Saturday night was bittersweet on the live episode of AEW Collision (Sep. 12, 2026). After “The Butcher” Andy Williams sadly died last Sunday, this show was to celebrate and honor his life. AEW crafted a classy tribute with wrestlers sharing fond memories and speaking highly of the man known as The Butcher.
The best part was the closing video montage of The Butcher’s career to the tune of “Map Change” from his band Every Time I Die.
The evening opened with a ten-bell salute.
The first comment package came from Brody King, Colt Cabana, Justin Roberts, Penelope Ford, Jeff Jarrett, and Kip Sabian. The Butcher was loved as a source of light, and he will be missed.
Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness, and Paul Wight reflected their thoughts about The Butcher as a man who made you want to be a better person.
The second comment package came from Daniel Garcia, Willow Nightingale, and PAC. The Butcher was the type of friend to help with the highs and lows of life.
The third comment package included Chuck Taylor, Darius Martin, Roderick Strong, Christopher Daniels, Lee Moriarty, and Kyle O’Reilly. The Butcher was the coolest guy with the ability to make others smile.
Schiavone read comments from The Blade, who was a long-time friend and tag team partner of The Butcher. The Blade thought that The Butcher was the most talented person he ever met, and The Butcher was an even better friend.
For the main event, Tony Khan put thought into booking a match that would respect The Butcher’s legacy. Khan noted how The Butcher has the most battle royale eliminations in the AEW record books. Khan explained that there would be The Butcher Battle Royale with a $100,000 donation to a charity of the winner’s choice in the name of Andy Williams.
The Butcher Battle Royale was a lot of fun, in particular the meat fight between Claudio Castagnoli and Lance Archer. Claudio took Archer for a ride on the big swing.
The finish came down to Daniel Garcia blasting Josh Alexander off the apron with a running knee. This choice for winner makes sense with the history between Garcia and The Butcher as boys from Buffalo working the indie scene to climb up the ranks.
Garcia celebrated the emotional win with one of Andy Williams’ guitars.
Share your thoughts about the AEW tribute episode for “The Butcher” Andy Williams. Which was your favorite moment? What line hit you the hardest?
