Andy Williams, Every Time I Die guitarist and pro wrestler, dies at 48

Hours before he collapsed in a Pennsylvania theater, Andy Williams told fans of his new band, Atomic Rule, that the group was running full speed after finally finding their feet. By Saturday night, the 48-year-old founding guitarist of Every Time I Die and professional wrestler known as The Butcher had suffered a medical emergency that ended his life just as his final match concluded.

Williams collapsed immediately following a tag-team match at the Enjoy Wrestling Five Years anniversary event at Mr. Small’s Theater in Millvale, Pennsylvania. Staff doctors administered CPR until an ambulance arrived, according to Enjoy Wrestling. The promotion canceled the remainder of the show, sending attendees home as Williams was rushed to a local hospital, where he passed away Saturday night.

Related video and Instagram post

The Architecture of a Dual Career

Williams occupied a unique space in the entertainment industry, balancing the demands of international music touring with the physical toll of professional wrestling. He co-founded the Buffalo-based metalcore band Every Time I Die in 1998 and remained its rhythm guitarist for 24 years, performing on all nine of the band's studio albums, including 2021's Radical.

His entry into the ring was a late-stage pivot. He began training in 2015 and made his professional debut in 2016 at the age of 37. According to Wrestlingnews, Williams managed a combination of touring with a signed band and working as a wrestler that almost nobody in either industry manages.

By 2019, Williams transitioned from the independent circuit to the global stage of All Elite Wrestling. He debuted in November 2019 by cutting through the ring mat and attacking Cody Rhodes on the ninth episode of Dynamite. He became part of a trio known as The Butcher, The Blade and the Bunny, which included Jesse Guilmette and valet Laura Dennis (Allie). The act was presented not as traditional athletes, but as hired guns for figures such as MJF, designed specifically to inflict damage.

Career Phase	Entity / Band	Period	Role / Persona
Music	Every Time I Die	1998–2022	Founding Rhythm Guitarist
Wrestling (Indies)	Various	2016–2019	The Butcher
Wrestling (Major)	AEW / Ring of Honor	2019–2026	The Butcher (Tag Team/Singles)
Music (Current)	Atomic Rule	2022–2026	Guitarist

Despite being fixtures of the tag division during the company's opening seasons, Williams and Guilmette never held a championship within the AEW promotion.

The Return to the Grassroots

The final chapter of Williams' career was marked by a shift back to the independent level. His tenure with AEW concluded in June 2026 when his contract was not renewed. Popculture reports that his final televised AEW appearance occurred in February 2025, where he lost a match to Gabe Kidd on AEW Collision. Following this, he remained inactive for the remainder of his contract but continued wrestling for independent promotions, including three matches in August according to the database Cagematch.

His final weekend was spent fully immersed in the wrestling community. On the Friday night preceding his death, Williams and Guilmette conducted a professional seminar for Enjoy Wrestling. This led directly into the Saturday match where Williams challenged for the promotion's tag team championship.

Parallel to his ring work, Williams was attempting to solidify a new musical chapter. After Every Time I Die disbanded in January 2022, he formed Atomic Rule. According to Variety, the band was scheduled to tour the West Coast in November with GWAR.

He did not stop creating after the dissolution of his first band. While Consequence notes that former Every Time I Die members, including Jordan Buckley, formed the band Better Lovers, Williams pursued the Atomic Rule project as a commitment to music that existed alongside his grueling wrestling schedule.

Conflicting Reports and Confirmation

The immediate aftermath of the collapse was characterized by reporting volatility. Wrestlingnews reports that a wrestling podcaster initially announced Williams' death on Saturday night. Enjoy Wrestling publicly denied this claim early Sunday, calling it untrue and requesting its removal, before subsequently deleting the denial without explanation. The situation was resolved hours later when the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the death to TMZ.

The reaction from both his musical and athletic circles highlighted his cross-industry respect. Former Every Time I Die guitarist Jordan Buckley used X to ask for prayers for Williams on Saturday night. In an official statement, AEW described him as a trailblazing musician who was incredibly respected by his peers both in and out of the ring.

Enjoy Wrestling later paid tribute to the performer with the phrase Butcher Forever.

While his professional achievements across two high-impact fields are documented, the specific biological cause of his collapse remains unknown. The only remaining official trigger for clarity is the pending autopsy from the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The sudden loss of the New York native leaves a void in both the metalcore and professional wrestling scenes. Williams spent his final months returning to the independent wrestling circuit and preparing for a new tour with Atomic Rule, maintaining the dual-industry presence that defined his later career.