# Trick Williams
**Trick Williams** is the ring name of Matrick Belton, an American professional wrestler and former college football player from [Columbia, South Carolina](https://www.edgepedia.org/columbia-south-carolina), signed to WWE, where he is a two-time United States Champion, a two-time NXT Champion, and the first active WWE Superstar to win the TNA World Title.[1](https://prowrestlingsource.com/wwe-superstars/trick-williams/) • [2](https://www.wwe.com/superstars/trick-williams)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ring identity | Matrick Belton, billed from Columbia, S.C.; 6'5", 250 lbs; signature move the Trick Shot[2](https://www.wwe.com/superstars/trick-williams) |
| WWE signing | Signed in 2021 after a college football career; NXT debut in September 2021[3](https://www.foxnews.com/sports/wwe-champ-trick-williams-details-college-football-prepared-wrestling-stardom) |
| NXT titles | NXT North American Champion (won September 30, 2023); NXT Champion twice, the sixth Superstar to hold that title twice[1](https://prowrestlingsource.com/wwe-superstars/trick-williams/) • [2](https://www.wwe.com/superstars/trick-williams) |
| NXT Championship reigns | April 23 to July 7, 2024 (74 days); October 1, 2024 to January 7, 2025 (98 days)[4](https://www.wwe.com/titlehistory/nxt-championship) |
| TNA World Title | First active WWE Superstar to win the TNA World Championship[2](https://www.wwe.com/superstars/trick-williams) |
| Main roster | Debuted on SmackDown on January 2, 2026; won the United States Championship from Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 42[5](https://athlonsports.com/wrestling/trick-williams-1999-the-rock-wwe-comparison) • [6](https://wrestletalk.com/?p=478320) |
| Other honors | 2023 Iron Survivor Challenge winner; married to WWE star Lash Legend since June 20, 2026[2](https://www.wwe.com/superstars/trick-williams) • [7](https://clutchpoints.com/wwe/wwe-trick-williams-breaks-silence-on-wedding-lash-legend-exclusive) |
## Football background and path to WWE
Belton played football at Keenan High School in Columbia before starting his college career at [Hampton University](https://www.edgepedia.org/hampton-university) in Virginia, an FCS school, and later was part of the [South Carolina Gamecocks](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-carolina-gamecocks) program.[8](https://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/usc-recruiting/article315791966.html) • [9](https://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/usc-football/article293356259.html) He signed with WWE in 2021 and made his NXT debut that September, quickly becoming a fan favorite.[3](https://www.foxnews.com/sports/wwe-champ-trick-williams-details-college-football-prepared-wrestling-stardom) • [10](https://tjrwrestling.net/news/trick-williams-wwe-debut-before-nxt-run/) Before his WWE signing he trained with his uncle at the Combat Zone Wrestling Academy in Philadelphia, and performed on the independent scene as "Sweet Daddy Trick," a character honoring the Belton family's love of throwback movies.[11](https://dukeintmagazine.com/trick-williams-the-proving-grounds-prodigal-son/) • [9](https://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/usc-football/article293356259.html)
## NXT career
**Hype man for Carmelo Hayes.** Williams debuted alongside [Carmelo Hayes](https://www.edgepedia.org/carmelo-hayes) and became one of NXT's best-known hype men for the then-champion Hayes, before the two had a bitter falling out.[2](https://www.wwe.com/superstars/trick-williams) His in-ring debut alongside Hayes came in a four-way elimination match for the NXT Tag Team Titles, which they did not win.[1](https://prowrestlingsource.com/wwe-superstars/trick-williams/)
**Championship run.** At NXT No Mercy on September 30, 2023, Williams defeated "Dirty" [Dominik Mysterio](https://www.edgepedia.org/dominik-mysterio) to win the [NXT North American Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/nxt-north-american-championship).[1](https://prowrestlingsource.com/wwe-superstars/trick-williams/) He won the 2023 Iron Survivor Challenge, and on April 23, 2024, at Spring Breakin', he defeated [Ilja Dragunov](https://www.edgepedia.org/ilja-dragunov) to capture the NXT Championship for the first time.[2](https://www.wwe.com/superstars/trick-williams) • [1](https://prowrestlingsource.com/wwe-superstars/trick-williams/) He lost the title to Ethan Page on July 7, 2024, after an 86-day Page reign began with a 74-day Williams reign, then regained it from Page on October 1, 2024, at the NXT premiere on The CW, in a match with CM Punk as special guest referee, holding it 98 days until January 7, 2025.[4](https://www.wwe.com/titlehistory/nxt-championship) • [12](https://www.postwrestling.com/2024/10/01/trick-williams-expresses-mad-respect-for-indie-wrestlers-says-nil-athletes-almost-expect-to-have-spot-on-wwe-roster/) WWE's bio notes that becoming a two-time NXT Champion made him only the sixth Superstar to accomplish that feat.[2](https://www.wwe.com/superstars/trick-williams)
**TNA World Champion.** During this period Williams also became the first active WWE Superstar to win the TNA World Title, a crossover made possible by the working relationship between WWE's NXT and TNA Wrestling.[2](https://www.wwe.com/superstars/trick-williams) • [13](https://www.fcwprowrestling.com/superstars/trickwilliams.htm)
## SmackDown and United States Champion
Williams moved to SmackDown, debuting on January 2, 2026, and defeated [Sami Zayn](https://www.edgepedia.org/sami-zayn) at [WrestleMania 42](https://www.edgepedia.org/wrestlemania-42) to win the United States Championship, his first main roster title.[5](https://athlonsports.com/wrestling/trick-williams-1999-the-rock-wwe-comparison) • [6](https://wrestletalk.com/?p=478320) During the rivalry with Zayn, fan support shifted toward Williams and the two underwent a double turn.[6](https://wrestletalk.com/?p=478320) He has since appeared on SmackDown flanked by the rapper [Lil Yachty](https://www.edgepedia.org/lil-yachty), and his second United States Championship reign began with a win over Baron Corbin at Sunday Night's Main Event on September 6, 2026, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.[14](https://www.wwe.com/shows/nightofchampions/2026/trick-williams-vs-ricky-saints) • [15](https://wrestlingprofiles.com/wrestler/trick-williams/)
## Character and reception
Williams's entrance chant "Whoop That Trick" echoes through arenas he appears in, and his persona has drawn frequent comparisons to Booker T, whom Williams has called a weekly mentor who urged him to build his own name rather than come up off Booker's.[2](https://www.wwe.com/superstars/trick-williams) • [16](https://411mania.com/wrestling/trick-williams-comparisons-booker-t-advice/) Commentators have also compared his connection with crowds to The Rock's 1999 run, a comparison framed as resting on his presence and promo ability rather than imitation.[5](https://athlonsports.com/wrestling/trick-williams-1999-the-rock-wwe-comparison) Fan and critic discussion of his work consistently separates two elements: his charisma, entrance, and mic skills, which are widely rated as elite, and his in-ring wrestling, which many reviewers describe as the weaker part of his act, though some note improvement since his main roster call-up.[17](https://www.cagematch.net/en/?id=2&nr=24301&page=98) He married fellow WWE star Lash Legend, called up to the main roster in 2025, on June 20, 2026, in Jamaica.[7](https://clutchpoints.com/wwe/wwe-trick-williams-breaks-silence-on-wedding-lash-legend-exclusive)
## References
1. [Trick Williams - Wrestling Bio, Pro Wrestling Source](https://prowrestlingsource.com/wwe-superstars/trick-williams/)
2. [Trick Williams, WWE.com](https://www.wwe.com/superstars/trick-williams)
3. [How Trick Williams' college football days prepped him for WWE stardom, Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/sports/wwe-champ-trick-williams-details-college-football-prepared-wrestling-stardom)
4. [NXT Championship title history, WWE.com](https://www.wwe.com/titlehistory/nxt-championship)
5. [Trick Williams Is Drawing 1999 The Rock Comparisons, Athlon Sports](https://athlonsports.com/wrestling/trick-williams-1999-the-rock-wwe-comparison)
6. [Trick Williams On Why He Believes WWE Fans Chose Him Over Sami Zayn, WrestleTalk](https://wrestletalk.com/?p=478320)
7. [WWE's Trick Williams breaks silence on wedding with Lash Legend, ClutchPoints](https://clutchpoints.com/wwe/wwe-trick-williams-breaks-silence-on-wedding-lash-legend-exclusive)
8. [WWE's Trick Williams speaks with South Carolina recruits, The State](https://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/usc-recruiting/article315791966.html)
9. [nxt champion trick williams’ journey from usc football to wwe | the state](https://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/usc-football/article293356259.html)
10. [Trick Williams Recalls WWE Debut That Occurred Before NXT Run, TJR Wrestling](https://tjrwrestling.net/news/trick-williams-wwe-debut-before-nxt-run/)
11. [Trick Williams: The Proving Ground's Prodigal Son, Duke International Magazine](https://dukeintmagazine.com/trick-williams-the-proving-grounds-prodigal-son/)
12. [Trick Williams expresses 'mad respect' for indie wrestlers, POST Wrestling](https://www.postwrestling.com/2024/10/01/trick-williams-expresses-mad-respect-for-indie-wrestlers-says-nil-athletes-almost-expect-to-have-spot-on-wwe-roster/)
13. [Trick Williams, FCW Pro Wrestling](https://www.fcwprowrestling.com/superstars/trickwilliams.htm)
14. [United States Champion Trick Williams vs. Ricky Saints, WWE.com](https://www.wwe.com/shows/nightofchampions/2026/trick-williams-vs-ricky-saints)
15. [Trick Williams career summary, Wrestling Profiles](https://wrestlingprofiles.com/wrestler/trick-williams/)
16. [Trick Williams Weighs In On Comparisons To Booker T, 411MANIA](https://411mania.com/wrestling/trick-williams-comparisons-booker-t-advice/)
17. [Trick Williams ratings, CAGEMATCH](https://www.cagematch.net/en/?id=2&nr=24301&page=98)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Professional wrestlers and stables › American wrestlers › Modern era wrestlers › NXT wrestlers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license