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Sabu was known as a wrestling legend in both WWE and ECW worlds among several other organizations, and his death in May 2025 shattered fans’ hearts. The late 60-year-old’s death came less than one month after his retirement match at Game Changer Wrestling against Joey Janela.
“AEW and the wrestling world mourns the passing of Sabu,” All Elite Wrestling tweeted after news broke of Sabu’s death. “From barbed wire battles to unforgettable high-risk moments, Sabu gave everything to professional wrestling. Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and his fans.”
Below, Hollywood Life has compiled five facts about Sabu’s life and career.
AEW and the wrestling world mourns the passing of Sabu.
From barbed wire battles to unforgettable high-risk moments, Sabu gave everything to professional wrestling.
Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and his fans. pic.twitter.com/JpgbYj2KKl
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 11, 2025
What Was Sabu’s Real Name?
Sabu was born under the name Terrance Michael “Terry” Brunk. Throughout his wrestling career, he went by several stage names, including The Great Sabu, Terry S.R. and Sabu of the Jungle.
Sabu Was Trained by His Uncle, ‘The Sheik’
Sabu was already destined for greatness while being trained by his uncle, Ed “The Sheik” Farhat, who is credited as one of the OG hardcore fighters. He is also known as The Original Sheik.
Sabu Was in WWE & ECW
While many wrestlers tend to stay in one organization for most of their careers, Sabu was known for his time in quite a few. After getting his start with Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, Sabu went on to fight for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1993 to 2000. Later, Sabu signed a one-year contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) from 2006 to 2007.
The last time Sabu wrestled was in April 2025 against Joey at Game Changer Wrestling.
Sabu’s Girlfriend, Melissa Coates, Died in Her Sleep
Sabu kept the details of his personal life far away from the spotlight. His former marriage to ex-wife Hitomi ended sometime after their 1997 wedding. In the 2010s, he started dating Melissa Coates, a fellow pro wrestler. She died in June 2021 in her sleep due to complications from COVID-19.
How Did Sabu Die?
Sabu’s cause of death is still unclear at the time of publication.
