The reason for Royce Keys’ recent visit to WWE headquarters has been revealed.
Former AEW star Powerhouse Hobbs made his WWE debut at the 2026 Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia under his new ring name Royce Keys. He entered as the 11th entrant and spent 9:55 minutes in the match. He eliminated former World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest before getting thrown over the top rope by Bronson Reed.
However, Royce Keys has yet to appear on the weekly shows. While fans are speculating which WWE brand he will end up in, Keys recently visited the company’s headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.
According to Fightful (via Fightful Select), Royce Keys visited the WWE headquarters to film an upcoming episode of Stephanie McMahon’s What’s Your Story podcast. The report also noted that Keys was backstage on the episode of RAW after the Royal Rumble and filmed content for WWE digital.
Tony Khan reacts to Royce Keys leaving AEW for WWE
During a recent conversation with YoJoshMartinez, AEW President Tony Khan shared his thoughts on Royce Keys leaving his company for WWE.
“Well, I think Powerhouse Hobbs had a great run here in AEW,” Khan said. “He started wrestling here in Jacksonville, where I am now, and had some great matches and became a champion in AEW. We were just talking about the TNT Champion. He’s a former TNT Champion, former World Trios Champion in this run here. I’ll always wish him all the best,” Tony Khan said about Royce Keys.
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk also reacted to the fan backlash over the former Powerhouse Hobbs’ name change in WWE.
