mother is Lebanese. Brunk was married to a Japanese woman, Hitomi, on June 22, 1997, in Michigan, and had a separate Japanese ceremony on December 12, 1998, in Tokyo while in Japan for the ECW/FMW Supershow. In Forever Hardcore, Brunk reveals he took his name "Sabu" from Indian-American actor Sabu, of whom his uncle Ed Farhat was a fan. In July 2016, Brunk was named part of a class action lawsuit filed against WWE which alleged that wrestlers incurred "long term neurological injuries" and that the company "routinely failed to care" for them and "fraudulently misrepresented and concealed" the nature and extent of those injuries. The suit was litigated by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who has been involved in a number of other lawsuits against WWE. The lawsuit was dismissed by US District Judge Vanessa Lynne Bryant in September 2018. In the mid 2010s, Sabu began dating Melissa Coates, who also began working as his wrestling valet. Coates died in her sleep from COVID-19 complications on June 23, 2021, aged 52. Professional wrestling style and persona Sabu is nicknamed "The Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal, Death–Defying Maniac" due to his mixed style of high-flying and hardcore wrestling. Some of his moves includes using a steel chair, like the Air Sabu (a heel kick to a cornered opponent, with the assistance of a steel chair), the Arabian Facebuster (Jumping, diving or a somersault leg drop, driving a steel chair into the face of the opponent) or the Arabian Skullcrusher (jumping, diving or a somersault leg drop, driving a steel chair into the back of the opponent's head, usually through a table). Being trained by his uncle, The Original Sheik, he also uses his Arabian Clutch (a Camel clutch) as a move. His character has rarely spoken, however while working for WWE he had to do the most talking he ever did. Sabu has been credited as a revolutionary due to his work in ECW. Retirement On November 5, 2021, Sabu officially announced his retirement from professional wrestling. Championships and accomplishments Billtown Championship Wrestling BCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) Border City Wrestling BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Championship (1 time) Eastern Championship Wrestling/Extreme Championship Wrestling ECW World Heavyweight Championship (2 times) FTW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) ECW World Television Championship (1 time) ECW World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Taz (1) and Rob Van Dam (2) Second ECW Triple Crown Champion European Wrestling Association EWA