Necro Butcher Signs Legends Deal With WWE

Necro Butcher announced that he signed a basic legends deal with WWE. The agreement was confirmed as accurate by sources within the company. WWE President Nick Khan led the effort to secure the deal.

The signing stands out because Necro Butcher built his reputation almost entirely outside of wrestling's largest promotions. He became known for an exceptionally violent style that frequently featured weapons and the elements of deathmatch wrestling.

Necro Butcher's real name is Dylan Keith Summers. Born on July 13, 1973, in West Virginia, he made his professional wrestling debut in 1998. Over time he faced several prominent names from the 2000s independent scene, including Bryan Danielson, Kevin Steen, Eddie Kingston, Chris Hero, Claudio Castagnoli and Samoa Joe.

He also appeared in the 2008 film The Wrestler starring Mickey Rourke. A 2005 match against Samoa Joe at IWA Mid-South's Something to Prove event in Philadelphia gained a reputation for its brutality, highlighted by a moment in which Joe kicked him off arena bleachers onto the concrete floor.

More than two decades later the match received renewed attention when it became the focus of an episode in the seventh season of Dark Side of the Ring. The episode examined the bout along with Butcher's life and career. The full episode was later released on YouTube in July and has accumulated more than 700,000 views.

Butcher moved from being featured in the documentary to signing the WWE Legends deal months afterward. The contract typically permits the use of a wrestler's name and likeness for merchandise, video games and other projects while allowing for possible appearances.