Tag: trick williams

Trick Williams talks WWE WrestleMania entrance, potential dream opponent

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Trick Williams not only made his WrestleMania debut in style but also defeated Sami Zayn to become the new United States Champion. The victory was not the only highlight of the event on Sunday, his entrance featuring a long train as part of his signature white mink coat, quickly became one of the most talked about moments. 

Williams told The Sportster that the coat weighed over 80 pounds and was a bit of a struggle to manage despite which he was elated with the response it received from the fans.

“There’s a moment when that doggone jacket got heavy. It was 80 pounds of mink coat, man. 80 pounds. That’s a lot. And 80 pounds over 100 yards felt like 200, 250. It was like a sled pull, but uh had to make sure I look good while I do it. But I was doing, man, the crowd was amazing. I love it.”

The interviewer asked him about plans to defend the title, specifically seeking his thoughts on Aleister Black as an opponent. Williams cited he was a veteran of the industry and is a dream opponent.

“I would love to (face) Aleister Black. I love his style. He’s a vet and he’s actually one of my dream opponents, man. And I really like him. It’s a good one.” 

Williams officially moved to SmackDown in January this year. And has had the fans backing ever since. He confronted Zayn about his backstage attitude which led to their WrestleMania rivalry. 

In March, Zayn ended Carmelo Hayes’ nearly three month title reign. It was to prove a point on his positioning in WWE and worthiness to be a part of WrestleMania. That same night, Nick Aldis informed him of his first title defense which turned out to be Williams at WrestleMania Sunday.

Following his win, Williams addressed whether he will continue the tradition of open challenges for the US Title. His intention is to make his title defense a spectacle rather than giving out free matches every week on SmackDown. 

Trick Williams addresses whether he’ll continue WWE US title open challenges

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Weekly open challenges have been a staple of the United States Championship, but it doesn’t sound like Trick Williams plans on continuing the tradition.

The United States title changed hands at WrestleMania 42 with Williams defeating Sami Zayn. Appearing on SportsCenter after his victory, Williams said he doesn’t know about defending the belt every single week. He wants it to be a big deal whenever he puts the championship up for grabs.

“That’s why Trick Williams, you know, I’m a superstar and I wear that very seriously,” he said. “So I don’t know about these free matches every single Friday night. When the people see Trick Williams, he’s going to be in the main event. It’s going to be a show when I defend this title.”

Zayn instituted weekly open challenges after winning the United States Championship in August 2025. Ilja Dragunov and Carmelo Hayes then picked up the mantle during their reigns before Zayn dethroned Hayes leading into WrestleMania.

In the SportsCenter interview, Williams said he’s on cloud nine after his first main roster title win. He’s grateful for how the fans have responded to him and thanks God every day for the position he’s in.

Williams, when asked about a potential title match against Hayes, did tell SportsCenter that he’s open to defending against all comers.

“Man, whoever wants some of Trick Williams, you better strap your boots on tight because you’re going to get the best version of Trick Williams,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who signs up.”

Trick Williams wins United States title at WWE WrestleMania 42

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Trick Williams is the new United States Champion.

Williams defeated Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 42 Sunday to win his first main roster WWE title. Williams was portrayed as the face during the the match, with Zayn acting heelish and attacking Lil Yachty, who accompanied Williams to ringside. Towards the end of the match, Zayn went for the helluva kick but Trick connected with the Trick knee, pinning Zayn to win the title.

After the match, an emotional Trick celebrated with his parents at ringside, then celebrated with Yachty in the ring.

Since losing to Drew McIntyre at the Royal Rumble, Zayn has been teasing a heel turn, frustrated by everyone else’s success while he has spent most of the year struggling. He further cemented a turn by winning the United States title, pinning Carmelo Hayes after Trick interfered and helluva kicking Hayes in a rematch when being checked on by the referee following an injury. Aldis then told Zayn he’d be defending the title against Trick at WrestleMania.

Leading to the match, Trick responded by calling Zayn a “gingerbread man,” leading Zayn to give a helluva kick to a gingerbread man on the final SmackDown before WrestleMania.

WWE Hall of Famer not ‘totally’ retired, comments on potential Trick Williams feud

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Trick Williams might already have his WrestleMania 43 feud streamlined amid his current WWE run. 

On the latest edition of Reality of Wrestling Podcast with Brad Gilmore, Booker T addressed Triple H’s social media post. Booker T met Triple H backstage at a WWE event teasing for him to put him in the ring. Triple H posted the brief interaction on X and captioned it ‘whenever you’re ready’. Booker T responded that he does not consider himself completely retired and is open to one last match. He name-dropped Williams as a possible opponent and praised his current WWE run. 

“Never say never, bro. I’m not going to put myself totally in the retirement category just yet. Yeah, I don’t know I might get the itch to want to have a retirement match and go out there and do something with one of the young guys perhaps do something with Trick Williams. You never know. So, I don’t want to take that off table or anything like that. Anything’s possible.”

Gilmore floated the idea of a career vs. title match against Williams at WrestleMania 43 envisioning a scenario where he’s the United States Champion. 

“Yeah, I would think about it without any shadow of a doubt. I don’t even have to think about it. It would be something that perhaps can be done very, very quickly. To have a chance to do something like that would be the way, a cool way to walk out. He got hell of a payday. At the same time, doing something with somebody that I really, really love what they’re doing as far as what Trick Williams doing right now. Of course, I would do it but I would definitely have to get myself ready for something like that. It’ll have to be next year. Of course, next year. Mania. Yeah, I could do that. Yeah, I can do that.”

Booker T took over NXT commentary duties since 2022 alongside Vic Joseph. He has also crossed paths with a few talents on the brand backstage and hyped their in-ring capabilities. He competed in the 2023 Royal Rumble as a surprise entrant which was later revealed to be his last match. He did however participate in a Street Justice Rules Gauntlet match in his own promotion, Reality of Wrestling in 2025. 

Williams was affiliated with NXT for four years before transitioning to SmackDown. Next weekend he collides with Sami Zayn for the United States Championship in his first-ever WrestleMania match. 

After Jelly Roll, another musician wants to train for WWE

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Following Jelly Roll’s success in WWE as a celebrity wrestler, rapper Lil Yachty now allegedly wants to train and wrestle.

Known for his long history with WWE, Lil Yachty was recently spotted on last week’s Friday Night SmackDown, when he formed a partnership with Trick Williams and is set to be there in his corner at WrestleMania 42.

Speaking to Rory & Mal, Williams revealed that Yachty is getting ready and training to wrestle, to grow beyond just being a manager.

“He understands the business. Talking about the similarities between hip-hop and WWE. How to promote, how to market yourself, how to make people feel something. I’m excited to see what Yachty can do in the business, so I think that’s gonna be pretty cool,” Williams said.

“He said he wants to feel the cables. He said he’s gonna get in tip top shape. We got him a trainer. We finna get Yachty right. Let’s talk about it.”

Trick Williams is set to challenge Sami Zayn at WWE WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas for his United States Championship.

Trick Williams doesn’t want to be labeled as WWE’s ‘next Rock’

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

The Rock was a major influence in Trick Williams’ decision to become a wrestler. 

In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Williams was informed of Wade Barrett comparing him to The Rock during an early conversation. Williams appreciated the shoutout and acknowledged Rock as an inspiration with promo work and getting over with the crowd. However, he emphasized that while his impact is significant, Williams does not want to be seen as the next version of The Rock.

“Yeah, man, so shout out to Wade with the fade, that’s what I call him. But, yeah, as far as when it comes to The Rock, you know, The Rock was one of those guys who made me wanna actually be in the business in the first place.”

“I used to watch his promos and how he could control the crowd with his voice, and I thought it was the most amazing thing ever.”

“Even more so than a wrestler, just how he was so charismatic, so stoic that the people were just captivated with everything that he said.”

“So when I actually decided I’m gonna pursue this business, I’m gonna become a WWE superstar. He was one of the reasons that I was really studying and watching the things that he did, not to become the Rock, not to be just like the Rock, but so the crowd scream as soon as they heard the first bit of your music.”

“I wanted to know what it felt like to just come out flying and just sit there and let the people feel your presence. So, there’s a lot of things that The Rock did that influenced me as a performer, but by no means do I want to be the next Rock.”

“I got to be the new Trick Williams, the one and only Trick Williams, because what The Rock has done has already been done. So I gotta find a way to do it.”

Williams made his SmackDown debut in January after four years on NXT. Donning a white mink coat paired with matching colored pants and shoes, Williams quickly became a fan-favorite within a month. 

He instigated a feud with Sami Zayn for complaining about not receiving career-altering opportunities. Ultimately, Zayn defeated Carmelo Hayes for the United States Championship last month. He will now defend the title against Williams who will walk into his first WrestleMania match next weekend.

Trick Williams details how white coat became his signature WWE attire

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Trick Williams’ white coat and white shoes he calls ‘lemon pepper steppers’ have become an integral part of his WWE appearance. 

Speaking with Stephen A. Smith on ESPN, Williams revealed how the white mink coat became a significant part of his WWE look. He wore it for his SmackDown debut and a week later for his next appearance when he was spotted backstage without it, Triple H, Bruce Prichard and Michael Hayes questioned its absence which made him realize how it had become synonymous with his style.

“When I debuted on SmackDown, I put on this white mink coat, and I stepped out and I wanted to make a point to everybody. And it was widely accepted, I interrupted Sami Zayn and he’s hated me ever since.”

“The next Friday, I put on a new fit, and Triple H told me, he said, ‘Where’s your coat?’ I was thinking to myself, ‘It ain’t MY coat, it’s A coat.’ And I let that slide. Then Bruce Prichard, he comes over and says, ‘Where’s your coat?’ I’m like, ‘Oh, alright.’”

“Then Michael Hayes, ‘Where’s your coat?’ Oh, I get it now. He said, ‘I ain’t never seen Elvis Presley without his coat.’ “I was like, ‘I got it. This is my coat.’”

“Then, I called myself the ‘Anointed One,’ so how more fitting is it for Trick Williams to wear all white every single time you see him.”

Williams made his main roster debut on the January 2 edition of SmackDown and confronted Sami Zyan. Their back-and-forth continued over the next few months as they confronted each other backstage with verbal taunts and physical altercations. 

Last week, Zayn captured the United States Title from Carmelo Hayes. And shortly after Nick Aldis informed him that he will defend the title against Williams at WrestleMania 42. This marks his first match at the Premium Live Event. 

Trick Williams thinks Carmelo Hayes ‘deserves’ WWE WrestleMania moment

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Trick Williams hopes Carmelo Hayes still gets to have a WrestleMania moment despite dropping the United States title.

On WWE SmackDown last Friday, Sami Zayn defeated Hayes to win the U.S. Championship just a few weeks shy of WrestleMania. The title change resulted in some social media backlash from fans upset over Hayes losing the belt and not having a spot at Mania. It was announced that Zayn will defend against Williams at the April 18-19 event, with Hayes not currently being factored into those plans.

Williams addressed that backlash while appearing on Mornings With Mero on Hot 97 in New York City today. He thinks Hayes “deserves” a WrestleMania moment and still thinks it’s possible that Hayes will get it.

“Me and Melo, we go way back, of course. And I would love to see him get his moment, and he deserves that. And you never know, he probably still will,” Williams said. “You know what I mean, he carried that US title great. So he deserves his moment and I’m sure he’s going to get his moment.”

During their time in NXT, Williams and Hayes were both rivals and partners. They’re now among a new wave of stars breaking onto the main roster. Williams spoke with Mornings With Mero about the young Black talent that exists in WWE right now, which also includes the recently called up Oba Femi and Je’Von Evans.

“First of all, what a time, man,” Williams said. “Some of these things you can’t control. It is the right time. I got to say, shout out to the guys who came before us who laid down the foundation that made us be able to shine in this light that we’re doing — the Booker Ts, The Rock, the Bobby Lashleys, etc.

“Also, I got to say, shout out to Triple H, Nick Khan for giving us the platform. Every single week, I lie to you not, he says, ‘Go out there and do your thing.’ He says, ‘Nobody can be Trick Williams. We can’t write for you, you go out there and you be Trick Williams.'”

Trick Williams invites Lil Yachty to next WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Former NXT Champion Trick Williams has invited Lil Yachty to the next edition of WWE SmackDown.

Earlier this week, fans witnessed Sami Zayn defeat Carmelo Hayes to become the new United States Champion. In a feud with Williams, Zayn then proceeded to book himself in a title match against Williams at WWE WrestleMania 42.

Ahead of his WrestleMania match, Williams has now invited rapper Lil Yachty to attend next week’s SmackDown in St. Louis on April 3rd, 2026.

“So after last night, I’ve been in deep contemplation about what’s going on around here. How in the world did The Gingerbread Man walk out with the United States Championship last night?” Williams asked.

“So this is what we about to do about it. We about to change up the whole dynamic. I wanna personally invite my boy, I’m talking about my day one, a long time back, my HBCU brother Lil Yachty, I need for you to pull up to SmackDown this week,” he added.

“We in St. Louis, I need for you to pull up, spice things up, talk to these folks, man. Let them know what’s going on around here. The games are done, grown folk talking. Pull up on me, dog, let’s talk about it.”

Lil Yachty has become a familiar presence at WWE events in recent years, and with WWE’s love for adding celebrities to WrestleManias, fans can expect Lil Yachty to become a part of it this year alongside the heavily rumored Tom Brady WrestleMania appearance.

Next week, on April 4th, NXT is also set to host Stand & Deliver, where rapper Sexxy Red is scheduled for an appearance.

Two matches added to WWE WrestleMania 42

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Two new matches are set for WrestleMania 42.

New United States Champion Sami Zayn will defend his title against Trick Williams after the two have traded barbs for the last several weeks. And after the two brawled for the vast majority of last week’s SmackDown, an unsanctioned match is now set between Jacob Fatu and Drew McIntyre.

Zayn was upset by the news on Friday that Nick Aldis had no plans for him at WrestleMania, right after the SmackDown GM told Trick Williams that there were, in fact, plans for him. A dejected Zayn walked away, but turned right back when Williams started to taunt him and smacked him, telling Aldis he would find a way. He ended up taking Carmelo Hayes’ open challenge for the United States title and won the match after Williams interfered, knocking out Hayes while Zayn ducked, allowing Zayn to win the helluva kick.

After the match Aldis’ tune changed, telling Zayn he would defend the title against Williams at WrestleMania.

Both Fatu and McIntyre arrived to Friday’s show banged up after the two spent most of last week’s show fighting, with the closing moments of the show seeing them fall off a platform. Fatu called out McIntyre, saying he was banged up but he was going to dogwalk McIntyre regardless. The former WWE Champion came out to declare himself the victim before going personal by bringing up Fatu’s children. Aldis arrived and made the unsanctioned match for WrestleMania, saying WWE would take no responsibility for what would happen.

WWE WrestleMania 42 card — 

  • World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defends against Roman Reigns
  • Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Randy Orton 
  • WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill defends against Rhea Ripley 
  • Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer defends against Liv Morgan 
  • Women’s Intercontinental title: AJ Lee defends against Becky Lynch
  • WWE United States title: Sami Zayn defends against Trick Williams
  • Unsanctioned: Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu
  • Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi

Lash Legend gets more nervous for Trick Williams’ WWE matches than her own

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Lash Legend loves watching her fiance Trick Williams succeed in WWE — even if she gets more nervous for his matches than her own.

During an interview with Esteban Ramirez, Legend expressed how proud she is of Williams in leveling up from NXT to SmackDown. They are both now members of WWE’s blue brand. The couple announced their engagement in November last year, which was around the same time Legend was moved to the main roster. 

“It feels so good. Honestly — and I tell him this all the time — I’ll be more nervous to watch him than for me to go out there,” Legend said. “I’m pretty chill, I usually don’t get too anxious with things, I’ll just be excited more than anything and ready to do it. But I feel like with him, I’m actually like ‘Oh my gosh.’ It’s because it’s a different type of excitement when you see somebody that you really care about, and you know somebody who’s been working their butt off his whole life.

“I feel like everything that he is doing, and the opportunities that he is getting right now, he has prepared for his entire life. It’s really crazy to see, just all the work you put in and finally reaping those benefits. It’s a beautiful thing to see, and I’m just glad I get to support him and be by his side and just cheer him on and give him his flowers.”

Legend made her NXT debut in 2020 after an accomplished college career in basketball and brief stint in the WNBA. She has formed a tag team with former rival Nia Jax on SmackDown, with the two currently holding the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship.

WOL: Why was Cody Rhodes so annoying on WWE SmackDown?

Posted on by Jim Valley

It’s the Saturday Wrestling Observer Live with Jim Valley.

OVW referee Dallas Edwards released a positive message from the hospital regarding his unfortunate, dangerous and scary incident at OVW in Kentucky on Thursday.

On Friday’s WWE SmackDown, was Cody Rhodes being annoying on purpose during the contract signing with Randy Orton? He was so syrupy sweet and nice to Orton, so it was no wonder part of the crowd booed him. Is this the direction to WrestleMania or just for the angle?

Also, Jim talks about Rey de Reyes night one on Saturday and who is leaving AAA: Dom or Vikingo?

Plus, CMLL, New Japan Cup, AEW Collision, Jelly Roll, Danhausen, Kit Wilson and lots more. Another packed Saturday so here we go.

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Roman Reigns named as former WWE NXT Champion’s dream opponent

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

One of the most popular Superstars on the WWE roster, Roman Reigns, has now been named former NXT Champion Trick Williams’ dream opponent.

During a recent appearance on the Ebro Laura Rosenberg Show, Williams was asked about his dream match opponent, to which he named Reigns.

“Roman Reigns. To me, he’s at the top of the business today. He’s the one who put the business on his back for 1316 days. That’s how I am. I’ve been jumping for a very long time. I walked on to the University of South Carolina. I walked on to the NFL. I want the best, and Roman Reigns has proven to be the best,” Williams stated.

Reigns has been one of the pillars of the WWE main roster since his start in 2014. A multi-time WrestleMania main-eventer and record-breaking title holder, Reigns is now set to face CM Punk at WWE WrestleMania 42.

While Williams hopes to face Reigns once in his “dream match”, he is relatively new to the main roster. Following a successful NXT run filled with multiple title wins, he is now on the rise on SmackDown and expected to undergo a creative shift.

Trick Williams shares the differences between Triple H & Shawn Michaels

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Trick Williams believes NXT’s Shawn Michaels and WWE main roster’s Triple H have two very different management styles.

Following a successful WWE NXT career, Trick Williams recently made the jump and joined WWE’s main roster earlier this year. Shortly after his transition, Williams became one of the most popular names on the roster.

Recently, speaking on My Mom’s Basement, Williams opened up about the different approaches used by Michaels and Triple H in NXT and on the main roster, having worked under both.

“I think both are great in their own right. Shawn Michaels has to babysit a little bit more because NXT is younger talent, newer talent who are still trying to figure out their way in the business. So he has to be hands-on and probably, like I said, babysit way more,” Williams said.

Whereas Triple H is awesome. He just kind of… he sits back and sees who you are, and he decides how he wants to present you. So he’s more doing the polishing and the brushing up. At this point, SmackDown and Raw, you’re supposed to be a pro; this is the big leagues. He’s not babysitting. He’s making you a star to the next level.”

Williams was recently a part of the 2026 men’s Elimination Chamber match and is also reportedly on his way toward a babyface turn.

Wrestling Weekly: Who comes out of Elimination Chamber with a chance at the title?

Posted on by Victor Sosa

It’s Elimination Chamber weekend, so Les Thatcher and Victor Sosa run down the card and give our predictions for who will have championship opportunities at WrestleMania.

We’ll also take a look at Hangman Adam Page and the idea that he may never be able to challenge for the AEW title again. Thanks for listening and have a great weekend~!

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