Mid-South

Reed established himself as a force to be reckoned with while competing in Bill Watts’ Mid-South Wrestling from 1983 through early 1986. In Mid-South, he was known as “Hacksaw" Butch Reed and came into the territory as a tag team partner for the main face in the territory the Junkyard Dog. Reed immediately came face to face with "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan over the “Hacksaw" nickname. Back in 1983, Duggan was part of the heel group the "Rat Pack" along with Ted DiBiase and Matt Borne and used every dirty move he could think of to beat Butch Reed. Reed and Duggan would feud over the “Hacksaw" name until Jim Duggan turned face. Duggan’s face turn resulted in Butch Reed’s heel turn when Duggan was picked to be the Junkyard Dog’s tag team partner over Reed.

Reed appeared on TV stating that "Butch Reed is going to start looking out for Butch Reed", which prompted the Junkyard Dog (JYD) to join him in the ring. After arguing back and forth, Reed attacked JYD and was soon joined in the attack by Ted Dibiase. On July 16, 1983, Butch Reed won the Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship and proceeded to turn back JYD’s challenges in subsequent months.[2] In October 1983, Reed’s arrogance made him agree to let the Mid-South fans pick a challenger for the North American title; he let them pick from the JYD, “Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, newcomer Krusher Khruschev, and Magnum T.A.. The fans picked JYD but Reed dismissed the choice; he also said Duggan and Khruschev did not deserve a shot and instead gave the title shot to a very young and inexperienced T.A. As fate would have it, T.A. beat Reed to win the title, then lost it 12 days later to Nikolai Volkoff.[2]

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