Butch Reed facts for kids

Bruce Franklin Reed (born July 11, 1954 – died February 5, 2021) was an American professional wrestler and football player. He was best known by his ring name Butch Reed. He played college football at the University of Central Missouri. Later, he became a wrestling star in Mid-South Wrestling. He also had important tag team matches in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In WCW, he held a championship with Ron Simmons as part of the team called Doom.

Early Life and Football

Bruce Reed went to the University of Central Missouri. There, he played college football. In 1976, he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He was a linebacker, but he left the team before the season started.

Professional Wrestling Career

Starting Out (1978–1983)

Butch Reed began his wrestling training with Ronnie Etchison in 1978. At first, he wrestled as Bruce Reed and was sometimes called "Hacksaw." In 1980, Reed and Jerry Roberts won the NWA Central States Tag Team Championship. They lost it in January 1981. His next title was also a tag team championship. He and Sweet Brown Sugar won the Florida version of the NWA North American Tag Team Championship in 1982. Reed wrestled for the NWA in the early 1980s. He became well-known in areas like St. Louis and Florida.

Mid-South Wrestling (1983–1986)

Butch Reed became a major wrestler in Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling from 1983 to 1986. He was known as "Hacksaw" Butch Reed. He started as a tag team partner for the popular wrestler, the Junkyard Dog. Reed soon had a rivalry with "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan over the "Hacksaw" nickname. Duggan was part of a group called The Rat Pack. He used tricky moves to try and beat Reed.

Reed later decided to look out for himself. He attacked the Junkyard Dog, who was his former partner. On July 16, 1983, Reed won the Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship. He successfully defended it against the Junkyard Dog. Later, Reed lost the title to Magnum T. A., but it was given back to him.

Reed also won the Mid-South Tag Team Championship with Jim Neidhart. They lost these titles in a Steel cage match in December 1983. After this, Reed and Neidhart had a short rivalry. Reed then started a long rivalry with Terry Taylor in 1984. This helped Taylor become a star. Reed also continued his rivalry with the Junkyard Dog.

Later, Reed became a fan favorite. He teamed up with "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan. They faced a group led by "General" Skandor Akbar. Reed then left Mid-South for a short time. He returned in 1985 and won the North American title again. He also had a famous one-hour match against NWA Champion Ric Flair.

World Wrestling Federation (1986–1988)

Reed joined the WWF with his manager, Slick. He changed his look, dyeing his hair blond, and became "The Natural" Butch Reed. He had rivalries with Tito Santana and Ricky Steamboat. Reed made his first big appearance at WrestleMania III, where he defeated Koko B. Ware.

In the fall of 1987, Reed was part of a storyline where he and the One Man Gang caused Superstar Billy Graham to retire. Reed was also part of the main event at the first Survivor Series. He was the first wrestler eliminated from the first Royal Rumble match in January 1988. His last match for the WWF was at WrestleMania IV. He lost to Randy Savage in the first round of a championship tournament.

WCW and Doom (1988–1992)

After leaving WWF, Butch Reed joined the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions. He was briefly managed by J. J. Dillon. In 1989, Reed became part of a new tag team called Doom. He teamed with Ron Simmons. At first, they wore masks. It was clear to fans that it was Reed and Simmons under the masks. Doom won their first match against The Steiner Brothers.

Doom continued to be a strong team. On February 6, 1990, they were defeated by the Steiner Brothers and had to take off their masks. Doom later won the WCW World Tag Team Championship from the Steiner Brothers. They defended their titles against many teams, including The Four Horsemen.

In February 1991, Doom lost a match due to a misunderstanding between Reed and Simmons. After the match, Reed attacked Simmons, which made Simmons a fan favorite. This ended the Doom team. Reed and Simmons then had a short but intense rivalry. Their final match was a Steel cage match at SuperBrawl I, where Simmons won. Reed left WCW for a short time. He returned in 1992, teaming with The Barbarian and Cactus Jack. He left WCW for good shortly after.

Later Career (1992–2013)

After WCW, Reed wrestled for the United States Wrestling Association. He won the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship in October 1992, holding it for a week. He also wrestled for the Global Wrestling Federation in 1994, winning the GWF North American Heavyweight Championship.

Reed continued to wrestle part-time. He also took part in rodeo events in Kansas City. In 2001, he won the WLW Heavyweight Title. He retired from wrestling in 2002.

Reed returned to wrestling in 2005. He won the Mid States Wrestling Heavyweight title. His last match was on May 18, 2013. He teamed with Bob Orton Jr and lost a match in Illinois.

Personal Life and Death

Butch Reed passed away on February 5, 2021. He died from complications after having two heart attacks in January. He was 66 years old.

Championships and Accomplishments

• Central States Wrestling
  • NWA Central States Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jerry Roberts
• Championship Wrestling from Florida
  • NWA International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (1 time) – with Sweet Brown Sugar
• Georgia Championship Wrestling
  • Omni Thanksgiving Tag Team Tournament (1983) – with Pez Whatley
• Global Wrestling Federation
  • GWF North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Insane Championship Wrestling
  • MWCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Mid-South Wrestling Association
  • Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
  • Mid-South Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jim Neidhart
  • Mid-South Television Championship (1 time)
• Mid-States Wrestling
  • MSW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Missouri Wrestling Federation/Midwest Wrestling Federation
  • MWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • Ranked #174 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the PWI Years in 2003.
  • Ranked #91 of the 100 best tag teams during the PWI Years with Ron Simmons in 2003.
• United States Wrestling Association
  • USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• World Championship Wrestling
  • WCW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ron Simmons
• World League Wrestling
  • WLW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Strongest Wrestler (1984)
  • Most Unimproved (1987)

See also

In Spanish: Butch Reed para niños