Former Philadelphia Eagles Tryout WR Kicks Off Wrestlemania Weekend

PHILADELPHIA - A record NXT crowd of 16,545 at Wells Fargo Center raucously welcomed Trick Williams to the main event of the Premium Live Event "Stand and Deliver" with the chorus of “Whoop That Trick.”

The event was the kickoff to Wrestlemania XL Weekend in Philadelphia, an enormous two-day event at Lincoln Financial Field that the Eagles are helping to host.

Main-eventing a WWE PLE as the hottest rising superstar on the WWE’s so-called developmental brand has made Williams a household name among many wrestling fans but those in Philly cheering the Columbia, South Carolina native Saturday afternoon had another layer to their excitement whether they knew it or not

In the real world, Williams is Matrick Belton, a former South Carolina wide receiver via Hampton University who attended the Philadelphia Eagles’ rookie camp as a tryout player in 2018.

Apr 12, 2014; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks wide receiver Matrick Belton (29). | Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

In fact, Williams’ foray with the Eagles was the last organized football he ever played before shifting gears to using his athleticism and personality to make it in professional wrestling.

After his tryout with the Eagles, Williams stayed in the city and started training for professional wrestling with Combat Zone Wrestling and the 2300 Arena, perhaps known to Eagles fans as the host of the party in which the organization gave out the Super Bowl LII championship rings to its players and employees.

For wrestling fans, the former Bingo Hall on the corner of Swanson and Ritner in South Philadelphia is better known as the ECW Arena, the house that Paul Heyman built en route to being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on Friday night.

Williams built his body up to a well-chiseled 240 pounds from his 215-pound days as a receiver and the WWE noticed, eventually signing him to a developmental deal and placing him with Carmelo Hayes, perhaps the best wrestler NXT has.

The saga of Hayes and Williams, essentially best friends turned enemies as Hayes slowly became jealous over the fans embracing Trick, finished at the WFC with Williams finally getting the best of Hayes, the former NXT champion.

With the referee down, the dastardly Hayes chop-blocked Williams before retrieving a steel chair from under the ring. Williams managed to wrest the weapon away from Hayes and battered the heel with repeated shots.

Another ref bump resulted in Hayes’ landing his famous finishing move – Nothin’ But Net – a top-rope leg drop that usually signified the end for his opponents. When Williams kicked out at two the crowd erupted.

A desperate Hayes went back to the steel chair before a second referee snatched it away, allowing Williams the opportunity to hit his own finishing move, the “Trick Knee” for the three count and redemption.

Evidently, Matrick “Trick Williams” Belton was always destined to be a star in Philadelphia.