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Sabu (wrestler)

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Terry "Sabu" Brunk
File:Terry-brunk.jpg
BornDecember 12, 1964
Detroit, Michigan
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Terry Snuka
Sabu
Billed height6" (1.83 m)
Billed weight230 lb (110 kg)
Billed fromBombay, India
Trained byThe Sheik
Debut1984

Terry Brunk (born December 12, 1964 in Detroit, Michigan), better known by his ring name, Sabu, is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on its revived Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) brand. He is best known for his appearances with the original Extreme Championship Wrestling promotion throughout the 1990s, where he developed his high-risk hardcore wrestling technique. Sabu was also employed with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) for a brief time in 2002 and then again from 2004 to 2006.

Career

Acclaimed for his career in hardcore wrestling, Sabu has developed a large fanbase in the US. Sabu was trained by his uncle, The Sheik. He endured a tough early career in many amateur wrestling matches held in high school gymnasiums and bingo parlors before going professional. Sabu went on to become known as one of the most hardcore wrestlers in the industry. Notable title reigns included the ECW World Heavyweight Title, the NWA World Heavyweight Title, the ECW Tag-Team Title with Rob Van Dam as well as Taz, and the XPW World Heavyweight Title. Sabu's neck was broken during an ECW match with Chris Benoit, earning Benoit the nickname and gimmick of "The Crippler", but Sabu was able to recover and return to wrestling.

Sabu is also notorious for continuing to wrestle matches even though he has suffered serious injuries that would normally end a match early. An example of this was that, during a matchup with The Sandman, Sabu broke his jawbone. Rather than end the match early, Sabu actually duct-taped his jaw shut and continued to wrestle the match for another five minutes

Although Sabu did not sign with WWE until April of 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 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.

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.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Sabu debuted in TNA on July 17, 2002, defeating Malice in a ladder match. He made a second appearance the following week, facing Ken Shamrock in a ladder match that was declared a no contest after Malice interfered.

Sabu returned to TNA on February 25, 2004, teaming with Raven to defeat Raven's former protégés, CM Punk and Julio Dinero (The Gathering). In March 2004 he began feuding with "The Alpha Male" Monty Brown and Abyss, who outnumbered him on several occasions after Raven failed to "watch his back". Raven challenged Sabu to an empty arena match 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 attacked him on July 23. Raven defeated Sabu in a no holds barred match on August 4, and a scheduled return match on August 18 was cancelled after Sabu suffered a back injury.

While injured, Sabu was hospitalized after contracting a virus, and was sidelined for ten months. On December 12, 2004, A Night of Appreciation for Sabu was held to raise funds for Sabu. After his recovery, Sabu returned to the ring and defeated "Amazing" N8 Mattson with the Camel Clutch in his first match back from injury.

Sabu appeared at Hardcore Homecoming where he defeated Terry Funk and Shane Douglas in a three-way barbed wire rope match. Two days later, at WWE's ECW One Night Stand 2005, he defeated Rhyno by doing his Arabian Skullcrusher through a table, with the help of his old friend Rob Van Dam.

Sabu returned to TNA on July 29, 2005. At TNA Sacrifice on August 14, Sabu teamed with his old enemy, then-NWA World Heavyweight Champion Raven to face Jeff Jarrett and Rhino. The match was won by Rhino and Jarrett after Rhino gored Raven through a table and pinned him. However, this was not without controversy, as Abyss interfered in that match and press slammed Sabu through a table outside the ring. Two weeks later, Sabu returned on TNA Impact, looking for retribution against Abyss, leading to a match between the two at Unbreakable on September 11. He lost the match when Abyss performed his Black Hole Slam finisher onto some tacks in the ring.

Sabu competed at TNA Bound For Glory in Monster's Ball 2 against Jeff Hardy, Abyss, and Rhino. He was press slammed stomach first through a table outside of the ring. Later Rhino pinned Jeff Hardy after a Rhino Driver from the second ropes to win the match. Sabu also competed in the 10-Man Gauntlet Match to decide who would face Jeff Jarrett. He was eliminated and Rhino won and captured the NWA Title by defeating Jeff Jarrett.

In late October of 2005 Sabu signed a contract with WWE to be in their Legends program. Because of this, it will be possible for Sabu to appear at ECW One Night Stand 2006, which will be held on June 11, 2006, and be a part of the WWE "Classic Superstars" series of action figures.

On November 13, at TNA Genesis, Sabu once again lost to Abyss -- getting the Black Hole Slam onto a barbed wire steel chair.

Sabu faced Abyss again on December 11 at Turning Point in the promotion's first ever Barbed Wire Massacre, which Sabu won. He was absent from the promotion for several months, finally returning at TNA Lockdown 2006 on April 23, 2006. Despite having a broken arm, Sabu wrestled Samoa Joe for the TNA X Division Championship, but was defeated.

On Samoa Joe's MySpace web page, on April 27, 2006, he reported that Sabu's injuries from TNA Lockdown were worse than reported. Joe stated that part of Sabu's fingertip as severed, he had a broken arm, as stated above, and be had been partially scalped in an undisclosed Mexican independent event.

World Wrestling Entertainment

On April 24, 2006, Sabu's official website reported that he has signed a contract with WWE. The contract which Sabu signed with WWE will last for one year with an option to renew the contract at the end of the year’s deal. This suggests he may be a part of the relaunched ECW brand if it comes to fruition. On May 5 2006, WWE.com confirmed this. Later after the announcement Sabu's profile was removed from the TNA roster page on its website. Sabu was shortly after added to ECW.com's roster page.

It has been confirmed that Sabu will face Rey Mysterio at ECW One Night Stand 2006 for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Wrestling facts

File:Saburhino-impact072905.jpg
Sabu hits Rhino with a chair on the July 29, 2005 episode of TNA iMPACT!.

Finishing and signature moves

Managers

Nicknames

Championships and accomplishments

  • Asylum Championship Wrestling
  • 1-Time ACW Heavyweight Champion
  • 1-Time BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Champion
  • Extreme Wrestling Alliance
  • 1-Time EWA Junior Champion
  • Insane Wrestling Federation
  • 2-Time IWF Heavyweight Champion
  • 1-Time JCW Heavyweight Champion
  • Main Event Championship Wrestling
  • 1-Time MECW APW (Alternative Pro Wrestling) Champion
  • Motor City Wrestling
  • 1-Time MCW Heavyweight Champion
  • National Wrestling Conference
  • 2-Time NWC Heavyweight Champion
  • 1-Time NJPW IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • Professional Championship Wrestling
  • 1-Time PCW Television Champion
  • Pro-Pain-Pro-Wrestling
  • 1-Time 3PW Heavyweight Champion
  • PWI ranked him # 86 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003.
  • 1-Time Stampede Pacific Heavyweight Champion
  • Ultimate Championship Wrestling
  • 1-Time UCW Heavyweight Champion
  • Universal Wrestling Association
  • 1-Time UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Champion
  • USA Xtreme Wrestling
  • 1-Time USA Pro Heavyweight Champion
  • USPW
  • 1-Time USPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 1-Time WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion
  • 1-Time XPW Heavyweight Champion

Championship succession

ECW World Heavyweight Championship
Preceded by:
Shane Douglas 		First Succeeded by:
Terry Funk
Preceded by:
Terry Funk 		Second Succeeded by:
Shane Douglas
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Preceded by:
Koji Kanemoto 		First Followed by:
Koji Kanemoto
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
Preceded by:
Mike Rapada 		First Succeeded by:
Mike Rapada

References

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