Rhino Reveals Why Sabu Hated His Real Name And Stayed Silent In Promos

(Photo Credit: AEW)

Wrestling veteran Rhino has offered heartfelt insight into the late Sabu (real name Terry Brunk), revealing intimate details about the iconic ECW starโ€™s life outside the ringโ€”including why he avoided using his real name and why he famously never cut promos.

Speaking on AdFreeShows, Rhino shared that Sabu had a deep aversion to being called by his birth name.

โ€œSabu hated his real name, which was crazy,โ€ Rhino said. โ€œHeโ€™d always say, โ€˜I just want people to call me by my work name. I just donโ€™t like my real name.โ€™โ€

While Sabu was always known for letting his brutal in-ring style do the talking, fans often speculated about his silence during promos. Rhino explained that this was no gimmickโ€”it was a promise made to his mother.

โ€œHe told me that when he was a kid watching his uncle [The Sheik] wrestleโ€ฆ his mother looked at him and said, โ€˜If you ever wrestle when you get older, I hope you donโ€™t do that [yelling and screaming on promos] because youโ€™ll embarrass me,โ€™โ€ Rhino revealed. โ€œSo he said the only reason why he never talked is he didnโ€™t want to embarrass his mom.โ€

Rhino made it clear that Sabu wasnโ€™t avoiding promos out of shyness or inability.

โ€œโ€˜Itโ€™s not that I canโ€™t talk or I donโ€™t want to talk,โ€™โ€ Rhino recalled Sabu saying. โ€œโ€˜I donโ€™t want to embarrass my mom.โ€™ Thatโ€™s what he said.โ€

These stories add a poignant layer to the legacy of the โ€œHomicidal, Suicidal, Genocidalโ€ legend, reminding fans that behind the scars and barbed wire was a man deeply loyal to family and values.

Stay tuned to PWMania.com for more tributes and stories celebrating the legacy of Sabu.

(h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription)