Cody Rhodes has expressed gratitude for having played a role in one of the most memorable moments of Andy “The Butcher” Williams’ professional wrestling career.
Williams made his AEW debut in 2019 by emerging from under the ring and ambushing Rhodes. He was introduced to the television audience as part of the Butcher, Blade & Bunny stable, though he had already established himself in the independent wrestling scene and was widely recognized as the guitarist of the influential hardcore band Every Time I Die.
Following news of Williams’ passing over the weekend, tributes poured in from both the music and wrestling communities. Speaking with OutKick Dropkick, Rhodes shared his memories of the late performer, describing him as a deeply cultured and intelligent individual with a genuine passion for wrestling.
“When I was away from WWE, I actually — him and Blade 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. But 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. 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.”
“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. 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 percent have a good memory and a good story about him.”
Williams, aged 48, was performing at an event for the independent promotion Enjoy Wrestling in Pennsylvania on September 5 when he suffered a medical emergency and was transported to a hospital. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed his death the following day. TMZ later obtained 911 dispatch audio indicating that Williams had been injured during the match after striking his head on a ring post.
During the early run of AEW Dynamite in 2019, Rhodes and Williams faced off in two tag team matches. Butcher & Blade initially defeated Rhodes and QT Marshall, before falling to Rhodes and Darby Allin the following week.
Rhodes, who returned to WWE in 2022, competed at Sunday Night’s Main Event, where he was defeated by Randy Orton.