WWE Now - Trick Williams live from Fanatics Fest

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0:49Oh, thank you everybody. Welcome to Fanatics Fest. How are we all doing? it. Wow, you guys brought the energy today. What's going on? I love this. Day one of Fanatics Fest, already packed, already ready for some of the best experiences. Megan, is there anything specifically that you're looking forward to seeing, doing while we're here? I am looking forward to the fan entrances during Fanatics Games. Ah, superstar entrances. Anybody participating in Fanatics Fest games? No, no, no, no, no. Because that's where you separate the men from the boys, okay? That's one of the highly competitive things happening at Fanatics Fest.

1:34But, you know, one of the big parts of this is, of course, shows like this. Getting the opportunity to do live podcasts in front of everybody. And it's not just about, you know, seeing myself, Sam Roberts, and Megan Morant, and WWE Now being represented. But it's about seeing some of the biggest superstars in the world of sports and entertainment, specifically WWE. Megan, should we introduce our guest, do you think? What do you guys think? Do you think it's time for us to introduce our guest? Should we bring him out here? The people want it. Well, then, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to WWE Now the United States Champion, Trick Williams!

2:53Oh, Trick Williams, everybody. Let's talk about it. I love it. We had someone in the audience doing the little Booker T. We know they're an OG. Wait, wait. Y 'all know the ad lib for the Booker T and the Whoop That Trick anthem? Let me hear them. Whoop That Trick. Whoop That Trick. Whoop That Trick. Whoop That Trick. Oh, yeah, man. That's the best one. I like it. I like it. Yeah, you know, it was interesting. Right before we came out, they said, Sam, when the music plays, see if you can get the crowd to kind of whoop that trick along with it. And I said, I don't think I'm going to need to do any work to get this crowd to chant those words with that song.

3:37Every single time I come to New York, these fans know how to have a good time. What's up, New York baby? Trick, that's been the craziest part because a lot of us have been following your journey since your time on NXT, but immediately when you debuted on the main roster, that reaction was there from the jump. What was that like for you? It's unbelievable. It's unreal, no pun intended. Just knowing that all the hard work that you put in over the years, the people recognize it. They love some of the views I have from the past. They know about the TNA, excuse me, the Trick and A world title run I had over there.

4:11They know about Trick Mellow Gang way back in the day. So I appreciate that love, man, and here we are today. Was there any part of you, when that debut happened, when you get to the main roster, that wondered whether or not the audience was going to know, whether or not the audience was going to know to chant whoop that trick, whether or not the audience was going to be familiar with exactly who you were? You know, no. There it is. He said he was already going to know. But, you know, I knew no matter what happened, at the end of the night, everybody was going to be able to whoop that trick. And that's what happened.

4:46that's exactly what happened. You know, a lot's been said about Booker T's commentary. And the internet loves talking. The internet always talks. But from your perspective, as somebody who was a part of one of the many times Booker T has invested fully from a commentary perspective, how important is it for you that Booker T did what Booker T does on commentary for you? Man, Booker T is special, man. And I call him my uncle because I truly do believe that. Booker T is my uncle, y 'all. Like, you know, he saw me before a time when it was the popular belief that Trick Williams was going to be the next big superstar or anything like that.

5:28Booker T, he sat with me and he said, Hey, look, man, I see what you're doing. I like what you're doing. But let me help you out. Let me show you how to, you know, look at that camera and pose this way so your muscles look good and talk a little bit more trash right here in this part of the game. and he was just able to teach me the game and elevate my game to the next level so I could be that superstar and continue to grow every single day. And, you know, he did at a time when it wasn't the popular thing, so I always appreciate that. And speaking of Booker T, word through the grapevine is Booker T wants one more match.

6:02What? What? Let's talk about it. He said he wants one more match, and I think it's only right, it's only befitting if his last match is with the man that he helped mold into the superstar that he is today. And I was thinking, hmm, what better time like the present? Maybe within the next year or so. How would y 'all like to see Booker T? Wow. Versus the anointed one, Trick Williams. Make some noise. Let the world know if you're going to see Booker T versus Trick Williams. I mean, that really would be incredible. Just one more time. One more. One more time. He needs that farewell match, you know what I mean?

6:41He needs to receive his flowers. Do you think that that would be the right move? If Booker T has one more match in him, is Trick the right guy to get it? I mean, they've spoken. It is. The people have spoken. I think I see some concern on the face of the people at Fanatics Fest, and I think I even saw some concern from Megan Moran a minute ago, because we want to know. You didn't shave this title belt, did you? because last we saw it, it was bespeckled in white fur. That's right. You didn't shave it down, did you? That's right. That's right. See, the thing is, my all-white fur title, I keep it in a special box.

7:15I keep it manicured to perfection. That way it smells good and it looks good every single time you're going to see it on Friday Night Smackdown. But right here is what I carry on my day-to-day. But usually I keep the all-white hair on it. You know what I mean? The all-white fur, just like the trick Willie Coat. And speaking of that title, last week Ben Corbin came in and jumped on myself and Carmelo Hayes. And I think I know why Baron Corbin did it. It wasn't because he wanted to be just like Trick Williams. No, no, no. It wasn't just because of that. It wasn't because I'm in the run of my lifetime right now and he was jealous.

7:48He was mad because my title had more hair than he does. Oh, my God. Yes, Sam's actually jealous of that, too, which is why he brought it up. Sorry, Sam. It wasn't personal. I mean, some people choose. Maybe it's a choice. We don't know. That's right. We don't know. We don't know. I mean, I love Baron Corbin coming back and being the one to go for you because I think Baron Corbin, a few years back, was in a similar position to you. A few years back, Baron Corbin had come through NXT. Baron Corbin was a new face in the WWE. Baron Corbin accomplished a lot in the WWE, and now he shows up in that veteran position stopping you.

8:30What is it like for you right now to be in this space where you're one of a handful of new talent that people are saying this is what the future of the company is? That's right. Shout out to Baron Corbin, former football player himself. You know what I mean? And we ran into each other a few times at NXT. But, yeah, with that being said, it's a whole new era now. It's myself. It's Oprah Femi. You know, Javon Evans. And we hungry. We want that top spot. Baron Corbin, he's had his time. I mean, he's had his title runs. He's defeated, you know, some of the best names in the game to date. If I'm not mistaken, he was the last man to pin Roman Reigns for a very, very long time.

9:10And, you know, he deserves his flowers. But today is 2026. It's the Wolf Dad Trick era. And Baron Corbin is going to see a whole new version, a whole new level of superstar that he's never seen before. Let's talk about it. You mentioned the handful of guys that everybody's been talking about. Javon Evans, Obafemi, yourself, Ron Breaker, Sol Ruka, everybody coming up from NXT and making an instant impact. You don't really strike me as the guy who would come up and stand on the sidelines for a little while and take your turn. Wait, your turn. So how has that been to come up and really make a splash right away?

9:51Man, look, it's a dream come true. Now, I say it's unreal, and that's not because the show is coming out on July 21st on Netflix. It's because it's really been unreal. You never know how your career is going to pan out and how people are going to take to you when you pop it to the new brands and everything like that. With that being said, man, when you hungry and you got that dog in you, when you've been through the fire, you know what I mean? Like, I played football for 20 years, worked my way up, walked on just to get to the Philadelphia Eagles, just to get cut, just to get a second chance at life, a second chance to make my name in the WWE.

10:23You think I wasn't going to go hard? You thought I wasn't going to let the people feel my name, whoop that trick every single chance I get? Look, man, every single time that red light's on, I'm going to put on a show. And the people are going to know who Trick Williams is because there's no tomorrow. It's only for today. And you're going to see me today.

10:42There's nothing like my American Express Platinum card. I love that I can earn hotel credits when I travel. I can also earn resi credits. So you know I'm hitting the restaurants everyone's talking about. Plus, with the digital entertainment credit, I'm even more excited to catch my favorite shows. All in all, I can access over$3 ,500 in annual value with benefits and eligible purchases across travel, entertainment, and more. Learn more at AmericanExpress.com slash explore dash platinum. Enrollment requirements, monthly, and other limits in terms apply. Was there ever a part of you, though, having not come from a wrestling background that had any sort of imposter syndrome when you came into this world?

11:21You know, the crazy thing is, my brother says it all the time. He says, I have delusional faith. In my mind, I've been a superstar in my whole life. And I told you this before, Sam. My first password on my Yahoo, AOL, whatever, it was superstar. I played football, but in my mind, I guess I just didn't know it. You know, football was a popular thing. My pops play football. From where I'm from, a lot of people play football. But I grew up a fan of the WWE universe. My first cuss were to open a can of whoop-ay at three years old. I was smaller than you, watching Stone Cold Steve Austin. And I just knew, man, that could be me one day.

11:57I just didn't. I thought it was football. I thought football was my lane. But as soon as I got the opportunity to become a WWE superstar, it fit like a glove. No imposter syndrome. I was home. I took my shirt off. I haven't put one on since. That's true. I mean, I've seen you do local news shows in Oklahoma City, and you show up at 7 o 'clock in the morning with no shirt. Do you own shirts, or you don't? You save money. I only have three shirts, and they're in the dry cleaners right now. But it's a proven fact. When Trink Williams takes off his shirt, the visual attendance increases 30 % with women all across America.

12:31So I'm just trying to help TV. Wow. Wow. What do you, what is, you know, Megan talks about this group of talent that's in now, you being a huge part of that. In terms of your mentality, when you go, okay, it's important to be a part of this class. At the same time, you need to stand out from that class. How much of you is going, hey, the group of us is going to take this place over. And how much of you is going, no, I'm going to take this whole group of talent over. You know, the thing is, you know, I've never been the one to compare myself to nobody else. Because the truth is, even if I wanted to be Obafemi, I couldn't be Obafemi.

13:16The truth is, if Obafemi wanted to be Trick Williams, he couldn't be Trick Williams. It wouldn't look right if he was in all white all the time, talking trash with the lemon pepper steppers on. There's only one Trick Williams. I leave it to the people. I let the people decide who they want to be their number one. But either way, Trick Williams got to be Trick Williams. I can't be nobody else. And I just know, does Ova Femi want as bad as Tripp Williams want it? Does Javon Edmonds want it as bad as Tripp Williams want it? Does Carmelo Hayes want it as bad as Tripp Williams want it? I don't think so.

13:46I'm willing to fight for it every single day. Best man may win. Let's talk about it. That is. I mean, that's part of wrestling, right? It's like it's good to see people succeed, but the last thing you want to do is share. You're not here to share. That's right. That's right. I ain't here to share. Look, man. Look, man. I've been very fortunate. I've been very blessed with my career, man. I got a legacy title. I know you can't see it right now, but I got a legacy title. Seven months into my run on SmackDown, man. I can't complain at all. And we're just getting started. You were on the radio with me yesterday, and we were talking about NXT 2.0, where you came from, where you made your TV debut.

14:21And it's really interesting to me, now that we've got some space between that launch and what's happened. because I think when NXT 2.0 came out, it was a shock to the system for wrestling fans. I think that we didn't know what to make of it. I remember after that first episode, all of us complaining about how many debuts there were. We don't know who anybody is. He was complaining? No, not me. Oh, come on, Sam. Sam was hating on the 2.0. The hater over here was complaining quite a bit. No, I don't think I was. I was somebody else. But with the point being, I think, and we were talking about this, a lot of you guys were in a sink or swim scenario.

14:58where maybe, you know, it wasn't like, I don't think, it had been this thing where it's like, okay, you're all ready for television at the same time. That's right. Maybe you weren't, but it was like either get ready or get gone. That's right. And I think that that sink or swim mentality, we didn't know it at the time, is why guys like you and Braun Breaker and a huge amount of talent that showed up out of nowhere for the 2.0 launch has been so incredibly successful over the years. Do you think that people have kind of realized, like am I on to something there? Do you think that people realize that that sink or swim scenario that you guys were all in has shaped a generation to an extent?

15:43For sure, for sure. I mean, I feel like pressure makes diamonds. Yeah. And, you know, when that 2.0 era kicked off, everybody was not excited about it, and that's the truth. But the truth is, you know, change needed to happen. You know what I mean? For something new to grow, y 'all get out with the old sometimes. I want to say shout out to all the guys who came before us. You know, the Tommaso Ciampas, the Johnny Gargano, all those guys who laid down the foundation, put NXT in a great position for us to be able to have a show. You know what I mean? For us to be able to get out there and do our things.

16:13So we're grateful for that. But I also do feel like our crop was very, very, very special. We talk about Brom Breaker. We talk about the Creed Brothers. We talk about Tony D 'Angelo. You still at NXT doing this thing. It has every single title. Knowing the man in the NXT division. Shout out to my boy, Tony D 'Angelo. Grayson Waller. Carmelo Hayes. All of us, we had a chip on our shoulder, man, because we was throwing it to the deep end. It was sink or swim. And everybody's swimming right now, man. I'm proud of my boys. And my ladies. Especially the last legend. I know I didn't say that. You know, speaking of sink or swim, I feel like you were in a scenario like that recently.

16:50and that scenario involved a character named the gingerbread man. Oh, we're going there, we're going there. Rest in peace. The gingerbread man was one of those scenarios where people felt one way or the other about it. That's right, that's right. There were a lot of people that said, this has got to be the worst thing I've ever seen. Who said that? Not me. Who said that? Somebody said that? Not me. But a lot of people said, no, no, no, no, no. this is the best thing that I've ever seen and for me stuff like that in this world is all about commitment to what is happening was there ever a time in the whole process of the gingerbread man story where your confidence was wavering that's a good question right there Sam but not at all because when you look at that whole gingerbread man segment, when you look at that funeral that we have for the gingerbread man If you look at what we did to Sami Zayn, if you look at what we did to Sami Zayn, we had a grown future Hall of Famer, no doubt about it.

17:55Sami Zayn, who's been in the best in the main events of WrestleMania, been on an honorary oos in everything he can, had his first segment, my first segment against Sami Zayn, Trick Williams, and had him sweating in his boots. Had him knocking down water bottles, doing everything he could just to, you know, catch his momentum back and everything like that. We came out with a song named Gingerbread Man. And let me tell you, the song Gingerbread Man with Trick Williams and Lil Yachty did millions of views on YouTube. Can we talk about that for a second? Thank you very much. Yes. Then we had a whole funeral segment, Everything with Sami Zayn.

18:28And look, Trick Williams came out a much bigger star after Sami Zayn in the Gingerbread segment. I went to France. I went to Italy. I went to Spain, Barcelona, Portugal. I went to Saudi Arabia. And they still chant Gingerbread Man to this day at Sami Zayn. So you tell me, Sam, is that a win? I think it's a win. I think it's a win. It's a win, man. Let's talk about it. I think it's a win. I think it's a win for all involved. I think if you look at that Gingerbread Man story, that story is foundational to Sami Zayn, kind of losing his mind a little bit, and bringing him to the position where he became the WWE champion.

19:03Man, that Gingerbread story was so good that Shrek had to come out with another movie that they're dropping soon to capitalize on the Gingerbread Man. Tell me it wasn't a good storyline, Sam. No, I think it was good. Were you surprised at all that Sami Zayn's WWE title reign only lasted nine days? What are your thoughts on this? I mean, I hate it for him. Oh, well. Chick-fil-A's turn. It should have been me. Before we were talking about Sami and the gingerbread man, Sam was talking about just, like, full commitment to things. And when you talk about fully committing to a storyline, fully committing to a character, I think about boat Lil Yachty because I think there's been a lot of...

19:47Yeah, that's right. Give it up for Yachty. Can we get some noise for my dog Lil Yachty, please? But, you know, there's a lot of conversation. Oh, should celebrities be involved in WWE? And people online have various opinions on that. But I think we can all agree what Yachty has brought to the table as a manager. What has it been like for you to work with Yachty and for this extended period of time? Because when he showed up with you, no one knew it was going to turn into what it is now. For sure, for sure. I mean, I'm going to start by saying this. Yachty has earned every second of screen time that he gets because he has committed to the game.

20:27You know what I mean? He loves the WWE universe as much as everybody out here, as much as myself. And that's where we come together. And on top of that, Yachty is my friend. So I get to go out there every single Friday. I get to talk trash. Get to whoopee every single week with my friend by my side. And we're looking out for one another. He loves the business. And he ain't here. He said, I want to be at everything. He probably going to pull up today. Who knows? You know what I mean? He said, I want to be at everything. I want to be at the house shows. I want to be all traveling across the world.

20:54I want to be part of the WWE universe. And now he is. We're going to have a good time. And probably going to have some tag matches sometime soon or something like that. He's training. He's in the gym all the time. We're going to make sure that happens. I think what's endearing about it is that as a fan, when I watch, and you tell me if you agree, it's very clear that Yachty is living out a dream. It's very clear that he's not out here promoting an album. He's not out here trying to get attention to his music career. He's out here being a bad guy wrestling manager and hyping up Trick Williams to the highest level possible.

21:35And I think that there's an authenticity to the way in which he does it that makes it so not only is that contagious, but it elevates the whole act that is Trick Williams. That's right, that's right, man. He's very selfless, man. He's a superstar, you know, platinum-selling diamond artist multiple times. But he gets to be part of the WWE universe. That's what he wants to do. He wants to be here with everybody, man. He loves it, and I'm glad he's able to do that, man. We're just getting started. You know, it's interesting, going back to your NXT days, I think there's a lot of superstars that have these moments where a lot of us go, okay, that guy's ready.

22:17And they don't come up. I think the same thing happened to Braun Breaker, the same thing happened to you, where there's this whole other wave of the NXT run that we didn't necessarily see coming. And for you, it meant, number one, being a villain in NXT. But I think even more importantly, being the TNA World Champion. How valuable to your whole experience as a wrestler and your experience in being ready to be a superstar on the main roster, how valuable was being the TNA Champion today? Man, being the TNA Champion was everything. That was the experience that I needed to really become that more polished, well-rounded, more confident superstar that I could be.

23:02And TNA isn't quite like WWE. Not as many producers, not as much help around. Some may call TNA the wild, wild west. So if you're able to survive in the wild, wild west, then you can become a superstar anyway. And I was able to take TNA. Look, man, I had a lot of help, a lot of great guys there. Moose, the Hardys, everybody was there. but main evented the two largest shows in TNA history as a part-timer, as a Trigone world champion, man. That's one of my most proudest moments in being in the business, being there, being part of that system, getting them a TV deal at AMC and everything like that.

23:38So I'm just grateful for that whole experience with TNA. Shout out to everything they got going on. I mean, you look back at the TNA run now. I mean, it's quite evident how much of an impact it made on your career on the main roster. But was there ever a part of you that was so eager to get called up to Raw or to SmackDown that felt a bit of frustration that you were in NXT and TNA? Yeah, for sure. That's a competitor in all of us. Everybody wants to get to the main roster. Everybody wants to get to their WrestleMania moments. Everybody wants to lock up with some of the best like Randy Orton and everything like that.

24:16when I've been at NXT for four years at that point, five years, thinking I did everything I could do. But TNA was the perfect segue, the perfect bridge to keep me busy. And like, nah, Trick, there's still a lot for you to learn. Stay right here and get better at your craft. Work different people. Learn from somebody else who's been doing this way longer than you. That way, when I got to the main roster, and that first segment with Sami Zayn, I'm ready for Sami Zayn. Then it's Randy Orton. I'm ready for Randy Orton. Come on, man. Moose has a bigger head than anybody in the wrestling business. You're going to think I was ready for Randy Orton?

24:47Come on, man. TNA was very necessary. You know, like, as a fan, watching the amount that I watch, as closely as I watch it, there are these, you know, moments where I can feel, and my perception is, oh, that person has it. Like, oh, that person just went to another level. You can kind of feel it, you know what I mean, where you go like, no, they knew it, but that just went from 8 to 9. That just went from 9 to 10, and there's no looking back after it. As a performer, can you feel that? Can you get to those moments, like whether it's being TNA champion, whether it's the story with Sami, whether it's winning the United States Championship?

25:25Are there moments where you're like, man, I thought I was good before, but I just clicked on to something there? You know, my first moment that I had that was with the match that a lot of people know of, some may not, because it was at NXT with Ilya Dragunov, the Mad Dragon. And I got to give my kudos to Ilya Dragunov. You know, he's my friend to this day. You know, he was actually in the wedding, you know, all the way to Jamaica. You know what I mean? He came to the wedding. Excuse me. But, man, it was a fight. Nothing more, nothing less. We fought, you know, 25 minutes bleeding, everything like that.