Necro Butcher

2.1. Early career (1998-2001)

Summers made his professional wrestling debut on January 2, 1998, teaming with Aaron White against Victor Pain and Canyon. In his early years, he worked on various small independent shows across Texas under the ring names "Michael Van Slyck" and later "Sanders". On March 16, 1999, using the name Necro Butcher, he secured his first professional wrestling championship by defeating Damon Richards for the IHW Hardcore Championship. His growing popularity in Texas wrestling led him to TCW, where he overcame rival Jay Diego to claim the company's Hardcore Championship. However, a dispute with the promoter led to him losing the title to Hellhammer and subsequently leaving the company. Despite this, Butcher continued to build his reputation as a violent deathmatch wrestler in Texas, notably facing Mad Man Pondo for the first time on October 10, 1999.

2.2. IWA Mid-South (2001-2008)

Necro Butcher began working with IWA Mid-South in 2001 to establish himself in major independent leagues, achieving widespread visibility by 2002 as a regular across NWA promotions. In July 2002, he triumphed in the King of the Deathmatch tournament, defeating Mark Wolf, Mitch Page, 2 Tuff Tony, and Spyder Nate Webb in the final.

One of his most infamous matches was a 200 Light Tubes deathmatch against Mad Man Pondo at IWA-MS: No Blood, No Guts, No Glory. Inspired by similar matches in Japan, this encounter became one of the bloodiest and most gruesome in wrestling history. Lasting 10 minutes, the match involved numerous botched spots, landings on broken glass, and fluorescent light tubes being smashed over each other. Both Necro and Pondo suffered horrific mutilations from the mercury and carcinogen-laden glass, with Necro sustaining a deep 2 in wide flesh wound in his left arm. Unlike Japanese matches, the ring attendants did not clean the glass during the match, and the ring itself was smaller than a standard wrestling ring.

In 2005, Necro reached the finals of the Strong Style Tournament, defeating Eddie Kingston and B. J. Whitmer before losing to Chris Hero. He also had two high-profile matches against major independent wrestling stars. In 2005, he faced Samoa Joe in the main event of IWA's debut at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, losing the bout. He lost to Joe again in January 2006. Three months later, in April, he lost to Low Ki in Low Ki's second match for the promotion. They had a rematch in December 2006 under a tap out/knock out stipulation, which Necro also lost. Despite losing all four of these matches, his ability to absorb significant punishment from Joe and Ki maintained his high standing.

In mid-2007, at IWA MS Point Proven in Philadelphia, Necro and his frequent tag team partner Toby Klein, known as The Tough Crazy Bastards, were defeated by Low-Ki and Homicide. The Tough Crazy Bastards were accompanied to the ring by Halfbreed Billy Gram. Necro eventually won his first IWA gold, the Death Match Championship, on September 9, 2007, in Sellersburg, Indiana, in a three-way dance against Corporal Robinson and Tank. He held the title until March 1, 2008, when he lost it to Danny Havoc.

2.3. Combat Zone Wrestling (2002-2012)

Necro Butcher's success in IWA Mid-South elevated him to a prominent figure in hardcore-oriented independent promotions across North America, including Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW). He debuted in CZW with a program against Wifebeater, losing to him in the first CZW Tournament of Death in 2002. He returned the following year, being eliminated in round two by Ian Rotten. Necro advanced to the final of the 3rd annual Tournament of Death before finally winning Tournament of Death 4 by defeating John Zandig and Nick Gage. This victory made him the first wrestler to win both the King of the Deathmatch and the Tournament of Death.

At Cage of Death VII on December 10, 2005, Necro, alongside Toby Klein and Joker, faced Nick Gage, Justice Pain, and John Zandig. During the match, Justice Pain attempted a Pain Thriller on Necro, but Necro sandbagged the move. On a second attempt, Pain threw Necro over the top rope and to the floor. Necro immediately returned to the ring, leading to a legitimate conflict, known as legit heat, with Pain. Necro began throwing real punches and kicks, shocking officials who were tending to other wrestlers in the cage. Despite the intensity, both wrestlers resolved the situation amicably after the match, and the conflict did not continue.

Necro returned to CZW at Cage of Death XI on December 12, 2009. On April 10, 2011, he wrestled Japanese deathmatch icon Jun Kasai in a losing effort. He competed in the 10th Annual Tournament of Death in 2011 but was defeated by "Bulldozer" Matt Tremont in the first round. Necro's final appearance in CZW during this period was at Cerebral on October 13, 2012, where he lost to the reigning CZW World Heavyweight Champion Masada.

2.4. Juggalo Championship Wrestling (2003-2013)

Summers debuted in Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW) at the 2003 Gathering of the Juggalos, facing "Hollywood" Chuck Hogan in a Light Tube Deathmatch. The footage from this event was ultimately scrapped due to the numerous injuries sustained by wrestlers and the unruly behavior of the fans. Later that year, Summers fought Mad Man Pondo in a deathmatch that was released on JCW, Vol. 3. Soon after, the two men formed a tag team, and Summers became a regular fixture at the annual Gathering of the Juggalos, quickly becoming a staple in the company.

In 2007, Summers toured with JCW for the filming of the internet wrestling show SlamTV!. On the first episode, Insane Clown Posse announced that the JCW Tag Team Championship had been vacated, prompting several tag teams to emerge. Summers and Mad Man Pondo aligned, dominating their competition for several weeks. However, animosity began to grow between them due to miscommunication that cost them multiple matches, leading to fist fights and a series of one-on-one encounters. The team eventually reunited at "East Side Wars" and established themselves as top contenders for the vacant tag team titles. At Bloodymania, the duo won an 8-team tag team elimination match to become the new JCW Tag Team Champions. Their reign was short-lived, as Summers signed a contract with Ring of Honor, forcing Pondo to team with various partners before losing the title at a live event in Cleveland, Ohio, on January 26, 2008.

Summers returned to JCW at the Big Ballas X-Mas Party 2009, where he teamed with Pondo to face The Thomaselli Brothers. At Bloodymania IV, Summers and Pondo lost to the team of Balls Mahoney and Hollywood Chuck Hogan. On March 9, 2011, at Hardcore Hell, the team of Summers and Mad Man Pondo defeated The Haters in a hardcore Barbed Wire, Thumbtacks, and Ladders match to win their second JCW Tag Team Championship. They lost the championship to Ring Rydas the following month. On October 31, 2013, Necro Butcher defeated 2 Tuff Tony to win the JCW Heavyweight Championship.

2.5. Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (2006-2009)

Necro Butcher made his debut for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) on April 9, 2006, on the second night of All Star Weekend 3: Crazymania. He was a surprise opponent for Joey Ryan and challenged for the PWG World Heavyweight Championship in a No Disqualification, Falls Count Anywhere Match. Despite the favorable stipulations, Necro lost to Ryan, who pinned him while pulling his tights.

He returned for the 2006 Battle of Los Angeles, competing against Super Dragon in a No Count-Out, No Disqualification Match, which main evented the second night on September 2. Super Dragon won after hitting Necro with the Psycho Driver onto an open chair. The following night, Necro participated in an eight-man tag team match, partnering with Rocky Romero and The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli) against Colt Cabana, M-Dogg 20, Quicksilver, and Delirious. Necro's team lost when Quicksilver pinned Hero.

Necro was absent from PWG until Giant-Size Annual #4 on July 29, 2007. Originally scheduled to face Kevin Steen in a Street Fight, changes due to the absence of The Briscoe Brothers led to Necro instead answering Bryan Danielson's open challenge. They competed in a Necro Rules Match, which Danielson won.

He then competed in the 2007 Battle of Los Angeles, defeating Kevin Steen with a roll-up in a first-round tournament match on September 1. However, he lost to Nigel McGuinness in a second-round match the next night.

Necro became a regular member of the PWG roster through most of 2008, teaming with Chris Hero to defend Candice LeRae's honor against The Human Tornado and his allies, Claudio Castagnoli and Eddie Kingston. This storyline began on January 5 at All Star Weekend 6 with a Six-Person No Disqualification Tag Team Match, which Tornado's team won. The next night, Necro saved Candice from Tornado and then defeated Claudio Castagnoli in a Necro Rules Match with an O'Connor Roll.

At ¡Dia De Los Dangerous! on February 24, Necro faced The Human Tornado in a one-night tournament match for the vacant PWG World Heavyweight Championship. Despite being contested under Necro Rules, Tornado won and went on to win the title later that night. Necro then faced Eddie Kingston in another Necro Rules Match at Scared Straight on March 7, which Kingston also won.

Necro took a break before returning on May 18, 2008, for the second night of the DDT4 tournament. He was scheduled to face The Human Tornado in a non-title Necro Rules Match, but Tornado's quad injury led to Jay Briscoe taking his place, a match Necro won.

At It's It (What Is It?) on June 8, Necro was originally set to team with Chris Hero to challenge Roderick Strong and Jack Evans for the PWG World Tag Team Championship. Due to Strong's injury, it was changed to a Three-Way Match to determine the Number One Contender for the PWG World Heavyweight Championship, which Hero won by pinning Necro.

At Life During Wartime on July 6, Necro competed in a Necro Rules Match against popular Japanese comedy wrestler Kikutaro. Necro won the "Dangerous Comedy Match" after Kikutaro was knocked out under a pile of chairs thrown into the ring by Necro and the fans. Necro later helped prevent Claudio Castagnoli from interfering in the main event, where Chris Hero defeated The Human Tornado for the PWG World Heavyweight Championship in a Steel Cage Guerrilla Warfare Match.

As a gesture of thanks, Hero granted Necro a spot in a Four-Way Match for the PWG World Heavyweight Championship on August 30, the first night of All Star Weekend 7. The other challengers were Eddie Kingston and Low Ki. Despite Low Ki locking Necro in a Dragon Sleeper submission hold, Necro refused to give up, allowing Hero to retain the title by pinning Kingston. The next night, Necro avenged his earlier loss to Kingston in another Necro Rules Match, pinning him with a Diving Crossbody.

Hero once again gave Necro an opportunity in the 2008 Battle of Los Angeles, where they faced each other in a non-title No Disqualification tournament match, the main event of November 1. Hero won by submission. The following night, Necro formed an unusual alliance with El Generico and Nick Jackson in a Nine-Man Three-Way Tag Team Match. This chaotic match, further complicated by the collapse of the top two ropes and an impromptu battle royal, ended when Davey Richards pinned Necro with a fast count. When Generico and Nick Jackson couldn't reason with the referee, Necro retaliated by smashing a chair over his head.

Necro's appearances in PWG decreased in 2009. He faced Austin Aries at Express Written Consent on February 21 in a Necro Rules Match, which Aries won with a Brainbuster onto a chair. Necro's last appearance for the promotion was on June 28 at The Secret of Guerrilla Island, where he lost to Joey Ryan in another Necro Rules Match. He has not returned to PWG since.

2.6. Ring of Honor (2006-2010)

Necro Butcher first wrestled in Ring of Honor (ROH) in 2006 as part of Chris Hero's invasion, representing CZW. He participated in several significant matches, including the Cage of Death match at Death before Dishonor IV as part of Team CZW. His final appearance in ROH as a CZW representative was in a No Ropes Barbed Wire Match against B. J. Whitmer.

He returned to ROH a year later in August 2007 at ROH's third pay-per-view, Man Up, as a member of the newly debuted stable The Age of the Fall alongside Jimmy Jacobs, Tyler Black, and Lacey. With barbed wire wrapped around his arm and fist, the trio attacked The Briscoe Brothers. Later that night, he caused the premature end of two matches: first by throwing a chair into the ring, hitting Jack Evans during his match with Tyler Black, and then by breaking up a subsequent Six-Man Tag Team match after punching the referee.

In early October 2007, following the incidents at Man Up, Butcher won two consecutive Anything Goes Matches against Jay Briscoe. Since then, Butcher was featured in numerous high-profile 'brawling' and hardcore-style matches. These included losses to Bryan Danielson in a 'Relaxed Rules' match, to Jack Evans in a No Disqualification Match, to Kevin Steen in a Street Fight, and a loss in a 3-Way No Disqualification Match to Roderick Strong for the FIP World Heavyweight Championship. On October 25, 2008, Necro fought Go Shiozaki for the FIP World Heavyweight Championship, but the match resulted in a double count-out. Afterwards, The Age of the Fall attacked Butcher.

Necro feuded with Prince Nana's heel stable The Embassy before turning heel himself and joining the stable in their battle against Rasche Brown on May 21, 2010. His final ROH appearance was at the October 2, 2010, tapings of Ring of Honor Wrestling, where he was defeated by Homicide in a Butcher's Rules match before being released by the promotion.

2.7. Other promotions and notable matches

Beyond his signature deathmatch style involving light tubes and barbed wire, Necro Butcher has also earned critical acclaim for his wild brawls and intensely physical "slugfests." Perhaps the most renowned example was his first match against TNA and ROH veteran Samoa Joe at IWA Mid-South's "Something To Prove" in 2005. Despite the absence of traditional weapons beyond a chair and a guardrail, the match was exceptionally brutal and well-received by both deathmatch fans and purists, demonstrating Butcher's ability to deliver compelling performances without relying solely on the extreme weaponry with which he was typically associated.

He also competed in the Chikara Tag World Grand Prix 2005 alongside Mad Man Pondo, reaching the quarter-finals before being disqualified for illegal tactics. Additionally, he wrestled and won a European catch wrestling match against Chris Hero. On April 9, 2006, he challenged for the PWG World Championship but lost to the reigning champion, Joey Ryan. In recent years, many promoters have recognized Butcher's brawling skills and increasingly placed him in non-deathmatch competitions against wrestlers he wouldn't typically face. IWA-MS, in particular, organized matches between Butcher and opponents like Samoa Joe (twice), Homicide, Roderick Strong, Chris Hero, Super Dragon, Low Ki, and Eddie Kingston.

Butcher once wrestled in Chikara on February 24, 2006, as part of 'Team WWF' at their Tag World Grand Prix. He adopted the persona of CP Munk - the 'Straight Edge' Chipmunk (Almond Free, Acorn Free, and Better Than You), a parody of CM Punk. This involved him wearing a large chipmunk costume with 'CM Punk-style' markings, including a Pepsi logo on his arm and 'X's drawn on tape over his fists. He partnered with 'Colt Ca-Bunny' (a parody of Colt Cabana, Punk's tag-team partner), who was actually Joker in a rabbit costume. They defeated ROH students Matt Turner & Anthony Franco in the first round but lost to Eddie Kingston & Sabian in the second.

Butcher also regularly wrestled for Full Impact Pro, where he gained notoriety as both a brawler and half of a hardcore tag team with "Mad Man" Pondo, notably during their feud for the FIP Tag Team Championship against The Briscoe Brothers. Following this, he had memorable matches against Roderick Strong in an unsuccessful challenge for the FIP World Heavyweight Championship, and an Anything Goes match against Delirious.

Butcher participated in the first Dragon Gate show in the United States on September 5, 2008, in Bell Gardens, California. He faced "Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa as part of the latter's Reckless Run Series in a "Dangerous Comedy Match." Butcher initially won in eighteen seconds after knocking Ichikawa out with a punch in retaliation for being slapped. Ichikawa requested an immediate restart, and they fought a longer match until Butcher ultimately won with a Necro Bomb onto a pile of chairs.

Butcher frequently appeared at Dallas, Texas-based Wrecking Ball Wrestling, where he feuded with Skandor Akbar's associates, most notably Dr. Knuckles. He also appeared in the Queens, NY-based Impact Championship Wrestling, where he was defeated by Maximus Sex Power in his debut. Additionally, Butcher served as the (kayfabe) Commissioner of the NJ-based Pro Wrestling Syndicate promotion. He competed for PWS from 2007 onwards, facing stars such as Sabu, Sandman, and The Amazing Red. He also notably faced New Jack in Jack's retirement match on night two of PWS Supercard in April 2013.

2.8. Retirement and returns (2016-present)

Dylan Summers' initial retirement match took place on June 11, 2016, in Sayreville, New Jersey, as the main event of Pro Wrestling Syndicate's Super Card 2016. In a six-man tag team match, Necro Butcher, Grim Reefer, and Smokey C were defeated by Sabu, Rhino, and Devon Moore.

In December 2018, it was announced that Necro Butcher would come out of retirement to wrestle at Game Changer Wrestling's Joey Janela's Spring Break 3 event on April 5, 2019. Since this return, Necro Butcher has had several more matches, including two deathmatch losses in Japan. He notably came out of retirement for Shadow WX's new promotion, Major Leaguers Wrestling, in Japan, after working as an MLB stadium employee.

Necro Butcher had what was billed as his final match on January 4, 2020, at ICW No Holds Barred vol. 1, where he was defeated by SHLAK. After the match, he symbolically passed the torch and physically handed his "Choose Death" shirt to SHLAK. However, on April 9, 2022, Necro Butcher returned again at Xtreme Pro Wrestling during the Killafornia event in Pomona, California. During the event, a fan threw a beer bottle at him after a match, leading to the fan's ejection.

3.1. In-ring characteristics

Necro Butcher is renowned for his highly physical, brawling, and often self-destructive style. He is particularly known for his "spectacular receiving" and ability to absorb extreme attacks, often displaying a "sloppy receiving" style that contributes to his unique appeal. His matches frequently feature intense punching and a willingness to endure brutal impacts from barbed wire, thumbtacks, fluorescent light tubes, and even fire. Early in his career, around 2001, he notably wore black eyeliner during his matches.

A common performance element for him, particularly in Japan, involved him taking a metal folding chair and hitting the bottom of it against his head repeatedly to demonstrate his toughness and entertain the crowd. His overall persona, resembling a "homeless" figure with tattered jeans, long hair, and a beard, combined with his brutally intense yet inimitable performances, led to him being affectionately dubbed "America's Deathmatch Old Man" in Japan, where he gained significant popularity.

3.2. Signature moves

• Punch
• Tiger Driver
• Asian Spike (choke sleeper)

3.3. Entrance theme

While Necro Butcher used various entrance themes throughout his career, he most notably utilized "Free Bird" by the American Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. This song was famously an early entrance theme for Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy's tag team, The Fabulous Freebirds.