Sabu dies at 60 after final match during WrestleMania weekend
Sabu began his wrestling career in 1985, inspired and trained by his uncle, the legendary hardcore wrestler known as The Sheik. He built his early reputation across various wrestling territories in the U.S. before gaining international recognition with matches in Japan's Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW).
Sabu rose to prominence in the mid-1990s with ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling), where his risk-heavy style and feuds with Rob Van Dam and Taz made him a standout figure. His work during this period has been widely credited with shaping the modern hardcore wrestling scene. He also had brief stints with WCW and WWE during his career.
Following ECW's closure, Sabu appeared in TNA Wrestling and later returned to WWE when the company revived ECW as a third brand in 2006. His WWE run included a match against then-champion John Cena at Vengeance. He departed WWE in 2007 and remained active on the independent circuit until retiring in April 2025.
Sabu left a lasting mark on professional wrestling, particularly through his pioneering role in hardcore matches.
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