{"id":154822,"date":"2026-03-13T08:00:37","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T12:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=154822"},"modified":"2026-03-13T03:15:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T07:15:27","slug":"the-willymania-era-mapping-out-the-next-chapter-for-trick-williams-in-wwe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/03\/13\/the-willymania-era-mapping-out-the-next-chapter-for-trick-williams-in-wwe\/","title":{"rendered":"The WillyMania Era: Mapping Out the Next Chapter for Trick Williams in WWE"},"content":{"rendered":"

So far in 2026, WWE has hit a few bumps in the road. Following critical fan reception of the <\/span>Royal Rumble<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Elimination Chamber<\/span><\/a>, and with ticket sales for WrestleMania 42 still lagging, the company is seeking some much-needed momentum to turn the year around.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the negatives so far, one standout success has brought a completely fresh feel to the product. Insert: <\/span>Trick Williams<\/span><\/a>. Whether it’s his undeniable charisma or his growing presence in the main event scene, Williams has quickly become one of the company’s biggest bright spots so far this year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Biography<\/b><\/h2>\n

Born May 26, 1994, in Columbia, South Carolina, Matrick Belton grew up in a house with two brothers and an early introduction to wrestling. By age three, he was already a fan of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and roughhousing was a staple of his childhood, even resulting in a broken collarbone for his younger brother during a makeshift Royal Rumble. <\/span><\/p>\n

Athleticism ran in the family; both of his brothers eventually played for the South Carolina Gamecocks, following in the footsteps of their father, Patrick Belton, who was a running back for the team.<\/span><\/p>\n

Belton followed a similar path at wide receiver, beginning his journey at Hampton University (2012 to 2013), before transferring to South Carolina. He played for the Gamecocks from 2014 to 2016 to finish his college career.<\/span><\/p>\n

Belton attempted to break into the NFL in 2018, earning an invite to a rookie minicamp for the Philadelphia Eagles. When he didn\u2019t make the final roster, he opted to join the Spring League to keep his football dreams alive.<\/span><\/p>\n

His road into wrestling happened almost by accident after he filled out a questionnaire for former WWE CEO Vince McMahon\u2019s football league, the XFL. The very next day, he received a call, but instead of a football tryout, he was asked a surprising question: would he be interested in trying out for WWE?<\/span><\/p>\n

Realizing that wrestling might have been his destiny all along, he moved to Philadelphia to train at the Combat Zone Wrestling Academy while working as a fitness coach. He also spent time at the KnokX Academy, located in Los Angeles, California.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

NXT Days<\/b><\/h2>\n

Belton signed a developmental contract with WWE in February 2021, immediately starting work at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. He spent the next seven months there, preparing for the call to finally make his NXT start.<\/span><\/p>\n

He made his NXT debut in September 2021 as the hype man for <\/span>Carmelo Hayes<\/span><\/a>, officially introducing his in-ring name Trick Williams. Despite their two-year run as “Trick Melo Gang,” one of the brand’s most captivating duos, the pair eventually went their separate ways to establish themselves as solo acts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Following the split, Williams was no longer viewed as a \u201csidekick.\u201d Instead, he quickly developed an organic connection with the crowd, fueled largely by the rising popularity of his “Whoop That Trick” chant. While the phrase is famously associated with the 2005 movie Hustle & Flow, its transition to Williams\u2019 \u201canthem\u201d happened almost by accident. During a match in Memphis, the crowd broke into the chant, and it stuck instantly. WWE quickly embraced the momentum, turning it into a massive babyface rallying cry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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

This deep connection with the crowd propelled him into the NXT main event scene, where he achieved major success as a North American Champion and a two-time NXT Champion. Perhaps his most impressive accomplishment came at <\/span>NXT Battleground on May 25, 2025<\/span><\/a>, when he defeated Joe Hendry to become the first WWE wrestler to capture the TNA\u00a0 Championship during the WWE\/TNA partnership.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Main Roster Success<\/b><\/h2>\n

Trick Williams made his long-awaited main roster debut on SmackDown on January 2, 2026.\u00a0 By interrupting <\/span>Sami Zayn<\/span><\/a>, he immediately established himself as a major player for the blue brand, and that segment served as a clear sign of things to come between the two competitors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the weeks leading up to the Royal Rumble, Williams\u2019 popularity continued to skyrocket. He drew the same massive reactions he experienced in NXT, with the audience echoing his now-iconic \u201cWhoop That Trick\u201d chant in every arena.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the Royal Rumble, Williams entered at number 10 and eliminated two participants. Though he lasted only 6 minutes and 19 seconds before being eliminated by Cody Rhodes, his entrance earned one of the loudest ovations of the entire night, proving his star power was already at a main-event level.<\/span><\/p>\n

Moving past his early exit from the Rumble, Williams quickly shifted his focus toward the Elimination Chamber.<\/span><\/p>\n

His qualifying match took place on the February 20, 2026, episode of SmackDown, where he battled Damian Priest and his former \u201cTrick-Melo Gang\u201d partner, Carmelo Hayes. Despite it being a fast-paced and highly competitive bout that could have gone either way, Trick found a way to <\/span>win the match<\/span><\/a>, punching his ticket to the Elimination Chamber.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Williams entered the Elimination Chamber as the third contestant, lasting an impressive 20 minutes and 25 seconds before being eliminated by Logan Paul. His exit was a blow to many fans who had hoped for a shocking outcome with Williams winning the entire bout.<\/span><\/p>\n

But missing out on a guaranteed title match doesn\u2019t mean WWE won’t have Williams on the WrestleMania card. There are several compelling directions for his WrestleMania debut, with one match in particular that feels more likely than the rest.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Potential WrestleMania Plan<\/b><\/h2>\n

The most interesting and logical direction for creative right now is a one-on-one match between Trick Williams and Sami Zayn. We previously forecasted this matchup in last week\u2019s <\/span>prediction article<\/span><\/a>, noting that the constant friction between the two makes a showdown feel inevitable.<\/span><\/p>\n

The motives for each of them are quite simple. Trick has branded Sami a \u201cmoper\u201d and a choker, even labeling him with the nickname \u201cMr. Can\u2019t Get The Job Done.\u201d Meanwhile, Zayn can argue that the best way to disprove those claims is by defeating Trick at WrestleMania, effectively re-establishing his momentum after failing to win the Undisputed WWE Championship at Royal Rumble.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Williams\u2019 motive is to establish himself as a star for both the future and the present, and to begin shuffling out the \u201cold dogs,\u201d with Sami Zayn being his first target. It\u2019s also his chance to secure a career-defining WrestleMania moment in a match framed as “The Future” (Williams) vs. “The Standard” (Zayn).<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Plans After WrestleMania<\/b><\/h2>\n

While the plans for Trick Williams appear clearer, even if WWE creative\u2019s broader vision for the card remains hazy, the long-term vision following WrestleMania is much more uncertain. In Williams, WWE has that rare total package performer. He is an effective in-ring competitor, carries arguably the most electric entrance in the company, and stands out as one of the best talkers in the game. He has every tool necessary to be a cornerstone of the main roster.<\/span><\/p>\n

For a while, one element WWE had been lacking was the consistent development of younger talent, but the tide is clearly turning. With the addition of Williams, Oba Femi, and Je\u2019Von Evans, the company is finally prioritizing the athletes who will lead the roster into the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

It appears WWE is ready to pull the trigger on these three sooner rather than later. Reports suggest Oba Femi is the leading candidate to face <\/span>Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania<\/span><\/a>, a massive spotlight that could propel him toward a future title opportunity.\u00a0 Meanwhile, Je\u2019Von Evans seems poised for a breakout of his own, with many expecting him to set his sights on the Intercontinental Championship next.<\/span><\/p>\n

Winning the Money in the Bank ladder match on September 6 in New Orleans feels like the ideal trajectory for Williams. <\/span><\/p>\n

With Randy Orton potentially poised to become the next Undisputed WWE Champion should he unseat Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania, Williams\u2019 confrontation with Orton this past Friday on SmackDown suddenly makes a lot of sense. And of course, that electric staredown during the Elimination Chamber is still fresh in everyone\u2019s minds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Winning the Money in the Bank ladder match has historically been viewed as a \u201cLeap of Faith\u201d moment, and no one has positioned themselves better for it this year than Trick Williams. He possesses the rare total package: high charisma and confidence backed by solid ring work, with perhaps the best entrance in WWE as the icing on the cake. <\/span><\/p>\n

If WWE wants to let Trick prove that the \u201cTrick Era\u201d has arrived, letting him climb that ladder would give him more than just a contract; it would give him the keys as the next man up. Whatever WWE decides to do with Trick Williams this year, one thing is certain: the fans are more than ready for it.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So far in 2026, WWE has hit a few bumps in the road. Following critical fan reception of the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber, and with ticket sales for WrestleMania 42 still lagging, the company is seeking some much-needed momentum to turn the year around. Despite the negatives so far, one standout success has brought […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5699,"featured_media":145950,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2192,4,3],"tags":[7988],"class_list":["post-154822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wrestling","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-trick-williams"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5699"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154822"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154822\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":154830,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154822\/revisions\/154830"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/145950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}