Add as a preferred source on Google Trick Williams and Lil Yachty have become one of the most prominent pairings on WWE programming in recent months, and based on what has now been revealed, it was never treated as a simple special appearance.
Speaking with Travis Singleton of SneakerReporter, the current United States Champion said the idea came together before WrestleMania 42, when WWE was looking for a way to get Yachty involved on the Road to WrestleMania.
“When we talk about Yachty first, man, Yachty, man, he’s a guy who obviously he loves the business. You know what I’m saying? Like, you know, he don’t necessarily need to do everything that he’s doing because he’s had and is having a very successful hip hop career, you know, movies, everything like that. The truth is, he just loves the business, and that’s why he comes to all the shows, you know, for years now. But, you know, opportunity came, before WrestleMania, they wanted to get him involved in some way, and they said, ‘how’d you feel about walking out with Trick Willie?’ and they asked him and they asked me, and I thought it was dope. He thought it was dope. He was like, ‘man, if we’re going to do this, man, I (don’t) want it to be a one-week type thing.”
“I want it to have some real…storyline going into this. Let’s make this a moment instead of a random one-off.’ Yeah, man. He’s been locked in ever since. Shoot, we got training in about an hour. We make sure that he’s getting active. He’s getting the full experience of being a superstar here with us. That’s my boy, man. Inside the ring, outside the ring. I probably spend more time with Yachty than most other people who or in the business, you know, who are my co-workers. So shout out to him. That’s my dog.”
The partnership quickly grew, with Lil Yachty accompanying Williams on multiple episodes of SmackDown before his match against Sami Zayn for the United States Championship at WrestleMania 42.
Williams eventually defeated Zayn in Las Vegas to win the United States Championship for the first time in his career. After that, Yachty remained by his side, including for the rematch at Backlash.