Ganon Jones Jr., a wrestler known for his work on the independent circuit, announced he is stepping away from the ring after he he was involved in Andy “The Butcher” Williams’ final match before his tragic passing.
Williams died at age 48 following a medical emergency during a match that took place at an Enjoy Wrestling event on September 5. During the match, Williams teamed up with The Blade (Jesse Guilmette) against TME, a team consisting of Jones and Duke Davis. Paramedics were called after Williams collapsed in the ring, and he was later pronounced dead.
The former AEW star was widely grieved by the wrestling community following his death, and now Jones has said he is walking away from wrestling following “one of the worst nights of my life.”
In an Instagram message posted last week, Jones said his daughter witnessing Williams’ emergency played a large part in his decision.
“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,” he wrote.
Jones’ message continued: “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.”
Jones then wrote that he cannot “in good conscience” leave his house to wrestle “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.”
The indie star indicated that a return to wrestling is possible at some point down the road.
“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,” he wrote.
“But right now, I need to be a Dad before I can be The All Star. So, I’m stepping away,” Jones said, before calling on his followers to continue to support wrestling.
His message ended by paying tribute to Williams.
“We lost one of the kindest souls I’ve ever met, and I’ll never stop thinking about him,” Jones wrote. “This isn’t goodbye forever. At least I hope it isn’t.
“Rest easy, Big Andy.”
We at Cageside Seats wish Ganon Jones Jr. the best in wherever life takes him next. Please leave your thoughts in the comments below.
