Williams Wins NXT North American Title
At the NXT No Mercy pay-per-view event on September 30, 2023, Trick Williams made history by defeating Dominik Mysterio to capture the NXT North American Championship. However, his reign was short-lived. On October 3, Williams lost the title back to Mysterio after interference from Mysterio’s stablemates in The Judgment Day. This resulted in Williams’ reign lasting just three days, making it the shortest in the history of the title.
Following this, Williams made his WWE Main Event debut during the October 16 taping, where he faced Chad Gable. Unfortunately for Williams, he was defeated in the match. On the October 17th, 2023, episode of NXT, Trick Williams, Carmelo Hayes, Dijak, and Baron Corbin were set to compete in a fatal four-way match. The winner would earn a shot at the NXT Championship against Ilja Dragunov at NXT: Halloween Havoc. But before the match could begin, Williams was found attacked backstage. He had to be transported to hospital and was unable to compete. With Williams out of the match, Carmelo Hayes went on to secure the victory. This event also led to a noticeable rift between Williams and Hayes, as tensions began to rise between the former tag team partners.
Williams Returns to NXT
At Night 2 of Halloween Havoc on October 31, 2023, Williams made his return to NXT. He immediately made an impact by costing Carmelo Hayes his NXT Championship match against Ilja Dragunov. This act of betrayal further strained the relationship between the former tag team partners. On the November 14th episode of NXT, Williams earned a spot in the Iron Survivor Challenge for NXT Deadline by defeating Joe Coffey in a qualifying match.
At NXT Deadline on December 9, 2023, Williams triumphed in the men’s Iron Survivor Challenge. He secured himself a future NXT Championship match against Ilja Dragunov at NXT: New Year’s Evil on January 2, 2024. However, on the day of the event, it was announced that Dragunov was not medically cleared to compete. In a twist, Carmelo Hayes, who had his issues with Williams, put him in a match against Grayson Waller, with his Iron Survivor Challenge title match on the line. Williams emerged victorious, with some unexpected help from Kevin Owens, who interfered to ensure Williams’ win, allowing him to keep his shot at the NXT Championship.
Williams’ SmackDown Debut
Trick Williams and Hayes defeated Edris Enofé and Malik Blade in the first round of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Williams made his SmackDown debut on January 26, saving Hayes from a beatdown by A-Town Down Under. On the January 30th episode of NXT, Williams and Hayes defeated Latino World Order’s Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro to advance to the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
On February 4th, at NXT’s Vengeance Day, Trick Williams and Hayes lost to Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker in the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. 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. On the following episode of NXT, Hayes revealed that he was the one who attacked Williams back in October 2023.
At NXT: Roadblock on March 5, Williams’ entrance music was used by Tony D’Angelo to distract Hayes during their match to determine the #1 contender for the NXT Championship at NXT Stand & Deliver. After D’Angelo defeated Hayes, Williams made his return and attacked Hayes. The following week on NXT, Williams challenged Hayes to a match at Stand & Deliver, which was made official a few days later.
At NXT’s Stand & Deliver on April 6th, Williams defeated Hayes. On the following episode of 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.. Williams accepted. In a 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.
Williams Wins NXT Championship
On April 23rd at Spring Breakin’, Trick Williams defeated Dragunov to capture the NXT Championship for the first time in his career. On the May 7th, 2024, episode of NXT, during a segment of Supernova Sessions, Noam Dar accused Trick Williams of being a “fraud.” This came after a match between the two, which Williams had won. Dar claimed that his leg had been under the ropes during the pinfall, which should’ve broken the count. Dar’s frustration escalated when Lash Legend revealed she was in a relationship with Williams. In response, Dar attacked Williams, setting the stage for further conflict.
The following week, Dar was found attacked backstage, with an unknown assailant being the culprit. Later that night, Williams assisted Je’Von Evans in defeating Oro Mensah in a match. On the May 28th episode of NXT, Williams and Evans teamed up to defeat Gallus’ Joe and Mark Coffey in a tag team match. Afterward, Williams was attacked by a debuting Ethan Page, who revealed himself as the one who had attacked Dar the previous week, as well as Mensah earlier that night.
In the following week, Lash Legend broke up with Williams, further complicating his personal and professional life. Later that night, Ethan Page officially signed with NXT and made his intentions clear by revealing that his contract included a future NXT Championship match at NXT Battleground. At Battleground, Williams successfully retained his title in a match against Page, among others.
However, at NXT Heatwave on July 7th, 2024, Williams’ reign came to an end in a chaotic fatal four-way match, also involving Je’Von Evans and Shawn Spears. Page pinned Evans to win the match and claim the NXT Championship, ending Williams’ 75-day title reign.
Williams Loses NXT Championship
After losing the NXT Championship to Ethan Page at NXT Heatwave, Trick Williams found himself embroiled in a bitter feud with Pete Dunne. The rivalry began when Dunne mocked Williams for seeking advice on how to regain the NXT Championship. This verbal confrontation escalated into a personal feud, with Dunne belittling Williams for his failure and perceived inadequacies.
The two eventually settled their differences in the ring at Week 2 of NXT: The Great American Bash on August 6, 2024. In a hard-fought match, Williams and Dunne went toe-to-toe, but it was the veteran Dunne who emerged victorious, defeating Williams and further adding fuel to their heated rivalry.
Williams’ Second NXT Title Reign
Trick Williams and Pete Dunne’s bitter feud finally came to a head in a brutal Last Man Standing match, which served as the conclusion to their rivalry. In a hard-hitting contest, Williams managed to defeat Dunne, marking the end of their personal conflict. As a result of the victory, Williams earned another opportunity at the NXT Championship.
This led to a huge moment at NXT’s CW premiere on October 1, 2024, where Williams faced off against the reigning champion, Ethan Page, with CM Punk serving as the special guest referee. In a thrilling match, Williams overcame Page to win back the NXT Championship, securing his second reign with the title. The victory was a major milestone for Williams, as he reclaimed the championship after a fierce battle.
On the October 15th, 2024, episode of NXT, it was announced that Trick Williams would defend his newly won NXT Championship at Halloween Havoc in a Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal match against Ethan Page. Page had earned the opportunity by winning a triple-threat number one contender’s match. When the wheel was spun, it revealed that the two competitors would face off in a Devil’s Playground match—a dangerous and chaotic stipulation that would put both men to the ultimate test.
At Halloween Havoc on October 27, 2024, Williams successfully defended his NXT Championship, defeating Page in the brutal Devil’s Playground match. However, after the match, Page and Ridge Holland attacked Williams, looking to take him out and send a message. Just when things seemed grim for the champion, WWE Hall of Famer Bubba Ray Dudley made a surprise appearance to make the save, helping Williams fend off the attackers and sending the crowd into a frenzy.
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