Trick Williams explains the meaning behind his infamous catchphrase.
The young star has wowed NXT fans for months now, with his feud against Carmelo Hayes being a standout in the promotion. They clashed in the main event of NXT Stand and Deliver earlier this month, a star-making performance for the youngster.
Trick Williams recently spoke with WrestleZone’s Bill Pritchard, who asked what the most unusual compliment a fan had given him was.
“Yesterday — I guess not too unusual. I was taking pictures, and a woman just said, ‘Can you just please open your shirt?’. I was like, ‘Okay, I guess’. [laughs] So I was opening my shirt yesterday.”
Whoop That Trick
Pritchard noted some of the other answers from other WWE Superstars at WrestleMania media day, and Trick mentioned just how much his catchphrase had caught fire.
“Man, it’s crazy, I get kids in trouble all over elementary schools for whooping tricks in elementary school. But just so everybody knows, this is not a derogatory term,” Williams pointed out. “This is a term of endearment. This is for standing up for yourself and righteousness overcoming. That’s what whoop that trick means.”
The phrase caught on with Williams in NXT, but it also has a notable place in popular culture. Memphis Grizzlies fans have chanted ‘Whoop That Trick’ during basketball games, and it initially rose to prominence from its place in the 2005 film Hustle & Flow.
“I think that’s the magic of it. Hustle & Flow is a great movie. Shout out to Al Kapone, he’s actually the original songwriter of the song ‘Whoop That Trick.’ [He’s based] out of Memphis, Tennessee. He’s actually a good friend of mine and a big supporter of the whole ‘Whoop That Trick’ movement. So, shout out to Al Kapone. He’s that dog.”
Last year, Kapone and Terrence Howard, who played DJay in the film, teamed up for a new version of the song. They hoped to perform an “abbreviated” version of it at a Grizzlies game.
Check out our full interview with Trick Williams below:
