According to TNA Wrestling veteran and creative figure Tommy Dreamer, NXT star Trick Williams, the current TNA World Heavyweight Champion, has generated significant “heat” within the TNA locker room for holding their top title. Dreamer shared these insights on “Busted Open” while discussing Williams’ successful title defense against TNA’s Mike Santana on the June 3rd episode of NXT. (Related:Â Top TNA Star Not Happy About A Contracted WWE Star Holding The TNA Championship)
During an interview segment with Trick Williams, Williams himself posed the question to Dreamer: “How much heat do I have in the TNA locker room right now, Mr. Dreamer?” Dreamer responded candidly, “I have received the most amount of text from the moment you won.” He described the atmosphere in TNA when Williams defeated Joe Hendry for the title: “I watched your match with a lot of employees and people who work there… and everyone turned to me and they were like, it was almost like, ‘What are we going to do now?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know.’”
Dreamer explained the concern within TNA stems from the precarious nature of the cross-promotional arrangement. “These deals have always fallen apart. If this deal fell apart today, you’re the champ. We’d have to like you… we’d have to declare a new champ, because, hey, our champ works somewhere else. So I think there’s the scary part.”
While he acknowledged the talent also respected Santana’s effort (“I’m getting everybody texting me, and this is within the company, so if you could get the talent, it’s just imagine what the fans are talking about”), the underlying tension about their championship being on another brand’s performer is palpable.
Trick Williams, leaning into his heel persona, seemed unbothered by the potential locker room animosity. When asked by Dreamer what changed in him to embrace such a confident, heat-seeking attitude in TNA, Williams credited the TNA environment itself: “There’s something about the atmosphere of TNA that’s special. It’s magical. That allows me to spread my wings and fly and trust myself… there’s a different feel at TNA that I’ve experienced that, you know, that’s when I really realized I can do this anywhere, anytime, anyplace.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Busted Open Radio with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
