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Tag: Royce Keys

  • Royce Keys Wins Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal On SmackDown

    Royce Keys Wins Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal On SmackDown

    Royce Keys scored the biggest win of his WWE career so far on Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown, winning the 2026 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the April 17 show. The win gives Keys a spotlight as he begins his journey on the blue brand.

    The closing stretch of the Battle Royal saw Keys mix it up with Otis, Aleister Black, and Talla Tonga as the final four. Black connected with Black Mass on Otis, but his momentum was cut off when Keys blasted him with a clothesline over the top rope.

    Tonga then eliminated Otis, leaving himself and Keys as the final two, before Keys hit a big spinebuster and sent Tonga to the floor to clinch the win and the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal trophy.

  • Royce Keys SmackDown Debut Announced

    Royce Keys SmackDown Debut Announced

    Royce Keys will make his official SmackDown debut on April 10 at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. WWE announced the debut on social media with a video package chronicling his journey from East Palo Alto to the global stage.

    The promotion posted the announcement on X/Twitter, featuring Keys’ quote: “I refuse to be defined by where I’m from, but instead by where I’m going.” The video highlighted how his background shaped him into the performer he is today.

    Royal Rumble Appearance and Dark Match Run

    Keys made his WWE debut in the 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble match after leaving AEW. He entered as the 14th participant and eliminated Damian Priest before Bronson Reed threw him over the top rope after 9:55 minutes.

    WWE did not immediately place him on weekly television following the Rumble. Instead, he competed in several dark matches to adjust to the company’s production style, according to reports.

    SmackDown Lineup for April 10

    Tomorrow’s SmackDown will also feature Cody Rhodes addressing Randy Orton and Pat McAfee. Drew McIntyre will attempt to expose Jacob Fatu, while Sami Zayn looks to retaliate against Trick Williams for last week’s attack.

  • Royce Keys Says The Honeymoon Period of His WWE Run Is Over

    Royce Keys wants a Hall of Fame career.

    Previously known as Powerhouse Hobbs, the former AEW star made his surprise WWE debut at the Royal Rumble PPV. He entered the match at #14 with his new ring name, and was eliminated by Bronson Reed after an impressive showing.

    The former TNT Champion opened up about his arrival for the first time during his appearance on Stephanie McMahon\’s podcast. Royce Keys claimed that he is not going to get complacent after his signing as he wants to become a legend and have a Hall of Fame-worthy career in WWE. According to the 36-year-old, his dream is to become one of the most dominant and feared competitors in the company:

    \”The moment I had talks about coming here and signing here, this isn’t a one-off. This isn’t me [saying] hey, I’m a WWE superstar now, let me gloat. No, I still have to work. It took me years to get here…okay, honeymoon phase is over. Let’s get with it. Let’s do work. I got people that depend on me. I got people that I can’t let down. I got people I take care of. So if I fail, they don’t eat. And I’m not about to have that on my conscience and shoulders. There’s no excuse.”

    Royce Keys made his singles debut for WWE in a dark match before the February 13 episode of SmackDown. Though his absence from WWE programming after the Royal Rumble appearance has been a major point of discussion. You can check out a report on the original plans for Keys and the potential reason behind him being off TV here.

  • How WWE Kept Royce Keys’ Debut a Secret

    Royce Keys has revealed the extraordinary measures WWE took to ensure his Royal Rumble 2026 debut remained a complete surprise, including literally hiding him inside the talent hotel in Riyadh.

    Speaking to Stephanie McMahon on her What\’s Your Story? podcast, Keys explained that the company placed him in what he described as a \”hidden room\” at the same hotel where the rest of the roster was staying. The goal was to keep him physically close to the venue and talent, but completely out of view of fans, media, and even most wrestlers who didn\’t need to know he was in town.

    https://youtu.be/GFhVUXYe8oQ?si=Qy1dLAssXTySVWhG

    Triple H Denied His Gym Request

    After a long travel day, Keys — a serious powerlifter — wanted to hit the hotel gym to stay on his routine. He reached out to Triple H to ask if he could use the gym, something that\’s typically a given for talent during pay-per-view weekends.

    Keys recalled an awkward silence before Triple H told him point-blank that they didn\’t want him to be seen. The WWE Chief Content Officer reminded him that he was a surprise, making it clear that even a quick gym session could blow the whole angle if fans or cameras caught him in the building.

    Workout Gear Delivered to His Room

    Instead of risking the surprise, Triple H arranged to have workout equipment delivered directly to Keys\’ hotel room. According to Keys, WWE sent up a bench press, resistance bands, and other training gear so he could get a proper lift in without ever stepping into the public gym area.

    All of this was done solely to protect his status as a surprise Rumble entrant until his music hit in front of over 25,000 fans in Riyadh. It underscores just how tightly WWE guarded the secrecy around one of the night\’s biggest moments.

    Keys has since wrestled his first singles match and is expected to land on the SmackDown roster as WWE finalizes his programming heading into WrestleMania season.

    https://youtu.be/0EJO0Il5doM?si=Wflj7GKJhW6Q_bkL

  • Potential Reason Behind Royce Keys Being Off WWE TV

    WWE might be reshuffling plans for Royce Keys.

    The former AEW star has surprisingly been kept off TV after his big Royal Rumble debut last month, leading to all kinds of speculations about his standing in the company.

    WrestleVotes Radio recently provided some updates on the former TNT Champion and the potential reason behind his recent absence. The site revealed that the newest WWE signee was originally slated for a program with Damian Priest coming out of the Saudi PPV.

    They couldn\’t provide an exact reason why Royce Keys has not been seen on the main roster after the PLE. Though they speculated that the recent change in top WrestleMania matches might have affected other programs heading into the Show of Shows as well. The report did say that Keys was still expected to end up on SmackDown whenever he did show up on TV.

    WWE had teased a rematch between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes at Survivor Series last year. The Head of the Table has since renewed his rivalry with CM Punk instead and the two are now set for a WrestleMania showdown. Rhodes on the other hand, looks likely for a rematch with Drew McIntyre at the PPV but this match won\’t be confirmed until Elimination Chamber.

    Damian Priest in the meantime, has been featured in some segments with R-Truth on SmackDown in the past couple of weeks. He is set to compete in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match against Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams this Friday.

  • Powerhouse Hobbs\’ Status for the Royal Rumble

    Powerhouse Hobbs recently signed with WWE after turned down a substantial contract offer from AEW. The move to WWE marks the end of his five-year run in AEW. Hobbs, who will be known as Royce Keys when he debuts, is currently in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ahead of the Royal Rumble.

    The super heavyweight was in high demand from both sides prior to his AEW contract expiring. Tony Khan made him a very strong offer to stay, but he\’s been on WWE\’s radar for a long time and the money he turned down shows this was inevitable.

    The potential appearance at the Royal Rumble adds another layer of excitement to today\’s festivities. The wrestling world will be watching to see how Royce Keys is utilized on the WWE stage.