Butcher

A butcher's, Tacuinum sanitatis casanatensis (XIV (14th) century)
Occupation
Activity sectors	Manufacturing
Description

A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or do any combination of these three tasks.^[1] They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments. A butcher may be employed by supermarkets, grocery stores, butcher shops and fish markets or may be self-employed.^[2]

An ancient trade, whose duties may date back to the domestication of livestock, butchers formed guilds in England as far back as 1272.^[3] Today, many jurisdictions offer trade certifications for butchers. Some areas expect a three-year apprenticeship followed by the option of becoming a master butcher.^[4][5]

Duties[link]

Primary butchery in a meat packing plant, 1873

Butchery is a traditional work. In the industrialized world, slaughterhouses use butchers (slaughtermen, in British English) to slaughter the animals, performing one or a few of the steps repeatedly as specialists on a semiautomated disassembly line. The steps include stunning (rendering the animal incapacitated), exsanguination (severing the carotid or brachial arteries to facilitate blood removal), skinning (removing the hide or pelt) or scalding and dehairing (pork), evisceration (removing the viscera) and splitting (dividing the carcass in half longitudinally).

After the carcasses are chilled (unless "hot-boned"), primary butchery consists of selecting carcasses, sides, or quarters from which primal cuts can be produced with the minimum of wastage, separate the primal cuts from the carcasses using the appropriate tools and equipment following company procedures, trim primal cuts and prepare for secondary butchery or sale, and store cut meats. Secondary butchery involves boning and trimming primal cuts in preparation for sale. Historically, primary and secondary butchery were performed in the same establishment, but the advent of methods of preservation and low cost transportation has largely separated them.

In the rest of the world, it is common for butchers to perform many or all of the butcher's duties. Where refrigeration is less common, these skills are required to sell the meat of slaughtered animals.

Butcher shop[link]

Two butchers at work.

Some butchers sell their goods in specialized stores, commonly termed a butcher shop (American English) or butcher's shop (British English). Butchers at a butcher shop may perform primary butchery, but will typically perform secondary butchery to prepare fresh cuts of meat for sale. These shops may also sell related products, such as food preparation supplies, baked goods and grocery items. Butcher shops can have a wider variety of animal types, meat cuts and quality of cuts. Additionally, butcher shops may focus on a particular culture, or nationality, of meat production. Some butcher shops, termed "meat delis", may also include a delicatessen.^[6]

In the United States, butcher shops are becoming less common because of the increasing popularity of supermarkets. Supermarkets employ butchers for secondary butchery, but in the United States even that role is diminished with the advent of "case-ready" meat, where the product is packaged for retail sale at the packinghouse or specialized central processing plants.

Primal cut[link]

See also, Cut of beef

See also, Cut of lamb

See also, Cut of pork

A primal cut is a piece of meat initially separated from the carcass during butchering. Different countries and cultures make these cuts in different ways, and primal cuts also differ between type of carcass. The British, American and French primal cuts all differ in some respects. A notable example is fatback, which in Europe is an important primal cut of pork, but in North America is regarded as trimmings to be used in sausage or rendered into lard. The primal cuts may be sold complete or cut further.

Metaphorical use[link]

See also Butcher (disambiguation)

In various periods and cultures, the term "butcher" has been applied to people who act cruelly to other human beings or slaughter them. For example, Pompey, a prominent Roman general and politician of the first century BC, got the Latin nickname adulescentulus carnifex, translated as "The Teenage Butcher" or "The Butcher Boy", due to brutal treatment of political opponents in the early part of his career.

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Butchers

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Butchers

Look up butcher in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Beef ring
• Charcuterie
• Meat cutter
• Sausage making
• Slaughterhouse

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Pat Whelan, 2010, 'An Irish Butcher Shop, Collins Press
• Slovak Pig Slaughter, Butchering, and Traditional Sausage Making - article in English with detailed pictures of Slovak family following traditional procedures
• Butcher / Meat Cutter Career Guide

v t e Meat Poultry and game Chicken Duck Turkey Goose Pheasant Grouse Ostrich Quail Partridge Rabbit Venison Livestock Beef and Veal Bison Dog Goat Guinea pig Horse Kangaroo Lamb and mutton Llama Pork Yak Fish and seafood Crab Crayfish Lobster Prawn Shrimp Anchovy Basa Bass Catfish Carp Cod Crappie Dolphin Eel Flounder Grouper Haddock Halibut Herring Kingfish Mackerel Mahi Mahi Marlin Milkfish Orange roughy Perch Pike Pollock Salmon Sardine Sole Swordfish Tilapia Trout Tuna Walleye Whale Cuts and preparation Bacon Barbecued Braised Burgers Chop Corned Cured Fondue Fried Haggis Ham Aged Marinated Offal Pepperoni Pickled Poached Roasted Salami Sausage Salt-cured Smoked Steak Stewed Tartare Tenderized Other Butchery Ethics Preservation Slaughter Red meat White meat

Jim Butcher
Born	(1971-10-26) October 26, 1971 (age 40)
Occupation	Novelist
Nationality	American
Period	April 2000–present
Genres	Fantasy, Speculative fiction, Science fiction
Notable work(s)	The Dresden Files, Codex Alera
Influences J. R. R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Lloyd Alexander
www.jim-butcher.com

Jim Butcher (born in Independence, Missouri, United States, on October 26, 1971)^[1] is a New York Times Best Selling author^[2][3] most known for his contemporary fantasy book series The Dresden Files. He also wrote the Codex Alera series. Butcher grew up as the only son of his parents, and has two older sisters. He currently lives in Independence with his wife, Shannon K. Butcher (an author of romance novels), one son, and his guard dog, F. D. M. Butcher.^{[citation needed]}

Career biography[link]

While he was sick with strep throat as a child, Butcher's sisters introduced him to The Lord of the Rings and The Han Solo Adventures novels to pass the time, thus beginning his fascination with fantasy and science fiction.^[4] As a teenager, he completed his first novel and set out to become a writer. After many unsuccessful attempts to enter the traditional fantasy genre (he cites J. R. R. Tolkien, Lloyd Alexander, and C.S. Lewis, among others, as major influences),^[4] he wrote the first book in The Dresden Files—about a professional wizard in modern-day Chicago—as an exercise for a writing course in 1996 at the age of 25.

For two years, Butcher floated his manuscript amongst various publishers before hitting the convention circuit to make contacts in the industry. After meeting Butcher in person, Ricia Mainhardt, the agent who discovered Laurell K. Hamilton, agreed to represent him, kick-starting his writing career.^[5] However, Butcher and Mainhardt have since parted ways; Jennifer Jackson is his current agent.^[6] Butcher has written two series: The Dresden Files and Codex Alera. Codex Alera has ended after six novels and The Dresden Files are still ongoing; he has also written a Spider-Man novel, entitled The Darkest Hours, released on June 27, 2006. In addition, he contributed a short story for publication in My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding with Charlaine Harris and Sherrilyn Kenyon, among others, released in October 2006. He has since contributed to the anthologies Many Bloody Returns in September 2007 and My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon in December 2007.^[7] In October 2008, he released another short story in Blood Lite and a novelette, Backup, illustrated by Mike Mignola.^[8]

The Dresden Files series[link]

Six months after Butcher was signed by Mainhardt, Storm Front, the first novel in The Dresden Files, was picked up by ROC for publishing. It was released as a paperback in April 2000. Fool Moon followed nine months later on January 1, 2001, and the third book, Grave Peril, was published in September 2001. Thereafter, the release schedule slowed, with Summer Knight appearing on September 3, 2002. The fifth and sixth books, Death Masks and Blood Rites, appeared in August 2003 and 2004, respectively. Coinciding with the release of Blood Rites, Butcher published a Harry Dresden short story, entitled Restoration of Faith, on his website, chronicling Harry's life before The Dresden Files as a private eye for Ragged Angel Investigations.^[9] In December 2004, the Science Fiction Book Club picked up the first three novels in the series for release in a hardcover omnibus edition entitled Wizard for Hire for a March–April 2005 rush release in order to arrive on store shelves before the seventh novel in May.^[10]

Dead Beat, released on May 3, 2005, was the first hardback release in the series by ROC. The first printing of 15,000 copies sold out in three days, and the book was immediately reprinted.^[11] A second omnibus edition, called Wizard by Trade and containing Summer Knight and Death Masks, appeared in early 2006, followed by Proven Guilty on May 2, 2006, the same day as the paperback edition of Dead Beat. Proven Guilty quickly climbed to #21 on the New York Times Best Seller List and #91 on the USA Today list.^[2] A third omnibus release from the Science Fiction Book Club entitled Wizard at Large and containing Blood Rites and Dead Beat was released in November 2006.^[12]

A ninth book from ROC, White Night, was released on April 3, 2007, shortly after the paperback edition for Proven Guilty in February. White Night reached the top five of the New York Times Best Seller List on an initial printing of 100,000 copies.^[13] Small Favor, the tenth book in the series, was released April 1, 2008.^[14] It debuted at number two on the New York Times Best Seller List, Butcher's highest debut ever,^[15] and number three on the USA Today best seller list.^[16] The eleventh book in the series, Turn Coat, was released April 7, 2009. The 12th book in the series, Changes, was released April 6, 2010.^[17] The 13th book, Ghost Story, was released July 26, 2011. The series garners a strong following and is now available in several languages, including Russian, Spanish, Dutch, French, Czech, Polish, German and Mandarin Chinese.

The Dresden Files in other media[link]

Audiobooks and game[link]

Due to the popularity of The Dresden Files, Buzzy Media Publishing has released the first four novels as audiobooks in both audio and MP3 CD formats. They are voiced by actor James Marsters. Storm Front was released in July 2002 as an unabridged 8-CD set, with an unabridged 9-CD set of Fool Moon following in August 2003. The Grave Peril audiobook shipped as an unabridged 10-CD set on October 28, 2004, with a free t-shirt bundled with all purchases before December 26, 2004. Summer Knight was released March 31, 2007. All four have since been released in MP3-CD format with fewer discs.

Buzzy Multimedia announced in November 2007 that Penguin Audio had purchased the audio rights to the remaining Dresden Files novels, and the tenth novel, Small Favor, would be next in line for audio treatment. The audio book was released simultaneously with the hardcover April 1, 2008.^[18] Jim-Butcher.com reports that Penguin Audio intends to produce and release the remaining novels as soon as James Marsters' schedule allows.^[19]

On December 16, 2004 Butcher also inked a deal with Evil Hat Productions to release a role-playing game based on The Dresden Files. The game uses a modified ruleset from Evil Hat's acclaimed Fate RPG.^[20]

Television show[link]

Television writer and producer Morgan Gendel optioned The Dresden Files in June 2003, paving the way for a film or television release of the series.^[21] On April 5, 2004, Sci Fi announced production of a two-hour backdoor pilot film of The Dresden Files based on the events of Storm Front in conjunction with Lions Gate Television and Saturn Films, with Nicolas Cage and Norm Golightly set to executive produce. Gendel was listed to write and executive produce the television series, along with Anthony Peckham.^[21] Initially, Harry Dresden was listed as "Erik" Dresden, but by the end of 2004 the name had been canned in early drafts of the pilot in favor of Harry.^[10]

On October 5, 2005, Variety reported that the television project had been officially greenlit by Sci Fi, with Hans Beimler and Robert Wolfe coming onboard as executive producers with Cage, Golightly, and Gendel. Production of the pilot took place in Toronto, and the original intent was to air the pilot movie in the summer of 2006.^[22] In November, the Sci Fi Wire released casting details for the series, with Paul Blackthorne cast as Harry Dresden over James Marsters, who turned down the opportunity to audition because he was unwilling to relocate from Los Angeles.^[23] In May 2006, Sci Fi announced an initial purchase of eleven episodes of The Dresden Files and a January 2007 premiere of the two-hour pilot movie.^[24] However, the two-hour pilot was not shown, and the show premiered on January 21, 2007 with the episode Birds of a Feather, originally intended to be the third episode.^{[citation needed]} The show garnered mixed reviews^[25]

After the season one finale aired on April 15, 2007, fans began a letter campaign in an attempt to have the show renewed.^[26] Sci Fi decided not to continue production on the Dresden Files the following August.^[27]

The Codex Alera series[link]

After the success of Dresden, Butcher returned to the traditional fantasy genre with his second series, Codex Alera. The series chronicles the life of a young man named Tavi from the Calderon Valley of Alera on the world of Carna. The people of Alera have grown complacent with the trappings of empire (the story is based loosely on the late Roman Empire) and their control of powerful elemental forces known as furies. On March 3, 2003, Jim Butcher announced that Ace won a bidding war against rival publisher Del Rey Books for the rights to the series.^[28]

The first novel in the series, Furies of Calderon, was published in hardcover by Ace, and in August 2004, major booksellers began taking pre-orders for an October 5, 2004 release. Furies of Calderon was the first hardcover release for Butcher,^[29] and was a significant step forward in making the transition from a part-time to a full-time writer.^[30] A paperback version followed in June, 2005, just a month before the release of the second book, Academ's Fury. It was released in paperback on November 28, 2006, with the third novel, Cursor's Fury, following on December 5.

While originally intended to be a six-book series, Codex Alera was initially signed as a trilogy. After the series showed success, Roc agreed to publish three more novels in the Codex Alera series.^[31] The fourth novel, Captain's Fury, released December 4, 2007 and peaked at #17 on the New York Times Best Seller List.^[7] The fifth novel, Princeps' Fury, was released November 25, 2008 and peaked at #13 on the New York Times Best Seller List.^[32] The sixth and final novel, First Lord's Fury, was released on November 24, 2009 and has reached #7 on the New York Times Best Seller List.^[33]

Audio rights to the Codex Alera belong to Penguin Audio. Captain's Fury was released in audio format March 27, 2008, read by Kate Reading. Audio versions of the first three books were released in November, 2008. The audio book of Princeps' Fury was released simultaneously with the hardcover.^[8]

Bibliography[link]

The Dresden Files[link]

• "Restoration of Faith" (Harry Dresden short story)
• "Vignette" (Harry Dresden vignette)
• "Something Borrowed" (Harry Dresden short story), published in My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding (October 3, 2006, ISBN 0-312-34360-4)
• "It's My Birthday Too" (Harry Dresden short story), published in Many Bloody Returns (September 4, 2007, ISBN 0-441-01522-0)
• "Heorot" (Harry Dresden short story), published in My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon (December 26, 2007, ISBN 0-312-37504-2)
• "Day Off" (Harry Dresden short story), published in Blood Lite (October 21, 2008, ISBN 1-4165-6783-6)
• Welcome to the Jungle, a prequel to the series. A graphic novel, illustrated by Ardian Syaf), published by Dabel Brothers (October 21, 2008, ISBN 0-345-50746-0
• Backup: A Story of the Dresden Files (Harry Dresden novelette, illustrated by Mike Mignola), published by Subterranean Press (October 31, 2008, ISBN 1-59606-182-0)
• "The Warrior", published in Mean Streets (January 6, 2009, ISBN 978-0-451-46249-7)
• "Last Call", published in Strange Brew (July 7, 2009, ISBN 978-0-312-38336-7)
• "Even Hand", published in Dark and Stormy Knights (July 20, 2010, ISBN 978-0-312-59834-1)

Butcher received a nomination for the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story for Welcome to the Jungle.^[34]

Codex Alera[link]

Other[link]

• The Darkest Hours (June 27, 2006, ISBN 1-4165-1068-0)

Notes and references[link]

External links[link]

Find more about Jim Butcher on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Definitions and translations from Wiktionary
	Images and media from Commons
	Learning resources from Wikiversity
	News stories from Wikinews
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Textbooks from Wikibooks

• Dresden Files RPG
• SyFy.com | The Dresden Files (recaps)
• The Butcher Block: A podcast about Jim and his books.
• The official Jim Butcher Site
• Penguin Audio Register here to be notified when The Dresden Files 5..9 are released as audio books.
• Novel synopses, cover art, and reviews at FantasyLiterature.net
• 2011 Interview on the Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast
• Jim Butcher at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

This article has been nominated to be checked for its neutrality. Discussion of this nomination can be found on the talk page. (February 2012)

Abdullah the Butcher
Shreve devastating Andy Ellison in 2004.
Ring name(s)	Abdullah the Butcher Madman from the Sudan[1] Saladin Pikens[1] Zeras Amala[1] Kuroi Jujutsushi[1]
Billed height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[1]
Billed weight	360 lb (160 kg)[1]
Born	(1941-01-11) January 11, 1941 (age 71)[1] Windsor, Ontario[1]
Resides	Atlanta, Georgia
Billed from	The Sudan[1]
Debut	1958[1]

Lawrence Robert "Larry" Shreve^[1] (born on January 11, 1941^[1]) best known as Abdullah the Butcher, and also at times The Madman from the Sudan, is a semi-retired Canadian professional wrestler known as one of the most brutal or "hardcore" professional wrestlers of all-time.

The scars on his forehead are the result of frequent blading. According to Mick Foley, Shreve used to put gambling chips into the deep divots in his head to entertain (or scare) people at casinos. However, New Jack claimed in his RF Video shoot interview that the grooves in Shreve's head were surgically implemented.^[2]

An amateur martial artist, Shreve also has knowledge of judo and karate, often including this knowledge in his professional wrestling matches. This knowledge was mainly displayed by him using judo style throws, and karate chops.

Career[link]

Shreve grew up in Windsor, Ontario, Canada as part of a family of ten people in a deeply impoverished household.^[3] He learned karate and judo as a youth and, teaching fellow children in the backyard, claims to have eventually earned the title of seventh-degree grandmaster.^[3]

Standing 6 feet tall and weighing a robust 260 pounds, Shreve caught the attention of Montreal promoter Jack Britton,^[3] and he soon made his professional wrestling debut at age 17 in 1958. He initially competed in numerous independent territories north of the border under such various monikers as Pussycat Pickens, Kuroi Jujutsushi (The Black Wizard) and Zelis Amara. However, he ultimately created his legendary gimmick of an evil Arabian sadist; and in a match against Gino Brito^[3] (Jack Britton’s real-life son), Abdullah the Butcher first distinguished himself as one of the world’s most feared rule breakers when he broke a chair over Brito’s head and then beat him senseless with the leg.

Such acts of violence were only the beginning for the terrifying Abdullah the Butcher, whose menacing figure, excessive violence, and complete disregard for the safety of himself or his opponents quickly established his reputation for ruthless brutality. Abdullah’s matches almost always turned into bloodbaths, and he was infamous for stabbing his opponent’s wounds with his trademark fork (or any other foreign weapon that he could get his hands on). In addition to his hardcore style, Abdullah the Butcher was revolutionary with his habit of never staying in any one territory for too long, to avoid wearing out the novelty, and maintaining the notoriety, of his character. Constantly roaming from region to region, Abdullah propagated his reputation as the most violent wrestler in the world. Consequently, he was often brought into a territory as a hired gun to destroy a popular fan favorite, and his appearances usually sparked local interest.

Since his gimmick required that he speak no English (though it was in actuality his native tongue), he possessed an extraordinary number of managers over the course of his long career, including Gary Hart, Paul Jones, Eddie Creatchman, Black Baron, the Grand Wizard, J.J. Dillon, Damien Kane, Larry Sharpe, Oliver Humperdink, Buddy Colt, George Cannon, Bearcat Wright, Big Bad John, Gentleman Jim Holiday, and Rock Hunter, who were all portrayed as “handlers” commissioned to control the Sudanese madman, while also doing most of the talking in promos and interviews. He has, however, spoken for himself in promos while in Japan.

As a result of his frequent traveling, Abdullah the Butcher usually served as more of a special attraction than as a consistent championship contender. Accordingly, Abdullah never did win a World Heavyweight Championship, though he would capture a myriad of regional titles during his career. He won his first major championship on October 23, 1967 when he teamed with Dr. Jerry Graham to defeat John & Carlos Tolos for the NWA Canadian Tag Team Titles in Vancouver. A few years later, he ventured to the Montreal region, where he had three reigns as the IWA International Heavyweight Champion between 1969 and 1972, feuding against Ivan Koloff and Johnny Rougeau. He later served as one of the premier rule breakers in Calgary’s Stampede territory, capturing the NWA Canadian Championship, as well as having six North American Heavyweight Title reigns during the early 1970s. On June 24, 1972, he defeated Ernie Ladd in Akron, Ohio to capture his first of two NWF World Heavyweight Titles. During the mid-1970s, he frequently performed in Detroit, Michigan’s Big-Time Wrestling territory, where he engaged in a classic rivalry against local legend, The Sheik. He teamed with “Killer” Tim Brooks to win the region’s version of the NWA World Tag Team Titles before defeating Bobo Brazil on February 8, 1975 for the NWA United States Championship.

In addition to his successes in North America, Abdullah the Butcher would also become a true international superstar by performing in the Far East, Europe, the Caribbean, Australia, and Africa. On March 12, 1974, he traveled all the way to New Zealand, where he captured the prestigious British Empire Commonwealth Title by defeating the nation’s legendary champion John DaSilva. Abdullah would also establish himself as one of the premier attractions in Japan, where he competed as part of the round-robin tournament that ultimately crowned Giant Baba as All-Japan’s inaugural PWF Heavyweight Champion in February 1973. On October 18, 1978, Abdullah won that same prestigious PWF belt when he defeated European legend and former AWA champion Billy Robinson; and then on October 13, 1980, he also beat Jumbo Tsuruta to capture the NWA United National Heavyweight Title. His feud with Terry Funk is still considered one of the hottest feuds in Japan, and Funk claims to have had one of his top 3 all time greatest matches with Abdullah the Butcher.

He arrived in World Class Championship Wrestling in 1986, where he defeated The Great Kabuki for the Texas Brass Knuckles Title and waged war against the equally wild Bruiser Brody. However, perhaps Abby’s most memorable encounters occurred in Puerto Rico, where he was declared the very first WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion in July 1982 following three reigns as the Puerto Rican Champion between 1978-81. His violent battles against Carlos Colón and Hercules Ayala are legendary; and he long after remained one of the area’s top attractions, more recently defeating Carly Colón for his fifth Universal Title on January 3, 2004.

He was introduced in World Championship Wrestling in a giant, gift-wrapped box.^[4] This giant box was to be Sting's birthday gift from Cactus Jack.^[4] Sting unwrapped his gift and Abdullah attacked him, leading to both Abdullah and Cactus feuding with Sting after the incident. The feud culminated in a "Chamber of Horrors" match at Halloween Havoc 1991, in which Cactus accidentally electrocuted Abdullah in an electric chair, leading to a brief feud between the former allies.

In 1993, Abdullah arrived in ECW, where he participated in a storyline with Kevin Sullivan, Terry Funk and Stan Hansen, and wrestled at Ultra Clash and Bloodfest.

In late 2002, Abdullah made a one night appearance in Ring of Honor as Homicide's partner, facing the Carnage Crew in a bloody Bunkhouse Brawl at ROH's Night of the Butcher.

In 2007, the WWE and Jakks Pacific released an Abdullah The Butcher "WWE Classic Superstars" figure complete with the famous blade marks on top of his head. A DVD was also released named "The Triumph and Tragedy of World Class Wrestling" which included a bloody cage match between Abdullah and his famous rival Bruiser Brody.

The 2007 WWC's Anniversary show was dedicated to Abdullah the Butcher's legacy and contributions to WWC. On December 13, 2008 Shreve wrestled against Balls Mahoney in Bayamon Puerto Rico during the annual event WWC Lockout.

Abdullah says "I will be active throughout my life in Japan." During July 2009, he wrestled in Dragon Gate and Hustle. He also wrestled at the New Japan Pro Wrestling supershow Wrestle Kingdom IV in Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2010, as well as wrestling for Japanese independent promotion Osaka Pro Wrestling.

His entrance music in Japan is Pink Floyd's instrumental track "One of These Days" from their 1971 album Meddle.

Butcher at WrestleMania XXVII, as a Hall of Famer.

In 2009, Abdullah made an appearance at the Decatur Book Festival, facing off against author Michael Muhammad Knight, marking the first pro wrestling match ever held at a book festival. Abdullah pummeled Knight with chairs, forks, and a water cooler, not even stepping into the ring. Knight was taken from the festival in an ambulance and received 46 stitches. It was Right After Wrestling in March 2011, hosted by Arda Ocal and Jimmy Korderas, that Abdullah admitted his favorite wrestler to face was actually Lou Thesz^[5]

On April 2, 2011 Abdullah The Butcher was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in Atlanta. Subsequent to Abdullah's induction, 'Superstar' Billy Graham requested his name to be removed from the Hall, saying "It is a shameless organization to induct a bloodthirsty animal such as Abdullah The Butcher into their worthless and embarrassing Hall of Fame and I want the name of Superstar Billy Graham to be no part of it." ^[6] (Graham's outrage was due to the longstanding accusations that Abdullah was infecting wrestlers with Hepatitis C through sharing a blade and/or cutting wrestlers without their knowledge.)^[7] Abdullah responded, mentioning his previous friendship with Graham and questioning his outburst.^[8] Also in 2011, Abduallh returned to Georgia Championship Wrestling as a mentor/advisor to a local wrestler known as The Congo Warrior.

On January 2, 2012 Abdullah hinted that he would be retiring soon.^[9] The current plan is to do a 3/20 Abdullah the Butcher retirement show at Sumo Hall.^[9]

Legacy[link]

In addition to his hardcore style, his dietary habits have also become infamous in the wrestling world. He has been shown to eat announcers' ties, whole raw fish, he once even appeared to bite the head off a live chicken before a shocked crowd. Abdullah's appearances on the NWA's Georgia Championship Wrestling television broadcasts frequently highlighted his gustatory mayhem. While on camera he was shown eating reams of paper, cardboard boxes, the announcer's script, and even half of Gordon Solie's microphone. Prior to a match with local favorite Bob Armstrong he ate an entire live toad in front of Armstrong and his son as an act of intimidation. His unpredictable, ultra-violent style served as inspiration for other wrestlers, including “Maniac” Mark Lewin, Kevin Sullivan, Cactus Jack, Kamala, and Sabu, among others; and he still continues to compete on the independent circuit in a career that has now spanned five decades.

Abdullah has worked in nearly every major wrestling promotion in the world, with the exception of TNA and WWE.

Outside of wrestling, Shreve owns two restaurants (one in southwest Atlanta, the other in Japan) called "Abdullah the Butcher's House of Ribs and Chinese Food." Reviews of the Atlanta restaurant have been mixed. Most diners claim the Chinese portion of the menu is pretty scary, but that the ribs are better than average.^[10][11] Shreve is often on hand to meet fans and sign autographs. Shreve and his restaurant make a cameo appearance in the music video for the song "Damn!" by Atlanta recording artists Youngbloodz. Shreve's restaurant was also referenced in the 2006 Film "ATL" during a scene where the character Ant (played by Evan Ross) and two friends argue over a local barbecue.

WWE had been promoting Abdullah The Butcher more than ever since his Hall of Fame induction. He now has a profile and videos on their website and he is also featured on their "Best Steel Cage Matches" DVD.

In wrestling[link]

• Finishing moves
  • Bottom rope splash
  • Jumping headbutt
  • The Freight Train / The Butcher's Axe (Australia) (Running pointed elbow drop to the throat)^[1]

• Signature moves
  • Diving double foot stomp
  • Dropkick^[1]
  • Throat thrust^[1]

• Entrance themes
  • "One of These Days" by Pink Floyd (Japan)

• Managers

Championships and accomplishments[link]

• All Japan Pro Wrestling

• NWA International Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ray Candy^[15]
• NWA United National Championship (1 time)^[16]
• PWF United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[17]
• PWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[18]
• Champion's Carnival (1976, 1979)^[19][20]
• January 4th Korakuen Hall Heavyweight Battle Royal Winner (2008)^[21]

• Big Japan Pro Wrestling

• BJW Deathmatch Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[22]

• Central States Wrestling

• NWA Central States Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Roger Kirby

• Georgia Championship Wrestling

• NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[23]
• NWA Georgia Television Championship (1 time)^[24]

• International Wrestling Association

• IWA International Heavyweight Championship (3 times)

• Lutte Internationale (Montreal)

• Canadian International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[25]

• Midwest Wrestling Federation

• MWWF Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[26]

• NWA All-Star Wrestling

• NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (2 times) - with Dr. Jerry Graham (1) and Armand Hussein (1)^[27]
• NWA World Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) - with Dr. Jerry Graham^[28]

• NWA Detroit

• NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Detroit version) (1 time)
• NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version) (1 time) - with Killer Tim Brooks

• NWA New Zealand

• NWA New Zealand British Commonwealth Championship (1 time)

• NWA Southwest

• NWA Texas Hardcore Championship (1 time)^[29]

• National Wrestling Federation

• NWF Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[30]
• NWF International Championship (1 time)

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated

• PWI ranked him # 54 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003^[31]

• Stampede Wrestling

• NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Calgary version) (1 time)^[32]
• Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship (6 times)^[33]

• Tokyo Pro Wrestling

• TPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Benkei

• World Class Wrestling Association

• WCWA Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time)

• World Wrestling Council

• WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[34]
• WWC Hardcore Championship (1 time)
• WWC North American Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[35]
• WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship (3 times)^[36]
• WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship (3 times)^[37]
• WWC World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[37]

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)^[38]

• World Wrestling Entertainment
  • WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2011)

In popular culture[link]

• He is a superstar in Japan, where he appeared in some TV commercials.
  • Suntory/Daikin Industries/Denon/Sapporo Ichiban
• He starred with Hiroyuki Sanada in the kung fu action film Roaring Fire.
• Frequently, characters in Japanese anime or manga will be designed to resemble him, often with his signature scars. Examples include "Abdullah" from Kinnikuman and Mr. Heart from Fist of the North Star.
• The character of Butcher in Tiger Mask 2 is inspired by him.
• He also appeared in the Acclaim video game Legends of Wrestling II and it's sequel Showdown: Legends of Wrestling as well as Spike's King of Colosseum.
• He appears in the 1997 Nintendo 64 game WCW vs. nWo: World Tour, renamed as Saladin.
• The character and final boss, Grand Kong, from the Genesis game Wrestle War, is based on him.

References[link]

External links[link]