Andy "The Butcher" Williams, a professional wrestler and guitarist, died Saturday night after collapsing at the end of his match in Millvale, Pennsylvania. He was 48. Williams was rushed to the hospital but did not survive, and the remainder of the match was called off following the medical emergency.
Williams had been competing as a tag-team wrestler alongside Jesse Guilmette, known as "The Blade," at Enjoy Wrestling's Five Years event. All Elite Wrestling, his most recent promoter, released a statement saying Williams was "a trailblazer musician with ETID and Atomic Rule" who "made a successful transition into the world of professional wrestling and was incredibly respected by his peers both in and out of the ring."
A New York native, Williams co-founded the Buffalo-based metalcore band Every Time I Die in 1998. The group released nine albums before splitting in 2022. His subsequent band, Atomic Rule, was scheduled to tour the West Coast in November with GWAR.
Williams began his wrestling career on the independent circuit in 2015 at age 37 and joined All Elite Wrestling in 2019. His contract with the promotion expired in June, after which he returned to independent wrestling.
