WWE: Trick Williams on His NXT & TNA Runs Prepared Him for WWE Main Roster, Triple H on His Belief Pat McAfee Is “The Face of WWE To A Lot of People”, New Partnership Deal with VGW

Jan 20, 2026

Trick Williams Comments on His NXT & TNA Runs Prepared Him for WWE Main Roster

A recent episode of the Busted Open Radio podcast featured Trick Williams as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Williams’ thoughts about his recent transition to WWE’s main roster as a member of the SmackDown brand.

“The best possible time (to make the move to WWE’s main roster). I mean, patience is everything. Of course, as a superstar, as an athlete, as a competitor, you know, we always wanna get somewhere fast, right now. This is my time. I wanna be there now. A year ago, I was probably on this show saying, ‘I know I’m ready to be on SmackDown or Raw.’ But the truth is, every single step along the way was very necessary. TNA — excuse me — the Trick-N-A World Champion… All of this stuff was very necessary. Shoot, Philadelphia, that was almost a year ago. We was there too at NXT, working Ridge Holland and everything …
But that’s what it is though. If you take away these moments, then this isn’t the same Trick Williams that we have right now at the perfect time. Like you said, right before the Royal Rumble, right before the build to WrestleMania. Once again, I’m still grateful, I’m still happy to be here and be able to do what I do.”

Williams also gave his thoughts about how his runs in NXT and TNA Wrestling helped prepare him for WWE’s main roster.

“Man, I’ma be honest with you, I feel like my formula, whatever it was, with NXT and TNA prepared me so much for the main roster, it’s crazy. Because you know how TNA locker room is. I don’t wanna say the wild, wild west but there’s a lot of freedom there, where you have to trust yourself as a performer to go with your gut and do what you feel is right. NXT, it is the quote-unquote developmental brand, where there’s a whole lot of other pressures as a young, aspiring talent. You feel the pressure from Shawn Michaels every single day you walking through Gorilla (Position). Now, if you can look Shawn Michaels in the face every single Tuesday, then you can do a one-on-one promo with Randy Orton… That type of pressure right there, in front of 300, feels like it’s WrestleMania every single Tuesday, when you’re trying to make it, when you have something to lose, you feel like. So, I just feel like everything I’ve been through honestly prepared me for where I am on the main roster. I haven’t been in the Royal Rumble yet, I haven’t been to WrestleMania yet. But as for now, I feel like, man, what they did for my career, I’m ready.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com

Triple H Comments on His Belief Pat McAfee Is “The Face of WWE To A Lot of People”

One of the topics in the recently released second season of the WWE: Unreal docuseries on Netflix featured a behind-the-scenes look at WWE personality and commentator Pat McAfee and his match against Gunther at this past May’s Backlash 2025 event.

During the second episode, WWE CCO Paul “Triple H” Levesque gave his praise of Pat McAfee for his time with the company and his belief that McAfee is the “face of WWE” to a lot of people.

“Pat McAfee is the face of the WWE to a lot of people. Pat’s association with us goes back quite a way. I was vaguely aware of who he was. I knew he was a kicker for the Colts. You know, its been incredible to see him go from, like, little podcaster to NFL stuff to ESPN, to like, just keep blowing up along the way.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com

WWE Signs New Partnership Deal with VGW

WWE announced that they recently signed a new multi-year partnership deal with interactive gaming company VGW.

Official press release:

VGW Announces Multi-Year Partnership with WWE
PERTH, AU – Interactive entertainment company VGW is excited to announce a multi-year partnership with WWE®, the global leader in sports entertainment, commencing in 2026.
The partnership will see VGW’s portfolio of online social games brands collaborate with WWE across multiple platforms, providing premium entertainment experiences for millions of players and fans across the United States.
WWE’s year-round entertainment schedule and massive global following — reaching more than one billion households worldwide in more than twenty languages — makes it a natural fit for VGW’s highly engaged U.S. player base.
Through the agreement, VGW will access WWE’s global network and WWE Superstar talent to create engaging, high-impact content and campaigns. This includes production time with WWE Superstars, integration across WWE’s digital and social channels and broadcast exposure across major networks. Further amplifying their visibility, VGW’s brands will feature prominently across WWE programming, including SmackDown®, and WWE Premium Live Events including WrestleMania® and SummerSlam®.
The partnership brings together two brands with deeply engaged communities, opening up new ways to create shared moments for players and fans alike.
“WWE is an entertainment powerhouse with a passionate fan community,” said VGW’s Chief Marketing Officer, Ben Whitford. “This collaboration connects our audiences through dynamic content and experiences that combine VGW’s love of games with WWE’s iconic brand. We’re thrilled to be partnering with WWE to deliver memorable campaigns and unique player experiences, while continuing to engage our existing audience in fresh and exciting ways.”
“VGW has built a highly engaged and passionate player community, and this partnership allows us to leverage WWE’s global, year-round platform to create premium, always-on experiences for fans,” said Jesse Tomares, Vice President, Global Partnerships at WWE. “By combining VGW’s expertise in interactive entertainment with WWE’s unmatched reach and storytelling engine, we’re creating new ways for our audiences to engage across multiple touchpoints.”
The partnership will officially launch in the coming weeks, with several major campaigns already in development.