Dylan Summers' journey to this achievement has been a long and winding road. In 1999, I worked as a website designer/maintainer for him while he was running the Texas-based Power Pro Wrestling Federation, and later was involved with Texas Outlaw Promotions. My experience working with Summers was positive and professional. He was one year into his career as a pro-wrestler and was also serving his country in the Army. When Summers stepped away from the office side of the industry and put his full focus on his in-ring career, it began to take off.
2000 was a defining year for Necro Butcher, as it was when it became clear that hardcore wrestling was his specialty. While wrestling in the Texas-based NWA Southwest, Butcher became a record four-time NWA Texas Hardcore Champion. His third reign was the longest in the championship's history, and his fourth reign was the fourth-longest.
In 2001, Necro Butcher began wrestling in IWA MS and participated in the 2001 and 2002 King of the Deathmatches tournaments, winning the tournament in 2002 and establishing himself as a deathmatch specialist. That same year, Butcher participated in the annual CZW Tournament of Death.
Throughout 2003 and 2004, Necro Butcher continued to be a prominent part of the United States hardcore/deathmatch scene, appearing in JCW, participating in more CZW Tournament of Death & IWA MS-hosted King of the Deathmatches tournaments, and was in the final match of CZW's Tournament of Death in 2004. So it was only a matter of time before he began wrestling in BJW, Japan's longest-running deathmatch wrestling promotion, gaining international recognition during his 2004 and 2005 tenures there. BJW fans are passionate and have specific expectations, and Butcher's frequent appearances were evidence that he lived up to them.
Necro Butcher again saw notable championship success in the United States in 2005, when he became Ultraviolent Underground Champion as well as co-holder of the CZW Tag Team Championship. But those reigns were overshadowed by his match with Samoa Joe in IWA MS that same year, which is considered one of the most influential independent wrestling matches of the 2000s and turned him into a deathmatch icon.
In the late-2000s, Necro Butcher got his first taste of national television exposure, wrestling in XCW, a promotion that was seen nationally on MAVTV, had a national DVD deal, and also had PPV events. I started working as a columnist for XCW in 2007, and he was the one who referred me to the promotion. Butcher was one of XCW's featured wrestlers, even being used to promote their XCW Revolution program.
In 2008, Necro Butcher transitioned from the television screen to the big screen when he played himself in The Wrestler. Robert D. Siegel -the writer of the movie- had seen Butcher wrestling at an ROH show and created a character based on him. Though originally named "Hellbilly Cannibal," the character was changed to Necro Butcher when he read for the script, making him a perfect fit for the role.
Necro Butcher returned to national television from 2009 to 2010 via ROH, which was being broadcast on HDNet. In contrast to ROH's identity at the time as a promotion that presented pure wrestling, he was allowed to be the same wild & aggressive Necro Butcher that had made him popular.
In the years that followed, Necro Butcher continued to perform his brand of wrestling worldwide, until his career came to a halt in 2020 due to Stage 3 Hodgkin's Lymphoma. After successfully beating it, Butcher returned to the pro-wrestling ring in 2022, wrestling in XPW, a promotion that embraced the deathmatch style. His run there included a reign as XPW West Coast Heavyweight Champion.
Necro Butcher also returned to Japan's deathmatch wrestling scene, having tours in BJW in 2023 and 2024.
During one of the tours, he injured his hip and was told by doctors that he would never be able to wrestle again. However, Butcher's hip healed, and he went on to wrestle in Mexico, England, Scotland, and Chile, and became IWA Deep South Heavyweight Champion.
In July 2026, Necro Butcher's career was spotlighted in an episode of VICE TV's Dark Side of the Ring, focusing on his 2005 match with Samoa Joe.
What Necro Butcher's career proves is that a person can achieve unexpected milestones while staying true to themselves. Many professional wrestlers change their ring names, gimmicks, or wrestling styles so that they fit an organization's specific branding and get signed. But the Necro Butcher of today is the same Necro Butcher who became NWA Texas Hardcore Champion in 2000, was proclaimed king of the deathmatches in 2002, and stepped into the ring with Japan's top deathmatch wrestlers. And it's the same Necro Butcher who has signed a legends deal with WWE.
Throughout his career, Dylan Summers has stood out, contributed to the pro-wrestling industry, and created new fans. WWE recognizing and embracing these facts not only opens the door to merchandising and video game integrations that would benefit both parties financially, but also gives acknowledgement to the legacy of a performer who bleeds for the business on his own terms, ensuring that future generations of fans and pro-wrestlers discovering his matches realize his rightful place in the industry's history.
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