'The Butcher' Andy Williams Dead, Former AEW Star Dies At Age 48

Andy Williams, bassist and wrestler, known to AEW fans as "The Butcher," died on Saturday at the age of 48.

According to TMZ, Williams collapsed after a match at an Enjoy Wrestling event in Millvale, PA, just outside Pittsburgh. Williams was tagging with his longtime partner Braxton Sutter, better known as "The Blade," in a match against TME when he suffered an undisclosed medical emergency. Medical staff performed CPR before Williams was taken away in an ambulance. The event was swiftly canceled, and fans were sent home.

Williams's initial dreams of becoming a wrestler were put on hold when he suffered a knee injury during training, but the injury led to him forming the heavy metal band Every Time I Die in 1998, in which he played bass guitar. Williams resumed his wrestling journey in the 2010s, when he trained with former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett. The association with Barnett made Williams a fixture at the Bloodsport events, run by Barnett and GCW. In 2017, he joined up with Sutter as "The Butcher & The Blade." The team was a regular presence on the independent circuit, alongside Sutter's wife, Allie, known as "The Bunny." 

In November 2019, Williams, Sutter, and Allie debuted in All Elite Wrestling. The group feuded with numerous teams during their tenure, including former AEW World Tag Team Champions The Lucha Bros. Following Allie's departure in 2023, the team took a brief hiatus, as Sutter recovered from back surgery. There was a tease of a return for the team, who hadn't wrestled for the promotion since February 2025, but it was not to be. Their contracts expired in June 2026.