Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
Andy Williams died after collapsing at ringside and hitting “his head on the floor”.
The late wrestler and Every Time I Die guitarist, known as The Butcher to wrestling fans, passed away aged 48 on Saturday (05.09.26) night during an Enjoy Wrestling event, and the company’s co-owner Kurt Hackimer has spoken out about the tragedy.
In a statement to KDKA-TV, he said: “Andy collapsed at ringside after his match on Saturday and hit his head on the floor. We carried him to the side where he was attended to by the two doctors we have on staff.
“I called for an ambulance. At this time, he was conscious but unresponsive.
“His condition worsened quickly and his pulse faded. Called 911 again to provide an update and were informed that the police were about to arrive.
“We ended the event and asked the audience to leave. Doctors administered CPR and utilized an AED provided by the police until the ambulance arrived.”
Hackimer noted that Williams was taken to Allegheny General Hospital “at around 9:45pm”, and the wrestling promotion were “informed of his passing by his tag team partner, Jesse Guilleman, shortly after midnight”.
He continued: “Medics on site indicated that the symptoms were consistent with a cardiac event, but we were told that the cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy.”
Williams’ most high profile in-ring run came alongside tag partner The Blade in All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
He was also known to music fans as rhythm guitarist for metalcore band Every Time I Die.
Tributes have poured out from both fanbases, including WWE legend Matt Hardy, who worked with him in AEW.
He wrote: “Saddened [and] shocked to hear about the passing of Andy Williams.
“Andy was a joy to work with – He was a kind, funny deep individual who was an extremely talented musician [and] wrestler.
“My thoughts [and] prayers go out to all of Andy’s family, friends [and] fans. RIP brother.”
AEW added in their own statement: “All Elite Wrestling is saddened to learn of the passing of Andy Williams, aka The Butcher.
“A trailblazing musician with ETID and Atomic Rule, Williams made a successful transition into the world of professional wrestling and was incredibly respected by his peers both in and out of the ring.
“Our condolences go out to Williams’ family, friends and fans.”
Williams was a founding member of Every Time I Die from 1998 until its disbandment in 2022, going onto play with Atomic Rule.
He once told the HardLore podcast: “Anyone who’s written a song can wrestle a wrestling match. Putting a song together is just like putting a wrestling match together. There’s ups and downs, there’s peaks and valleys.”
