Sabu
He is a five-time World champion (two ECW Championships, one NWA Championship, one WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship and a one time XPW World Heavyweight Championship), and is best known for his appearances with the original Extreme Championship Wrestling and other independents throughout the 1990s, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling from 2002 until 2006, and his recent tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment on its ECW brand, which lasted from April 2006 until May 2007. He is most well-known for his extreme wrestling style.
Professional wrestling career
Training and Frontier Martial–Arts Wrestling (1991–1993)
Brunk was trained by his uncle, Ed Farhat (The Sheik), and was initially trained to be a technical wrestler.
He began his wrestling career in the Sheik's promotion, Big Time Wrestling, and was billed as being from Saudi Arabia under the ring name "Sabu the Elephant Boy" (use of "The Elephant Boy" was dropped in his later days). Brunk cleared all rumors that the cuts and bruises were self-induced in a shoot interview with RF Video, confirming that they were a result of numerous hardcore matches he was involved in, including participating in over two dozen no-rope barbed wire death matches.
Sabu often competed in Japanese hardcore matches, where he teamed with the Sheik, Tiger Jeet Singh and Horace Boulder. Sabu feuded with the likes of Tarzan Goto and Atsushi Onita in FMW.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1993–1995)
Brunk revealed in a shoot promo and in the documentary film Forever Hardcore that in fact it was not Paul Heyman that brought him into Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) but that he was at the right place at the right time.
According to the storyline, Sabu, who at that time often arrived to the ring by his handler 911, was an uncontrollable madman strapped to a gurney and with a Hannibal Lecter-style face mask while trying to break free (he claimed to hate this part of his gimmick as he was normally tired before he started his match). Sabu could only be released from his bonds to wrestle his matches.
Sabu also quickly became synonymous with table-breaking at this time; if a table was not broken during the match, Sabu would break a table with his own body after the bell had sounded. Sometimes leading to 911 having to restrain Sabu during backstage interviews if a table was present.
One of the most notable aspects of Sabu's early career was his refusal to speak, a gimmick that he inherited from The Sheik (who never spoke English in public to protect kayfabe).
In ECW, however, he was clearly heard to speak in the ring on several occasions and it was fairly common knowledge that Brunk was an American citizen from birth. This led to a joke at kayfabe's expense when Sabu began to be billed as hailing from "Bombay, Michigan".
The most significant matches during the early part of Sabu's career in ECW were his three way dance for the ECW Championship at The Night the Line Was Crossed, against Terry Funk and Shane Douglas, which went to a 1 hour time limit draw and his tag team feud with The Public Enemy in which Sabu and his partner The Tazmaniac capture the ECW Tag Team Championship in a double tables match.
Another notable event occurred when, after being scheduled for a 3-way dance for the ECW Tag Team titles, Sabu no–showed the event to accept a booking in Japan, which led Paul Heyman to publicly and legitimately fire Sabu at the event.
Sabu stated in the Forever Hardcore documentary that he had a career wrestling in Japan yet only wrestled once every so often for ECW; thus, he chose Japan over ECW.
World Championship Wrestling (1995)
Sabu made his WCW debut on September 11, 1995 on an edition of WCW Monday Nitro against Alex Wright. Sabu won the match, but the decision was reversed when after the match he put Wright through a table.
Sabu would continue to wrestle some of the cruiserweights in WCW in the early days of the division, including a match against Mr. Sabu came out victorious against J.L., and following the match Sabu's uncle Shiek hit J.L.
His last match in WCW was against Disco Inferno, which Sabu won. Following his victory, he put Disco on a table on the outside and attempted to flip onto Disco but Disco moved.
In response, Sabu began no selling the table spot and started throwing the table as well as the ring stairs.
It would be shortly after this that Sabu would return to ECW at the November to Remember, where he faced Hack Myers.
Return to ECW (1996–2001)
He eventually returned to ECW the next year, and engaged in matches and feuds with the likes of Rob Van Dam, with whom he later teamed up with and won the ECW Tag Team Championship twice. In the meantime, former tag team partner Tazmaniac (who had shortened his name to "Taz") began to publicly challenge Sabu at every given opportunity, but got no response.
After a year of call-outs and insults from Taz, Heyman revealed that he had asked Sabu, as a friend, to ignore Taz's challenge. This standoff culminated in a grudge match at ECW's first pay-per-view, Barely Legal, which Taz won.
He also mentioned that Taz calling him out for a year was not planned. Paul Heyman convinced Sabu to wrestle Taz at Barely Legal.
Sabu was later included in the WWF invasion angle, in which ECW wrestlers invaded WWF's Monday Night Raw program and held ECW-style matches and angles on the show.
One memorable moment occurred at this show when Sabu appeared during Tazz's match with Mikey Whipwreck and prepared for an aerial move off the "R" in the "RAW" lettered entryway onto Team Tazz members, but instead accidentally fell off the "R". This was not planned which led to Sabu landing on top of Team Tazz members and becoming an inside joke between him and Tazz backstage.
Funk moved and Sabu ended up colliding violently into the wire which tore open his biceps. He then asked his manager Bill Alfonso for some tape and after Alfonso went to get some Sabu began to tape the gash up, which was about 10 inches long.
Funk has stated that, to this day, he has never seen anything like what Sabu did that night. The match ended with both men so badly tangled up together in the barbed wire that it took several ring technicians armed with wire cutters to free them from the predicament (on the DVD Bloodsport – ECW's Most Violent Matches released by World Wrestling Entertainment, Paul Heyman said that the match was "so gruesome, I never ever dared to schedule another one like it", and that they never had another Barbed-Wire match in ECW because "no one could top that one – and in good conscience, I never want anyone to try") but Sabu said during his Shoot with RF Video that Heyman wanted to do another Bared-Wire match but would on ask for more money each time.
Injuries
Brunk racked up an astounding catalogue of injuries during his ECW tenure, including broken ribs, a broken jaw, and famously breaking his neck twice.
The first time he broke his neck was during his match with Chris Benoit at 1994 November to Remember event. Brunk was able to recover from the neck injuries and return to wrestling, and he even wore a neck brace in his return match in the United States a month following the injury at Tazz's hands; by Brunk's account, however, he started actively wrestling in Japan on a short tour a little over two weeks after that injury.
Juggalo Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Allstars (2001–2003)
Sabu had a short stint in Juggalo Championship Wrestling.
On July 14, 2001 in Toledo, Ohio he won a battle royal to determine the new JCW Heavyweight Champion, after the title was vacated earlier. One day later the former champion Vampiro won the championship back.
Sabu competed for the World Wrestling All-Stars in a number of events during 2002 and 2003.
His first appearance was at Revolution PPV in Las Vegas in February 2002. The action spilled out of the ring and the cage with Sabu gaining the victory after leaping from the top of the cage through Storm, who was placed on top of two tables on top of each other.
Next up Sabu took part in WWA European tour of November–December 2002.
Sabu took the victory in each of these matches, usually gaining the pinfall over Diamond after Saturn left the match to defend his companion.
His final appearance for the WWA came in their last PPV, The Reckoning, in New Zealand. During this tour he first fought Shane Douglas but due to injury he did not face him at the PPV.
Sabu won this memorable match, the second last WWA match ever.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2002–2006)
Sabu debuted in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) on July 17, 2002, defeating Malice in a ladder match. Eventually Raven challenged Sabu to an empty arena match to be held 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 friend Sonjay Dutt, until Sabu finally broke and attacked him on July 23. Raven defeated Sabu on August 4, and a scheduled return match on August 18 was canceled after Sabu legitimately suffered a serious back injury.
While injured, Brunk contracted a virus and was hospitalized, sidelining him for ten months.
The show was considered a success, raising enough money for Brunk to cover the costs of his medical care and he was able to make a full recovery. Sabu then appeared at Hardcore Homecoming, where he defeated Terry Funk and Shane Douglas in a three-way no-ropes barbed wire match, and at ECW One Night Stand two days later, where he defeated Rhyno.
Sabu returned to TNA on July 29, 2005.
At Sacrifice Sabu teamed with his old enemy, and then NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Raven to face Jeff Jarrett and Rhino. On the same night, Sabu competed in a 10-Man Gauntlet Match to decide a number one contender, which he also lost, once again to Rhino.
In late October 2005, Brunk signed a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment to be a part of its "Legends" program.
They met up again, in the promotion's first ever Barbed Wire Massacre at Turning Point. Sabu was defeated in what would turn out to be his final TNA match.
Joe stated that part of Sabu's fingertip was severed, he had a broken arm, and he had been partially scalped at an undisclosed Mexican independent event.
World Wrestling Entertainment (2006–2007)
ECW Brand
Sabu in the ring at a WWE house show in 2006
On April 24, 2006, Sabu's official website reported that he signed a one-year contract with World Wrestling Entertainment. At this point, the WWE medical staff rushed to the injured men and declared neither man could continue and ordered the match stopped, resulting in a No Contest in which Mysterio kept his title.
On the June 13 premiere of ECW on Sci Fi, Sabu won a 10 man Extreme Battle Royal with the stipulation that the winner face John Cena at Vengeance.
Sabu further fueled the feud during the next week's Raw, when he interfered in a Cena match and performed a Triple Jump Leg Drop on him, diving onto Cena and putting him through the announcers' table. On July 2, Sabu, traveling with fellow ECW wrestler Rob Van Dam, was arrested and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, and nine Vicodin tablets following a traffic stop in Hanging Rock, Ohio. On July 5, WWE.com announced that Brunk was to be fined $1,000 based on the guidelines of WWE's Wellness Policy. Meanwhile, he defeated Stevie Richards in an Extreme Rules match at Saturday Night's Main Event.
Towards the end of July, Sabu began to talk on camera for himself - instead of using a go between - and demanded a shot at The Big Show's ECW World Championship which Paul Heyman refused to grant him in order to "protect" his champion.
When that match was interrupted by the returning Rob Van Dam another match was signed, Angle versus Van Dam versus Sabu, for the number one contendership (Angle then became too injured to compete and was pulled from the match). Sabu eliminated Test following a Tornado DDT, but he was later eliminated by Big Show via pinfall after receiving a chokeslam.
Sabu made his Royal Rumble debut in the 2007 Royal Rumble where he was eliminated by Kane after receiving a chokeslam over the top rope and through a table.
Sabu joined the ECW Originals along with Rob Van Dam, Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman. The two teams faced off in a match at WrestleMania 23 in which the ECW Originals won.
On March 31, 2007 Sabu and Van Dam inducted The Sheik into the WWE Hall of Fame. Sabu came out during the main event and put La Parka through a table, joining forces with the heels X-Pack, Ron "The Truth" Killings, and Konnan.
Since then, he has made appearances on their major televised programs on Galavision as a minor part of Konnan's extreme heel stable, La Legion Extranjera.
Sabu has been noted as a member of the Australasian Wrestling Federation roster, where he has so far wrestled three matches during the Wrestlefest 2007 Tour in October. He refused to miss any matches because of that injury.
Sabu's famous signature gesture, dubbed the Magician of Arabia, is pointing to the sky while looking upwards, especially when entering or exiting the ring, or before performing an especially dangerous move (the gesture is often referred to as Sabu pointing to the heavens in tribute to his uncle The Sheik, even though he had been using the gesture many years before Sheik had died).
They married on June 22, 1997. Brunk has also been featured in several pro wrestling video games including ECW Hardcore Revolution, Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home, Legends of Wrestling, and WWE SmackDown vs. This is apparently unrelated to any storyline and was done by Brunk himself for unknown personal reasons.
In wrestling
Sabu performing his Air Sabu move on Rhino in 1999
Sabu performing a springboard moonsault on Rhino at an ECW television taping in 1999
Finishing and signature moves
Arabian Facebuster (Jumping, diving or a somersault leg drop, driving a steel chair into the face of the opponent)
Arabian Skullcrusher (Jumping, diving or a somersault leg drop, driving a steel chair into the back of the opponent's head)
Camel clutch
Triple jump into either a moonsault or a leg drop
Air Sabu (Heel kick to a cornered opponent, with the assistance of a steel chair)
Arabian Piledriver (Scoop slam piledriver)
Guillotine leg drop
Multiple moonsault variations
Arabian Press (Slingshot split-legged)
Diving
Springboard onto an opponent outside the ring
Sabu performs a running start, leaps onto a chair, then leaps onto the top ring rope and then finally performs either a crossbody to an opponent on the outside of the ring, a DDT to an opponent through a table on the outside the ring or a somersault senton to an opponent on the outside of the ring
Slingshot crossbody
Somersault plancha
Springboard into either a leg lariat or a tornado DDT
Super frankensteiner
Steel chair thrown into the opponent's face
Signature foreign objects
Steel chair
Table
Barbed wire or objects wrapped in barbed wire
Ladder
Fireball
With Rob Van Dam
Assisted Air Sabu
Diving leg drop / Diving splash combination
Springboard somersault leg drop (Sabu) / Rolling Thunder (Van Dam) combination
Managers
The Cuban Assassin
Paul E.
Dangerously
Bill Alfonso
Josh Lazie
Rob Van Dam
The Sheik
Mad Mohammed
Shaffee
Tammy Lynn Sytch
Gideon Wainwright
The Sandman
Tommy Dreamer
Nicknames
"The Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal, Death–Defying Sabu"
"ECW's Evel Knievel"
"Houdini of Hardcore"
"The Arabian Machine of Destruction"
"The Crazed Kamikaze"
"The Human Highlight Reel"
"The Modern Day Kamikaze"
"The Death Bringer"
Theme music
"Huka Blues" by Harry Slash & The Slashtones
"Little Crazy" by Fight
"Jaws theme" by John Williams
"Carpet Ride" by Dale Oliver (TNA)
Championships and accomplishments
Hardcore Championship Wrestling
HCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
Asylum Championship Wrestling
ACW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
Border City Wrestling
BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
Eastern Championship Wrestling / Extreme Championship Wrestling
ECW FTW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
ECW World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)1
ECW World Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Tazz (1) and Rob Van Dam (2)
ECW World Television Championship (1 time)
Hardcore Hall of Fame (2009)
Extreme Wrestling Alliance
EWA Junior Championship (1 time)
European Wrestling Association
EWA Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 time)
Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling
FMW World Martial Arts Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Horace Boulder
Insane Wrestling Federation
IWF Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
Juggalo Championship Wrestling
JCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
Main Event Championship Wrestling
MECW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
Motor City Wrestling
MCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
National Wrestling Alliance
NWA Independent World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
NWA Florida
NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
National Wrestling Conference
NWC Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
New Japan Pro Wrestling
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
PWI ranked him # 5 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1995.
Professional Championship Wrestling
PCW Television Championship (1 time)
Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling
3PW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Pacific Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
Ultimate Championship Wrestling
UCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
World Wrestling Council
WWC Hardcore Championship (1 time)
WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
Readers' Favorite Wrestler (1994)
Xtreme Pro Wrestling
XPW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
1Sabu's first reign occurred while the promotion was an NWA affliate named Eastern Championship Wrestling, and was prior to the promotion becoming Extreme Championship Wrestling and the title being declared a world title by ECW.