06/20/2026
This week, the city of Warrensburg, Missouri unveiled new signage recognizing the Bruce Reed Memorial at Blind Boone Park, forever tying the legendary “Natural” Hacksaw Butch Reed to the place that helped shape his life.
When you hear “Butch Reed,” most wrestling fans think of the powerhouse who battled Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Junkyard Dog, and countless other stars across Mid-South, WCW, and the WWF. They remember the muscles, the intensity, the charisma, and the larger-than-life presence.
But to his family, he was just Bruce.
According to his brother Tim, long before the bright lights and sold-out arenas, the Reed family lived just down the road. They would walk their horses to the very land that is now Blind Boone Park and let them graze. The brothers rode there, worked there, played there, and built fences there, even hauling railroad ties to make posts. Tim said Butch loved being a cowboy as much as he loved being a professional wrestler, spending his school days sketching cowboys whenever he had the chance.
A kid who spent his childhood on that land eventually traveled the world, became one of wrestling’s biggest stars, and shared locker rooms with André the Giant, Ernie Ladd, Junkyard Dog, Hulk Hogan, and so many other legends.
Yet he never forgot where he came from.
After Bruce’s passing in 2021, his brother Tim made it his mission to make sure that legacy would live on. Through the Bruce Reed Memorial Fund, annual gatherings, and community barbecues, he has continued celebrating not only Bruce’s wrestling career but the kind of man he was away from the ring.
This year’s event, held on Juneteenth, also raised money for local causes including food banks and women’s shelters—turning remembrance into something that actively helps others.
One quote from Tim stayed with me:
“Me and Butch Reed have been all around the world—ain’t nothing matched Warrensburg.”
That says everything.
Championships fade. Television moments become history. But home is home.
Seeing Bruce Reed’s name permanently recognized where he once rode horses as a young boy feels bigger than wrestling. It’s a reminder that no matter how far life takes you, your roots matter. The people who watched you grow up matter. And sometimes the greatest honor isn’t found under arena lights—it’s being remembered by the community that knew you before the fame.
Congratulations to the Reed family and everyone who helped make this tribute possible.
Rest in peace, Butch Reed. Your hometown hasn’t forgotten you, and neither have wrestling fans.
— Steve Stasiak, Book Pro Wrestlers