The professional wrestling and heavy music communities are preparing to honor Andy Williams, the former AEW wrestler known to fans as The Butcher, with a public celebration of life in his hometown of Buffalo, New York.
Williams died this past weekend after collapsing during a match for independent promotion Enjoy Wrestling. His passing has prompted an outpouring of grief from the many worlds in which he was known: as a wrestler, a guitarist, a performer, and a longtime figure in Buffalo’s music community.
A celebration of Williams’ life is set for Sunday, September 27 at Buffalo River Works. The event will run from 6 p.m. until 11 p.m., and admission will be free. Those wishing to attend can reserve complimentary tickets through the Andy Williams Forever website.
The gathering is planned as a communal tribute rather than a traditional wrestling event, reflecting the wide range of people Williams reached during his life. Organizers have invited fans, friends and collaborators to submit photographs and personal stories for a video tribute that will be screened during the evening.
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Several acoustic performances are also scheduled in Williams’ honor. The announced musicians include Cave In’s Stephen Brodsky and Adam McGrath, Dan O’Connor and Alan Day of Four Year Strong, and Anthony Green. Additional names are expected to be revealed ahead of the event.
A Tribute Rooted In Buffalo
Buffalo was central to Williams’ identity long before his work reached a national wrestling audience. His career encompassed far more than his in-ring persona, and the planned event’s lineup underlines the esteem he held in the music scene. The collection of artists set to perform represents a meaningful cross-section of the alternative and hardcore communities connected to Williams and the culture in which he worked.
For wrestling viewers, Williams became internationally recognizable through AEW as The Butcher, one half of the hard-hitting Butcher and The Blade tandem. Alongside The Blade, and frequently with The Bunny, The Butcher brought a distinct presentation to AEW television. The team’s intimidating visual identity, physical style and willingness to work with prominent names established them as a memorable act in the company’s tag team division.
But Williams’ public legacy was never restricted to one company or one role. His wrestling career and musical life existed alongside one another, with each introducing him to audiences who may not otherwise have encountered his work. The September 27 gathering is therefore positioned to give those communities a shared space to remember him.
That blend is especially fitting in Buffalo, where Williams built personal and creative connections over many years. Rather than limiting the program to speeches or performances from a single field, the celebration will bring music, memories and fan contributions together under one roof.
Fans Asked To Share Their Memories
The planned video tribute gives attendees and supporters an opportunity to take part directly. Fans are being encouraged to submit photos and stories of Williams for possible inclusion, allowing the event to reflect memories from beyond the stage and wrestling ring.
That invitation matters because performers such as Williams often leave their greatest impact in quieter ways: through local shows, friendships, chance meetings, creative collaborations and the personal encouragement they offer to people in their communities. A collection of photographs and firsthand recollections can capture dimensions of a life that television footage and match results cannot fully convey.
The no-cost admission also makes the event accessible to the broad range of people who knew Williams’ work. With free tickets available in advance, fans can gather without the barrier of an admission charge and take part in what is expected to be an emotional night for Buffalo.
No wrestling personalities have been announced for the celebration as of this writing. More participants are scheduled to be announced, leaving open the possibility that the program could expand as the date approaches. The confirmed musical guests alone ensure that Williams’ contributions outside wrestling will be a major part of the evening’s remembrance.
ROH Pays Respect To Williams
Williams’ death was acknowledged at Tuesday night’s Ring of Honor tapings, where a tribute was held at the beginning of the show. The moment allowed those present to recognize a performer whose AEW and ROH connections made the loss felt especially sharply throughout the locker room and among fans.
Ring of Honor’s recognition came quickly after news of Williams’ passing, and it reinforced how intertwined AEW, ROH and the larger independent wrestling world have become. Although Williams was most familiar to many viewers through AEW programming, his career was not defined solely by television appearances. His final match taking place for Enjoy Wrestling is a reminder of the independent scene’s lasting role in his professional life.
In professional wrestling, tributes can take many forms: a memorial image, a video package, a dedication before the bell, stories told by colleagues or an event shaped around a performer’s influence. The ROH tapings marked an early public moment of remembrance, while the Buffalo celebration will offer a more personal and community-centered opportunity later this month.
AEW Dynamite Expected To Be An Emotional Night
AEW is widely expected to honor Williams in some fashion on AEW Dynamite: Rebel Heart, which is the promotion’s first taping since his death. No official confirmation of the company’s plans had been made at the time of writing, so the nature of any on-air remembrance remains uncertain.
Regardless of how AEW chooses to acknowledge Williams, the episode was already set to carry considerable emotional weight. The show is being dedicated to AEW wrestler Rebel, who was diagnosed with ALS earlier this year. Rebel is scheduled to appear alongside her friend Britt Baker.
The combination of those circumstances means the wrestling audience will enter the broadcast with loss, support and reflection at the forefront. A tribute to Williams, if AEW presents one, would add another deeply personal layer to a show already built around honoring a member of the company’s extended family.
Williams’ AEW tenure as The Butcher gave him a platform in front of a worldwide audience, but the reaction to his death has emphasized the person beyond the character. For many, he was not just a recognizable wrestler in an imposing tag team. He was a musician with a significant creative history, a Buffalo native with deep local roots, and a colleague remembered across multiple performance communities.
A Life Remembered Across Two Worlds
The September 27 event will stand as a public expression of that wider legacy. It is not simply a concert, and it is not simply a wrestling memorial. It is a celebration designed around the complete life of Andy Williams, using the voices, music and memories of the people he affected.
Fans who knew him primarily as The Butcher will have an opportunity to learn more about the musical relationships that were so important to him. Music fans who followed his work outside the ring will be able to join a gathering that recognizes the wrestling persona that introduced him to a new audience. Those who knew him personally will have a place to share stories with others who understand why his loss has resonated so strongly.
As more details and names are announced, Buffalo River Works will become the site of a remembrance shaped by the city and scenes that helped define Williams’ life. The scheduled video tribute, acoustic sets and open invitation for fans to contribute all point toward an evening centered on connection.
For the wrestling community, the coming days will likely bring further tributes. For Buffalo, September 27 will provide an opportunity to come together and celebrate Andy Williams in the place he called home.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.