Musicians and professional wrestlers are mourning the loss of Andy "The Butcher" Williams, the former rhythm guitarist for Every Time I Die and active AEW wrestler, who passed away at the age of 48.
Williams died after collapsing during an independent wrestling event in Pennsylvania. Following confirmation of his passing, colleagues and friends across both the music and professional wrestling industries have shared heartfelt tributes honoring his life, talent, and personality.
Medical Emergency and Passing
Williams collapsed on September 5 while participating in a tag team championship match alongside his partner, The Blade, against TME during an Enjoy Wrestling event in Millvale, Pennsylvania. On-site medical staff administered CPR before he was taken from the venue by ambulance. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed his death, and the remainder of the anniversary event was canceled.
Tributes From the Music Community
Members of the rock and heavy music community expressed deep sadness over Williams' passing:
- Carson Pace (vocalist for The Callous Daoboys) reflected on conversations with Williams regarding music and wrestling composition, writing: "Can't wait, brother. Gonna miss you a lot."
- Metalcore band Zao shared a photo of Williams, writing that they were "absolutely gutted."
- Josh Scogin (ex-Norma Jean, '68) recalled touring together during their teenage years and praised Williams as "larger than life in everything he did."
Tributes From the Wrestling World
Figures throughout professional wrestling also shared remembrances of working with Williams inside and outside the ring:
- All Elite Wrestling (AEW) released an official statement honoring Williams as a "trailblazing musician" who made a successful transition into wrestling and was deeply respected by his peers.
- Matt Hardy expressed his shock, describing Williams as a "kind, funny & deep individual who was an extremely talented musician & wrestler."
- Paige (Saraya-Jade Bevis) called him "one of the best human beings" and stated she felt lucky to have known him.
- Wrestler RJ City praised Williams' intelligence and culture, noting that he was "the opposite of how he looked."
- Steve Kaye of Paragon Talent Group highlighted Williams' creativity and business ideas, promising to honor his memory.
Musical Career and Wrestling Legacy
Born in Buffalo, New York in 1977, Williams co-founded the metalcore group Every Time I Die in 1998 alongside Jordan Buckley and Michael "Ratboy" Novak. He performed as the band's rhythm guitarist across nine studio albums until the group disbanded in 2022. Following the disbandment, Williams co-founded the metalcore project Atomic Rule alongside Travis Bennington, Kevin Boutot, and James Henderson, having recently finished writing and tracking demo music.
In addition to his music career, Williams pursued professional wrestling for roughly 15 years, building his career through the independent circuit before making his official debut in AEW in late 2019, where he competed against prominent talent including Diamond Dallas Page, Dustin Rhodes, Eddie Kingston, and Sting.
