With an alleged 3.75* match under his belt, Trick Williams’ next stop has arrived, opening NXT TV with Ilja Dragunov. On sheer weirdness alone, this one jumped off the page, but I’m genuinely interested to see what Dragunov makes of Williams’ developing skill-set. Ilja is one of WWE’s finest in-ring performers while Williams, charismatic as he is, remains brand new. With that in mind, we do get a fun pre-match promo from Trick, whose personality continues to shine through the screen.
The action soon follows too, as Williams jumps Dragunov before the bell, flooring him with a snappy forearm. In theory, that should shape the match and it does exactly that before long, though they admittedly have a miscommunication of some kind at the bell. Dragunov quickly erases that shaky start however, setting the tone in terms of intensity and bringing an energy that makes any misstep forgivable. It helps that Dragunov is in control early also, allowing the prospect to settle slightly.
This first act reiterates the obvious, as Dragunov teaches a wrestling lesson only to be rocked by a right hand or two along the way. That’s the match’s logical outline and they use it well, with Williams having to do anything but simply wrestle, a domain where he’s simply outmatched opposite Ilja. That’s clear as Dragunov continues to control things and while he keeps it simple, Trick does an encouraging job of feeding him as a heel, even if understandably, he doesn’t always look exactly at home.
Beyond anything else, he has the right idea, bouncing around fearfully as he transitions from one blow to another. Such a role is probably unfamiliar to a prospect of Trick’s size but as usual, he’s committed throughout. However, they do appear to miss their intended cut-off, as they circle back to an identical setup just seconds after leaving it behind. I’m not certain of that obviously but if so, it was disguised neatly enough as Dragunov kept the action moving in-between.
Regardless, the actual cut off still packs a punch once it arrives, with Dragunov taking an ugly fall on the apron. That feeds into an ad-break but the heat takes shape in picture-in-picture and there are some definite timing issues on display. Even when slightly clumsy though, Williams has a raw physicality to keep himself afloat, obviously assisted by a typically perfect performance from Dragunov, the ideal babyface for a young heel such as Trick.
Williams does show a nice edge where necessary too, even matching Ilja’s aggression on occasion as they trade strikes. The extended length does appear to stretch Trick’s content slightly thin, especially in the ad break but again, Dragunov makes up the difference, making something of nothing at times. Once they return from the break, Dragunov’s comeback gets underway, stringing strikes together and earning a nice faceplant from Williams.
“This is awesome” chants emerge in response which while slightly puzzling, confirms that if nothing else, the live crowd is having fun with this one. They get an extended finishing stretch before Dragunov’s ultimately conclusive win too, with Williams adapting nicely to those closing exchanges. That was a theme throughout, with Williams looking more comfortable than you’d expect in terms of physicality. That’s no mean feat, as Dragunov has almost comical intensity at times, but Williams hung in there.
Overall, I didn’t think this was particularly good, but I thought it was a worthwhile use of television time and ultimately, an encouraging outing too. Dragunov’s ability goes without saying but this was a big step for Williams, wrestling a 13-minute singles match and not sinking at all. Quite the opposite actually, as even with a few missteps, Trick appeared to at least somewhat belong. That doesn’t mean he’s ready to main event WrestleMania obviously, but it does highlight his genuine improvement thus far.
I did notice that these two worked together on the February 11thhouse show, which was smart and explains their apparent comfort opposite one another. It’s also a reminder that this is just one match, for good and bad, but I’m glad to see Williams getting this chance anyway, as he’ll be undeniably better for the experience. Anyway, a decent little match. In truth, they could probably have a really fun thriller with less time but this is better for Williams’ development and so, it’s a worthwhile venture for me.
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