Shawn Michaels saw it in Trick Williams before most people did.
In a recent interview, HBK said he knew Williams had something special about him early in his WWE run. It was just a matter of giving him the time and space to figure out his game inside the ring. Michaels wasn’t surprised at all by how things turned out.
That’s a massive co-sign when you think about who it’s coming from. Shawn Michaels spent years running NXT as the head of creative, and he’s watched a lot of talent come through that system. He knows the difference between someone who looks good and someone who actually has it. According to him, Trick had it.
Williams was signed to WWE back in 2021 and didn’t exactly come in as a polished in-ring worker. He was raw. Most people remember him first as Carmelo Hayes’ hype man and tag partner, which is honestly a role that buries a lot of guys forever if they’re not careful. Trick turned it into a launching pad instead.
The breakout didn’t happen overnight either. It was a slow build that suddenly clicked. NXT crowds started connecting with him in a real way, chanting his name, reacting to every moment like he was already a main event guy. The promotion responded by pushing him harder, and he delivered every single time the spotlight got bigger.
He eventually captured the NXT Championship, which validated everything the fans had been saying for months. That title run proved he wasn’t just over on vibes. He could carry a brand.
Now Trick Williams is on the main roster and he’s the WWE United States Championship holder. That’s not a consolation prize. The US title has historically been a proving ground for guys on the rise, and Williams is doing exactly what you’d hope — making the belt feel like it matters by being someone the audience genuinely cares about.
The Michaels co-sign hits different because NXT under his watch has had mixed results in terms of main roster call-ups sticking. Some guys graduate and disappear into the shuffle. Trick has avoided that completely. The crowd carried him from NXT to Monday nights and didn’t let go.
What Michaels described — allowing him to find his footing — is actually the NXT developmental philosophy at its best. Not rushing someone before they’re ready, but also not holding them back once they’re clearly ready. Williams seems like the model example of that process working the way it’s supposed to.
The next chapter for Trick Williams on the main roster is going to be worth watching closely. He’s got the title, he’s got the crowd, and now he’s got one of the greatest in-ring performers of all time on record saying he spotted the talent before it was obvious. There’s no ceiling conversation that feels premature with Trick Williams right now.
