{"id":150561,"date":"2026-01-13T08:00:41","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T13:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=150561"},"modified":"2026-01-12T23:36:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T04:36:28","slug":"why-trick-williams-is-wwe-smackdowns-next-major-player","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/01\/13\/why-trick-williams-is-wwe-smackdowns-next-major-player\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Trick Williams is WWE SmackDown’s Next Major Player"},"content":{"rendered":"

For four and a half years, Trick Williams was on the NXT roster, spending the first half of those years with Carmelo Hayes. But\u00a0after Hayes\u2019 betrayal, he had to carve out his own path,\u00a0becoming\u00a0a fighting champion\u00a0and\u00a0someone that deserved to carry NXT.\u00a0With four championship reigns during his tenure on the brand, including a TNA Championship reign\u00a0during the summer and early fall of 2025,\u00a0he showed that he could compete with the best of the best.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The only question left to ask was when he was going to get called up to the main roster. He officially arrived on the January 2,\u00a02026\u00a0episode of Friday Night SmackDown, confronting Sami Zayn<\/a>. The next week, he sparred with Randy Orton<\/a> and beat\u00a0Rey Fenix in his debut match<\/a>.\u00a0There\u2019s\u00a0no question that WWE has major plans for Williams going forward on Friday nights.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo Credit: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fans are Conditioned to Trick Williams\u2019 Charisma<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you watch NXT, then you already know Williams got an insane reaction every time he walks to the ring. His theme song plays, then the crowd instinctively yells \u201cWHOOP THAT TRICK!\u201d to the beat. On the air, Booker T ad-libs various phrases in between that show his appreciation towards him. <\/span><\/p>\n

His look and personality, as well as reactions to his theme, made him stand out in NXT. But would that translate to the main roster crowd? Fortunately for him, both walkouts led to insane reactions and the same flair that captured the Performance Center crowd. Vic Joseph even talked about Booker T\u2019s various ad-libs on air, paying homage to someone who made his entrance unique. Coming out to that kind of reaction, in the US and in Europe, is a good sign that the main roster fans are going to love him.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He Has Held His Own\u00a0Against Stars\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Usually, when call-ups happen, there\u2019s a match that helps the main roster crowd get used to someone. That\u2019s what happened with Williams, but further down the line than normal. Before his match against Fenix, he squared off with both Zayn and Orton in back-to-back weeks. He held his own, demonstrating his great promo abilities and showing why he was so hyped up for many years now. <\/span><\/p>\n

Some young wrestlers might be intimidated by sharing the stage with Zayn and Orton, but not him. Every word was smooth and believable, with the audience loving every second of the interactions. He also kept up with Fenix in a great match. Yes, he won via roll up, but that could be the start of his first main roster feud. So far, he is excelling in keeping up with the veterans on the main roster.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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WHOOP THAT TRICK!@_trickwilliams<\/a> has entered the chat \ud83d\udc40@RandyOrton<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/9GTW8XQ3vY<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 WWE (@WWE) January 10, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n