RIP, Sabu!
I’m deeply saddened by the loss of my dear friend, Terry Brunk (Sabu). Behind his tough exterior was a heart of gold.
I first met Sabu at Jimmy’s World Order in LA during the pandemic when I was hosting events for the collectible store. Sabu flew in to meet his fans, even though he was dealing with a difficult situation back home… His then-girlfriend, Melissa Coates, had been rushed to the hospital with a blood clot. Sabu was clearly overwhelmed, and I could see how worried he was about Melissa. All I could do was offer comfort. I told him I would pray for Melissa and did my best to be there for him during that weekend. When Sabu thanked me and hugged me, it felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. It was a powerful reminder that even behind the toughest personas, there’s a human being capable of deep emotion and vulnerability.
After Melissa passed away, I knew Sabu was struggling, and I made sure to check in on him and offer support. At every wrestling convention in LA, we’d connect and catch up. We grew so close that Sabu even approached me about starting a podcast together, where he would share his road stories and other interests. We were serious enough about it that I suggested calling it ‘Sabu and Buds’ or ‘Sabu and Bud,’ depending on who else got involved. Unfortunately, his busy schedule prevented us from launching the podcast, but I always stayed in touch.
A few weeks ago, I ran into Sabu at Wrestlecon during Wrestlemania weekend. He embraced me and suggested we catch up after his appearance. Sabu had just competed in his retirement match (a classic, by the way) with Joey Janela, so I knew he was tired and likely in pain. We didn’t get a chance to meet up afterward because I was rushing to Allegiant Stadium for WWE Wrestlemania… If that was our final goodbye, I’m grateful we had that moment, even though we couldn’t have lunch or dinner...
I will miss you, my friend. RIP to The Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal, Death-Defying Maniac Sabu!
#Sabu #ECW #HardcoreLegend #WWE #IrvinScott #TheGrizzlyPodcast
