The AEW Dynamite episode for September 9, 2026 became incredibly emotional about a half hour into the broadcast when Excalibur spoke about the death of Andy Williams. The AEW commentator struggled to hold himself together as he reflected on the man fans knew as The Butcher.
Excalibur’s voice began cracking as he talked about Williams, eventually becoming visibly emotional and crying while delivering a heartbreaking line about what Andy meant to the people who knew him.
“We are worse off without Andy, but we are significantly better off for having had him at all.”
The moment followed AEW’s tribute at the very beginning of Dynamite, when the company displayed an “In Memoriam” graphic for “The Butcher” Andy Williams immediately as the show intro started.
Williams died at 48 after suffering a medical emergency during Enjoy Wrestling’s Five Years event at Mr. Smalls Theatre in Millvale, Pennsylvania on September 5. Williams became unresponsive following his match and received emergency medical treatment at the venue before being transported to Allegheny General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Millvale Borough Police later stated that two physicians were already assisting Williams when officers arrived and that he stopped breathing shortly before EMS reached the venue. CPR and an AED were used as efforts were made to save his life. Police found no signs of foul play, while the official cause and manner of death remain pending additional examination and testing.
Williams was part of AEW beginning in 2019, becoming known to fans as one-half of The Butcher and The Blade. His impact clearly went well beyond what viewers saw inside the ring, and Excalibur’s inability to contain his emotions showed just how deeply Williams’ death has affected those who worked alongside him.
AEW started the night by honoring Williams, but Excalibur’s raw reaction later in the broadcast may have been the moment that showed just how much The Butcher meant to the AEW family. What did you think of Excalibur’s emotional tribute to Andy Williams?
