Match
WWE Vengeance 2006
Few would put many of Sabu's matches in WWE in a list of his top five or even 10 best, but the former ECW World Champion shined on any and every stage he wrestled on. Even if WWE and its rebooted ECW were not as extreme as the original ECW, that did not stop Brunk from giving a stellar performance at every possible opportunity. His Extreme Rules Lumberjack Match is no different, as the wild and unpredictable nature of Sabu's style was unlike anything seen by WWE audiences at the time. On a big stage, Sabu rose to the occasion.
Despite having more leeway as WWE's top dog, John Cena agreed to wrestle Sabu's style rather than the other way around.
WWE's future Last Real Champion deserves some praise of his own. The flag positioning him as WWE's leading franchise player was cemented firmly into the ground at this point. He could have wrestled a match that catered to his skills, but instead agreed to a hardcore match that gave Sabu the best platform to shine. Despite having more leeway as WWE's top dog, John Cena agreed to wrestle Sabu's style rather than the other way around. The result was introducing the WWE Universe to the most rambunctious entity they had ever seen for an entertaining match. Sabu was able to carry that momentum to a marquee match at SummerSlam later that summer.
5 Sabu vs. Terry Funk - Barbed Wire Match
ECW Born to Be Wired 1997
Almost four months removed from winning the ECW World Championship at the company's inaugural Pay-Per-View, Barely Legal, Terry Funk defended the title against Sabu at the appropriately titled Born to Be Wired event. The concept of the Barbed Wire Match dates as far back as the 1960s. It would seldom be used in the 70s and 80s, but thanks in large part to Japanese promotions like FMW, the match type became popular in the 90s. Sabu and Funk were staples of the Japanese wrestling scene at one point, and inevitably brought its newfound obsession into the American market.
FMW stands for Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, founded in 1989 by Atsushi Onita, who largely gained worldwide recognition for himself and his company by wrestling in barbed wire matches and exploding death matches. The 4th Anniversary Show saw him defeat Terry Funk in the first-ever No Ropes Exploding Barbed Wire Time Bomb Deathmatch.
For many viewers watching at home and those in attendance at Philadelphia's famed ECW Arena, Terry Funk vs. Sabu was the first time they would see a wrestling ring surrounded by barbed wire. The excruciating pain both men endured during the bout aside, this match is a prime example of the type of versatility that Brunk always displayed in the ring as Sabu. Throughout the match, he continued to find creative ways to institute his high-flying offense, not letting the ropes being replaced by wire stop him from pulling off his usual daredevil-esque stunts.
4 Sabu and Rob Van Dam vs. Jinsei Shinzaki and Hayabusa - ECW World Tag Team Championship
ECW Heat Wave 1998
Rob Van Dam and Sabu have had a plethora of incredible matches against each other, and any one of them could make a case for being included among any fan's favorite Sabu matches. However, as great as their chemistry was as opponents, they were even better as tag team partners. Their best together was against Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki (who WWE fans will recognize as New Generation Era wrestler, Hakushi). This match manifested out of ECW's working relationship with FMW. There's really no story beyond that, but the match is action-packed enough to become an instant classic.
3 Sabu vs Taz - Falls Count Anywhere Match for the FTW and ECW World Heavyweight Championship
ECW Living Dangerously 1999
Sabu and Taz have a rich history together in the ring and behind the scenes that pre-dates the dubbing of Extreme Championship Wrestling. These two know each other from back when Peter Senerchia still wrestled as The Tazmaniac and tagged with Sabu when the brand was Eastern Championship Wrestling. Fast-forward to 1994 and their beef brewed enough to headline ECW's first PPV, Barely Legal, as one of the card's main attractions. They would wrestle an array of matches after the fact, but their biggest and best would come in 1999. The stakes could not be higher with both men's titles up for grabs in a unification match.
If RVD was Sabu's best in-ring dance partner, Taz makes a good case for being a close second. The contrast of calculated brute force paired against a high-flying wildman complimented each other in the best way every time. With the stakes higher than they could ever be, both men bring their A-game. In of offense and selling ability, Sabu gives arguably his best in-ring performance here. Story-wise, it was also wholly satisfying to see both men show respect for each other after shedding blood, sweat, and tears on each other's behalf for years. It was a poetic means of closing a chapter in one of ECW's most compelling rivalries.
2 Sabu vs. Abyss - Barbed Wire Massacre
TNA Turning Point 2005
It's easy to gush about Sabu's run in ECW and there's plenty to praise about his work in WWE, but readers cannot forget his time in TNA. Some of the most celebrated matches of Sabu's career came as a result of the performances he gives in TNA. One match that frequently gets talked about is the part he plays in Bound for Glory 2005's Monster's Ball Match between himself, Rhyno, Jeff Hardy, and Abyss. This October bout set the stage for an arguably even better match the following December between two of the combatants.
Abyss and Sabu would settle their side of the feud in what would be familiar territory for Sabu. In an environment that Sabu has lived through multiple times, the ring was practically encased in barbed wire, and living up to the name, these two massacred each other. It's impressive to see a much older Sabu still move like he did in the 90s and still be as susceptible to putting himself through intense damage for the sake of thrilling the crowd. It's a testament to both Brunk's resilience and his showmanship as a performer, putting the crowd ahead of his body even when he's older.
1 The ECW Originals vs. New Breed - Extreme Rules Match
WWE ECW, April 3, 2007
WrestleMania 23 would mark the first time that the ECW brand would be represented on WWE's grandest stage. The next-gen talents of Elijah Burke, Marcus Cor Von, Matt Striker, and Kevin Thorn - all of whom were cosigned onscreen by then-Chairman Mr. Vince McMahon, much to the dismay of the ECW Originals - would go toe-to-toe with RVD, Sabu, The Sandman, and Tommy Dreamer in a nearly eight-minute 8-Man Tag. It was nice to see old-school veterans who didn't fit the WWE mold get their first and only WrestleMania moment, but a match without a stipulation didn't fit the standard of hardcore that ECW was known for.
The following Tuesday would make up for that as a hardcore rematch on free TV gave audiences the fun, weapons-heavy match fans were hoping to see at Mania. It also gave Sabu one of the hardest-looking bumps he had ever taken, as Burke's Elijah Express sent him through a table to give his team the victory. Matches like these showed just how Brunk was able to adapt to his environment whenever possible. Yes, compared to the more must-see ECW matches of old, this hardcore match is sanitized, but working within the limitations of the WWE style, the match is still insanely entertaining from start to finish, largely because of Sabu.
During an unprecedented 40-year career as a professional wrestler, Terrance Brunk showed how he's able to have a great match under any tone in any style for any company. That's a skill that few wrestlers have the opportunity to test in their careers (especially wrestlers whose careers begin and end exclusively working for WWE) and even fewer have proven to have. It's a skill that makes the best wrestlers into GOAT contenders and, at the bare minimum, allows them to achieve legendary status. These matches and more should be reason enough why the legendary Sabu should be considered for a WWE Hall of Fame induction.
