Andy Williams, Often known as ‘The Butcher,’ Dies at 48 After Collapsing Throughout Wrestling Match

Andy “The Butcher” Williams, the skilled wrestler and longtime guitarist for the heavy-metal band Every Time I Die, died Saturday at age 48 after collapsing throughout a wrestling match in Millvale, Pennsylvania.

Andy Williams Dies After Medical Emergency

Williams was competing along with his longtime tag-team companion Jesse “The Blade” Guilmette at an Enjoy Wrestling occasion at Mr. Smalls Theatre when he all of the sudden went down close to the tip of the match.

According to the NY Post, medical employees rushed into the ring and carried out CPR earlier than Williams was taken to a hospital, the place he was pronounced lifeless. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed his loss of life. The trigger has not been introduced.

The incident introduced the occasion to an early finish. Witness Rich Fann instructed POST Wrestling that Williams gave the impression to be struggling earlier than the match reached its end.

“Andy then went down, and Blade helped him up a bit and then tried to get folks to help,” Fann stated. He additionally described how folks on the venue responded, saying the crew, medical employees and followers labored collectively to clear a path and supply emergency care.

Williams was born Dec. 12, 1977, in Buffalo, New York. His street to wrestling was not a typical one. He suffered a critical knee damage whereas coaching and realized to play guitar throughout his restoration.

In 1998, Williams helped kind Every Time I Die and have become the band’s rhythm guitarist. He remained with the group for greater than 20 years, constructing a profession in music earlier than making a critical transfer into skilled wrestling.

Andy Williams’ Journey From Music to Pro Wrestling

Williams started coaching for wrestling within the mid-2010s beneath Josh Barnett and made his skilled debut in 2016. He quickly grew to become generally known as The Butcher and fashioned a well-liked tag staff with Braxton Sutter, who later grew to become The Blade.

The pair joined All Elite Wrestling in 2019 and made a shock debut by attacking Cody Rhodes. They went on to compete in opposition to main groups such because the Young Bucks, FTR, the Lucha Brothers and Jurassic Express. They additionally challenged for the AEW World Tag Team Championship in 2021, TBL reported.

Williams and The Blade stayed with AEW for a number of years and later appeared in Ring of Honor. Their AEW contracts expired in June 2026, however Williams continued wrestling independently.

His loss of life introduced tributes from the wrestling neighborhood and from those that knew him via music.

Love Wrestling, the Pittsburgh-based group concerned with the occasion, shared a easy message after his loss of life was confirmed: “Butcher Forever.”