ng world fall still upon learning that Terrance Michael Brunk , better known as formerWWESuperstar andECW legend Sabu , had pass away at the age of 60 . This intelligence comes just unsure of a month removed from what would be Brunk ’s last professional grapple catch , competing in a No Rope Barbed Wire Match against Joey Janela atGCW Joey Janela ’s Spring Break 9 .
Some reader will argue that a 60 - year - previous gerontological man well past retirement age had no line of work in such a violent judicial admission , let alone a grappling compeer , but those intimate with Sabu ’s life history empathise that his in - ring insightfulness was defined by violence . Some will argue that a swan vocal like this is how the Suicidal , Homicidal , Genocidal , Death - Defying Sabu would want to go out . One affair that ca n’t be denied is that Brunk always entertained in the pack , whether he competed in the Indies , ECW , WWE , or even his brief stint in AEW . These matches - list chronologically - social station among his best .
6Sabu 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 adept , but the former ECW World Champion shined on any and every level he wrestled on . Even if WWE and its rebooted ECW were not asextreme as the original ECW , that did not stop Brunk from give a starring public presentation at every potential opportunity . His Extreme Rules Lumberjack Match is no unlike , as the waste and unpredictable nature of Sabu ’s style was unlike anything seen by WWE interview at the time . On a big stage , Sabu rose to the social function .
Despite receive more tolerance as WWE ’s top weenie , John Cena agreed to wrestle Sabu ’s style rather than the other means around .
WWE ’s future Last Real Champion deserve some praise of his own . The signal flag positioning him as WWE ’s leading dealership player was cemented firmly into the ground at this point . He could have wrestled a match that cater to his skills , but instead agreed to a hardcore mates that gave Sabu the good platform to shine . Despite having more leeway as WWE ’s top dog , John Cena agree to wrestle Sabu ’s style rather than the other way around . The result was introducing the WWE Universe to the most rumbustious entity they had ever seen for an entertaining peer . Sabu was able to carry that momentum to a marquee couple atSummerSlamlater that summer .
5Sabu vs. Terry Funk - Barbed Wire Match
ECW Born to Be Wired 1997
Almost four month move out from winning the ECW World Championship at the company ’s inaugural Pay - Per - View , scantily Legal , Terry Funk fight the title against Sabu at the appropriately titledBorn to Be Wiredevent . The conception of the Barbed Wire Match dates as far back as the sixties . It would seldom be used in the 70s and LXXX , but thanks in large part to Japanese promotions like FMW , the compeer eccentric became democratic in the ninety . Sabu and Funk were staples of the Japanese wrestling scene at one tip , and inevitably brought its newfound obsession into the American market .
FMW resist 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 quaternary Anniversary Show insure him kill Terry Funk in the first - ever No Ropes Exploding Barbed Wire Time Bomb Deathmatch .
For many spectator watching at home and those in attendance at Philadelphia ’s celebrated ECW Arena , Terry Funk vs. Sabu was the first meter they would see a grappling ring surround by pungent wire . The rack pain both men tolerate during the bout away , this match is a meridian exemplar of the character of versatility that Brunk always displayed in the ring as Sabu . Throughout the match , he carry on to ascertain creative ways to institute his high - flying offense , not letting the ropes being replaced by telegram stop him from pull off his usual daredevil - esque stunt .
4Sabu 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 equal against each other , and any one of them could make a causa for being included among any rooter ’s favourite Sabu friction match . However , as great as their chemistry was as opposer , they were even skillful as tag squad partners . Their best together was against Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki ( who WWE fans will recognize as New Generation Era grappler , Hakushi ) . This compeer manifested out of ECW ’s workings family relationship with FMW . There ’s really no story beyond that , but the match is action - backpack enough to become an instant classic .
3Sabu 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 doughnut and behind the scenes that pre - date the dubbing of Extreme Championship Wrestling . These two bang 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 brew enough to headline ECW ’s first PPV , scarcely Legal , as one of the plug-in ’s main attractive force . They would wrestle an array of lucifer after the fact , but their big and best would number in 1999 . The stakes could not be higher with both men ’s form of address up for snatch in a jointure match .
If RVD was Sabu ’s best in - ring dance collaborator , Taz make a good guinea pig for being a stuffy mo . The contrast of reckon brutish force pair against a high - take flight wildman complimented each other in the best agency every metre . With the stakes higher than they could ever be , both men bring their A - game . In term of offense and merchandising power , Sabu consecrate arguably his best in - band functioning here . storey - wise , it was also wholly satisfy to see both men show respect for each other after shedding blood , sweat , and rent on each other ’s behalf for year . It was a poetic means of closing a chapter in one of ECW ’s most compelling rivalries .
2Sabu vs. Abyss - Barbed Wire Massacre
TNA Turning Point 2005
It ’s easy to gush about Sabu ’s footrace in ECW and there ’s raft to praise about his work in WWE , but reader can not forget his time in TNA . Some of the most famous compeer of Sabu ’s calling come as a upshot of the performances he gives in TNA . One mates that frequently gets talked about is the part he plays inBound for Glory2005 ’s Monster ’s Ball Match between himself , Rhyno , Jeff Hardy , and Abyss . This October bust arrange the stage for an arguably even intimately pair the following December between two of the fighter .
Abyss and Sabu would settle their side of the feud in what would be familiar territory for Sabu . In an surroundings that Sabu has lived through multiple times , the ring was practically encased in barbed conducting wire , and living up to the name , these two mow down 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 vivid damage for the sake of thrilling the gang . It ’s a testament to both Brunk ’s resilience and his showmanship as a performer , putting the gang forward of his organic structure even when he ’s older .
1The ECW Originals vs. New Breed - Extreme Rules Match
WWE ECW, April 3, 2007
WrestleMania23 would mark the first sentence that the ECW marque would be represented on WWE ’s grandest stage . The next - gen talent 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 about eight - instant 8 - Man Tag . It was nice to see old - school veterans who did n’t tally the WWE mold get their first and onlyWrestleManiamoment , but a friction match without a specification did n’t fit the standard of hardcore that ECW was known for .
The following Tuesday would make up for that as a hardcore replay on innocent TV gave audience the fun , weapons - heavy couple fans were hoping to see at Mania . It also gave Sabu one of the hardest - look bumps he had ever take , as Burke ’s Elijah Express sent him through a table to give his squad the victory . friction match like these show just how Brunk was able to adjust to his environment whenever potential . Yes , compared to the moremust - see ECW matches of old , this hard-core match is sanitized , but working within the limitations of the WWE style , the match is still insanely think about from start to finish , for the most part because of Sabu .
During an unprecedented 40 - year life history as a professional grappler , Terrance Brunk register how he ’s able to have a heavy match under any whole step in any style for any party . That ’s a science that few matman have the chance to examine in their life history ( especially wrestlers whose career begin and terminate entirely working for WWE ) and even fewer have test to have . It ’s a skill that makes the best wrestlers into GOAT contenders and , at the bare lower limit , permit them to reach legendary status . These matches and more should be reason enough why the legendarySabushould be considered for aWWEHall of Fame induction .
WWE
