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Trick Williams
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
Mall
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Rory
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Mall
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Rory
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Mall
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Doug
And, Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual, even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.
Doug's Wife
Hey, everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?
Mall
Oh, no.
Doug
We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.
Doug's Wife
Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.
Doug
Anyways, only pay for what you need@libertymutual.com Liberty.
Doug's Wife
Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.
Trick Williams
New warrior now. No conductor, no warrior.
Rory
All right, Rory, we are back. And today we are joined by a very special guest.
Trick Williams
Come on, now.
Rory
Listen, I wasn't sure when his brother was showing up. I was like, I don't know how he's showing up today. Like, who we getting? But he came in here as himself. Fly flashy, ready to kick ass. Trick Williams is in the building, y'.
Doug's Wife
All.
Trick Williams
Hey, man, you said you wanted Trick Williams. Then you get Trick Williams. Let's talk about it.
Rory
Listen, Trick Williams showed up. I don't. I said, they said Trick was coming. I was like, but is who. Is it Trick Williams or is it like, he's just like, Nah, I'm just chilling today, man. You know what I'm saying?
Mall
But that trick started playing when the elevator doors open.
Rory
Yeah, as soon as the elevator doors, I heard, whoop. That trick. And I looked. I said, oh, d, the horns.
Trick Williams
As soon as the elevator open. Dum, dum, dum, dum.
Rory
Exactly. Exactly. How you feeling, man?
Trick Williams
I'm blowing. Happy to be here.
Rory
Let's talk about it. Listen, man, I wanna get right to it. You have a huge, huge opportunity coming up at WrestleMania.
Trick Williams
Yes, sir. Right?
Rory
And as a brother to culture, how does that feel? Like, just preparing for that mentally. What is your, like, thoughts? Is this, like, everything leading up to that you thought you were gonna feel? Think. Because this is WrestleMania. It don't get much bigger than this, right?
Trick Williams
This is WrestleMania. This is the super bowl of our business. This is what it's all about, right? You know, the goal is to make it to wrestle. Three months into my career on the main roster, I'm already getting a title match at WrestleMania. So that's crazy in itself, man. Like I said, I'm thankful, I'm blessed, I'm grateful for it. That's why I call myself the Anointed one. But we can talk about that later. But, yeah, man, I got a match against Sami Zayn. That guy, he's been hating on me since I first stepped my lemon pepper stepper onto the scene. He's been trying to hold me back. He's been trying to door standards your boy in his rookie year. And you know I don't like that, right? Yeah, man. Hating on him.
Rory
So now you got an opportunity to kick his ass.
Trick Williams
That's right. You know what I mean? You know, he got the title. He snuck the title off of last Friday. Crazy scenario. We could talk about that later. But, yeah, man, I mean, if you look at me, you look at him, you see a star, you see somebody who, you know, he's a placeholder. You know what I mean? He's been in.
Rory
He's a placeholder.
Trick Williams
He's a placeholder. He's been in the game. I don't know.
Rory
I don't ever heard of more like proper insult in my life. He's a placeholder.
Trick Williams
And there's nothing wrong with that. Everybody has a role. You know what I mean? As long as he knows his role, then we'll be all right.
Mall
You said he snuck the title, which
Trick Williams
means he snuck the title, man. He beat Carmelo Hayes for the title and some shenanigans went down. He actually had my help on accident. But, you know, he's the guy who, you know, he's taking advantage of, you know, his position and the situations that he's in. And good for him. But WrestleMania, he gotta come see me.
Rory
I always wanted to ask a wrestler. We had Jade, the champion, Jade Cargill on a few months ago. I always wanted to ask if you see somebody, like, if you just going out in Manhattan right now to go get something to eat and you see Sammy just walking like he's. Is it. Is it on site? Is it lit right there in the middle of the street? Or is it like, I gotta. We Gotta wait till WrestleMania, first thing first.
Trick Williams
If I see Sammy on site, he's gonna walk the other way. You know what I'm saying he don't wanna see me. You know what I mean? Without security, without the proper. You know what I mean? And another thing, I don't fight for free.
Rory
Okay. You know what I mean?
Trick Williams
You know what I mean? If I'm gonna put my hands on somebody, I'm gonna get paid for it. Need the red camera on. Let's talk about it.
Rory
I always wonder, like, if I'm a wrestler, like, and I see somebody that I don't like. Yeah, it might be on, like, yo, what happened? Cause you was talking all that when the cameras was rolling.
Doug's Wife
Yeah.
Rory
Now that we in the hotel, what's up?
Trick Williams
Yeah, you know, the same thing as usc, you know what I mean? Like, you know, these guys, they've trained together before. They've been sparring partners before. Like, you know, everybody who's in the business. You know what I mean? Sometimes a beef may be more personal than another one, but, you know. Yeah, I don't fight for free. Yeah.
Rory
What's your relationship like with Carmelo now?
Trick Williams
You know, it's. It's respect.
Rory
Okay.
Trick Williams
I mean, I wish him the best. Yeah. And he's been doing a good job. He does his thing, I do mine.
Rory
Now they watching you, I get kind of like. I don't know if you've ever heard this, but I do because I've been watching wrestling for years. But you look like you're in that same cloth and alignment of, like, a book of tea.
Trick Williams
Oh, come on now, man. Somebody needs to pay him more. Who's paying this, man?
Rory
No, no, no, seriously, like. Like, in watching you, your aura, like, and everything, it's like, you know, when you watch wrestling, as I have from the 80s and then the 90s, and, like, you get to see, like, the legends, and I'm like, okay, like, I see what trick is. He's. Is that somebody you looked at, like, growing up, like, Booker T. Definitely, man.
Trick Williams
I always say my three favorites, you know, since I was young and, you know, I was watching the Attitude era. My first favorite was Stone Cold Steve Austin, you know, opening candle with bad, three years old. You know what I'm saying? That was my first favorite. And the Rock, of course. You know what I mean? I love the charisma and the promos and the way he can control the crowd. Clever, witty, you know what I mean? Look like a star. And Booker T. I mean, Booker T. Is one of those guys. And a lot of people say, you don't want to meet your heroes, you know, in the business and different stuff like that. You Know, don't expect nothing out of them. But when I met Booker T. Like, it was pretty much love on sight, you know what I mean? Like, he said, hey, man, you got something. You got potential. But when you put that hold on, make sure you flex his bicep right here and you flex it at the camera so everybody see your muscles. And you make sure you do this. You know what I mean? It was love at sight, on first sight. And even at a time when Trick Williams probably wasn't the popular name, when everybody was co signing the Whoop that movement, Booker T. Was one of the first ones to jump out there and say, trick Williams is that guy. So I always got love and appreciation
Rory
for Booker the legend. Booker T. Is absolute legend.
Mall
Where does the name Trick come from? Because there's a lot of different meanings to Trick.
Trick Williams
There's a lot of different meanings to Trick, you know what I mean?
Mall
So I can tell by the jacket you made participate in some of those activities.
Trick Williams
Oh, man, you got it all wrong. Let me tell you something. It's cold in New York.
Rory
Yeah, yeah, yeah. But you ain't got no shirt on.
Trick Williams
I don't got no. I only got three shirts. What do I do in the wash and dryer, man? Look, but look, man, the truth is my birth name is Matric.
Rory
Yeah.
Trick Williams
Okay. Mama's name is Monica. My dad's name is Patrick. Oh. You know what I'm saying? So growing up, you know, you go to the dentist, you go somewhere, everybody's confused. You know what I mean? Matric, you know, Patrick. Yeah. Matthew, you know, everything but Matrick, you know, I mean, so Trick was kind of an easier, you know, straight to the point, Matt or Trick. So I just kind of adopted the name Trick, you know, young in life, you know, as a cool thing. But yeah, no, you know, triggering ain't easy. You know, it has different meanings. But no, we don't condone any of the foolishness.
Rory
We don't condone any of that.
Mall
I know you're in a relationship, but before, you never participated. Maybe in some of.
Trick Williams
No, no, man. Nah, man. No, no.
Mall
You don't subscribe to it. It's not triggering it.
Trick Williams
I respect women and believe if you know. Yeah, look, I'm about. I'm about talk myself into a circle, You know, it ain't tricking if you got it. That all goes, and I believe it right there, Trigger, you still have it. If you got it like that, you know, bless somebody else.
Rory
Yeah, absolutely.
Trick Williams
Yeah.
Rory
Now you are engaged, right?
Trick Williams
That's right.
Rory
To Lash.
Trick Williams
That's right.
Rory
Another WWE star. What is the. What is the relationship like away from the stage and, like, just, like, working out, things like that? Like, when y' all in the house watching wrestling, like, what are some of the things y' all are talking about?
Trick Williams
Yeah, I mean, I probably do more of the watching. Like, you know, when. When we at home, she likes to relax and get outside, you know, I mean. Cause I'm a workaholic. Like, I think about the business 24 7.
Rory
Okay.
Trick Williams
You know, she kind of can take it off when she gets home a little bit. And she likes. She's a homebody, you know what I mean? She likes to cook and, you know, make sure that we. We squared away and settled at the house. So. Yeah, you don't get this version of Trick Williams without Lash Legend. She's made my life totally just better 180 since I met her, you know what I mean? Just took me to the next level, funny enough. So when I was at nxt, I played football. I was a wide receiver. I was around £210 at the time. You know, I thought I was a big guy. You know, I'm cut up. I got my abs and everything. Let's talk about it. And then, like, the day me and her say, okay, we're going to do this, she's saying, all right, you need to put on £30. I was like, how you gonna tell me what I need to do? You know what I mean? Like, you got this twisted. But, you know, I put on the £30, and it's done numbers for me in my career and everything like that. And that's just an example of what she's done for me in my career. She's made me, you know, move to the next level.
Rory
Now you play football. What's the difference in training your body for football versus wrestling? Like, is the workouts totally different?
Trick Williams
The workouts are different. You know what I mean? Like, you know, I say, this is the main thing with football. I play a wide receiver. So if you good at your job, you spend your whole life training to stay on your feet, okay? Catch the ball, get up field, break a tackle, get loose, shake somebody off, you know what I mean? My first day of becoming a WWE Superstar, you learn how to fall, bump, flip, trip.
Rory
Total opposite.
Trick Williams
It's the total opposite. You know what I mean? I don't like being on the ground because it was never my job to be on the ground. But that's the first thing you learn as a WWE Superstar, and that was pretty cool. Cause, like, it was new for me. It was totally opposite, like, throwing your body against the ground, like, it's not natural, you know what I mean? Learn how to flip and do all these different things, you know? So WWE Superstars, like, you know, it takes a whole different mindset to be able to get down, get up, fall, not break something, don't hurt yourself, get back up and do it again and again and again. Every single night, all year long, 52 weeks a year. Yeah.
Rory
Now, on that side of it, do you have a total different respect for, like, the legends? Like, once you go into, like, training for wrestling and going and getting in the ring and hitting the mat as a football player, you gotta be like, okay, this is totally different, for sure. And it's not what I thought it was, man.
Trick Williams
I encourage every single fan to get in the ring one time and just to see.
Rory
Just to feel it.
Trick Williams
Just feel it, you know, just see what it's like. Just stand on the ropes. Yeah. You know, Just stand on the ropes.
Rory
Just stand on the ropes.
Trick Williams
Just stand on the ropes. Let's start. You know what I mean? Let's start there. Cause people like, oh, no. So and so fell off the ropes.
Rory
Yeah.
Trick Williams
You know, we think these ropes is a guaranteed thing. Yeah, no, you know what I mean? Like, just hit the ropes. They're big rubber bands, right? Yeah, no, these are steel wires wrapped in tape. You know what I mean? A lot of people get in, wait, steel wire, steel wire, steel cables. You wrap them in tape. A lot of people, first time hitting these ropes, they think it's just gonna boing and you bounce and everything. And no, it leaves whelps on your back. And guys and ladies who've been doing this a very, very long time, you know, they develop a callus so they can endure, you know what I mean? These ropes. But these ropes hurt. A lot of people quit, you know, they first day. And now we do the trials with the nil athletes. They coming from different backgrounds, like myself, college football, basketball, track and field, table tennis. It don't matter. We bring you in for a tryout. Let's see how you can do right. They hit the ropes. I'm out. I'm done. Can't stand it.
Rory
Yeah.
Mall
Are you guys doing this down in Orlando? Because Mall and I will fly there and do. Do our One day in the rain.
Trick Williams
I would love this. We need to film an episode. We need to film an episode.
Rory
I don't know.
Mall
Here.
Rory
This is, like, still cables. Like, I did. I did not know that.
Trick Williams
Yeah, man.
Rory
Oh, yeah.
Trick Williams
These are not rubber bands. This. Everything about what we do in this business is you have to be tough. You gotta be. You gotta be able to get hurt and keep going. And not only that, but perform. Smile, cut your promo, look good, don't look good for one week. You know, this ain't bodybuilding. Like, we build up to one show, right? I'm on TV every single week with my shirt off.
Rory
With your shirt off. You in New York, men in Manhattan
Trick Williams
right now with your shirt off. With my shirt off.
Mall
50 degrees.
Trick Williams
50 degrees. Stay in shape all year long, right?
Mall
What was that pause the first time you got slammed? Like, when you were making the transition from football into wrestling? What was that first day like, man?
Trick Williams
What the hell is going on around here? I know. He just do that to me, you know, like everything. It was a complete mind. Cause, like, it challenges you as a man. Yeah. You know what I mean? Because nobody's ever picked you up like that. I mean, look, I played against some good defenses. Georgia Bull.
Rory
But ain't nobody pick you up scooping.
Trick Williams
Not like that. He ain't stood over me. You know what I mean? Like, it's not okay.
Rory
It's not okay.
Trick Williams
Don't do that to me. Don't do that to me. Respect my anatomy. But yeah, man, it's like you have to restructure everything about what you believe to be, you know, normal. You know what I mean? You learn respect for other people. That's one thing I love about martial arts, period, is, you know, you learn to respect everybody, treat everybody as a serious threat. You know what I mean? So if you're gonna talk your trash, I'm talking trash to serious people. I talk a lot of trash to Sami Zayn, but obviously he knows what he's doing for sure. He's been in these big moments, he's been in these big spotlights, and he knows how to get the job done. Sometimes with.
Mall
With. With your wife being a wrestler, does that add more pressure? Because you can't go home after a loss, and she turns on the game film and starts showing you where you went wrong.
Rory
You're like, what is this shit, man?
Trick Williams
I'm very fortunate, man. Like, last. She's just been my biggest supporter. Every endeavor that I've even partaken of since me knowing her, you know, I mean, you know, I write a rap song and she jamming it right there. She does my ad libs, man, like, get you a lady who will sing your song, man. That's my. Get you a lady who will sing your song, man, you Know what I mean? Because that's the difference maker. And I think a lot of people actually making it, you know what I mean? Just like, regardless, even if I stepped away from wrestling, like, I'm good because, you know, she believes in me, she supports me, you know what I mean? And I'mma do whatever's, you know, I'm do what I feel is right now
Rory
you got WrestleMania coming up and Allegiant stadium.
Trick Williams
Like,
Rory
what's your soundtrack? Like in the locker room on the way to the field, like, what is trick? What you playing? What you in the car listening to,
Trick Williams
Man, I'm a diverse brother. Like, I don't. I got a lot of stuff going on, you know what I mean? But usually, like right before my match, I'm not playing rah rah, you know, hype music, you know what I mean? I like to slow it down a little bit, you know what I mean? Tyrese and Tank just had their versus battle, you know what I mean? So I might tune into some Tyrese, which he won that, by the way. But we can talk about that. Okay.
Rory
You feel like Tyrese won that out?
Trick Williams
Of course, yes.
Mall
Once Tank started singing about his turtleneck,
Rory
it was over after that. Yeah.
Trick Williams
You know, but like, I love some R and B. I listen to a lot of reggae, you know what I mean? Some booze and you know, different stuff like that.
Rory
Okay.
Trick Williams
It just gets me in a flow state where I'm just okay. Yeah, you know, I'm good. And of course, I listen to my hip hop. I like 90s hip hop, early 2000 hip hop. Okay. I'm an old soul, so I like that type of stuff. You know, my cookout music. You know, that Maze and Frankie Beverly and all that type of stuff. I listen to all that type of stuff. Rick James, Trick James, you know what's going on.
Rory
Right, right.
Trick Williams
All of that.
Mall
So which rapper do you think would
Trick Williams
make the best wrestler rapper right now?
Mall
Just period. Doesn't have to be someone that's current.
Trick Williams
Just period, man. Dead or alive. Yeah, I think Dababy would make a good rapper. Good wrestler. Yeah, yeah, because he pops off, man. He, you know, he does his thing. I think 50 Cent would have been a good.
Mall
I mean, 50 was gonna be my answer. Like he's already markets like a wrestler, master marketer.
Rory
I just don't know if 50 is athletic though. Like, I saw him throw a baseball.
Trick Williams
Let me see the bulletproof album cover. This dude look jacked up.
Rory
No, no, he's in. He's in shape. But as you Know, being a wrestler now, you can be in shape, but you're not athletic. Like a lot of guys.
Trick Williams
You don't think you're athletic.
Rory
Okay, yeah, I saw him throw a baseball and it was nasty.
Mall
Anyone that sold crack as a teenager didn't participate in baseball, football. So they're, you know, they're not coordinated. They were selling drugs.
Trick Williams
Yeah, yeah. I've never seen them actually move. That one football movie, it didn't end up good for him. So I don't. I don't know how athletic he truly is.
Mall
Well, that was the plot trick. But now 50 was a great boxer. He was, he was like, I heard that, yeah, really good boxer.
Trick Williams
I think he'll box, but he definitely
Mall
can't throw a baseball.
Rory
Did you see that trick? That didn't even go, look at this.
Trick Williams
This is the look, he did it behind the back. Oh, Lord. I never seen this.
Rory
That's what I'm saying, right?
Mall
You type in Jay Z throwing a football. Jay Z. Oh, listen, man, again, anyone that sold drugs as a kid.
Rory
Yeah, it shows. Like the athleticism is just. It's just not there. Like, it's just, it's terrible.
Trick Williams
Just go to empress for that 50.
Rory
Yeah, no, that 50, that 51st pitch
Trick Williams
is Jay Z left handed.
Rory
Yeah, Jay Z's left handed, but that's.
Mall
That's a nasty form right there.
Trick Williams
Yeah, yeah.
Rory
You about to tear your label, tear your shoulder.
Trick Williams
That's that Aaron Rodgers when he's out the pocket, you know what I'm saying?
Mall
With the torn AC up, I feel like Pac was a great marketer.
Trick Williams
I was about to say Paul Pac
Mall
could have been a really entertaining wrestler.
Trick Williams
You know, he probably doing some high flying, off the ropes type stuff. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, that music cool.
Rory
Yeah, yeah. How much of rapping do you feel like is like you can obviously the entertainment factor with rapping and wrestling. Will you ever see, like rappers and they talking and it's like you start laughing like that feels like this feels like wrestling. This feels like what guys are doing before a match, man.
Trick Williams
It's funny you say that. Cause I'm not sure if y' all seen. I just put out something on Twitter, but my boy Lil Yachty, he's coming to Smackdown.
Rory
Okay. Shout out to Bo.
Trick Williams
Yeah, shout out to Bo. Man, he's coming to Smackdown this Friday. And you know, we talking on the phone to different stuff, but he understands the business and we talking about the similarities between hip hop and wwe, how to promote, you know, you know, how to market yourself. And you Know what I mean? How to make the people feel something. So, you know, I think, you know, I'm excited to see what Yachty can do in the business, you know, So I think that's gonna be pretty cool.
Rory
Yeah, get Yachty in the ring.
Trick Williams
That's what I say in the R.
Rory
Yeah, let him, let him fill the cables.
Trick Williams
He said he wants to feel the cables. He said he gonna get in tip top shape. We got him a trainer, you know, I mean, we finna get Yachty, right?
Rory
Listen, if, if Jelly Roll.
Mall
I was just about to say Yachty versus Jelly Roll would be a crazy.
Trick Williams
That'd be crazy. That'd be crazy. That'd be crazy.
Mall
You can't see that undercard.
Trick Williams
Jelly Roll, a lot going on, but no, they got wrestling A's.
Rory
Yeah, but Jelly Roll, we went to. When we the went to to SummerSlam.
Mall
He looks.
Rory
I was really like, oh. It was like. I almost couldn't believe what we was watching.
Trick Williams
J Roll, let me tell you, man, he's a dude who just stepped into business and just like he understood it naturally.
Rory
It's crazy.
Trick Williams
He did, man, open. Was it open poem with Kit Wilson, you know what I mean? A couple weeks ago and man, he's a natural, man. He had the crowd rocking. I forgot. I said, oh, yeah, you do this?
Rory
Yeah, no, it's crazy. It was crazy to see that. That was like a. A mind. I was like, this is. I told Rory, I was like, bro, I didn't. This was like, this is Jelly Roll. Like we know him for making great music entertainer. But to see him at SummerSlam in the ring, he was really performing and
Trick Williams
putting on and he loves it and he's dead serious about it. I see him pacing back and forth backstage like, man, I gotta kill this. I gotta make sure it's right. He went out, this is last Friday. Before he goes out, he says, brother Trick, are you a believer? I said, yeah. He said, can I pray? Yeah. He prayed for himself before he went out and performed. He ended up taking an RKO from Randy Orton. He prayed about it five worse than his God was busy.
Mall
He was preparing for Palm Sunday. He couldn't answer Jelly.
Trick Williams
But the brother looked good. That's all saying the brother looked good. Good. I mean, it's Randy Orton.
Rory
Randy Orton.
Trick Williams
I'm saying the lower waist of his team.
Mall
Setbacks are met for comebacks.
Rory
Yeah, absolutely.
Mall
But I mean like Action Bronson, he was good for a little while in the wrestling ring. There's been rappers that have done. Yeah, okay in there.
Trick Williams
Yeah, man. I think, man, if you're an entertainer, I think that's what draws so much entertainers to the business because they understand the idea of promoting yourself, you know, larger than life Personas, everything it takes to be a star, you know what I mean? Like, you have to think differently to, you know, step into Rory and Mall's podcast room with your shirt off and you got your fur coat on. You call yourself trit willing. You got your lemon pen.
Rory
That's your limit.
Mall
That's usually how I dress for the pot. I didn't want us to match.
Trick Williams
You know what I'm saying? Something gotta be different about you. You know what I mean? Yeah. You know, but you kind of born into this because like you said, where Trick come from, like I was born trick, you know, I mean, my mama, it was ordained a long time ago for you to become this person that you are. Learned how to sculpt it and manifest it to, you know, the package so people can understand it. I think that's what entertainers understand about the business so much that it's a lot that goes into it. Right. No worry.
Mall
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Rory
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Mall
I feel like lately everybody's trying to be a little more intentional with their money.
Rory
Yeah. Especially when you look at your statement and you're like, wait, when did I buy that?
Mall
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Rory
Right. You can choose to pay now, pay later, or spread payments over time, depending on what works for you.
Mall
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Rory
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Mall
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Doug
And, Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual. Even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.
Doug's Wife
Hey, everyone, Check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?
Mall
Oh, no.
Doug
We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.
Doug's Wife
Yeah, the bird looks out of your league anyways.
Doug
Only pay for what you need@libertymutual.com Liberty.
Doug's Wife
Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.
Mall
Are your parents still with us?
Trick Williams
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Mall
How do they feel about just the entire wrestling thing? Do they get it?
Trick Williams
I think they, you know, aside for Lash, I put them all equal. Like, just my biggest supporters. Like, they watch everything. They gonna watch this. They gonna watch everything that I'm a part of, and they're just so proud, man. They still stay in South Carolina and they proud, man. Like, you know, I'm just grateful to have a great set of parents that I feel like could have raised me no better and prepared me for everything that I'm doing now.
Rory
Yeah.
Mall
I mean, even. It took 10 years for my mother to even say at Thanksgiving that I had a job. Like, she had to see this actually on Netflix for it to matter. What was that conversation like of, mom, I'm gonna go wrestle?
Trick Williams
It was crazy because I remember, so I got cut from the Philadelphia Eagles, and I didn't really know what was next. And I'm just skipping over 20 years of football because it took me a long, long time, a lot of hard work to get to that point. And then it was over with, just like that. Said, okay, now substitute teaching. And, you know, I was like, man, maybe this is the right thing to do. Maybe this where I need to be, help these kids. Oh, kids, man. These kids, man. Teachers deserve more money. Yeah, listen, and I ain't saying kids is bad, you know, I mean.
Rory
No, no, no.
Trick Williams
I ain't trying to Bernie Mac this thing. Three years. Well, I was getting pain right here that was, like, forming from my. You know. Yeah, it's probably what his gray hair coming from. I was telling you about it.
Rory
Stressed.
Trick Williams
Yeah. Substitute teaching, man. I'm gonna tell you how crazy the story is. So I remember sidetracked, but I'm gonna get back on it, man. I remember I got introduced. I wanted to talk to a whole middle school you know, they said, you know, Trip Williams, Philadelphia Eagle wide receivers, coming to talk to the kids. And, you know, Blaster blank, You know, middle school. Yeah. You could hear a pin drop in the whole gym. Everybody listening, everybody. They said, oh, my goodness. We've never had anybody captivate the students like this. I said, you know, that's what I do. You know, that's who I am. You know, I can talk like that. I get cut from the Eagles. Now I'm a substitute in the very same school. I can't take the attendance in the class. Airplanes flying, bro. I was like, you know, And I learned that was a very important lesson, you know what I mean? Because it's not your purpose, it's your pedestal. Sometimes that helps you.
Rory
Right?
Trick Williams
You know what I mean? And. Whoa, man, I couldn't believe this. It was the same kid that was asking for my autograph too much. The same kids.
Mall
You should have walked in with the lemon pepper step,
Trick Williams
man. And that's why I got my finish. I was hitting kids with three shots, body slams and backhands. I'm just playing. I would never hit a kid. I'm. See, y' all got me riled up right here.
Rory
Oh, my God.
Trick Williams
But all jokes aside, I did say, I'm gonna let out some of this aggression. I'm gonna go wrestle. Yeah. You know what I mean? And that's how it started. And I remember telling my mom, I was like, well, this is how it first happened. Because when wwe, they reached out to me for a tryout, and my pops were like. I was like, man, like, man, what you think, man? You think I should go try wrestling? You know, just fresh off getting cut. Yeah. I don't know if I'm gonna wear them tights, man. You know, them little tights. I don't know if I can wear them tights, Daddy. He said, you ain't making no money at the house.
Rory
Yeah, yeah.
Trick Williams
You need to get out there and wrestle.
Rory
You gonna do something?
Trick Williams
You gonna do something? I was like, okay, yeah. And then the more I thought about it, I was like, bro, I actually really enjoy wrestling. You know what I mean? I thought about the Stone Cold and the way they made me feel back in the day, honestly. You know, the Rock and Booker T and Triple H and these guys. And I was like, man, like. And I thought about myself, like, this actually is a good fit for me, a natural fit that I tried out. And they said, well, if you're serious about it, go learn how to wrestle. And we bring you back then. I remember the Day I told my mom, I said, mom moved back to Philly, and I'm gonna learn how to wrestle. And they was full support. My dad was like, man, you got an uncle up there called Sweet Baby James?
Rory
Sweet Baby James.
Trick Williams
Sweet Baby James.
Rory
Okay.
Trick Williams
I never met him. He's from Far Rock, but he moved down to Philly. He's been there for about 10 years. And what's his theme music?
Rory
Because he got. He got.
Trick Williams
He come out to that. You know, he come out to that. Curtis Mayfield, you know, Naturally. Naturally. You know, Earth, Wind and Fire. He was water. They kicked him out the group, you
Mall
know, but he only talks in third and fourth person. You can't have that name.
Rory
Sweet Baby J. Yeah, you got. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.
Trick Williams
I like you. Now, this is how it happened. I drove up to Philly. I'm supposed to meet Sweet Baby James for the first time. And I never met my uncle. He's my great uncle now.
Rory
Okay.
Trick Williams
And, you know, I'm gonna ask him if I could stay with him. You know, I don't. I don't know. Yeah, you know, I pull up to philly. I drove 12 hours and this and that and, you know, filling out job applications so I could work. He ain't there. I said. I said, okay. He got his friend named Will. Will from Philly. Ironically, he opened the door, he said, yeah, you can stay here tonight. And he stayed in South Philly Point Breeze area. And he let me in. I stayed at night. I'm from the South. It's just a different style of living, you know what I mean? Y' all from New York, so y' all probably understand a little bit more, but when you're from the south, you know, you just. Everything feels a little tighter, you know what I mean? He let me stay there a night, two nights. I'm filling out job applications, trying to figure out what I'm gonna do with my life. He comes in, like, the second or third day. Hello. You know, nice to meet you. I like, yeah, man. You know, my dad, you know, Pat, he told me I'd come holler at you and everything like that. He's like, yeah, what you need? I said, well, I want to pursue this wrestling career. He said, man, it would mean a lot, you know, if I can get my feet, you know, underneath myself and, you know, kind of start my journey if I could stay here for a little while. He said, that's what you want to do? I was like, yeah. He said, $200 a month. You can stay right here.
Rory
Yeah, let's be Clear.
Trick Williams
Let's be clear. But it wasn't about the $200, you know what I mean? It's just, as a man, you have to pay the price for something. You know what I'm saying? But he didn't even know me. I could have been wilding. I could have been having a background like Jay Z, you know, moving stuff that wasn't supposed to be moving in his house. He didn't care nothing about that. He said, you family, you good. And then from there, it's like, man, I learned so much from him. You know, the coat, you know, the shoes. You know, he always. He gave me a pair of Stacy Adams, you know what I mean? He said, these are lemon pepper steppers right here. Like, you know, I learned a lot from him and developed my character and learned how to GR and hustle. I mean, we have people working for him, and he had like a convenience shop downstairs. He had people work working for him, you know, people off the block, you know, moving this, moving that, moving furniture, doing this, doing that. Like, he just a man. And I learned a lot from him. So, you know, that's got to walk
Mall
you out in Vegas.
Rory
Sweet Baby James. Yeah, you gotta have Sweet Baby James. Gotta be like, you know how to undertaker had, you know, what's my guy's name, bro? You got Sweet Baby James, the trip trick.
Trick Williams
Boy. What are we doing, man? Look, we did some with him in Philly. We did a whole special about him.
Rory
Oh, that's dope.
Trick Williams
Because we came back to WrestleMania in Philly.
Rory
Okay?
Trick Williams
So we shot a whole something special for Sweet.
Rory
That's fire, man.
Mall
You gotta shoot something back at that school now. I mean, definitely button up because it's kids. Yeah, you should walk back in that class.
Trick Williams
Yeah, but, you know, them kids is grown now. It's the young Javon Evans. And I think Javon was the kid. And they talking trash and not let me take the role for him. Bouncing off the desk and everything. I think it was Javon Evans, you know, but, you know, it is what it is.
Mall
What's. What's the real hu.
Trick Williams
Don't ask me no crazy question like that. University QT9, Quintessence9. Let's talk about it Home by the
Mall
seat it's not Howard University.
Trick Williams
Rock blue and white I want no smoke what you know about that feud? Did you go to. You didn't go to Howard, did you?
Mall
No, I did not go there. I mean, I spent a lot of time.
Trick Williams
Howard University. I heard you like the sisters. Yeah, I heard you like the Sisters.
Rory
Yo, how to trick. I heard you like the sisters.
Trick Williams
Wwe, right? Rory like the sisters. He over there by Howard. I heard Ms. Pat talking about it. You like the sisters?
Rory
You like the sisters.
Mall
This Pat just running around telling my business?
Rory
Yeah, absolutely.
Mall
I spent a lot of. Lot of nights at Hampton as well.
Trick Williams
Okay, okay.
Mall
Course for educational purposes, of course.
Trick Williams
The home by the sea. That's your home by the sea, huh? Listen, man, look, that brother don't play. Rory a bad boy.
Mall
Now, the amount of arguments I've seen between Howard and Hampton have been very, very entertaining with the real Hu.
Trick Williams
It's a beautiful, though, man. Like, man, I love my time at Hampton. Yeah, it was a great school. Of course, at hbcu, Hampton's the man.
Mall
It's such a good school.
Trick Williams
It's beautiful, man. Like, maybe we used to do workouts on the beach, you know, I mean, but it was just crazy. The environment was different. But as far as with football, like, I just. I knew I had big aspirations and dreams at the time. At the time, I didn't feel like I was gonna be able to reach them at that school. So I had to make a tough decision and transfer to the University of South Carolina. But now I got nothing but love and respect for Hu. The real Hu.
Mall
Listen, man, I went to, like, more of a commuter type school. I always wish I would have went to, like, an actual college, but I don't think I would have got shit done. Like, when I would hang out in Howard on the weekends. Like, how do y'.
Rory
All.
Mall
Like, y' all go to class? Why would you do that?
Trick Williams
Yeah, man, it's a different experience. Like, you know, it's your first time away from the house. For real.
Rory
For real.
Trick Williams
When you got some freedom. But Hampton will help you out a little bit. Like. Like, you ain't get visitation that much as a freshman. No, it's a private campus, so they try to control you a little bit,
Rory
but, you know, ain't no control.
Trick Williams
Ain't no control in that, man. When you young and wild like that, man, that's another lifetime.
Mall
Who were. Who were some of the players that you played against in college that are now in the league?
Trick Williams
Oh, man, a lot of them, you know, Miles Garrett, Kyler Murray. Let me think. Who's that playing with at Georgia? A lot of them Georgia boys, some running backs ain't really playing no more. Autumn boys from lsu.
Rory
Kyler Murray. Didn't he just get. Did he get waived?
Trick Williams
Did he just get waved?
Rory
I think so.
Trick Williams
Yeah. My bad.
Rory
He's going to Minnesota oh, he's going to Minnesota.
Trick Williams
Okay. Yeah, let me think. We played Florida. We played.
Rory
Look.
Trick Williams
Yeah, man. I ain't gonna lie, man. So I finished in 17. A lot of them boys kind of, like, on their way out now.
Rory
It's crazy. That's only nine years. That's the average. That's a long time for him.
Trick Williams
You know what I'm saying? And it makes me very grateful that, like, you know, things did kind of happen, like, and I got nothing but love and respect for football. I played for 20 years, and, you know, I worked very, very hard to get the. You know, the blessing I did get with football. But what I'm doing now as a WWE Superstar is, like, it's special.
Rory
It's more longevity, and it's more longevity.
Trick Williams
You know what I mean? Like, I'm a whole brand. I'm a whole Superstar. I took the helmet off and people see my face, you know, I just went to Jamaica last week with my lady, you know, swoop that trick in patois and I'll go to Mexico. Whoop that trick and whoop that. Trickle. Whip a trickle. You know, in Mexico, you know what I mean? You know, in Saudi Arabia, they don't even speak English. Yeah, just whoop that trick. A little offbeat, but they were still whooping it.
Rory
Yeah.
Trick Williams
You know what I'm saying? Germany, same thing. I was like, bro, this is unreal.
Mall
Yeah, I gotta hear the dancehall version of whoop that.
Trick Williams
You gotta. You gotta hear it, man.
Mall
On the whoop is hilarious. Have they ever done, like, any big wrestling events in Jamaica?
Trick Williams
Maybe? They need to.
Mall
I feel like that would be really.
Trick Williams
They need to, bro.
Rory
So you have. You have. Your wife is wrestling. She played ball, too, right? She played basketball. She was drafted. Who watches the game? Is it you watching football or is it her watching basketball?
Trick Williams
It's funny you asked me this during March Madness. We've been watching a lot of basketball, ok? She was a legit dog in NCAA basketball. She won the sec, and she is the all time, current day, all time rebound leader in March Madness for women. So, you know, she's a big deal.
Rory
Yeah.
Trick Williams
And I just happened to go to South Carolina, you know, my past couple years, my last couple years, which is known for women's basketball under Don Staley.
Rory
Absolutely.
Trick Williams
So we have a common thread where we always watch in South Carolina, and her coach is now coaching at Texas, so we're looking to see how that shapes out in March Madness. And she loves football. Like, if, you know Lash, you know, she's one of the Biggest, most dominant women on the roster. She said, man, I wish I could have played linebacker. I said, hold down or lacker.
Mall
You know what I mean?
Trick Williams
Ray Lewis.
Rory
Yeah, you know what I mean?
Mall
Started regretting, like, leaving the dirty dish in the sink.
Trick Williams
Take out the trash. Yes, ma'.
Rory
Am. Yes, ma'.
Trick Williams
Am. Yes, ma'. Am.
Rory
In the jiffy, your girl said she wish you would have played live back.
Trick Williams
I wish I would have play linebacker. Crazy. Yeah. Calm down.
Rory
She want to get physical.
Trick Williams
But she is physical. Yeah, yeah, she's. She's a pure athlete.
Rory
No, for sure.
Trick Williams
She's six feet, you know, plus, minus, around, you know, 195, you know what I mean? Like I say, she body slammed 350 pound man, Otis. But she can also run and do a back handspring back tuck right now, which is nuts.
Rory
That's crazy.
Trick Williams
We go to the Gym, she hit 10 free throws straight, you know what I mean? All of this is on camera, right? We can find it. Yeah, I'm like, bro, like, you are like super athlete. Yes. And she don't think about it. She don't worry about it. Like, she just knows she can do it.
Rory
What are some of the workouts that y' all do together? Like, has she introduced you to, like, a workout that you thought you would never do? You'd be like, you know what? I actually like this. Have you turned into the Pilates trick yet? Is it trick Pilates?
Trick Williams
We do do some, you know, we do stretch and do that different type of stuff. She taught me how to bat flu, which was like, cool. That was a moment defining thing for me because I've always wanted to backflip.
Rory
Okay.
Trick Williams
But I was scared. Yeah.
Rory
I think that's the biggest thing. Like, you don't be like, hold up, you could break your neck doing this.
Trick Williams
You know what I'm saying? Cause you're like, oh, yeah, I'm gonna do a backflip. Then you stand in that spot. You like, wait, so I'm gonna jump up and flip my whole body upside down and land on my feet. That's not gonna work.
Rory
That ain't gonna happen.
Trick Williams
She taught me how to backflip, so, like, I'm forever grateful for that. I pull it out and matches, you know, special occasions, you know what I mean? But like, like, yeah, she's just the ultimate athlete. She's fixing my jumper. You know, I was a. See, my problem was I grew up watching AM1, so I always worked on these, you know, I'm Riley. You know what I mean? Off boondocks. You know what I mean? I could dribble, I could dunk, but I never worked on the free throw, man.
Rory
On my left hand.
Trick Williams
Layups.
Rory
Yeah. So she got you getting right.
Trick Williams
She got my free throw right. You know what I mean? Had to work from the ground up. Yeah.
Mall
If you guys eventually have children, what path do you want them to take? Because obviously they'll be superhuman athletes just based off.
Trick Williams
Yeah, you guys, I mean, honestly, as long as they're doing something active, you know, I mean, as long as they playing sports, getting active, you gonna get up and do something, you know what I mean? And we talk about all the time, you know, she wants some football players, of course, and, you know, like a couple wrestlers. I want five kids.
Rory
You want five?
Trick Williams
I want five kids.
Mall
Oh, you guys are gonna start the.
Trick Williams
The.
Mall
The wrestling dynasty.
Trick Williams
Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah, we'd be like, you know, the whole bloodline.
Rory
Yeah. I mean, y' all both two super athletes. Like, I. I could definitely see in 15 years. Like, yo, remember what we talking? Trick.
Trick Williams
Yeah.
Rory
You know that's his son, right?
Trick Williams
Yeah, I can see it. Right? With a shirt off.
Rory
With a shirt off, you got to
Trick Williams
have a shirt on.
Rory
No shirts. No shirts in the house. Ain't no shirts allowed.
Mall
Well, what can we expect in Vegas, man?
Trick Williams
In Vegas, we about to have a good time, man. We're going to Allegiant Stadium. Last year we had 72,000 night one, 72,000 night two. So we're gonna beat that. We're gonna surpass that. We'll have the crowds rocking. People from all over the world are coming to Allegiant Stadium. We ain't talking about no gambling. They coming for one reason only. Whoop that, Trick.
Rory
Whoop that Trick.
Trick Williams
You know what I mean? You got Trick Williams and Sami Zayn. You got CM Punk and Roman Reigns. You got Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton. Have y' all seen this new Randy Orton? Yeah, he's a madman.
Mall
Yeah.
Trick Williams
I don't think we ever seen. Seen the Randy Orton that looked like this. I mean, he's a nice guy. He's cool from time to time, but I'm legit. I stay away from him.
Rory
Yeah.
Trick Williams
You know what I mean?
Rory
How you gonna. But like, Trick that Moment, Allegiant Stadium, WrestleMania, and you the entrance. And whoop that TrickStar. And it's 72,000 people in the stadium. However many million watching it on tv.
Trick Williams
That's right.
Rory
Like, what's.
Mall
What's that.
Rory
Like what. Mentally, like, what is that feeling Feeling, man, It's.
Trick Williams
Man, there's so much going through your mind. But for me, all I'm thinking about. I look cool. If I hold my head this way. If I slowly turn it this way, people gonna feel that.
Rory
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Mall
No, that's a different type of talent. If that's all it takes to get the whole crowd to go nuts.
Trick Williams
Yeah, bro. That's all I'm thinking about, man.
Rory
Like, get my good side.
Trick Williams
Get my good side, you know, Flex my core for a little. Yeah.
Mall
You're in Vegas. You got to put on the Versace shirt and walk like Pac through the casino. Yeah, that gotta be it.
Trick Williams
That was a tragic night, brother.
Mall
He did win the fight in the casino.
Trick Williams
Well, maybe I put on Gucci,
Rory
but that's. That's gotta be like. I mean, obviously, you know, you. You play football, and running out in the stadium with. With your team is a special feeling. But when it's just you on that ring.
Trick Williams
Yeah, man. It's a different feeling.
Rory
That's like.
Trick Williams
It's all on you. Yeah, it's all on you, man. And people talk about the business and. Oh, it's this and always that. At the end of the day, you have to go out there and you gotta do it. You gotta execute it. Like, if you don't make it happen, it's not gonna happen. All eyes are on you, by the way, we're gonna be on espn. The first hour is free on espn.
Rory
Oh, wow.
Trick Williams
Second hour, you have to make sure that you upgrade it. You get the app. Yeah. You know, Trick Willie, you ain't gonna get me for free. I'll be in the second album.
Rory
I'm in. The trick is in the second album,
Trick Williams
I'm in the second. But, you know, so make sure that you get that. You mean, make sure you get your tickets off Ticketmaster. You give us your dollars, we make you holler. But, yeah, man, it's a special time. It's our Super Bowl.
Rory
Yeah, no, for sure.
Trick Williams
Friday, you know, we got smackdown. Saturday, the 18th, Sunday the 19th. Monday, we got Monday Night Raw starts over again.
Mall
Is there a difference in wrestling in the arenas as opposed to the stadiums?
Trick Williams
Yeah, well, I'll be honest with you. So my first stadium was actually out in Saudi Arabia, and I think it was, what, 35,000 something there, which was a lot of people. This is my first WrestleMania, so I'm excited to feel it myself. You know what I mean? I never heard whoop that trick in front of 72, 73, 74,000 before. So make sure you in that number to see that you Know what I mean? It's going to be a moment when the sound just takes off like that. No warrior.
Mall
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Rory
I see you.
Mall
But you have to understand how dry this white skin is.
Rory
Yeah.
Mall
It takes a certain type of oil.
Rory
That's what it is. I couldn't figure why you. You got this glow like this hue to your beard now.
Mall
Yes. And you said at the top of the episode. It's the basking lather, man.
Rory
Yeah.
Mall
I'm looking younger. I feel better.
Rory
Is it soft?
Mall
Oh, I mean, go put it, Mike.
Rory
Can they hear it? Can it hit like when you. Okay.
Mall
Oh, yeah, yeah. That's moisturized. That's moisturized for sure.
Rory
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Yeah. Especially when you look at your statement and you're like, wait, when did I buy that?
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Doug's Wife
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Mall
Oh, no.
Doug
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Doug's Wife
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Rory
Who's some of the wrestlers that growing up watching that, like now that you're. This is your time and your moment. Who's some of the wrestlers were you like, I wish I could have had him at his prime. Like me and him in the ring.
Trick Williams
Yeah. Yeah, that's pretty cool, man. And you know Booker T. Of course. We already talked about that. I always thought it'd be cool. Like the three I named before, you know, Stone Cold Rock.
Rory
Stone Cold.
Trick Williams
You know what I Mean, those guys. But there's other guys who I go back and look at, like, man, they were so cool. Like Razor Ramon. Oh, yeah, Razor, man. He flicked that toothpick at you. You know what I mean? He's just a cool dude, man. I like Razor Rick Rude, you know what I mean? He was a cool guy back in the day. Yeah. I just love the way it felt in the 90s. I'm an old soul.
Rory
It was a little different.
Trick Williams
It was different.
Rory
It was different.
Trick Williams
You know what I mean? If you could feel something like these dudes, if you saw them in the bar, you wouldn't mess with them. And I appreciate that.
Rory
Now, you talked about taking the helmet off, and we talked about it before, like, there's a difference when NFL players in the club, and I have this theory that because nobody knows who they are, you can't. You don't recognize that unless you're a superstar.
Trick Williams
Yeah.
Rory
When you get to take the helmet off, though, now people can see you. What's the difference in, like, when you go outside and you moving around now and people recognize you, is it like, okay, they know Trick Williams.
Trick Williams
Now, whenever I'm outside, it's a big difference. I actually got a story about this. So I remember when I was substitute teaching, I had a mentor. His name is Corey Jackson. He said, yo, Trick, we're gonna bring you to Orlando, ironically. Orlando. He's a guest speaker for the Pro Bowl. He played in the NFL. Great guy. You know, he's coming to my wedding and everything. And so we go. He does his speaking thing at the Pro Bowl. Then we go to the club that night and we there with all the ballers. You know, at that time, it's Mark Ingrams, you know, the Ty Gurleys, the Alvin Camaros, all these different guys. And I remember we was all just kind of lined up in the club. Mind you, at this time, I'm trying to get into the NFL, so I'm not really one of the guys, but I look like one of the guys, know my helmet is off. Right. You know, and the ladies and everything there, they can't tell the difference between the. Too. Right. So I just remember, like, at that time, I'm an engaged man now.
Rory
Yeah.
Mall
Yeah.
Trick Williams
At that time, you know, the girls is coming up to Tree Williams. Yeah. You know, it was all over me and trying to do crazy things to me. Last for me.
Mall
Yeah, yeah.
Rory
Don't even talk about violated.
Trick Williams
You know what I'm saying?
Mall
Jelly Roll would not approve.
Trick Williams
You know what I'm saying? But I remember the look of, you know, some of the ballers who was right next to me, who knew I wasn't like, one of the NFL guys at the time.
Rory
But you're getting that same attention, that same energy.
Trick Williams
I was getting more.
Rory
Yeah.
Trick Williams
Like, it was like, hey, he's stealing all the girls. Yeah. You know what I mean? And I learned a valuable lesson that night. I said, man, it's not even about who you are. It's who they think you are, man. Like, I knew I looked like something I've been training my whole life. My shirt was off. You know what I mean? Come on. You know, my shirt was off. You know what I mean? You know? But I learned, like, okay, I look like a star. And everyone there believed, like, oh, man, this guy's in the Pro bowl and everything like that. So now I never get it confused. When I get all the love, I go to Walmart now. I go to the gym. I get, you know, ran down, you know, we was in the park just now. We just saw a little kid skipping class. Trick Williams. Go to class, young man. But. You know what I mean? But
Rory
substitute teaching, go to class.
Trick Williams
But it's the same thing, you know, When I was in the gym, I was like, man, like, people respect you for the pedestal you have and everything like that. It's not taking away the talent and everything that people possess. But you can't never get lost in the sauce. You know what I mean? You gotta know what's real. Like, hey, man, what's your purpose for real? You know what I mean? Don't get lost in. Because you get all the love and fame and clout and everything and think that's really about you. Cause somebody else is on the way to get your spot. You know what I mean? So make sure you get yours and you treat people good on the way. Because that's what really matters matter.
Mall
Has there ever been a kid that was maybe disappointed when you were at Target and sweats and some slides and
Trick Williams
you ain't gonna find me in targets and sweats and slides just like this with the ladies following me all around like. Sir, you dropped this. No, I didn't. You didn't want to say something? Let me alone now.
Mall
Yo, being in Target with you, talking
Rory
with your shirt off was crazy as.
Trick Williams
I gotta do what I gotta do, man. It's a lifestyle, man. Sweet Baby James taught me the way.
Rory
Shout out. Sweet Baby James, the legend. Sweet Baby James, man. Now, post Wrestlemania, like, I. I feel like you're gonna. You're gonna beat Sammy at WrestleMania, I just feel like that.
Trick Williams
I appreciate that, brother, but pay him.
Rory
No, listen, I do, but how much, how much does everything. Because when we had Jade on, we told her the same thing. We was like, yo, you definitely the next champion. You could just see it. You were the same thing. Like, but how much of that, how much of the work changes and how much of the workload is heavier now when you become the champion? Is it like, all right now the target is on you. Everybody wants a match with you. The workload is heavy. Do you gotta up like the workouts and mentally focus. You gotta be sharpened now because you are the championship.
Trick Williams
Yeah, yeah. And I've been very fortunate because, you know, I was put in a position, you know, prior to even being on the main roster. Like, we have nxt, we have tna, you know, where I was two time NXT champ, TNA world champion as well, you know, even when I was newer into the game, borderline a rookie into wrestling, period. You know, they put me in a position where it's like, hey, let's see if you can really carry the brain. See if you can do all the media, see if you can do the interviews, you know, work two brands at the same time, NXT and tna. I was exhausted. Exhausted. I remember that. And a little bit frustrated, if I'm being honest, because everybody's telling me, man, you should be on the main roster. A year ago, two years ago. I don't know why they waiting and blasey this, blasey that, but, man, I gotta say. Shout out to Triple H, shout out to Nick Khan, because they knew what they was doing. Shout out to Shawn Michaels. They say there's things that Trick has to learn. You know, he has to carry a brand. He has to be, you know, he has to see what it's like to be on the way up, see what it feels like to be on the way down. He has to improve, get better at the craft, you know, I mean, you'd be surprised how many people want the title and don't even know what the job is about, Right? I mean, we got to fill these houses, we gotta make money, we gotta sell merch, you know what I mean? So I was very fortunate to be put in a position where I had to feel some of that pressure at a lower level level, okay. And know what it's about and know what it feels like. So now that I'm here, you know, there's only one way to find out if you're ready or not. Yeah, you gotta get the title. You gotta get the ball.
Mall
You think WWE embraces hip hop the way they should? Because, you know, you have people like Wale, Westside, Gun, Smoke, Dizza. These guys that have been engulfed in the wrestling culture for. For so long have named projects after it. A lot of their merch is based off wrestling stuff. Do you feel like they've embraced hip hop the way they.
Rory
They.
Mall
They should?
Trick Williams
Yeah. I can't speak on those specific situations. I can only talk about the people who I've met through the game. You know, Offset was there in Atlanta, you know, of course, a big icon. You know, Floyd Yachty, he pulling up on Friday, you know what I mean? Shout out to my boy Yachty. I mean, we was in Atlanta. I seen Bow Wow in the crowd. Like I said, I was born in the 90s. Lil Bow Wow, he had a lot of hate now, but back then, Bow Wow was superstar, you know what I'm saying?
Rory
For sure.
Trick Williams
Bow Wow's front row, you know, seen at Monday Night Raw. So if you ask me, from what I can see, I can't talk about anybody else's situation. All I know is what I know. Seemingly, they're treating people good. They even brought some of my battle rap buddies. DNA, Tay Rock, you know what I mean? Arsenal. Arsenal the Rebel. They let him sit in front row, meet Shawn Michaels, shake his hand, everything like that. As far as I'm concerned, they treat everybody good. I can't speak on the people that I don't know.
Mall
They gotta find some. Some connection with URL and wwe and, like, if. If they could train for, like, a few months and be an undercard before they actually battle, or undercard would be them battling in that ring before Russell. That would be hilarious, man.
Trick Williams
The crossover between URL and wrestling, period, is just. It's astronomical.
Mall
So many similarities.
Trick Williams
Yeah, all these guys love wrestling, you know, I mean, DNA, you know, I met him. Tay Rock. Rock who? Who else? Saga, you know, Saga, he has some crazy screens he's done with, you know, some. With some wrestling theme. And Tay Rock, you know, his lady Caution. Like, all of them, like, they know wrestling, like Chess. Yeah, bro. All these guys, it's crazy. I don't know what the similarity is. I don't know what the.
Rory
We all grew up watching it. That's what it is.
Trick Williams
It's part of the culture.
Rory
You know what I'm saying? Part of it. It's part of the culture. Growing up, you got to watch wrestling.
Trick Williams
And I mean. Oh.
Mall
Solo battle rap is. Is so. I don't want to use the word performative because that's now become like a, a bad word. Yeah, but it's, it's not like you have to. It's theater almost is what battle rap is. And you. I think they probably take a lot of cues from wrestlers English language.
Rory
Oh, for sure, bro.
Trick Williams
I'm looking at some of these schemes they do. I said imagine them with a two minute promo with Paul Heymon. Imagine Charlie Clips and Paul Heyman going tit for tack off the dome in a promo. Like these are two of the best articulators of human language period that I've ever seen. Right. You know, I would love to see Charlie Clips and Paul Heyman go at it, just see what happens.
Rory
You ever talk to one of the battle rappers about like writing you just some punch lines, just some quick.
Trick Williams
You know, I talked, you know, but I was like, man, like it's. I'm so hands on with my own stuff. I just like doing my own stuff, you know what I mean? Because. Because even if you write it like it has to come off authentic to me. You know what I mean? It's hard for me to really say anybody else's stuff because I got a funny twang with how I talk, you know what I mean? So you gotta feel right.
Rory
Yeah.
Mall
I mean, is most of the stuff that you are writing or is a lot of it improv as well? Like the Ric Flair you found out, like, bro, that shit was just off the top of his fucking head in the moment.
Rory
The greatest ever. Ric Flair.
Trick Williams
Yeah, yeah.
Mall
Like it's not something he wrote down prior to that. Literally just came to him in the moment.
Trick Williams
And that's what he said. That's how it is for me too. There's something, I'd be like, I'm gonna say this and this. When that red light come on, something totally different happened. I'm talking about a Palm Pilot.
Rory
I'm like, I don't know where the
Trick Williams
Palm Pilot came from, but the people loved it.
Rory
You ever met Ric Flair yet?
Trick Williams
I have met Ric Flair one time. Yeah, at the bar.
Rory
That's where you go, come on. Where else would you meet Ric Flair?
Trick Williams
That's where I met Ric Flair. Yeah. Had to go say, what's up?
Rory
Yeah, absolutely. That's. Come on, that's. That, that's you talking about legends. I mean, it don't get much, much bigger than Ric Flair. Do you want to see more of us getting into wrestling?
Trick Williams
Yeah. I mean, I think now is a better time than ever if we talk about representation for black people, you know, if we just Talking about the Ricky class that just came up to the main roster. Myself, you know, Oba Femi, Javon Evans, my lady Lash legend. Like, we all in prominent spots, probably gonna get a match at WrestleMania. All four of them, us rookies into the game now. You got Carmelo Hayes there. You got so many of us that's doing well. And this isn't shade on the people who came before us. You know, Apollo, you know, Tez, all these guys are still in the game and doing great as well. I'm just saying, as of right now, I'm just grateful for the opportunities that we are getting. You know, Triple H, Nick Khan, they're allowing us to go out and get yourself over, say, be yourself. And I can't say there's ever been a time in the industry that we've had so much rope to go do our thing. So I think it's a great. It's a great start. Like, I can't complain. Like, you know, I feel like it's moving in the right direction.
Rory
Cause even in high school and stuff, you know, it's not like, you see the wrestling teams, it's not a lot of us, like, certain cities, certain states, you know, more of us are into wrestling than, you know, obviously, like in New York or like LA and places like that. But, like, seeing more of us getting into that space where it's like, yo, you know, I can go to the wwe. I feel like I could be the next. We don't even talk like that. You don't even hear us talking like, yo, I could be the next WWE Superstar.
Trick Williams
But, you know, the funny thing is, this is like a new wave of young wrestlers that are thinking like that, okay? Like, it's like Javon Evans, kid named Leon Slater, you know what I mean? There's some guys on the independent scene. These guys are like 20 years old, you know, black and white. But I'm talking about the black ones right now who have been wrestling for, like six, seven years on the independent scene, okay? Like, When I was 14, 13, I was playing football. You know what I mean? Gun. Ho. Like, that was what was cool where I'm from in Columbia, South Carolina, right? But now there's a lot of these kids out here, especially the black kids, wrestling. So we gotta think the prior generations, you know, whoever was putting them on, you know, when they was young and impressionable, you know what I mean? Because it is like an influx of that that I didn't see when I was young. Like, nobody was, you know, trying to hit the independent scene. I even know how to get into wrestling.
Rory
Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
Trick Williams
You know what I mean? It was a random thing, like, those are superstars over there, and I'm gonna play football over here. You know what I mean? But it's cool to see, like, it's becoming more accessible, you know, for people to pursue it.
Mall
Yeah. Cause there's, like, no Pop Warner for.
Trick Williams
There's no Pop Warner for.
Mall
How do you even get into it as a kid to do that path?
Trick Williams
And it's cool because, you know, they come into it as K. You know, they working with grown men. Yeah, yeah. You know, and they're establishing a brand and an identity at 14. Like, man, that's next level stuff, if you're really thinking about it. Like, they young to be doing that type of stuff. Yeah. It's cool.
Mall
Yeah. Would. Before we let you go, would you vote for the Rock for president if he does run?
Trick Williams
Absolutely.
Mall
In a few years, I. I think it's gonna happen.
Trick Williams
I think so. I mean, I need to see his policies and see what he's talking about. See if I can smell what he's talking.
Mall
America doesn't care about that.
Trick Williams
Yeah, yeah.
Rory
Crazy.
Mall
The policy.
Trick Williams
Look, man, I'm not really. Yeah. I don't really get into politics like that. I like the Rock as a person. I need to see what he's talking about. Yeah, yeah.
Rory
Well, listen, man, WrestleMania. We rooting for you. I just want to know as soon as they get theme. Theme music. Come on. Coming down the ramp. We gotta. We gotta see Trick put on.
Trick Williams
Hey, look, man. 72, 73, 74,000 night one, 75,000 night two. 150,000 people total. We all gonna whoop that Trick all around the world. We might be in Las Vegas, gonna hear it all the way up here in the Madison Square Garden. We f. To go crazy.
Rory
That's a fact. Trick, man, listen, it was a pleasure talking to you. We proud of you, man. Looking forward to you going in there, WrestleMania, kicking some ass. And bring the. When you get the belt, you got to come back.
Trick Williams
Bring the belt and invite me back, man. They fly me out and give me a nice hotel, I'll be here.
Rory
That's a fact.
Trick Williams
I'm.
Rory
That. He's just ginger.
Trick Williams
That's.
Rory
Whoop that Trick Williams.
Trick Williams
Ginger. We got Sami Zayn. Call him Gingerbread. Ginger ale, ginger root. No worrying now.
Mall
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Rory
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Rory
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Mall
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Doug's Wife
Hey, everyone. Check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?
Mall
Oh, no.
Doug
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Doug's Wife
Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.
Doug
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Doug's Wife
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Trick Williams
This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.
In this energetic and revealing episode, Rory and Mal welcome WWE superstar Trick Williams as he gears up for a title match at WrestleMania. The conversation bounces from his wrestling journey and personal life to the intersections of hip hop and wrestling culture, with plenty of laughs and candid moments throughout. Trick reflects on his rapid rise, relationship with fellow star Lash Legend, athletic transitions, influences, and the surreal experience of becoming a face of WWE’s new generation.
"If you look at me, you look at him, you see a star, you see somebody who, you know, he's a placeholder." — Trick Williams (03:31)
"When I met Booker T. ... he said, hey, man, you got something. You got potential. ... When you put that hold on, make sure you flex this bicep right here and you flex it at the camera so everybody see your muscles." — Trick Williams (06:22)
Relationship with Lash Legend (08:43-10:07; 36:34-39:39)
Parental Support and Career Transition (24:38-28:41)
“You ain’t making no money at the house. You need to get out there and wrestle.” — Trick Williams (28:01)
Journey to WWE: Sweet Baby James and Hustle Lessons (29:12-31:41)
“I encourage every single fan to get in the ring one time and just to see ... Just stand on the ropes.” — Trick Williams (11:33–11:44)
Trick says:
“I think DaBaby would make a good wrestler. ... I think 50 Cent would have been a good ... Master marketer.” — Trick Williams (16:41)
Amusement at hip hop artists’ lack of athletic coordination (“Anyone that sold crack as a teenager didn’t participate in baseball, football. They were selling drugs.” — Mall, 17:22)
Discusses rappers/entertainers (Lil Yachty, Jelly Roll, Action Bronson) appearing in wrestling, and how hip hop’s promotion sensibilities mirror wrestling’s.
Battle Rap and WWE – Similarities and Potential Collabs (54:51–57:44)
“Solo battle rap is ... theater almost ... they probably take a lot of cues from wrestlers.” (56:38)
Black Representation and New Generation (58:34-61:03)
“I can't say there's ever been a time in the industry that we've had so much rope to go do our thing. ... I'm just grateful for the opportunities that we are getting.” — Trick Williams (58:57)
Inspiration for Young Wrestlers (59:59-61:10)
“For me, all I'm thinking about ... I look cool. If I hold my head this way ... people gonna feel that.” — Trick Williams (41:24)
This episode offers a lively window into Trick Williams’ world as he readies for the biggest match of his career. With sharp wit and humility, Trick shares how faith, family, athletic discipline, and Black representation shape his path, both in and out of the ring. His chemistry with Rory and Mal keeps the vibe upbeat and authentic, delivering inspiration, plenty of jokes, and some wrestling game gems for both longtime fans and podcast newcomers.