A first timer’s guide to the infamous Samoa Joe vs. Necro Butcher match | Opinion
After watching and reviewing the latest Dark Side of The Ring episode about the infamous Samoa Joe vs. Necro Butcher match in 2005, something occurred to me: I have never actually seen it for myself despite knowing about it for years.
I’m not a big fan of death matches. I’ve seen a few and watched some of the Mick Foley and Terry Funk stuff from Japan, but overall, I prefer my wrestling to be pretend enough that I know no one is in real danger. I don’t mind violence or blood in matches, but ECW and the WWE “hardcore” style are about as rough as I like to get.
So, I sought out the match in order to be prepared to review the episode and thought it would be good to do a recap of it, not unlike the other recapping I do for F4W. So with all that said:
Samoa Joe vs. Necro Butcher
IWA Mid-South – June 11, 2005, at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia.
Right off the bat, Necro and Joe got in each other’s faces. The ref tried to separate them but got tossed out of the ring by Joe. From there, the two men threw bombs until Joe sent Necro out with an enziguri.
Joe dove through the ropes onto Necro and the fight moved into the crowd. Joe sat Necro in a chair as the crowd scattered and kicked him in the chest repeatedly. Necro got to his feet and head butted and chopped Joe.
The two traded headbutts and chops as Necro started to bleed. Necro grabbed any chairs he could and threw five of them at Joe’s head. Necro then dumped Joe over the barricade onto the entrance ramp.
Necro threw Joe over the opposite guardrail and went for him, but Joe grabbed him in a powerslam. Unfortunately, Joe slipped on the wet floor and drove Necro’s face directly into the concrete.
Joe grabbed a chair and smashed it over Necro’s head. Joe then sat Necro back in the chair and hit him with a running kick. Joe wiped the blood from Necro’s face on his chest then hit him with a knee strike. He threw Necro over the railing as CM Punk, also in attendance, asked for someone to call an ambulance.
Joe put Necro back into the ring and went for a cover, but Necro kicked out. The crowd was going crazy. Joe started kicking Necro’s head repeatedly and sent him off the ropes, but Necro got him with a big boot to send Joe back to the outside.
Necro threw Joe against the guardrail as Necro moved to find a loose panel of said rail. Necro found one and threw it into the ring. Joe crawled into the ring just in time to have Necro throw the guardrail on him repeatedly. Necro hit a senton onto Joe under the metal guardrail.
They got to their feet on the apron and traded shots. Joe grabbed Necro and went for a suplex off the apron, sending Necro head first onto the concrete below. Necro writhed in a pool of his own blood, clutching his head.
Joe grabbed a chair and smashed it over Necro’s head. Tossing him back in the ring, Joe grabbed that guardrail and set it up in the corner over the ropes. He then grabbed Necro and power bombed him on top of it. The rail had no give and Necro crumpled. Joe went for a standing cover, but somehow Necro kicked out.
Necro came back with a series of back elbows, but Joe grabbed him and suplexed him on a set up chair in the ring. Joe went for the cover, but Necro kicked out at two.
Joe pulled Necro to his feet and chopped him across the chest repeatedly. Necro started fighting back and the two traded strikes until Joe was able to hit Necro with some brutal knee strikes. Covered in Necro’s blood, Joe viciously kicked him in the head and the ref started a count.
Necro writhed on the canvas while Joe stood over him. Necro tried to get to his feet but stumbled and the ref reached a ten count, giving the victory (as it were) to Joe.
Match Result: Samoa Joe defeated Necro Butcher via TKO in around nine minutes
After the match, Joe gave Necro a kick who staggered to his feet and started to throw punches. Joe escaped to the back while security held Necro back at ringside.
So…was this a good match?
While watching, I actually found myself enjoying it. It was a lot shorter than I thought it was going to be and to be honest, a lot less gory than I’d anticipated.
There were a lot of spots that were hard to watch and I’m amazed both men didn’t get seriously injured. But they told a story and it didn’t waver from that. It would have been easy to fall into the spectacle of “spots” and such, but they worked the story and in the end, I liked the finish.
Do we need matches like this in wrestling today? I’d argue we don’t. But there are those out there who enjoy the hardest of the hardcore and to them I say, whatever floats your boat. For me, in 2026 and as an old man, I’d much rather see Samoa Joe in a match against a wrestler of his skill caliber than watch bloody messes for the shock value.
Jeff Moss is a writer, creator and developer in animation, comics and pretty much anything else he can get his mitts on. Pro Wrestling has always been his passion for reasons even he doesn't understand.