Cody Rhodes comments on his interactions with The Butcher while “away from WWE”

It was reported that Andy Williams, known as The Butcher from his time in AEW and on the independent wrestling scene, passed away after suffering a medical emergency following a tag team match at Saturday night’s Enjoy Wrestling event in Pittsburgh, PA. While speaking to FoxNews.com, Cody reflected on being around for Butcher’s debut in AEW…

“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. 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% have a good memory and a good story about him.”