Cody Rhodes has paid tribute to former AEW performer Andy Williams—known to wrestling fans as The Butcher—following his sudden passing over the weekend at the age of 48.
Williams passed away after suffering a medical emergency during an independent wrestling event near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His passing sparked an outpouring of grief from across the professional wrestling and music communities.
“A Beautiful Person” — Rhodes Recalls Helping Introduce The Trio
Speaking in an interview with OutKick and FOX Digital, Rhodes reflected on his time working alongside Williams during their shared tenure in AEW and recalled recruiting Williams, The Blade (Pepper Parks), and The Bunny (Laura Dennis) for their high-profile debut in 2019.
“When I was away from WWE, I actually — him and Blade (also known as Pepper Parks) and Bunny — we had recruited them to do this really fun debut,” Rhodes recalled. “He came up under the ring and they beat me up, and I definitely didn’t get to spend near enough time with him as a person.”
Rhodes noted that behind Williams’ intimidating ring persona—defined by his mustache, tattoos, and heavy physique—was a cultured, intelligent, and artistic individual.
“All the things you’re hearing about him in terms of how warm and charismatic and interesting — not a guy that needed the gig, he had another gig, and super cultured and intelligent,” Rhodes continued. “And again, The Butcher — you see this big, just the mustache and the tattoos and the muscles. Maybe if you had judged that book by its cover, you wouldn’t know how truly special, intelligent, artistic, and beautiful of a person that he was.”
Shock & Condolences From The Rhodes Family
Rhodes expressed gratitude for having played a role in bringing Williams into the spotlight on national television and revealed he had discussed the tragic news with his wife, Brandi Rhodes.
“I didn’t get to be around him near enough, but I’m really glad I was part of bringing him into that moment and, I wish everyone around him thinking about them, and wish them the best,” Rhodes said. “And they’re very much in my heart today. I told Brandi about that this morning and just such a shock, so young. Beautiful person, and he leaves behind multiple locker rooms of people that he touched, that all of them 100% have a good memory and a good story about him.”
Williams leaves behind a lasting legacy as both a respected professional wrestler and a founding guitarist for the metalcore band Every Time I Die.
For live results, play-by-play coverage, and real-time updates for tonight’s WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event starting at 8 p.m. ET, stay tuned to WrestlingAttitude.com.
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