Lawrence Robert Shreve, better known by the ring name Abdullah the Butcher, is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He has a reputation for being involved in some of the most violent and bloody hardcore wrestling matches of all time. Over his time in wrestling he was given the moniker of "Madman from Sudan".
Abdullah the Butcher in a match in 2004
Abdullah the Butcher at his WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2011
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling where disqualifications, count-outs, and all other different rules do not apply. Taking place in usual or unusual environments, hardcore wrestling matches allow the use of numerous items, including ladders, tables, chairs, thumbtacks, barbed wire, light tubes, shovels, glass, baseball bats and other improvised weapons used as foreign objects. Although hardcore wrestling is a staple of most wrestling promotions, where they are often used at the climaxes of feuds, some promotions specialize in hardcore wrestling, with many matches performed in this manner.
Bull Curry was an innovator in hardcore wrestling.
Abdullah the Butcher during a hardcore match
A ring using barbed wire instead of ropes; this was first popularised by FMW in the 1990s.
Sabu putting Rhino through a table in Extreme Championship Wrestling