AEW President Tony Khan has shared further details about conversations he had with Andy Williams, known to wrestling fans as The Butcher, before Williams’ death earlier this month.
Williams died on September 5 at the age of 48. A performer, guitarist and longtime member of the Buffalo, New York music scene, Williams was also a familiar part of AEW from the promotion’s first year. Khan discussed Williams during the media call for All Out, explaining that the two had been actively exploring ways for Williams to contribute to AEW away from the ring.
The discussions were not merely informal conversations about a possible future role. Khan said a meeting had been arranged in the previous month between Williams and an AEW official, with the focus on ideas Williams had developed for promotion, live events and outreach. The central concept involved using Williams’ established background in music to create a connection between music audiences and AEW programming.
“Andy was very interested in working in the office and he had really good ideas,” Khan said. “I had set up a meeting with Andy and the AEW official last month to talk about his thoughts on ways he could contribute to promoting.”
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A Music-Focused Vision for AEW
Williams’ proposed role was rooted in the two creative worlds that shaped much of his public career. Before and alongside his time as a wrestler, he was known as a musician. That experience gave him a perspective Khan believed could be useful to AEW as the company considered promotional opportunities outside a traditional wrestling event setting.
Khan said Williams had discussed the possibility of music shows presented in collaboration with AEW. The thought was that these events could stand as attractions in their own right while also creating new avenues for fans of live music to discover professional wrestling. For AEW, the idea represented a potentially organic form of crossover promotion rather than simply placing wrestling branding alongside an unrelated concert.
“Andy had ideas that he could do music shows in collaboration with AEW, and build some events outside of the wrestling show that would get eyeballs on the wrestling show and maybe bring some people from the music community into wrestling,” Khan said.
That idea was especially suited to Williams’ own history. He had credibility within music, understood the culture around live shows and brought a recognizable wrestling identity through The Butcher. Khan described Williams as someone who could have served as a bridge between those communities, helping AEW engage audiences who may not otherwise have attended a wrestling event or followed the company’s weekly programming.
While the music-event idea was one of several concepts Williams offered, Khan identified it as the proposal that particularly caught his attention. He characterized the overall conversation as compelling and said AEW remained engaged with the possibilities at the time of Williams’ passing.
“He had a number of good ideas, including that, and I thought it was really compelling what Andy was saying, and I was interested in it,” Khan said. “It was something we were still actively working on and unfortunately, at the time of his passing, it was still something that was in progress.”
A Valued Presence Since AEW’s Launch Year
Williams joined AEW in 2019, the promotion’s launch year, and became known to the company’s audience as The Butcher. His presentation and physicality made him a distinctive presence, while his work with The Blade established one of AEW’s more recognizable tag team pairings from its early era.
His wrestling career spanned 10 years, and his time in AEW placed him on major company programming during a period in which the promotion was building its identity and expanding its roster. But Khan’s remarks placed equal emphasis on Williams’ personality and his standing among colleagues behind the scenes.
Khan said Williams was widely liked within AEW and remembered him as a talented but grounded person. The AEW president pointed to Williams’ humility, kindness and generosity as qualities that made his death especially difficult for those who worked with him. The comments also make clear why Khan wanted to find a continued place for Williams in the organization, even as Williams considered contributions beyond his in-ring career.
“Andy contributed in many different ways to AEW and he really loved the company, loved the wrestling and I wanted Andy to stay a part of it,” Khan said. “I also really loved the ideas he had. I thought they would add value and also, he was the big contributor there.”
The intended value of Williams’ involvement was not presented as limited to his name recognition. Khan stressed that Williams himself would have been the key figure in putting the music-and-wrestling concept into practice. His ability to play shows, work within music circles and represent AEW within that space was what made the proposal feel viable.
“He was gonna be somebody that would bridge the world of music and wrestling,” Khan said. “To have him say he would play the shows and help bring in the fans and promote AEW that way, I thought it was really interesting and exciting.”
AEW’s Tribute to The Butcher
In the days following Williams’ death, AEW paid tribute to him across its programming. The company also dedicated an episode of Collision to Williams, closing the broadcast with a video package celebrating his life and career.
Khan said it was important that the company’s response reflected the depth of feeling among Williams’ friends and colleagues. He expressed pride in the people who came together to create the tribute, believing the final presentation properly conveyed both Williams’ standing in AEW and the personal impact he had on those around him.
“When Andy passed, it’s very hard on a lot of the people in AEW,” Khan said. “I think a lot of people really, really liked Andy here. He was a very, very well-liked guy backstage, for many, many reasons. He’s a very talented person, very humble, very, very kind, big heart. Just a really nice guy.”
The tribute on Collision served as a public acknowledgment of that respect, but Khan’s comments about Williams’ planned office involvement add another dimension to the loss. Williams was not only a former or current on-screen contributor being remembered for past matches. He had been discussing a prospective role that could have helped shape new AEW initiatives and brought his artistic interests closer to the company he supported.
That work did not reach the stage of a formal launch. Khan did not announce that any of Williams’ event concepts would move forward, and there is no indication that the music-show idea had been finalized. What Khan did confirm is that the conversations were active and that Williams had brought forward multiple ideas that AEW took seriously.
A Legacy Beyond the Ring
Williams’ story has always stood apart because wrestling was one major part of a broader creative life. The Butcher was an imposing and memorable in-ring character, but Williams’ music background gave him a connection to audiences and scenes outside wrestling. His talks with Khan suggest he was looking to use that experience in a new capacity, potentially helping AEW develop programming and events that could invite a different fan base into the company’s world.
For Khan, that possibility was exciting precisely because it came from Williams. The proposal had the potential to combine lived experience, personal relationships and a genuine enthusiasm for both music and pro wrestling. It was not described as a detached marketing exercise; it was an idea from someone who loved AEW and wanted to contribute in another meaningful way.
“That was one of the main points of Andy’s ideas,” Khan said. “He had several good ideas and that one in particular really stood out to me. I thought it was a very strong concept.”
Williams’ passing ended those discussions before they could develop further. Still, Khan’s recollection offers a clear picture of the ambitions Williams had for his next chapter with AEW. He was considering a role that could have kept him close to wrestling while drawing on the musical career and community that were also central to his life.
AEW’s tributes have recognized Williams as The Butcher, the performer and the colleague. Khan’s latest comments underscore another part of his legacy: a creative voice with plans to help connect wrestling to a wider live-entertainment audience. As Khan put it, Williams will be missed very much.
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.