Sabu (wrestler)

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Terry Brunk
Statistics
Ring name(s) Sabu
Sabu the Elephant Boy
Samu
Terry Essar
Terry Snuka
Billed height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Billed weight 220 lb (101 kg)
Born December 12, 1964
Detroit, Michigan
Billed from Bombay
Trained by The Original Sheik
Debut 1985

Terry Michael Brunk (born December 12, 1964) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Sabu. Sabu is currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment on the brand Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). He is perhaps best-known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling throughout the 1990s, where he developed his high-risk hardcore wrestling technique.

Contents

[edit] Career and style

Acclaimed for his career in hardcore wrestling, Sabu has developed a large fanbase in the US. Sabu was trained by his uncle, The Sheik. Notable title reigns he has had included the ECW World Heavyweight Championship, the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, the ECW Tag Team Championship with Rob Van Dam as well as Taz, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, and the XPW World Heavyweight Championship. One of the most notable aspects of Sabu's early career was his refusal or inability to speak publicly in English, a gimmick that he inherited from The Sheik (who never spoke English in public to protect kayfabe). In his early career, Sabu was billed as being from Bombay, India, and promoters explained that "Sabu doesn't speak English" to add to the mystique of his wildman character. However, in ECW, he was clearly heard to speak in the ring on several occasions and it was fairly common knowledge that Sabu was an American citizen from birth. This led to a joke at kayfabe's expense when Sabu began to be billed as hailing from "Bombay, Michigan".

Sabu's wrestling style is somewhat unorthodox, consisting mainly of aerial moves performed with the aid of props like tables (which he is famous for smashing opponents through) and chairs, which he uses as weapons and as launching pads for some of his more death-defying moves. He is also famous for the invention of his triple-jump techniques, which involve jumping from a set-up chair onto the ring ropes and then springing off onto an opponent with a flying attack of some sort.

Sabu is also notorious for continuing to wrestle matches even though he has suffered serious injuries that require medical attention. An example of this was during a matchup with The Sandman where Sabu's jawbone was broken when he landed face-first on the steel guardrail outside the ring. Rather than ending the match early, Sabu actually duct-taped his jaw shut and continued to wrestle the match to its scheduled conclusion. Sabu and Terry Funk created one of the most violent matches seen on televised wrestling in a barbed-wire match on August 9th, 1997 at ECW's Born To Be Wired event. It was during this match when Sabu legitimately tore open his bicep on the barbed wire. He taped it up on the spot and continued the match. Afterwards, he super-glued himself together to drive to the hospital where it took more than 100 stitches to close the wound. He refused to miss any matches because of that injury. This technique of using super glue to temporarily seal cuts would become an accepted, if not recommended, first aid practice in wrestling. Many of the scars on Sabu's arms and torso are from Japanese barbed-wire matches which he wrestled in before becoming a star in the US. Sabu often teamed with The Sheik against the likes of Tarzan Goto and Tracy Smothers[citation needed] in Japan.

Sabu's famous signature gesture is pointing to the sky while looking upwards, especially when entering or exiting the ring, or before performing an especially dangerous move.

[edit] Extreme Championship Wrestling

Sabu entered ECW under the management of Paul E. Dangerously, and was accompanied by his 'handler' Al "911" Poling. According to the storyline, Sabu (who at that time often arrived to the ring strapped to a gurney and with a Hannibal Lecter style face mask) was an uncontrollable madman who could only be released from his bonds to wrestle his matches. Sabu also quickly became synonomous with table-breaking at this time: if a table was not destroyed during his match, Sabu would break a table with his own body after the bell had sounded. Sabu could not even look at a table without wanting to destroy it, which sometimes led to 911 having to restrain Sabu during backstage interviews if a table was present.

Notable matches during the early part of Sabu's career in ECW were his three way dance for the Heavyweight title at The Night The Line Was Crossed, against Terry Funk and Shane Douglas, which went to a 1-hour time limit draw and his tag team feud with The Public Enemy, in which Sabu and his partner The Tazmaniac (Tazz) captured the Tag Team Titles in a double tables match. Headed into a 3-way dance for the tag titles, Sabu infamously no-showed the ECW event to accept a booking in Japan. This led to Paul Heyman publicly (and legitimately) firing Sabu in the ring at the event. Eventually returning to ECW the next year, Sabu engaged in matches and feuds with the likes of Rob Van Dam. In the meantime, former-partner Taz began to publicly challenge Sabu at every given opportunity, but got no response from Sabu. After a year of call-outs and insults from Taz, Paul Heyman revealed that he had asked Sabu, as a friend, to ignore Taz's challenge. This standoff culminated in a grudge match at ECW's first Pay-Per-View, Barely Legal, which Taz won. The two continued to feud on and off for the remainder of Taz's ECW career.

Notable moments of Sabu's later ECW career included being part of the RAW invasion angle, in which ECW wrestlers invaded WWF's Monday Night Raw program and held ECW-style matches and angles on the show. This also led to a heel turn for Sabu in ECW as he teamed up with Rob Van Dam and their manager Bill Alfonso to promote the virtues of the WWF and WCW product over ECW's. Sabu feuded with ECW patriots Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman during this period. Other highlights included his No-Rope Barbed-Wire match with Terry Funk at Born To Be Wired, a match which was promoted as being "Too extreme even for ECW" - and with good reason, since both men bled profusely, Sabu tore open his bicep on the barbed wire and the match ended with both men so badly tangled up together in the barbed wire that it took several ring technicians armed with wire cutters to free them from the predicament.

Sabu racked up an astounding catalogue of injuries during his ECW tenure, including broken ribs, broken jaw, and most infamously, a broken neck (during a match with Chris Benoit on November 5, 1994 in which communication problems appeared to be to blame). Sabu was able to recover from the neck injury and return to wrestling, wearing a neck brace in his return match in the United States a month later, but by Sabu's account, he started actively wrestling in Japan on a short tour a little over two weeks after the injury.

[edit] Mainstream exposure

Although Sabu did not sign with WWE until April 2006, Sabu did get some mainstream exposure. He won two of his three matches in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) 1995 against Mr. JL and Disco Inferno. Sabu "went against the script"---in the storyline---by defeating Alex Wright, only to have the ruling reversed by disqualification when he continued to fight after the bell. WCW did not like his violent style and unwillingness to lose a match, and thus did not offer Sabu a long-term contract. Sabu was the first wrestler to dive off the entrance sign during an episode of RAW on February 24, 1997, while WWE and ECW were cross-promoting. He had actually lost his balance before diving off, but managed to reposition himself in mid-air to land on team Taz.

WCW signed Sabu to a contract in 2000, but legal action threatened by ECW precluded Sabu from ever making an appearance before WCW's demise. From 2000 to 2001, he had a successful run in California's XPW, which catapulted him back into the national spotlight after Paul Heyman had tried to prevent him from working outside of ECW by actually suing him in court for breach of contract, when---as it turned out---Heyman was actually the one who had breached Sabu's contract.

Sabu went on to wrestle on the independent circuit, appearing with promotions such as Juggalo Championshit Wrestling (JCW), the promotion owned by his friends, the Insane Clown Posse.

[edit] TNA Wrestling

Sabu debuted in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) on July 17, 2002, defeating Malice in a ladder match. The next week he faced Ken Shamrock in a ladder match which was declared a no contest when Malice interfered.

Following these two matches he took some time off and worked the independent circuit, including Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling (3PW) which saw him take home their World Title.

Sabu later returned to TNA on February 25, 2004, teaming with Raven to defeat Raven's former "Gathering" protégés, CM Punk and Julio Dinero. In March he began feuding with "The Alpha Male" Monty Brown and Abyss, who outnumbered him on several occasions after Raven failed to "watch his back".

Eventually Raven challenged Sabu to an empty arena match to be held on June 9, but Sabu refused to wrestle him, claiming that he had promised his uncle, The Sheik, that he would never fight Raven. Raven then waged a campaign against Sabu, disrespecting the memory of his uncle and assaulting Sabu's mouthpiece, Sonjay Dutt, until Sabu finally broke and attacked him on July 23. Raven defeated Sabu on August 4, and a scheduled return match on August 18 was cancelled after Sabu (legit) suffered a serious back injury.

While injured, Sabu contracted a virus and was hospitalized, sidelining him for ten months. On December 12 a benefit show, A Night of Appreciation for Sabu was held to raise funds for him. The show was considered a success, raising enough money for Sabu to cover the costs of his medical care and he was able to make a full recovery. In his first match back from the injury, he defeated "Amazing" N8 Mattson.

Sabu then appeared at Hardcore Homecoming, where he defeated Terry Funk and Shane Douglas in a three-way barbed wire rope match, and (two days later) at ECW One Night Stand, where he defeated Rhyno in an impromptu match.

Sabu returned to TNA on July 29, 2005. At TNA Sacrifice Sabu teamed with his old enemy, and then NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Raven to face Jeff Jarrett and Rhino. Rhino and Jarrett won the match after Rhino gored Raven through a table and pinned him. The match saw Abyss interfering and attacking Sabu, starting a feud between the two of them. They went on to have a match at Unbreakable in September which Abyss won after performing his Black Hole Slam finisher on to a pile of tacks in the ring.

Sabu once again found himself squaring off against Rhino and Abyss, as well as Jeff Hardy, during Bound For Glory in the Monster's Ball 2 match. Rhino won the match, but Sabu was still be enrolled in a 10-Man Gauntlet Match to decide a number one contender, which he also lost, once again to Rhino.

In late October of 2005 Sabu signed a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment to be a part of its Legends program.

Sabu continued his feud with Abyss, once again losing to him at Genesis, after taking a Black Hole Slam onto a barbed wire steel chair. They met up again, in the promotions first ever Barbed Wire Massacre at Turning Point. Sabu finally got the better of Abyss, but following the match wasn't seen on TNA TV for several months.

He made his return at Lockdown in April of 2006 in a match against Samoa Joe for Joe's X Division Title despite his having a broken arm. Sabu was defeated in what would turn out to be his final TNA match.

Following the match Samoa Joe reported on his MySpace page that Sabu's injuries from Lockdown were more serious than reported. Joe stated that part of Sabu's fingertip was severed, he had a broken arm, and he had been partially scalped at an undisclosed Mexican independent event.

[edit] World Wrestling Entertainment

On April 24th, 2006, Sabu's official website reported that he signed a one-year contract with World Wrestling Entertainment. This was soon confirmed by WWE.com who stated that Sabu would become apart of WWE's revived ECW brand.

At the ECW One Night Stand pay-per-view, Sabu faced Rey Mysterio in a "dream match" for the World Heavyweight Championship. At the end of the pay-per-view matchup, Mysterio found himself standing on a ringside table with Sabu flying at him. Sabu caught the champ in a headlock and nailed him with a DDT which caused both men to crash through the table and land awkwardly on their heads. At this point, the WWE medical staff rushed to the downed men and declared neither man could continue and ordered the match stopped, resulting in a No Contest in which Mysterio kept his title.

On the June 13th premiere of ECW on Sci-Fi, Sabu won a 10 man Extreme Battle Royal (legalized weapons) with the stipulation that the winner face John Cena at Vengeance. Sabu further fueled the feud during the next week's RAW when he interfered in a Cena match and performed a Triple Jump Leg Drop on him, diving Cena through the announcer's table. Cena defeated Sabu in their "Extreme Lumberjack match" at WWE Vengeance.

On July 2nd, 2006, Sabu, traveling with fellow ECW wrestler Rob Van Dam, was arrested and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and nine Vicodin tablets following a traffic stop in Hanging Rock, Ohio. On July 5th, 2006, WWE.com announced that Brunk was to be fined $1000 based on the guidelines of WWE's Wellness Policy. Meanwhile, he defeated Stevie Richards in an Extreme Rules match at Saturday Night's Main Event

Towards the end of July, Sabu first began to talk on camera for himself - instead of using a go between - and demanded a shot at The Big Show's World Championship which Paul Heyman refused to grant him in order to "protect" his champion. Instead he forced him into a match against the returning Kurt Angle to determine a #1 contender. When that match was interrupted by the returning Rob Van Dam another match was signed,Angle vs RVD vs. Sabu, for the number one contendership (Angle then became to injured to compete and was pulled from the match). Sabu beat Rob Van Dam in their ladder match to win a shot at Big Show at SummerSlam, a match which he ended up losing.

On Survivor Series 2006, Sabu teamed up with John Cena, Bobby Lashley, Rob Van Dam and Kane to face the team of The Big Show, Test, MVP, Finlay and Umaga. Sabu eliminated Test following a Tornado DDT. He was later eliminated by Big Show via pinfall after receiving a chokeslam. In the end, Team Cena gained victory.

At ECW December to Dismember Sabu was originally to appear in the main event, an extreme elimination chamber match against The Big Show, Test, Rob Van Dam, CM Punk and Bobby Lashley, but was found in the back unconscious and being attended to by medical professionals. Hardcore Holly then replaced him.

[edit] Wrestling facts

Sabu performing the Atomic Arabian Facebuster against John Cena
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Sabu performing the Atomic Arabian Facebuster against John Cena
Sabu performing the Atomic Arabian Skullcrusher against Big Show
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Sabu performing the Atomic Arabian Skullcrusher against Big Show
  • Finishing and signature moves
Rob Van Dam and Sabu using a Double leg drop against Mike Knox
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Rob Van Dam and Sabu using a Double leg drop against Mike Knox
  • Nicknames

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

  • Asylum Championship Wrestling
  • ACW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • Extreme Wrestling Alliance
  • EWA Junior Championship (1 time)
  • FMW World Martial Arts Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Horace Boulder (1)
  • Insane Wrestling Federation
  • WF Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
  • JCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • MECW APW (Alternative Pro Wrestling) Championship (1 time)
  • Motor City Wrestling
  • MCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • National Wrestling Conference
  • NWC Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
  • Professional Championship Wrestling
  • PCW Television Championship (1 time)
  • Pro-Pain-Pro-Wrestling
  • 3PW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • PWI ranked him # 86 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003.
  • Stampede Pacific Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • Ultimate Championship Wrestling
  • UCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • Universal Wrestling Association
  • UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • USA Xtreme Wrestling
  • USA Pro Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • USPW
  • USPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

[edit] Personal life

On August 31, 2006 Sabu and Rob Van Dam appeared in court. Sabu was found guilty of possession of prescription medication not prescribed to him and was fined $1000.[1]

Sabu is married to a woman named Hitomi Brunk.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../s/a/b/Sabu_%28wrestler%29.html"