Trick Williams explains why he put an end to his ongoing challenges for the United States Championship

The United States Championship received a huge boost from September 2025 to April 2026 thanks to the return of the weekly open challenges. An idea put into motion by Sami Zayn just after winning the title. The Canadian's goal was to continue the legacy that John Cena created at the time, providing fans with great matches week after week as the title gained relevance.

The idea persisted in the subsequent reigns of Ilja Dragunov and Carmelo Hayes, who continued to elevate the championship with excellent matches. However, the open challenges came to an end when Trick Williams captured the gold at WrestleMania 42. At that moment, Williams declared his intention to make his championship the most relevant in the company. An objective that, according to him, did not align with the idea of open challenges. A stance he continues to maintain now that he has just begun his second reign. This is how he explained it when asked about the topic on The Tap Out Tea.

"Because that's how life works. In life, nothing is given to you for free. Nobody just knocks on your door and says, 'Hey, I have a championship opportunity for you. Do you want it? Here, come'. No, man, you have to prove your worth. What do you have to offer me? What do you have to offer Trick Williams and the brand? Are you the best for SmackDown? Do people want to see you face me? You know what I mean?

So you have to know your value and be able to raise the level of everything because, hey, if everyone has an opportunity, then what are you saying? You know what I mean? I don't want that title, whatever championship Trick Williams wants or has, to just be another one. I want it to be the main championship," Williams said.

Trick defeated Baron Corbin at WWE Sunday Night's Main Event to regain the championship. The opportunity was earned by Lil Yachty after he overcame the challenge of "The Lone Wolf". This challenge consisted of the rapper surviving five minutes in the ring against Corbin. He was overconfident, which ultimately cost him the defeat, both in the challenge and in the subsequent match against Williams.