Powerhouse Hobbs may have made his WWE debut as Royce Keyes at the 2026 Royal Rumble, but AEW was determined not to lose him without offering a substantial contract. According to Dave Meltzer on the Wrestling Observer Radio and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, AEW’s proposal to retain Hobbs was one of the most financially aggressive deals the company has presented in recent years. The contract binds Hobbs for five years and is expected to pay him more than nearly all of AEW’s original 2019 roster members, except for Chris Jericho.
Meltzer commented, “This was a very good offer. I wasn’t in the top 10 in the company or anything, but it was a good offer. I don’t know what WWE’s offer was.” Despite not knowing the WWE numbers, it was clear the AEW deal was substantial.
He further noted, “He received a great offer from AEW to stay, but I don’t know about the offer from WWE. AEW’s offer was much higher than I expected. It was a number that I believe would have been higher than anyone other than Chris Jericho in AEW’s first year, 2019.”
This indicates AEW viewed Hobbs as a major asset rather than a midcard talent. Meltzer even likened this contract offer to the lucrative deal AEW offered Bryan Danielson when he left WWE, stating, “It would match what Bryan Danielson got for jumping from WWE to AEW, maybe slightly less, but it would match.”
The comparison to WWE contracts didn’t stop there. AEW’s offer exceeded what Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn had signed four years earlier with WWE and was close to the earnings of top stars like Seth Rollins at that time. Meltzer added, “This is above what Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were making four years ago (which they are now below), within the range of Rollins’ paycheck around the same period, and nearly triple what many top WWE stars were making during AEW’s early years after the first pay increase.”
Despite the lucrative AEW deal, Hobbs chose to leave. WWE had long been pursuing him, and when the chance arose, he took it. Now known as Royce Keyes, named after his son, he officially joins WWE’s ranks.
Fan Take: This signing is a huge win for WWE, proving they can still lure top talent away from AEW even when faced with big-money offers. For fans, it signals the intensifying competition between the two promotions, which could elevate the quality and excitement of pro wrestling as stars like Royce Keyes bring fresh energy to WWE.
