There’s a special connection between Trick Williams and Philadelphia.
The important moments of Williams’ life in the past six years continue to happen in Philadelphia.
Another big moment is coming up on Saturday morning when Williams and Carmelo Hayes fight in the main event of WWE’s NXT Stand and Deliver at Wells Fargo Center, which starts at 12 p.m. and can be watched on Peacock. It’s a significant opportunity for Williams and Hayes, who will be the first two Black men to headline a WWE premium live event together. “They’re doing something that is truly historic,” said Shawn Michaels, the WWE legend who leads creative for WWE’s NXT brand.
“There can only be one first. Everybody remembers their first no matter what it was in. And it’s something special that they will have to themselves for the rest of their lives.
“I want them to understand the magnitude of this moment and to enjoy it.”
Williams, also known as Matrick Belton, earned a tryout with the Philadelphia Eagles in May 2018 after playing as a wide receiver at South Carolina in 2015 and 2016.
The opportunity with the Eagles didn’t work out, but it led to another opportunity and a quick two-year rise from pro-wrestling newcomer to the main event for a premium live event with the WWE’s developmental brand. “I played my last down of football in Philadelphia. I took my first wrestling hit in Philadelphia. Now I’m back in Philadelphia, headlining Stand and Deliver,” Williams said Friday morning at WrestleMania XL Media Day..
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Matrick Belton in action during an NFL football rookie minicamp at the team’s training facility in Philadelphia, Friday, May 11, 2018, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
A Columbia, S.C., native, Williams started his college career at Hampton University before transferring to South Carolina as a walk-on in 2015, during head coach Steve Spurrier’s final year.
The connection with former Eagles receiver Alshon Jeffery and later former Eagles running back and coach Duce Staley helped Williams enter the NFL scene.
“I was training very hard to get my chance in the NFL. I mean a really long time,” Williams said. “I spent many years of my life working for that opportunity.
“I was coaching kids while wearing my cleats. That’s how dedicated I was.”
The year after finishing at South Carolina, he played in the Spring League with Johnny Manziel and created footage that caught the attention of the Eagles and got him invited to their rookie minicamp in May 2018.
“I asked Duce, I said, ‘Man, what can I do to make this team?’ He said, ‘I’m going to be honest with you. There’s nothing you can do to make the team. Just try not to mess it up,’” Williams said.
"I played extremely well, had a great camp. Everything went well. And it just didn't work out for me. It just wasn't the way it was supposed to be."
Williams stayed in South Philadelphia after his Eagles stint, living with his uncle James, affectionately called 'Sweet Baby James', in the Point Breeze neighborhood.
WWE approached him but said he needed more training, so he began his training in the city with Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) at the 2300 Arena, the south Philly arena made famous by Hall of Fame inductee Paul Heyman’s Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in the late 1990s.
Described as 6-4, 240 pounds, Williams is both charismatic and athletic, a true total package in the unique world of WWE that combines sports and entertainment.
He inked a developmental contract with WWE on February, 24, 2021 and made his first appearance on a Sept. 14 episode as a sidekick to Hayes.
The story behind Saturday’s main event involves best friends who turned into enemies. The pair formed a beloved partnership, 'Trick Melo Gang', with Williams supporting Hayes during his reigns as NXT champion and North American champion.
Starting last October, Williams’ popularity began to rise and jealousy grew in Hayes, leading to a steel-chair beatdown at NXT Vengeance Day on Feb. 4.
"Trick and Melo, they’re both gifted, they’re both charismatic. And they both also have that cool factor," said Michaels. "Between the ability in the ring and the cool factor, it’s very easy to get comfortable and just stay in that space.
"But what we’ve really tried to work on is them embracing the story, showing the brotherhood and the bond that some of us have with one another on the road, and trying to help them get comfortable showing that emotion and that vulnerability. And I think that’s what’s made this so epic."
After just three years in WWE and already in prominent placement, another big South Philly moment awaits Saturday. Williams’ star keeps rising thanks to a mantra of trying to seize the moment.
"My entire life has been nothing but working hard and trying to make the most out of every single situation," Williams said. "Obviously, I’m blessed by God, but just work hard, man, and keep my head down and try to make the most out of every opportunity."
WWE NXT Superstar Trick Williams received an invitation to Eagles rookie minicamp in 2018. While that marked the end of his football career, Williams shifted gears to professional wrestling, starting his training in South Philadelphia. Another big moment in Philly awaits Saturday when he headlines the NXT premium live event.
“My whole life has been nothing but working hard and trying to make the most out of every single situation,” Williams said. “Obviously, I’m blessed by God, but just work hard, man, and keep my head down and try to make the most out of every opportunity.”
