A look into Trick’s journey to WWE.
Two years ago, Trick Williams began his career with WWE. He was paired with Carmelo Hayes and over the past two years, Williams has been by Hayes’ side for his North American and NXT Championship reigns. Over the summer, Williams decided that it’d be best if he carved his own path while him and Hayes maintained their on-screen friendship.
A look into Williams’ pre-wrestling career was delved into when he appeared on Booker T’s Hall of Fame podcast.
Williams spoke about his football aspirations and shared that he had a mini-camp tryout with the NFL Philadelphia Eagles. He did not make the cut, but added that an agent he had at the time, tried to sign him up for the Vince McMahon-owned XFL. The day after Williams filled out a questionnaire, he was contacted by WWE.
I watched Booker (T) then I saw John Cena, Randy Orton, these guys, but I wasn’t all the way into wrestling. I was fully involved in football, and then after college, I had a mini-camp tryout with the Philadelphia Eagles and I got cut and then, from there I didn’t know what I was gonna do. I was still trying to play football, and I had an agent at the time. He was trying to sign me up for the XFL and XFL was owned by Vince McMahon. So, I fill out this questionnaire for the XFL and then the next day, WWE reached out to me and said, ‘Hey, if you’re interested, we wanna bring you for a tryout’ and just like you, I never once really thought about wrestling myself. Where I’m from, I don’t know any professional wrestlers, I didn’t know there’s any schools at this point in time, I didn’t know how you even get into it. So, I did go to the tryout. I was like, man, I think I can do this. I think I can do this (he smiled). I think I’m actually made to do this right here. They didn’t sign me right away so I had to go pursue it and I made up my mindset. I’m not a football player no more. I’m a wrestler. So, since then it’s been history.
Later in the chat, Williams explained that his on-screen first name derives from his real name, Matrick. He stated that he wants a ‘championship name’ but is aware that he determines how valuable his name is.
Well, ‘Trick’ for me, my birth name is Matrick. So Trick is really just an extension or actually a subtraction. You take off the ‘M-A’ and that lives you with trick. In college, people would be like, ‘Ayo Trick! Trick, Trick,’ you know? I guess Trick Daddy made it kind of cool. But, like you said, I do want a championship name, but I do know that I make the name…
Williams was featured on the 9/19 NXT on USA Network. To watch a review of the show, head over to the POST Wrestling YouTube channel.
If the quotes in this article are used, please credit the Hall of Fame podcast with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.
