wrestling / News
Independent Talent Ganon Jones Jr. Stepping Away From Wrestling After The Butcher’s Passing
Image Credit: Enjoy Wrestling
Ganon Jones Jr. says he’s stepping away from wrestling after he was part of Andy “The Butcher” Williams’ last match before his passing. As you know, Williams passed away on September 5th after teaming with The Blade at an Enjoy Wrestling event. The two faced Jones Jr. and Duke Davis, who teamed together as TME.
Jones posted to his Instagram account to give a statement in which he announced he was stepping away from the ring. He noted that September 5th was one of the worst nights of his life and that he has decided he can’t keep wrestling and leave his daughter wondering if he’ll come back home.
Jones noted that he hopes that this isn’t a permanent retirement from the ring but that he needs to be a father over being a wrestler. His full statement reads:
“I always told myself I would walk away from wrestling for two reasons: either my body no longer allows it, or I’m no longer having fun. My body feels fine, and I’ve been having the time of my life… yet here I am.
Saturday, September 5th, at Enjoy Wrestling was one of the worst nights of my life. Not an hour has gone by since then that I haven’t thought about Andy and his family. Thinking about the match and everything that transpired afterward just keeps replaying in my mind.
My daughter was there that night cheering me on, yelling, and having fun… until she wasn’t. The events from that night scared her more than anything I can remember. When I was finally able to look at my phone after everything that had happened, I had a text from my daughter that said, ‘I am not letting u do wrestling anymore. I am crying.’
I guess I unlocked a third reason to step away from wrestling.
I cannot, in good conscience, leave the house to be The All Star when I have a little girl at home wondering if I’ll ever come back. She doesn’t deserve to have those thoughts, and I refuse to put her through that.
I hope this isn’t forever, because I don’t feel ‘ready’ to leave yet. Wrestling has given me some of the greatest memories of my life. It has given me friendships, experiences, and moments I’ll carry with me forever. It has allowed me to become The All Star, and I will always be grateful for every person who ever cheered for me, believed in me, shared a locker room with me, or simply gave me a reason to keep going.
But right now, I need to be a Dad before I can be The All Star.
So, I’m stepping away.
Please keep supporting wrestling. Keep showing up. Keep cheering. Keep loving your people while they’re here.
We lost one of the kindest souls I’ve ever met, and I’ll never stop thinking about him.
This isn’t goodbye forever. At least I hope it isn’t.
Rest easy, Big Andy.”
