WARRENSBURG - Another couple of notches were added to the legacy on legendary Warrensburg wrestler Bruce “The Natural Hacksaw Butch” Reed’s belt in May.
First, on May 17, Bruce Reed was inducted into the St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025. Bruce Reed made a name for himself through organizations like Central Wrestling from Florida (CWF), Mid-South Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE).
His accolades include being a one-time heavyweight world champion, 10-time North America heavy champion and six-time North America tag team champion.
After passing in 2021, Bruce Reed was honored with a mural near West Gay Street and North Main Street in Warrensburg, and later, in 2023, a bust of Bruce Reed was unveiled at Blind Boone Park.
On Saturday, May 24, a new plaque was added in front of Bruce Reed’s bust in celebration of his accomplishments and the efforts by the Bruce Reed Memorial Fund to share his legacy.
“Bruce The Natural, Butch Hacksaw Reed, was born to the union of Franki D. “Rosie” Roosevelt Reed and Thersia Morgan Reed in Kansas City, Missouri and raised in Warrensburg,” the plaque read. “Bruce was a professional wrestler and football player. Known for his powerful physique, charismatic persona, and immense in-ring talent, Reed was a prominent figure helping to break the color barrier in professional wrestling.”
In addition to the unveiling of the plaque, members of the Bruce Reed Memorial Committee, Warrensburg community members and Bruce Reed’s family visited Blind Boone to see the plaque and reminisce on the times they had with Bruce Reed.
“As mayor of Warrensburg, it's a real honor that we should do this for Bruce, the families and the people who grew up in this area,” Bruce Reed Memorial Committee member and Warrensburg Mayor Bruce Uhler said. “We're just happy that Bruce brought great honor to Warrensburg.”
Bruce Reed was a Warrensburg-bred man through and through. He and his family, who were the first black cowboys in Warrensburg, spent a lot of their time at Blind Boone due to its proximity to their home and its status as a predominantly black park. They also rode their horses into town, with Bruce often riding inside of bars.
“This is home, and there’s nothing like home,” Bruce’s brother Tim Reed said.
Tim Reed compared Warrensburg to “Cheers,” the TV show where everyone knew everyone, saying it was and still is one of the friendliest towns to live in.
“You can’t beat Warrensburg,” Tim Reed said. “In the wrestling ring, they’d say, ‘Butch Reed from Kansas City.’ He’d say, ‘No, I’m from Warrensburg, Missouri.’ He's put Warrensburg on the map.”
Stories of Reed’s legend in Warrensburg were shared by some of his friends and family members on Saturday.
Uhler said before Bruce Reed ever got to the 260-pound fighting weight he was during his prime, he was a skinny kid growing up. But, once he got in the weight room, it was hard to get him to leave.
“He would lay that on the bench (in high school), and for two hours of practice, you would hear him,” Uhler said while mocking Reed’s iron pumping.
Bruce Reed’s high school friend Scott Dunham remembered that metal clanking sound. He also remembered a wager he had with Bruce Reed.
“We lifted weights after school every day, and then after we're done lifting, we'd always go play a game of horse,” Dunham said. “We did that for three years, and he ended up owing me about a million dollars, and I won every game for all those years. He goes, ‘I'll pay you one of these days.’”
Bruce Reed passed away in 2021 at the age of 66 due to complications from two heart attacks. Tim Reed believed Bruce would have stayed humble if he were still alive today.
“If he were here, he would probably say, ‘You don't have to do that, but you're going to do it anyway,’” Tim Reed said.
All the funds raised in the Bruce Reed Memorial Fund support those who have dealt with domestic violence, homelessness and the Manna Harvest Food Bank at the Shiloh Baptist Church.
On Saturday, Shiloh Baptist pastor Terrence Moody accepted a $500 check from Tim Reed to go towards the church’s efforts in combating food insecurity. The check was presented in honor of Bruce Reed, who was a lifetime member of the church.
Tim Reed hopes to one day add his brother’s name to Blind Boone Park so that future generations can remember his name.
For more information, visit the Bruce Reed Memorial Fund - AKA “The Natural Hacksaw Butch Reed,” Facebook group. To donate to the fund, reach out to Tim Reed for PayPal, Venmo and Cash App account information.
Zach Bott can be reached at 660-747-8123.
