Hendry and Williams battled on the microphone and in the ring before their title bout.
For the first time, the TNA World Championship is going to be defended on a WWE Premium Live Event when Joe Hendry puts the title on the line against Trick Williams at NXT Battleground.
The Battleground go-home edition of NXT on The CW featured musical performances from both Williams and Hendry. Williams performed a song that featured a chorus of, "I ain't never backing down to an average Joe." At the end of his performance, Williams did Hendry's signature pose at the hard camera.
Hendry delivered his performance in the closing segment and pulled up footage of Williams and Carmelo Hayes in the haunted house at NXT Halloween Havoc 2021. The chorus to Hendry's song was, "Whoop that trick, whoop that trick, everybody else says Melo's b*tch." Williams entered the picture and the crowd chanted 'Melo's b*tch' at him.
Williams was then able to get the crowd to chant 'Average Joe' at Hendry before they came to blows. Trick laid Hendry out on the mat and then attempted to go for a 'Trick Shot,' but Hendry countered with a guitar shot to the knee. He then hit Williams with his Standing Ovation finisher.
