Tag: trick williams

Report: WWE discussing creative shift for Trick Williams

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

WWE is reportedly discussing a major creative shift for Trick Williams.

Earlier this year, Williams officially joined the SmackDown roster following a successful NXT run, where he won the NXT Championship as well as the TNA World title. However, despite his run as a heel on the main roster, Williams has found himself showered with praise and cheers from the crowd.

According to a recent report by WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, there exists a strong sentiment on Williams’ connection with the WWE crowd. The report further states that this has raised the chance of a possible push for him to be presented as a babyface. While these conversations reportedly took place before his main-roster jump, the recent crowd reactions have caused them to re-emerge.

He was a part of several recent call-ups to the main roster alongside Je’Von Evans, Jordynne Grace, and Oba Femi. Once in a tag team with Carmelo Hayes in NXT, their recent reunion on SmackDown caused the fans to react positively. Although it is currently unknown if WWE plans to have Williams run solo or join forces with Hayes if turned babyface.

Williams is currently set to compete in the Men’s Elimination Chamber match on February 28 at the United Center in Chicago.

Updated WWE SmackDown lineup: New segment added

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Before facing off at the PLE, all six men’s Elimination Chamber participants are set to appear on WWE SmackDown.

WWE has announced that Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams, LA Knight, and Jey Uso will take part in an in-ring segment on SmackDown this Friday night. Those six are the wrestlers who will be competing at Elimination Chamber on Saturday to determine Drew McIntyre’s WWE Championship challenger for WrestleMania 42.

“One night before battling inside the Elimination Chamber for the opportunity to challenge Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania, Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Je’Von Evans, Jey Uso, LA Knight and Trick Williams will stand in the ring together on SmackDown,” WWE.com wrote. “Don’t miss all the action of SmackDown, Friday at 8 ET/7 CT on USA.”

The KFC Yum Center in Louisville, Kentucky is hosting this SmackDown episode, with Elimination Chamber then being held in Chicago at the United Center the following night.

Here is the updated SmackDown lineup:

WWE SmackDown (Friday, February 27) —

  • Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams, LA Knight, and Jey Uso appear ahead of Elimination Chamber
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY defend against Lash Legend & Nia Jax
  • Oba Femi vs. The Miz
  • Jordynne Grace vs. Candice LeRae
  • Uncle Howdy vs. Solo Sikoa

Additional two wrestlers qualify for WWE Elimination Chamber

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Two more names are set for the Elimination Chamber.

Kiana James earned the biggest win of her career on Friday’s SmackDown, scoring the win over Charlotte Flair and Nia Jax to advance to Chicago on February 28. The finish of the match had Flair trapping Jax in the figure eight, looking for a submission. James took the opportunity to re-enter the ring and cradle Charlotte’s shoulders for a surprise three count, earning her spot in the Chamber.

The finish of the men’s qualifier, meanwhile, had Damian Priest going for the Razor’s Edge on Carmelo Hayes when Trick Williams connected with a running knee. He then followed that up with the Trick shot for the win. 

Two more qualifiers are left and will take place this coming Monday on Raw. The Original El Grande Americano will meet Bronson Reed and Jey Uso while Raquel Rodriguez will meet IYO SKY and Kairi Sane to determine the final two spots.

Here is the updated Elimination Chamber card:

WWE Elimination Chamber (February 28)

  • World Heavyweight title: CM Punk defends against Finn Balor
  • Women’s Intercontinental title: Becky Lynch defends against AJ Lee
  • Men’s Elimination Chamber: Randy Orton vs. LA Knight vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Trick Williams vs. TBA
  • Women’s Elimination Chamber: Tiffany Stratton vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Asuka vs. Kiana James vs. TBA

WOL: Are WWE stars suffering from overexposure?

Posted on by Jim Valley

Happy Valley-tine’s Day or Greg Valentine’s Day. Whatever you celebrate, it’s time for Wrestling Observer Live.

TNA No Surrender Friday night was a mix of action, surprises and the usual booking.

As WWE SmackDown builds towards Elimination Chamber, does it feel like some fan favorites are running out of gas? We’ve seen them do so much during their tenure, there’s just not much else to get excited about.

Plus, AEW Grand Slam (no spoilers), WBD and politics, the WON Awards and more. Check it out.

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Elimination Chamber qualifying matches booked for next week’s WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Two more Elimination Chamber qualifiers are set for next week’s SmackDown.

Next Friday’s show in Ft. Lauderdale will see Carmelo Hayes take on former friend Trick Williams and Damien Priest in a men’s Elimination Chamber qualifying match. Meanwhile, Nia Jax will battle Charlotte Flair and Kiana James in a women’s Elimination Chamber qualifier.

On this week’s show, Alexa Bliss qualified for the chamber after defeating Giulia and Zelina in a three-way match. Cody Rhodes also emerged victorious in his qualifying match, pinning Sami Zayn despites copious amounts of interference from Drew McIntyre, who attacked both Rhodes and Jacob Fatu in an attempt to prevent both from qualifying.

Another match set for next week is Oba Femi taking on Kit Wilson. Aldis was looking to recruit Femi to the brand when Wilson inadvertently walked into his office with a poem. Aldis took his poem and read it out loud, which had unflattering insults aimed towards Femi.

Here is the lineup for next week’s show, which will continue to air on SyFy in the United States due to Winter Olympics coverage:

WWE SmackDown (February 20)

  • Elimination Chamber qualifying match: Carmelo Hayes vs. Trick Williams vs. Damian Priest
  • Elimination Chamber qualifying match: Nia Jax vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Kiana James
  • Oba Femi vs. Kit Wilson

Mark Henry on Trick Williams: ‘He makes me want to wrestle again’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Mark Henry says watching Trick Williams gets him so fired up that he feels like wrestling again.

Henry and Jonathan Coachman discussed Williams during a recent episode of Busted Open Radio, with Henry saying he “talks the talk” and “walks the walk.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve felt like coming back to wrestling,” Henry said. “This dude walking to the ring gets me fired up. He makes me want to wrestle again. That’s the effect that Trick had on me.”

When asked what he sees in Williams that brings out that reaction, Henry responded:

“It’s the energy and the smugness. Like, the dude’s got it. He talks the talk, he walks the walk, he’s got the look.”

Coach then mentioned Williams reminds him of an early version of The Rock, to which Henry agreed.

Williams has been placed in top WWE SmackDown storylines immediately upon becoming a full-time member of the roster. He defeated Rey Fenix on the January 9 episode from Berlin, beat Matt Cardona to qualify for the Saturday Night’s Main Event four-way on the January 16 show from London, and then headlined the January 23 show in Montreal against Damian Priest, in a bout that went to a no contest.

A clip of Henry talking about Williams is available below.

WOL: Jade is Jade, WWE in transition, SNME preview

Posted on by Jim Valley

On location from Portland, Oregon, it’s Wrestling Observer Live with Jim Valley.

With new talent like Trick Williams, Lash Legend and others being put in positions to learn from veterans and vets like AJ Styles preparing to exit, 2026 (maybe ’27, too) looks to be a year of transition in WWE.

It’s time to accept that Jade Cargill is who she is as an athlete. She’s been wrestling for nearly seven years.

We saw new Tag Team champions crowned and the build for Saturday Night’s Main Event on Smackdown.

The people who are criticizing Powerhouse Hobbs’s new WWE name lack creativity and vision. Toni Storm, Mina Shirakawa, Collision and more. Check it out.

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Trick Williams praises ‘once-in-a-generation’ WWE talent Carmelo Hayes

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Trick Williams views his former tag team partner Carmelo Hayes as a “once-in-a-generation” type of talent.

While appearing on No-Contest Wrestling, Williams — one of the newest members of the WWE SmackDown roster — was asked about now being on the same brand as Hayes. Williams mostly kept kayfabe with his answer but praised Hayes for how good he is in the ring.

“I mean, we cool. It ain’t beef. You know, it ain’t love,” Williams said. “The last time I seen him on screen, you know, we did a tag match together. I think there’s a mutual respect. Shout out to Carmelo Hayes, man. He is that once-in-a-generation type talent, man. The things he does in the ring is amazing. You know what I mean?

“I do think that we are very different in how we approach the game. I feel like he deserves his flowers. And I think he’s a great talent. I wish nothing but the best for Melo. But, yeah, we’re different, you know what I mean? He does his thing. I do mine.”

Williams and Hayes were both allies and rivals during their time in NXT. On SmackDown, Hayes currently holds gold as the United States Champion.

At Saturday Night’s Main Event this weekend, Williams is competing in a fatal four-way match with WWE Championship implications. It will be Williams vs. Randy Orton vs. Sami Zayn vs. Damian Priest to determine Drew McIntyre’s title challenger for the Royal Rumble.

WOL: AMC doesn’t need TNA to be another zombie show

Posted on by Jim Valley

Image: TNA

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

The TNA on AMC debut sputtered at times like an AMC Pacer. It’s been almost 25 years. It doesn’t matter who’s in charge, TNA management always seems to let talent down on the production and organization side. Thursday was no different.

Plus, something TNA on AMC didn’t tell you: what the main event is for tonight’s Genesis PPV. That came later.

WWE SmackDown built towards both the Royal Rumble and Saturday Night’s Main Event with some new faces getting opportunities.

Also, if you check out this show on our YouTube channel, you can see some of the Japanese wrestling merch I got while I was in Tokyo for Wrestle Kingdom 20. Or don’t go to YouTube and just listen to me describe it poorly. Your choice. You have options.

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Two matches official for WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Two matches are now set for next week’s Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Next Saturday’s show in Montreal will see Trick Williams, Sami Zayn, Randy Orton, and Damian Priest battle it out to determine the next number one contender for Drew McIntyre’s WWE Championship. Orton defeated The Miz to advance, while Williams defeated Matt Cardona and Priest pinned Solo Sikoa.

The end of Friday’s show saw Sami Zayn win his slot in the four-way that will take place in his hometown, defeating Ilja Dragunov. The show didn’t end with a happy ending, however, as Williams emerged and jumped Zayn from behind, laying him out with the Trick shot to end the show.

Another match was made official when it was confirmed on Friday that Cody Rhodes would meet Jacob Fatu, who inadvertently cost Rhodes the WWE Championship on last week’s SmackDown. Fatu had set his sights on Drew McIntyre, jumping him inside the steel cage. When Rhodes tried to intervene, Fatu responded by attacking Rhodes instead. McIntyre used the distraction to escape and win the match.

On SmackDown, Fatu told Rhodes to come out and face him if he had a problem. The two ended up getting into a brawl that had to be separated by security.

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event (January 24)

  • Cody Rhodes vs. Jacob Fatu
  • Number one contender’s match for WWE Championship: Damian Priest vs. Randy Orton vs. Sami Zayn vs. Trick Williams

Fight Game: Bron, Oba, Trick & Je’Von

Posted on by Garrett Gonzales

Paul Fontaine joins Garrett Gonzales to discuss the latest happenings in pro wrestling on this week’s Fight Game Podcast.

We kicked it off with Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down and then both brought up two topics each that we wanted to discuss.

Our main topics:

  • What Bron Breakker, Oba Femi, Trick Williams and Je’Von Evans could do at WrestleMania
  • Comparing how AEW and WWE brought up Jake Doyle and Matt Cardona
  • New Year’s Dash and a hopeful 2026 for NJPW
  • New Year resolutions

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Trick Williams officially joins WWE SmackDown roster, first match set

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Two-time NXT champion Trick Williams officially joined the WWE SmackDown roster on the first show of the new year. 

Williams made sporadic appearances on both Raw and SmackDown in 2025, most recently one week ago when he declared himself a free agent — a period that lasted only seven days. 

Sami Zayn was cutting a promo in the ring on SmackDown, proclaiming his pursuit of the WWE Championship, when Williams interrupted. Williams announced that he was now a SmackDown wrestler and that he too would be aiming for the WWE title. 

Zayn put Williams over, but warned him he had “yet to be humbled.” 

Williams then complained about Zayn’s behavior to GM Nick Aldis backstage, interrupting a conversation between the SmackDown general manager and Rey Fenix. The two wrestlers insulted each other and Aldis booked a match between the two of them for next week’s show. 

A former NFL hopeful, Williams began his wrestling training in 2018 with Combat Zone Wrestling. He signed his WWE developmental contract in 2021 and quickly formed an alliance with Carmelo Hayes, who is now the WWE United States championship.

Following a break-up and feud with Hayes, Williams went on to win two NXT Championships in addition to his NXT North American Championship. He was also TNA World Champion for several months in 2025, losing the belt to Mike Santana at Bound for Glory in October. 

Fight Game: Whose stock are we buying or selling in 2026?

Posted on by Garrett Gonzales

John LaRocca and Garrett Gonzales return with a brand-new Fight Game to discuss some of the most interesting topics in pro wrestling this week.

We first gave our thoughts on AEW Worlds End from Jon Moxley winning the Continental Classic to MJF ending the night as the AEW World Champion.

Then, we talked about where were see some AEW and WWE wrestlers in 2026 compared to how they ended 2025. Are they on the rise? Will they fall? Or, are they going to stay exactly where they are?

Some of the folks we discussed included:

  • Trick Williams
  • Bianca Belair
  • Kevin Knight
  • Chris Jericho
  • Jey Uso

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Trick Williams officially declares himself a free agent on WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Trick Williams is a free agent on the main roster, and is fielding all offers.

On Friday’s taped episode of SmackDown, Williams was seen in Nick Alids’ office. He told the SmackDown GM that he was expecting a huge offer from Raw to sign with them, and suggested Aldis hurry up with an offer of his own. Cody Rhodes, seething about Drew McIntyre, came into Aldis’ office and told Williams to leave. After a few minutes, however, Williams returned and said he wasn’t done and hinted he was interested in coming after Rhodes’ WWE Championship.

Williams has been one of the top stars in NXT over the last two years, winning the NXT Championship on two occasions and also held the TNA World Championship. His last appearance on NXT to date was on the November 18 edition of the show, where he lost to Myles Borne in an Iron Survivor Challenge qualifying match.

The move comes as other NXT stars are looking to make their way to the main roster. On Monday’s Raw, it was mentioned that Je’Von Evans would soon become a free agent himself. Friday’s show saw Joe Hendry defeat The Miz in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight.

Update on Trick Williams’ WWE main roster status

Posted on by Ian Carey

Trick Williams is now part of the WWE main roster.

Last week, Bodyslam.net’s Cory Hays noted that Williams is now listed internally on the SmackDown roster. Our own Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer discussed the news on Sunday evening’s episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, and noted the possibility of Sol Ruca, Je’Von Evans, and others being called up to the main roster.

Meltzer said on the show, “He’s on the main roster now. They are doing an angle where I guess both general managers are trying to sign him and he’s the hottest free agent, which, haven’t they done that angle a lot?”

Williams and Lash Legend announced their engagement last month. Alvarez says he knew they’d both been called up when that happened.

Alvarez said, “As soon as I saw that, I thought he’s been called up. This is a big celebration. They are both going to the main roster and away we go. It was time. It’s past time for a lot of those guys.”

Meltzer continued, “As far as Trick goes, personality wise, obviously, he’s ready. Personality wise he should be a giant, giant star.”

“I don’t think it will be that long before Sol Ruca, Je’Von Evans, and Oba Femi are up as well. Everybody was pretty much raving about those guys, and Leon Slater, from the show last week.”

The full episode of Wrestling Observer Radio is available for subscribers here.