Remembering The Butcher’s Greatest AEW Moments

The professional wrestling world was stunned on September 6, 2026, as it was announced that Andy Williams, better known as The Butcher in wrestling, had tragically passed away. His rise to prominence in wrestling came thanks to his time in AEW, and there is no better time to take a look back over some of his more memorable moments in the company.

The Butcher was never a main eventer in AEW, but he maximized his moments and stood with his unique look, intensity, and infectious energy as a clubbing brute. Whether it be strong matches, Dynamite main events, or more, The Butcher’s AEW career had several moments that deserve acclaim and spotlight.

5

The Butcher & The Blade Made A Wild AEW Debut

• The Butcher & The Blade arrived through the ring mat.
• They targeted Cody Rhodes in AEW.
• Their first few months in AEW were full of major matches.

The first taste AEW fans got of The Butcher came at the back end of 2019 when he, The Blade, and The Bunny cut their way through the ring mat, emerging out of nowhere to ambush and beat down Cody Rhodes on an episode of AEW Dynamite. The aesthetic of this faction was unique and unlike anything else in AEW, and they certainly made a statement by attacking one of AEW’s most prominent babyfaces (even if Jim Ross was comically perplexed at who they were).

From there, The Butcher & Blade shared the ring with several notable names over the next few months, competing against the likes of Cody Rhodes, Dustin Rhodes, The Young Bucks, and even Diamond Dallas Page in what was ultimately the legend’s final ever professional wrestling match.

4

The Butcher & The Blade And The Young Bucks Had A Fun Showcase

• This was a Falls Count Anywhere match.
• The Young Bucks and The Butcher & The Blade had a great matchup.
• This is among The Butcher’s best ever matches.

Throughout their first year in AEW, The Butcher & The Blade feuded with The Young Bucks, leading to several matches between the two teams. The best instance of these two teams colliding came on the July 16 episode of AEW Dynamite in a Falls Count Anywhere match, which is arguably one of, if not the best match of The Butcher’s career.

This was so much fun from start to finish – even featuring The Butcher being an actual “butcher”, cutting meat in a kitchen to kick off the contest in a bizarre and silly spot. They made use of the lack of a crowd by using several areas of Daily’s Place to make this a memorable, entertaining, and spot-filled tag team battle.

3

The Bunkhouse Match Was One Of The Butcher’s Best

• The Natural Nightmares faced The Butcher & The Blade.
• AEW introduced the Bunkhouse match.
• This is a hidden gem on AEW Dynamite.

The Butcher & The Blade feuded with The Natural Nightmares (Dustin Rhodes & QT Marshall), leading to the first ever Bunkhouse match in AEW, which was a throwback to the NWA days of Dusty Rhodes. This exists as an unsung AEW Dynamite matchup, with it containing a throwback, gritty, sluggish style that led to plenty of bloodshed and authentic-feeling physicality.

The Butcher’s whole aesthetic was beyond perfect for this match stipulation, and he delivered arguably his best performance ever in AEW within this match.

2

The Butcher Faced Sting In AEW

• The Butcher was involved in a big eight-man tag team match.
• Sting, Darby Allin & The Hardy’s faced the Family Office faction.
• Facing a legend like Sting was a huge deal for everyone in AEW.

The moment Sting’s in-ring career began in AEW, the door opened for a whole bunch of wrestlers in the promotion to feel like fans again, with many getting the chance to step foot into the ring against a legit legend. The Butcher was one of the names who got the opportunity to wrestle Sting in AEW, competing against him not once, but twice!

The most prominent example came on the March 23 edition of Dynamite in 2022 when Sting, Darby Allin & The Hardys took on The Butcher & The Blade and Private Party in a wild tornado eight-man tag. The most memorable spot came when Jeff Hardy hit a Swanton Bomb from a ledge in the arena, landing right onto The Butcher.

1

Headlining AEW Dynamite Against World Champion Jon Moxley

• Moxley issued open challenges during the pandemic era of AEW.
• The Butcher challenged Moxley for the AEW World Title.
• This match main evented an episode of AEW Dynamite.

Perhaps the biggest highlight of The Butcher’s AEW career came on an episode of Dynamite in September of 2020. AEW experimented a lot during the pandemic era, leading a lot of different names getting big spots and opportunities – one of those came in the way of The Butcher. The reigning and defending AEW World Champion at the time, Jon Moxley, was willing to defend his gold against anyone and everyone, issuing an open challenge that was answered by none other than The Butcher.

In the main event of this Dynamite episode, The Butcher was handed his first and only singles match headliner on AEW’s biggest weekly television show, fighting for the world title against one of, if not AEW’s biggest ever stars. This was a match that showed the potential of The Butcher as someone who, with the right backing, could’ve hung in the singles division.