“Hacksaw” Butch Reed, a once-aspiring NFL linebacker who became one of professional wrestling’s biggest stars throughout the 1980s and 1990s, died last week from heart complications, reports said.
Reed, whose real name was Bruce, died Friday at age 66. He had suffered “two massive heart attacks” earlier this year, according to his official Instagram page.
Reed’s wrestling career began about 1978, and by 1986 he rose to the World Wrestling Federation. Reed won his first tag-team title from The Steiner Brothers in 1990 as part of the duo “Doom.” His partner was Ron Simmons. In those days, he was known as “The Natural” Butch Reed.
Between 1986 and 1992 he also wrestled for the WWE, Jim Crockett Promotions and WCW. He is most remembered from his matches in the first Survivor Series, the first Royal Rumble in 1988 and WrestleMania III & IV, according to Bleacher Report.
Reed was from Kansas City.
Before becoming a wrestler, Reed played linebacker at the University of Central Missouri. As a free agent in 1976, he tried out for the Kansas City Chiefs but didn’t make the team. From there, he began training in the ring.
In 1983, he joined Bill Watt’s Mid-South Wrestling, where he went on to win three Heavyweight Championship titles and a tag-team title he shared with Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, according to reports. Reed was known for heated rivalries with the likes of Junkyard Dog, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Magnum T.A., and exchanging trash talk with the flamboyant wrestler Ric Flair.
Through the years, Reed wrestled out of Kansas City, Florida, St. Louis, Tennessee and Arkansas.
Reed joined the WCW in 1988 and remained until 1992. He continued to wrestle on the independent circuit until 2011 and would make cameo appearances at many big-ticket industry events.
Former wrestling stars John Bradshaw Layfield, Tommy Dreamer, Lance Storm and others honored Reed on social media.
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