Major NXT Star Backstage At Tonight's WWE SmackDown And Raw Tapings

WWE will reportedly be calling up various NXT stars to round out the main roster after the new year.
There are many in the developmental system right now that make sense for Raw and SmackDown, but it's unknown at this time which talents will move and which will stay in NXT as faces of that brand.
An interesting name is currently backstage at the WWE SmackDown and Raw tapings tonight. The company is taping both shows due to next week's holidays.
The NXT star at Raw & SmackDown tapings
According to Bodyslam, Trick Williams is backstage at the tapings. There has been no indication as to whether or not Williams will make his debut on either show, but the report indicates he is expected to be called up to the main roster sooner rather than later.
Trick Williams was once the face of NXT
Williams is synonymous with the current NXT brand and has been the face of the brand in its current form. He is a former NXT Champion and NXT Men's North American Champion, and has main-evented multiple NXT Stand and Deliver events over WrestleMania weekend, while also being the focus of the show when it moved to the CW Network.
Recently, Williams has been on a losing tilt. Though victorious at a handful of recent NXT house show events, he hasn't been involved in a significant NXT match since early November.
He wrestled Ricky Saints for the NXT Championship in a Last Man Standing Match, but lost. He also had a chance to qualify for this year's Iron Survivor Challenge, but was unsuccessful against Myles Borne.

Williams signed with WWE in 2021 and later that year made his NXT debut. He and Carmelo Hayes teamed up and worked at the top of the NXT card for a long time. Eventually, Hayes turned on Williams and the two men had a long feud.
The Williams and Hayes feud culminated in a match at the NXT Stand and Deliver event in Philadelphia. In that match, Williams defeated Hayes to win the NXT Championship. Soon after, Hayes headed to the main roster, but did so as a solo act without Williams.
Williams remained in NXT and had a strong run as NXT Champion. Currently, Hayes is still on the SmackDown brand. Williams and Hayes pairing up again, while unlikely due to their long feud in NXT, makes sense given their history together as a duo.
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Zack Heydorn has been covering the pro wrestling industry for a decade and writes news, features, and interviews for The Takedown On SI. He also hosts and cohosts a variety of WWE and AEW shows on YouTube. Heydorn is a former Assistant Editor of PWTorch and Managing Editor of SEScoops. Zack is also the author of the Hybrid Shoot book Stunning: The Wrestling Artistry of Steve Austin, which is available on Amazon. You can follow Zack on X and Bluesky.
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