Trick Williams Upsets Orton, Fenix To Qualify For Money In The Bank

Trick Williams is heading to the Money in the Bank ladder match after scoring a statement win on SmackDown. During the September 18 episode, Williams pulled off a significant upset by defeating both Randy Orton and Rey Fenix in a Triple Threat qualifier, punching his ticket to the 2026 men’s Money in the Bank field. The three-way was a hard-fought battle, with Fenix in particular delivering a string of high-flying, high-risk offense before Williams found a way to seal the victory.

Beating Orton alone would be a career-defining result for most SmackDown roster members, let alone doing it in a match that also included one of lucha libre’s most dynamic in-ring performers. For Williams, though, it’s the latest sign that his push up the card is very real. Since making the jump from NXT, Williams has steadily built momentum with his brash, confident persona and increasingly polished in-ring work, and this win instantly raises his profile heading into the summer’s most chaotic annual spectacle.

Qualifying for Money in the Bank means Williams will have a legitimate shot at climbing a ladder to grab a briefcase that guarantees a world title opportunity whenever he chooses to cash it in. That kind of built-in insurance policy has reshaped championship pictures for two decades now, and it’s exactly the sort of opportunity that can turn a rising midcarder into a top-of-the-card fixture almost overnight. Given how aggressively WWE has been positioning Williams as a potential breakout star, adding him to the ladder match field feels like a natural next step in that plan.

The manner of the win matters just as much as the result. Orton remains one of the most credible measuring sticks in the business, a former multi-time world champion whose endorsement — even in defeat — tends to add legitimacy to whoever beats him. Fenix, meanwhile, brings a different kind of danger, capable of turning any match into a highlight reel with his aerial arsenal. Coming out on top against both in the same night suggests WWE creative sees real value in positioning Williams as someone who can hang with, and beat, established main-event-level talent.

It also raises the stakes for whatever comes next on SmackDown. Orton and Fenix both walk away from this loss with something to prove, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see either man look for opportunities to settle the score with Williams in the weeks ahead, even with the Money in the Bank slot already decided. For Fenix specifically, a performance like the one described coming out of this match could open the door to future high-profile bookings regardless of the finish.

As for the ladder match itself, Williams now joins a field that’s shaping up to be one of the more unpredictable in recent memory. His inclusion adds a wildcard element to a match built entirely around chaos, and it gives WWE another compelling character to weave into the broader championship picture over the coming months. Whether he actually grabs the briefcase remains to be seen, but simply being in the conversation is a notable milestone in Trick Williams’ climb up the SmackDown roster.