Terry Brunk
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| Terry "Sabu" Brunk | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Stage names | Cocoa Samoa Terry Snuka Sabu |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Weight | 230 lb (110 kg) |
| Born | December 12, 1964 |
| Hometown | Detroit, Michigan |
| Debut | 1984 |
Terry Brunk (born December 12, 1964 in Detroit, Michigan), better known by his stage name, Sabu, is an American professional wrestler, currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. He is best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling throughout the 1990s, where he developed his high-risk hardcore wrestling technique.
Contents |
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, and the ECW Tag-Team Title with Rob Van Dam as well as Taz.
Although Sabu never signed a contract with WWE, Sabu did get some mainstream exposure. He won two of his three matches in 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 WWE 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 Total Nonstop Action Wrestling 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 defeated 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.
Sabu first post-injury appearance was at Hardcore Homecoming where he defeated Terry Funk and Shane Douglas in a three-way barbed wire rope match. The next day, at WWE's ECW One Night Stand, 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 Jarret and Rhino The match was won by Rhino and Jarret 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 returns 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 contact with World Wrestling Entertainment to be in their Legends program.
On November 13, at TNA Genesis, Sabu once again lost to Abyss -- getting the Black Hole Slam onto a barbed wire steel chair.
TNA announced on November 15 that Sabu would face Abyss once again on December 11 at Turning Point in the promotion's first ever Barbed Wire Massacre,which he won.
Wrestling facts
Managers
- The Cuban Assassin
- Paul E. Dangerously
- Sonjay Dutt
- Fonzie
- Josh Lazie
- The Sheik
- Gideon Wainwright
Nicknames
Finishing and signature moves
- Triple Jump Moonsault
- Arabian Facebuster (leg drop, driving a steel chair into the face of the opponent)
- Flying Arabian Facebuster (top rope leg drop, driving a steel chair into the face of the opponent)
- Atomic Arabian Facebuster (standing somersault leg drop, driving a steel chair into the face of the opponent)
- Arabian Skullcrusher (top rope leg drop, driving a steel chair into the back of the opponent's head)
- Arabian Clutch (camel clutch)
- Arabian Piledriver (scoop slam piledriver)
- Arabian Powerbomb (sunset flip powerbomb)
- Arabian Press (crossbody block)
- Air Sabu (crossbody block to a cornered opponent)
- Plancha
- Fireball
- Steel chair shot (usually thrown at opponent)
Championships and accomplishments
- Asylum Championship Wrestling
- 1-time ACW Heavyweight Champion
- Border City Wrestling
- 1-time BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Champion
- Extreme Championship Wrestling
- 1-time ECW FTW Heavyweight Champion
- 3-time ECW World Tag Team Champion (1-time with Taz, 2-time with Rob Van Dam)
- 2-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion
- 1-time ECW World Television Champion
- Extreme Wrestling Alliance
- 1-time EWA Junior Champion
- Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling
- 1-time FMW World Martial Arts Tag Team Champion (with Horace Boulder)
- Insane Wrestling Federation
- 2-time IWF Heavyweight Champion
- Juggalo Championshit Wrestling
- 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 Alliance
- 1-time NWA Independent World Champion
- 1-time NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Champion
- 3-time NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Champion
- 1-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion
- National Wrestling Conference
- 2-time NWC Heavyweight Champion
- New Japan Pro Wrestling
- 1-time NJPW IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion
- Professional Championship Wrestling
- 1-time PCW Television Champion
- Pro-Pain-Pro-Wrestling
- 1-time 3PW Heavyweight Champion
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Stampede Wrestling
- 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
- World Wrestling Council
- 1-time WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion
- Xtreme Pro Wrestling
- 1-time XPW Heavyweight Champion
Championship succession
| ECW World Heavyweight Championship | ||
| Preceded by: Shane Douglas | First | Followed by: Terry Funk |
| Preceded by: Terry Funk | Second | Followed by: Shane Douglas |
| NWA World Heavyweight Championship | ||
| Preceded by: Mike Rapada | First | Followed by: Mike Rapada |
References
- Sabu at Accelerator3359.com
- Sabu at Bodyslamming.com
- Sabu at ObsessedWithWrestling.com
- Solie's title histories
- Wrestling-Titles.com
