Lansing Bids Farewell To Wrestling Legend Sabu At 60

Just weeks after defying death one last time in the ring, professional wrestling legend and Lansing, Michigan, native Terry Brunk—better known as Sabu—has passed away at the age of 60. Apparently, retirement just wasn't extreme enough for a guy nicknamed the Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal, Death-Defying Maniac (yes, that really was his nickname, and he earned it).

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I was first introduced to the hardcore wrestling legend in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in the 90s when he was wheeled out to the ring ala Hannibal Lecter before violently destroying his opponent with acrobatics that included jumping from the ring into the audience and onto empty steel chairs.

It wasn't violence for the sake of violence. Sabu told stories that kept you tuning in to see the next crash. But before wowing international audiences, he began his career by following in the footsteps of another Michigan native, his uncle.

Sabu's Hardcore Career Began in Lansing

Sabu was the nephew of The Original Sheik (not to be confused with the Iron Sheik)—Edward Farhat—another Michigan-made professional wrestling icon who never shied away from violence. Sabu took that a few steps further, making a Mortal Kombat cut scene look like an episode of Peppa Pig.

After graduating from Lansing Sexton High School in 1982, Sabu launched himself off a chair into the world of hardcore wrestling. Barbed wire match? Check. Fireballs? Definitely. Stacks of flaming tables? Sabu did it, and did it well. All while calling Williamston, Michigan, home for most of his life.

Sabu’s Career Spanned Every Major Promotion

Not many wrestlers can say they were part of a promotion's peak, but Sabu wrestled for ECW, WWE, and TNA (Impact) and even made an appearance in AEW in 2023 as Adam Cole's "Enforcer."

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While most people who are 60 years old are eyeing up an early retirement, Sabu kept breaking furniture with his or someone else's body on the independent professional wrestling circuit. His death comes just a couple of weeks after his retirement match. I'll miss wincing every time I saw him perform a death-defying jump with a chair at his feet and a scowl on his face. RIP to one of Lansing's more storied hometown heroes.