In today's world, Trick Williams is a topic that arouses great interest and debate in society. From its impact on the economy to its influence on popular culture, Trick Williams has captured the attention of experts and the general public. As technology advances and trends change, Trick Williams has become a hot topic that never stops generating headlines in the media. In this article, we will explore the different facets of Trick Williams, its evolution over time and its relevance in the contemporary world.
American professional wrestler (born 1994)
Trick Williams
Williams in 2024
Personal information
Born
Matrick Mondre Belton[5][6] (1994-05-26) May 26, 1994 (age 31)[5]
After playing gridiron football in college, Belton began his professional wrestling career in 2018 under the ring name Sweet Daddy Trick when he trained in Philadelphia with his uncle. Belton then signed a developmental contract with WWE in February 2021 and debuted in September of the same year under the Trick Williams ring name. Since then, he has become a two-time NXT Champion, a one-time NXT North American Champion, and was the winner of the 2023Men's Iron Survivor Challenge. He won the TNA World Championship, his first world championship, in May 2025 and became the first WWE-contracted wrestler to win a TNA championship.
Football career
Belton excelled in athletics since childhood and played college football on a full scholarship for the Hampton Pirates in 2012 and 2013, the latter season cut short due to a pulled hamstring. Feeling he could do more, he abandoned his scholarship to walk on to the South Carolina Gamecocks team, his father's alma mater, from 2014 to 2016.[1] There, he also played alongside his brothers, André and Hassan. He caught 11 passes for 121 yards during his college career, all of which came in 2015.[8] At South Carolina, he graduated in physical education.[1] He went undrafted in 2017 and spent time as an assistant coach and student-teacher intern at Airport High School in West Columbia, South Carolina in the fall of 2017. He then played in The Spring League in 2018 and attended the Philadelphia Eagles rookie minicamp on a tryout basis in May 2018.[9]
Professional wrestling career
Training and early years (2018–2021)
When he realized his football career was going nowhere, he made a last ditch attempt by sending a tape to WWE in order to make the XFL, a quickly defunct football league also ran by Vince McMahon. While he didn't make the XFL, WWE reached out to him via e-mail to encourage him to try out wrestling.[1]
He moved in with his uncle to train and perform for Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) in Philadelphia. He worked as a fitness coach for Orangetheory Fitness by day and attended wrestling school at night. To honor his uncle and black roots, he created a Dolemite-inspired character named after his uncle's nickname "Sweet Daddy Trick" and even created a short film to develop his new persona.[1] When the COVID pandemic hit, he decided to move out of his elderly uncle's house and relocated to Los Angeles, where he worked odd jobs while trying to make it as an actor. While there, he trained and performed at KnokX Pro Wrestling Academy, until he was signed by WWE.[1]
Williams and Hayes turned face on the April 4, 2023 episode of NXT, after Bron Breakker turned heel by attacking them.[15] On the August 1 episode of NXT, Williams told Hayes that they needed to part ways so he could achieve his own accomplishments, amicably breaking up the Trick Melo Gang.[16] At NXT: Heatwave on August 22, Williams lost to Ilja Dragunov.[17] On the September 26 episode of NXT, Williams defeated Axiom, Dragon Lee and Tyler Bate in a fatal four-way match became the number one contender to the NXT North American Championship,[18] which he won from "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio four days later at NXT No Mercy.[19] However, on the October 3 episode of NXT, Williams lost the title back to Mysterio after interference from Mysterio's Judgment Day stablemates, ending his reign at three days, marking the shortest reign in the title's history.[20]
On the October 17 episode of NXT, Williams was slotted into the triple threat match between Hayes, Dijak and Baron Corbin to make it a fatal four-way match for a NXT Championship opportunity against Dragunov at NXT: Halloween Havoc, causing a rift between Williams and Hayes. Before the match started, Williams was found attacked backstage and taken to a hospital. Hayes then defeated Dijak and Corbin for the title opportunity.[21] On Night 2 of Halloween Havoc on October 31, Williams returned and cost Hayes the NXT Championship match.[22] At NXT Deadline on December 9, Williams won the men's Iron Survivor Challenge to earn an NXT Championship match against Dragunov at NXT: New Year's Evil on January 2, 2024.[23] At the event, it was announced that Dragunov was not medically cleared to wrestle. Instead, Hayes placed Williams in a match against Grayson Waller with his title shot on the line, which he won after interference from Kevin Owens.[24] On the January 16 episode of NXT, Dragunov returned from injury and informed Williams that their title match would take place at NXT Vengeance Day.[25]
At the same time, Williams and Hayes competed in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament,[25][26] losing to Corbin and Breakker in the finals at NXT Vengeance Day on February 4. Later that night, Williams failed to win the NXT Championship from Dragunov. After the match, Hayes attacked Williams with a steel chair, ending their partnership.[27] On the following episode of NXT, Hayes revealed that he was the one who attacked Williams back in October 2023.[28] After Tony D'Angelo defeated Hayes at NXT: Roadblock, Williams made his return and attacked Hayes.[29] At NXT Stand & Deliver on April 6, Williams defeated Hayes.[30] The following week on NXT, Williams called out Dragunov to challenge him for the NXT Championship. Dragunov agreed to a title match at Spring Breakin' on the condition that Williams leave NXT if he loses, which Williams accepted.[31] In a NXT Stand & Deliver rematch on the April 16 episode of NXT, Williams defeated Hayes in a steel cage match, despite interference from Hayes' security team, ending their feud.[32] On Week 1 of Spring Breakin', Williams defeated Dragunov to capture the NXT Championship for the first time in his career.[33]
Williams began feuding with the debuting Ethan Page, who signed a contract that contained an NXT Championship match at NXT Battleground on June 9,[34][35] where Williams retained the title.[36] At NXT Heatwave on July 7, Williams lost the title to Page in a fatal four-way match also involving Je'Von Evans and Shawn Spears, the former of whom Page pinned, ending his reign at 75 days.[37] Following the loss, he feuded with Pete Dunne, who derided Williams for seeking advice to recapture the NXT Championship.[38] At Week 2 of NXT: The Great American Bash on August 6, Williams lost to Dunne.[39] He retaliated by costing Dunne a triple threat match against Joe Hendry and Wes Lee for a NXT Championship match at NXT No Mercy, where Williams served as the special guest referee for the NXT Championship match between Page and Hendry, after which he was attacked by Dunne.[40][41] On the September 10 episode of NXT, Williams defeated Dunne in a Last Man Standing match to end their feud and earn an NXT Championship match at NXT's CW premiere on October 1,[42] where he defeated Page (with CM Punk as the special guest referee) to win his second NXT Championship.[43] At NXT Halloween Havoc on October 27, Williams successfully defended the title against Page in a Devil's Playground match. After the match, he was attacked by Page and Ridge Holland, before being saved by Bubba Ray Dudley.[44] This led to a tag team match at NXT 2300 on November 6, which Williams and Bubba Ray lost after Holland pinned Williams.[45] At NXT Deadline on December 7, Williams defeated Holland to retain the title, ending their feud.[46]
On the December 17 episode of NXT, Williams' title match against Eddy Thorpe ended in controversial fashion, as two referees counted two separate pins. After the show went off the air, NXT General Manager Ava confirmed that both Williams and Thorpe's shoulders were down, resulting in a double pinfall, thus Williams retained the title.[47] At NXT: New Year's Evil on January 7, 2025, Williams lost the NXT Championship to Oba Femi in a triple threat match also involving Thorpe, ending his second reign at 98 days.[48] Williams continued his feud with Thorpe, whom he lost to in a strap match at NXT Vengeance Day on February 15.[49] On the March 18 episode of NXT, he defeated Thorpe in an NXT Underground match to end their feud.[50] At NXT Stand and Deliver on April 19, Williams failed to regain the title from Femi in a triple threat match also involving Evans.[51]
On the April 22 episode of NXT, Williams began to tease a heel turn, as his character shifted to become more selfish and entitled as he whined for another title opportunity from Femi. Afterwards, Williams would insult TNA World ChampionJoe Hendry following his surprise appearance and quick loss to Randy Orton at WrestleMania 41. Williams solidified his heel turn by attacking Hendry at Rebellion and later helping DarkState win their match against Hendry and Hank and Tank (Hank Walker and Tank Ledger) on the May 6 episode of NXT. Hendry would cause Williams to be eliminated from the Battle Royale to determine the #1 Contender for the NXT Championship later in the same night, with a match between the two being made official for the TNA World Championship at NXT Battleground.[52]
At NXT Battleground on May 25, Williams defeated Hendry to win the TNA World Championship. On the June 3 episode of NXT, Williams successfully defended the title against Mike Santana in his first title defense after interference from First Class (A. J. Francis and KC Navarro)[53] and against Josh Briggs on June 25 episode of NXT, before being attacked by Hendry.[54] Williams would attack Sanatana and Hendry during their tag team match against The High Ryze's Tyson Dupont and Tyriek Igwe on July 8 episode of NXT.[55] At NXT The Great American Bash, Williams would get laid out during a contract signing for the TNA World Championship against Santana and Hendry, who would in turn get assaulted by the DarkState.[56] The three teamed up against the DarkState on July 15, before their match was interrupted by The System who assaulted DarkState.[57] Williams would go on to beat Hendry and Santana at Slammiversary.[58] Santana cost Williams the No. 1 Contender's Match against Je'Von Evans on the August 19 episode of NXT,[59] going on to challenge and defeat Williams to win the title at Bound for Glory on October 12.[60]
On May 25, Williams defeated Hendry to win the TNA World Championship at NXT Battleground. This marked the first time a contracted WWE wrestler won a TNA title.[66] Williams successfully defended the title against Elijah at Against All Odds on June 6 with the help of A. J. Francis,[67] as well as against Hendry and Mike Santana at Slammiversary on July 20.[58]Moose would later challenge Williams for the championship, earning a match after he and Eddie Edwards defeated Williams and A. J. Francis in a tag team match.[68] Williams would however retain the title at Emergence on August 15.[69]
Mike Santana and Steve Maclin defeated Williams and A. J. Francis on the August 28 episode of TNA Impact!,[70] earning Santana the right to challenge Williams for the TNA World Championship.[71] On October 12, Williams lost the title to Santana at Bound For Glory, ending his reign at 140 days.[60]
Belton worked as an extra in the third season of the TV series All American. He also appeared as a guest star in the finale of the show's seventh season, portraying the character of Eddie Blair.[75]