Andy Williams, the professional wrestler known as “The Butcher” in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), has died at 48 after collapsing during an independent wrestling event in Pennsylvania.
Williams was wrestling alongside longtime partner Jesse Guilmette, known as “The Blade,” against TME at Enjoy Wrestling’s Five Years event when he went down near the end of the match. According to reports from attendees, he appeared to be struggling shortly before collapsing.
Medics at the venue immediately responded, performing chest compressions and using an automated external defibrillator. An ambulance later transported Williams to a hospital, while Enjoy Wrestling canceled the remainder of the event.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Williams’ death to TMZ on Sunday. A cause of death has not been announced.
Williams and Guilmette became a regular tag team on the independent circuit before joining AEW in 2019. Their AEW debut came on the Nov. 27 episode of Dynamite, where they appeared with The Bunny and attacked Cody Rhodes.
Williams continued wrestling during Guilmette’s absence because of a serious back injury.
His final AEW appearance came on the Feb. 22, 2025, episode of Collision, against Gabe Kidd. The pair’s AEW contracts expired in June, after which Williams returned to independent wrestling.
In August, Williams wrestled Josh Barnett at PRODUCE Volume 3 in Brooklyn. Barnett had previously helped him during his wrestling development.
Before becoming a nationally recognized wrestler, Williams spent more than two decades as a guitarist with Every Time I Die.
The Buffalo-area band, formed in 1998, released nine studio albums before breaking up in January 2022.
Williams later returned to music with Atomic Rule and had recently shared an Instagram video about the band’s recording progress.
Wrestlers and wrestling personalities including Willow Nightingale, Josh Alexander, Matt Hardy, Corey Graves, RJ City, Matthew Rehwoldt, Bryce Remsburg and QT Marshall shared tributes following news of his death.
