Athletes - Terry Brunk

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	Athletes - Terry Brunk

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.

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. 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.

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.

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