Tommaso Ciampa has issued an emotional appeal to wrestling fans ahead of the September 12 edition of AEW Collision, which is set to honor the late Andy Williams, better known in the ring as The Butcher.
Williams’ death was reported on September 6. In the days since, tributes from across the wrestling world have continued, and AEW’s upcoming Collision in Springfield is expected to provide another opportunity for fans and colleagues to remember him. Speaking during an appearance on the Battleground Podcast, Ciampa emphasized that the show will carry significant emotional weight for everyone involved.
“This is a special one for the entire company too. We lost The Butcher very tragically this week. We just came off Rebel Heart. It was very emotional Wednesday. It’s gonna be extremely emotional Saturday.”
Ciampa’s comments made clear that he sees the September 12 event as more than a typical weekly wrestling program. While AEW Collision will still be a live event built around its in-ring action, the atmosphere surrounding the show is expected to be shaped by a company and audience processing a difficult loss together.
For more background on this topic, read Tommaso Ciampa Says His AEW Presentation Has Moved Him Into His Daughter’s Top Five.
The Butcher was Andy Williams’ wrestling identity, and his passing has prompted an outpouring of remembrance. Ciampa asked those attending Collision to help create an environment that honors Williams not only through sadness, but through the communal spirit that regularly brings wrestling audiences and performers together.
Ciampa asks the audience to be loud and present
Rather than making his message solely about himself or any one segment planned for Collision, Ciampa repeatedly framed the request as one for the entire crew. He encouraged fans in Springfield to bring their memories and appreciation for The Butcher into the building, while also supporting the people who will be working through an emotional night.
“Just asking the fans to come out, share your love, share your memories, just be loud and support not just me, but the whole crew. Everyone’s kind of going through it right now.”
That distinction is important. Wrestling shows often rely on the interaction between the audience and the talent to establish their tone. On a night centered on a tribute, crowd reactions can become part of the act of remembrance itself. Ciampa’s request was direct: attend, make noise, show love and stand behind the people dealing with the immediate impact of Williams’ death.
His wording also recognized that grief will not look the same for every person in the building. Some fans may arrive with personal memories of The Butcher’s work. Others may know him primarily through his appearances in AEW. Those closest to Williams may face a far more intimate and painful experience. Ciampa did not try to define that experience for anyone. Instead, he asked the wrestling community to respond with support.
“Show up for each other” was the central idea behind his remarks. It was a call for fans to treat the tribute as a shared moment rather than simply another stop on the wrestling calendar.
A tribute planned for September 12 AEW Collision
AEW will pay tribute to The Butcher during Collision on September 12. The show is set for Springfield, the city Ciampa referenced as he closed his message to fans. With the event taking place less than a week after Williams’ death was reported, the timing ensures that the loss will still be very fresh for those attending and those watching from elsewhere.
Ciampa pointed to the emotional response already felt around Rebel Heart on Wednesday and said Saturday would be similarly difficult. His comments suggest that the coming Collision will be a night in which the usual demands of live television and performing must coexist with a genuine sense of mourning.
There is a long history in professional wrestling of performers and audiences coming together after loss, whether through spoken tributes, acknowledgements, memorial presentations or simply the collective feeling within an arena. Ciampa’s appeal did not lay out the specific form AEW’s tribute will take. What he did communicate was the importance of the audience being engaged, compassionate and ready to support the full roster and production group.
That is why he described the situation as a moment for wrestling fans to do what they do best: rally around one another. The language was not about demanding a particular chant, reaction or gesture. It was about presence and care at a time when members of the company are hurting.
“So this is one of them times where you want the whole wrestling community to do what they do best. Be a family. Show up for each other, because that’s what The Butcher would have wanted. That’s what Rebel wants. It’s been an emotional week for everybody, so show up, show love. We’ll see you in Springfield.”
Remembering Andy Williams through the wrestling community
Ciampa’s use of the phrase “be a family” captures the broader purpose of his request. Professional wrestling is competitive by nature, both inside the ring and in the wider business. Yet moments of loss routinely cut through those divisions. The focus shifts away from match outcomes and rivalries and toward the people who make the industry what it is.
For fans, The Butcher’s legacy can be remembered through their own experiences watching him perform. For his peers, the tribute carries the added dimension of friendship, shared travel, training, locker-room life and the work required to put on wrestling events. Ciampa’s comments recognized that the people appearing on Collision are not insulated from the loss simply because they are expected to perform in front of a live crowd.
His remarks also placed responsibility on the community in a constructive way. Fans cannot remove the pain of a tragedy, but they can offer respect. They can create a supportive atmosphere. They can make the arena feel like a place where Williams’ memory is welcomed and where those mourning him are not left to carry that emotion alone.
The request to share memories is especially notable because it leaves room for individual expression. Every fan’s relationship with a wrestler’s work is different, and every colleague’s memory is personal. A tribute show can bring those separate connections into one collective space without requiring them to be identical.
Ciampa’s message was therefore not just an invitation to a live event. It was an appeal for empathy. He asked the audience to understand the emotional circumstances around the show and to respond with the same energy and togetherness that wrestling crowds can provide at their best.
An emotional week leading into Collision
As AEW approaches the September 12 Collision, Ciampa’s words set the tone for what is expected to be a solemn but supportive evening in Springfield. He was open about the fact that the week has already been emotional, and he did not suggest that the feelings surrounding Williams’ passing will be easily set aside once the cameras are on.
Instead, he called for fans to meet that reality with compassion. The emphasis was on showing love for The Butcher, supporting the crew and helping the wrestling community come together in the way Ciampa believes Williams would have wanted.
There will be a time for the matches and moments that define AEW Collision as a wrestling program. But before any of that, the September 12 show will also stand as a chance to honor Andy Williams. Ciampa’s message to the audience was simple and heartfelt: come out, be loud, bring your memories, support one another and show love for The Butcher.
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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.