Powerhouse Hobbs, now performing as Royce Keys, departed AEW at the conclusion of his contract and made his WWE debut at last weekend’s Royal Rumble. And now, during the latest episode of his podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi has revealed that he advised the 35-year-old to switch promotions, having stayed in touch since training together. According to Rikishi, he recommended that Keys bet on himself, arguing that AEW wasn’t maximizing his talents despite providing job security.
“Even when he was in AEW at the time, he would always just out of the random blue text me, how am I doing. So we had a little chat. I kind of knew he was going to jump ship. It was easy over there for him in AEW, but he wasn’t being used the right way. You can always leave and go to WWE if you’re not happy. It’s not about the money anymore. WWE is where it’s at. Every single wrestler on the planet that’s out here on the independent circuit is gunning to be seen or go to WWE. Take a chance. If you don’t take a chance, take a chance on yourself.” – Rikishi
Keys, real name William Hobson, born January 23, 1991, began his wrestling career in 2009 on the independent circuit after training at All Pro Wrestling. This would see him gain the relevant experience to eventually join AEW in 2020. Subsequently, he rose to prominence by capturing the AEW TNT Championship and sharing a ring with names like Chris Jericho, Christian Cage, Claudio Castagnoli, and Jon Moxley. Still, he was always positioned in the AEW midcard rather than a main eventer, and clearly believes he could achieve more elsewhere.
