Royce Keys, formerly known as Powerhouse Hobbs in AEW, made his WWE debut as a surprise entrant in the men’s Royal Rumble in January 2026, immediately gaining new fans. Yet, despite seemingly setting up a match with Damian Priest, he hasn’t appeared on televised WWE programming since. This has subsequently led some fans to question the decision to have him bypass NXT when no plans were in place for him. However, Fightful Select has now confirmed that, during contract negotiations, Keys was adamant about joining the main roster from the off.
“Royce Keys debuted in WWE at the Royal Rumble, but hasn’t been on WWE TV since. We’ve asked for more details regarding his jump to WWE. We haven’t been told of specific plans creatively, but that when negotiating his WWE deal, he was adamant he be on the main roster as opposed to NXT. There are other talent that has happened with, including Penta and Rey Fenix.” – Fightful Select
41-year-old Keys enjoyed a solid five-year run in AEW, starting as a face before turning heel and joining Team Taz. He later aligned with factions such as the Don Callis Family and The Opps, with his most notable achievement being a 42-day reign as AEW TNT Champion in 2023. And while it’s known that Tony Khan was keen to keep him in All Elite, offering a big-money deal to stay, the pull of WWE was too strong for the hard-hitting wrestler.
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