Powerhouse Hobbs, who recently left All Elite Wrestling (AEW), has transitioned to WWE under the name Royce Keys. Despite AEW’s significant roster additions in 2026, including Tommaso Ciampa, Jake Doyle, and The Rascals, Hobbs departed after his contract expired in January. Since then, he has competed in WWE’s Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia. When AEW President Tony Khan was asked about Hobbs in an interview with Josh Martinez, he spoke highly of Hobbs’ accomplishments during his time with AEW. Khan acknowledged Hobbs’ successful tenure, highlighting his beginnings in Jacksonville, his reign as AEW TNT Champion, and as a Trios World Champion, and expressed his best wishes for Hobbs’ future.
Khan also revealed that AEW had made a substantial offer to keep Hobbs, comparable to what a major star like Chris Jericho earned in his first year with the promotion. However, Hobbs chose to pursue new opportunities by joining WWE. Although he hasn’t yet appeared on WWE Raw or SmackDown following his Royal Rumble debut, he was seen backstage during the February 2nd episode of Raw and is anticipated to join the SmackDown roster as WrestleMania 42 approaches.
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Fan Take: Hobbs’ move to WWE signals an exciting shift that could bring fresh energy and fresh matchups to the company’s roster. For WWE fans, his arrival adds intrigue ahead of WrestleMania 42 and reflects how talent exchanges between promotions keep the wrestling landscape dynamic and unpredictable.
