After playinggridiron football in college, Belton began his professional wrestling career in 2018 under the ring nameSweet Daddy Trick when he trained in Philadelphia with his uncle. Belton then signed a developmental contract with WWE in February 2021 and debuted in September of the same year under the Trick Williams ring name. Since then, he has become a two-timeNXT Champion, a one-timeNXT North American Champion, and was the winner of the2023Men's Iron Survivor Challenge. He won the TNA World Championship, his firstworld championship, in May 2025 and became the first WWE-contracted wrestler to win a TNA championship.
Belton excelled in athletics since childhood and playedcollege football on a full scholarship for theHampton Pirates in 2012 and 2013, the latter season cut short due to a pulled hamstring. Feeling he could do more, he abandoned his scholarship towalk on to theSouth Carolina Gamecocks team, his father's alma mater, from 2014 to 2016.[1] There, he also played alongside his brothers, André and Hassan. He caught 11 passes for 121 yards during his college career, all of which came in 2015.[8] At South Carolina, he graduated inphysical education.[1] He went undrafted in 2017 and spent time as an assistant coach and student-teacher intern atAirport High School inWest Columbia, South Carolina in the fall of 2017. He then played inThe Spring League in 2018 and attended thePhiladelphia Eagles rookieminicamp on a tryout basis in May 2018.[9]
When he realized his football career was going nowhere, he made a last ditch attempt by sending a tape toWWE in order to make theXFL, a quickly defunct football league also ran by Vince McMahon. While he didn't make the XFL, WWE reached out to him via e-mail to encourage him to try out wrestling.[1]
He moved in with his uncle to train and perform forCombat Zone Wrestling (CZW) inPhiladelphia. He worked as afitness coach forOrangetheory Fitness by day and attended wrestling school at night. To honor his uncle and black roots, he created aDolemite-inspired character named after his uncle's nickname"Sweet Daddy Trick" and even created ashort film to develop his new persona.[1] When theCOVID pandemic hit, he decided to move out of his elderly uncle's house and relocated toLos Angeles, where he worked odd jobs while trying to make it as an actor. While there, he trained and performed at KnokX Pro Wrestling Academy, until he was signed by WWE.[1]
Williams and Hayes turnedface on the April 4, 2023 episode ofNXT, afterBron Breakker turned heel by attacking them.[15] On the August 1 episode ofNXT, Williams told Hayes that they needed to part ways so he could achieve his own accomplishments, amicably breaking up the Trick Melo Gang.[16] AtNXT: Heatwave on August 22, Williams lost toIlja Dragunov.[17] On the September 26 episode ofNXT, Williams defeatedAxiom,Dragon Lee andTyler Bate in afatal four-way match became the number one contender to theNXT North American Championship,[18] which he won from"Dirty" Dominik Mysterio four days later atNXT No Mercy.[19] However, on the October 3 episode ofNXT, Williams lost the title back to Mysterio after interference from Mysterio'sJudgment Day stablemates, ending his reign at three days, marking the shortest reign in the title's history.[20]
On the October 17 episode ofNXT, Williams was slotted into thetriple threat match between Hayes,Dijak andBaron Corbin to make it a fatal four-way match for aNXT Championship opportunity against Dragunov atNXT: Halloween Havoc, causing a rift between Williams and Hayes. Before the match started, Williams was found attacked backstage and taken to a hospital. Hayes then defeated Dijak and Corbin for the title opportunity.[21] On Night 2 of Halloween Havoc on October 31, Williams returned and cost Hayes the NXT Championship match.[22] AtNXT Deadline on December 9, Williams won the men'sIron Survivor Challenge to earn an NXT Championship match against Dragunov atNXT: New Year's Evil on January 2, 2024.[23] At the event, it was announced that Dragunov was not medically cleared to wrestle. Instead, Hayes placed Williams in a match againstGrayson Waller with his title shot on the line, which he won after interference fromKevin Owens.[24] On the January 16 episode ofNXT, Dragunov returned from injury and informed Williams that their title match would take place atNXT Vengeance Day.[25]
At the same time, Williams and Hayes competed in theDusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament,[25][26] losing to Corbin and Breakker in the finals at NXT Vengeance Day on February 4. Later that night, Williams failed to win the NXT Championship from Dragunov. After the match, Hayes attacked Williams with asteel chair, ending their partnership.[27] On the following episode ofNXT, Hayes revealed that he was the one who attacked Williams back in October 2023.[28] AfterTony D'Angelo defeated Hayes atNXT: Roadblock, Williams made his return and attacked Hayes.[29] AtNXT Stand & Deliver on April 6, Williams defeated Hayes.[30] The following week onNXT, Williams called out Dragunov to challenge him for the NXT Championship. Dragunov agreed to a title match atSpring Breakin' on the condition that Williamsleave NXT if he loses, which Williams accepted.[31] In a NXT Stand & Deliver rematch on the April 16 episode ofNXT, Williams defeated Hayes in asteel cage match, despite interference from Hayes' security team, ending their feud.[32] On Week 1 ofSpring Breakin', Williams defeated Dragunov to capture the NXT Championship for the first time in his career.[33]
Williams began feuding with the debutingEthan Page, who signed a contract that contained an NXT Championship match atNXT Battleground on June 9,[34][35] where Williams retained the title.[36] AtNXT Heatwave on July 7, Williams lost the title to Page in a fatal four-way match also involvingJe'Von Evans andShawn Spears, the former of whom Page pinned, ending his reign at 75 days.[37] Following the loss, he feuded withPete Dunne, who derided Williams for seeking advice to recapture the NXT Championship.[38] At Week 2 ofNXT: The Great American Bash on August 6, Williams lost to Dunne.[39] He retaliated by costing Dunne a triple threat match againstJoe Hendry and Wes Lee for a NXT Championship match atNXT No Mercy, where Williams served as thespecial guest referee for the NXT Championship match between Page and Hendry, after which he was attacked by Dunne.[40][41] On the September 10 episode ofNXT, Williams defeated Dunne in aLast Man Standing match to end their feud and earn an NXT Championship match atNXT's CW premiere on October 1,[42] where he defeated Page (withCM Punk as the special guest referee) to win his second NXT Championship.[43] AtNXT Halloween Havoc on October 27, Williams successfully defended the title against Page in aDevil's Playground match. After the match, he was attacked by Page andRidge Holland, before being saved byBubba Ray Dudley.[44] This led to atag team match atNXT 2300 on November 6, which Williams and Bubba Ray lost after Hollandpinned Williams.[45] AtNXT Deadline on December 7, Williams defeated Holland to retain the title, ending their feud.[46]
On the December 17 episode ofNXT, Williams' title match againstEddy Thorpe ended in controversial fashion, as two referees counted two separate pins. After the show went off the air, NXT General ManagerAva confirmed that both Williams and Thorpe's shoulders were down, resulting in a double pinfall, thus Williams retained the title.[47] AtNXT: New Year's Evil on January 7, 2025, Williams lost the NXT Championship toOba Femi in a triple threat match also involving Thorpe, ending his second reign at 98 days.[48] Williams continued his feud with Thorpe, whom he lost to in astrap match atNXT Vengeance Day on February 15.[49] On the March 18 episode ofNXT, he defeated Thorpe in anNXT Underground match to end their feud.[50] AtNXT Stand and Deliver on April 19, Williams failed to regain the title from Femi in a triple threat match also involving Evans.[51]
On the April 22 episode ofNXT, Williams began to tease a heel turn, as his character shifted to become more selfish and entitled as he whined for another title opportunity from Femi. Afterwards, Williams would insultTNA World ChampionJoe Hendry following his surprise appearance and quick loss toRandy Orton atWrestleMania 41. Williams solidified his heel turn by attacking Hendry atRebellion and later helping DarkState win their match against Hendry and Hank and Tank (Hank Walker andTank Ledger) on the May 6 episode ofNXT. Hendry would cause Williams to be eliminated from the Battle Royale to determine the #1 Contender for the NXT Championship later in the same night, with a match between the two being made official for the TNA World Championship atNXT Battleground.[52]
At NXT Battleground on May 25, Williams defeated Hendry to win the TNA World Championship. On the June 3 episode ofNXT, Williams successfully defended the title againstMike Santana in his first title defense after interference fromFirst Class (A. J. Francis andKC Navarro)[53] and againstJosh Briggs on June 25 episode ofNXT, before being attacked by Hendry.[54] Williams would attack Sanatana and Hendry during their tag team match against The High Ryze'sTyson Dupont and Tyriek Igwe on July 8 episode ofNXT.[55] AtNXT The Great American Bash, Williams would get laid out during a contract signing for the TNA World Championship against Santana and Hendry, who would in turn get assaulted by theDarkState.[56] The three teamed up against the DarkState on July 15, before their match was interrupted byThe System who assaulted DarkState.[57] Williams would go on to beat Hendry and Santana atSlammiversary.[58] Santana cost Williams the No. 1 Contender's Match for the NXT Championship againstJe'Von Evans on the August 19 episode ofNXT,[59] going on to challenge and defeat Williams to win the TNA World Title atBound for Glory on October 12.[60]
On May 25, Williams defeated Hendry to win the TNA World Championship at NXT Battleground. This marked the first time a WWE contracted wrestler won a TNA title.[71] Williams successfully defended the title against Elijah atAgainst All Odds on June 6 with the help ofA. J. Francis,[72] as well as against Hendry andMike Santana atSlammiversary on July 20.[58]Moose would later challenge Williams for the championship, earning a match after he andEddie Edwards defeated Williams and A. J. Francis in a tag team match.[73] Williams would however retain the title atEmergence on August 15.[74]Mike Santana andSteve Maclin defeated Williams and A. J. Francis on the August 28 episode ofImpact!,[75] earning Santana the right to challenge Williams for the TNA World Championship.[76] On October 12, Williams lost the title to Santana atBound For Glory, ending his reign at 140 days.[60]
Belton worked as an extra in the third season of the TV seriesAll American. He also appeared as a guest star in the finale of the show's seventh season, portraying the character of Eddie Blair.[80]
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