Tag: Powerhouse Hobbs

Former AEW Star Powerhouse Hobbs Debuts in WWE as Royce Keys During Royal Rumble 2026

The speculation is officially over. Former AEW standout Powerhouse Hobbs has arrived in WWE — and he’s doing so under a new name.

Hobbs made his WWE debut during the 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble, entering the match at No. 14 and immediately revealing his new ring name, Royce Keys. His arrival drew a massive reaction from the Riyadh crowd, helped in part by a striking presentation that featured his old “Powerhouse Hobbs” name going up in smoke on the titantron before he stepped through the curtain.

While Keys didn’t go the distance in his first WWE appearance, his debut left little doubt that the company views him as a major player. He wasted no time making an impact, going straight after Damian Priest and scoring a statement elimination by dumping the former world champion over the top rope.

Keys’ Rumble run also saw him mix it up with several notable names, including fast-rising NXT standout Je’Von Evans and former WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. The repeated interactions with Rhodes were particularly notable, given Rhodes’ status as the most high-profile example of an AEW talent successfully transitioning to WWE. Keys was also shown squaring off with hard-hitting competitors like Ilja Dragunov, further reinforcing his positioning among WWE’s upper-tier talent.

Ultimately, Keys’ night came to an end thanks to a combined effort from The Vision, with Bronson Reed being officially credited with the elimination.

Before joining WWE, Keys was best known for his time in AEW as Powerhouse Hobbs. During his run there, he captured the AEW Trios Championship alongside Samoa Joe and Katsuyori Shibata as part of the group known as The Opps. His AEW contract expired on January 14, the same day he competed in his final match for the company, losing the Trios titles to JetSpeed and “Hangman” Adam Page.

As of now, WWE has not confirmed which brand Royce Keys will land on following his Royal Rumble debut. While a move to NXT would be a logical starting point, his interactions with established main-roster stars — and even AAA-linked talent during the match — suggest WWE may have bigger plans for him sooner rather than later.

Either way, Royal Rumble 2026 marked the official beginning of a new chapter for Royce Keys, and his arrival is one that won’t go unnoticed.

Powerhouse Hobbs Officially Signs With WWE After AEW Exit, New Name Reportedly Revealed

One of AEW’s most physically imposing stars is officially on the move.

Powerhouse Hobbs has signed with WWE following the expiration of his AEW contract, making his long-rumored jump to Stamford official. According to Fightful, Hobbs put pen to paper with WWE shortly after his deal with AEW ran out last week, confirming speculation that had been building for months.

As previously reported, AEW made a significant effort to retain Hobbs, with discussions continuing all the way up to the final days of his contract. The offer on the table was reportedly substantial, but by that point, Hobbs had already decided his future lay elsewhere. Despite leaving, sources indicate he handled the situation professionally, maintaining good relationships and fulfilling all remaining obligations.

That professionalism was evident on last week’s episode of AEW Collision, where Hobbs and The Opps dropped the AEW World Tag Team Championships to Hangman Page and JetSpeed. The loss now looks like a clear passing-of-the-torch moment as Hobbs prepared for his next chapter.

As of now, there’s no word on when Hobbs will make his WWE television debut. The timing is interesting, however, with SmackDown airing tonight, Saturday Night’s Main Event taking place this weekend, and the 2026 Royal Rumble looming next weekend. Any of those stages could serve as a launchpad, depending on how WWE chooses to roll him out.

Another unanswered question is what name Hobbs will use in WWE. While a change from his AEW presentation is expected, “Hobbs” itself is reportedly still on the table in some form.

At just 30 years old and boasting a rare mix of size, power, and intensity, Hobbs could be a major addition to WWE’s roster. How he’s positioned — and when fans finally see him — will be worth watching closely as the road to the Royal Rumble heats up.

In yet another report on Friday, this one from BodySlam+, Hobbs’ new ring name was also revealed. According to the outlet, Hobbs will be known as “Royce Keys” in WWE. The company filed a trademark for the name on Tuesday.

Powerhouse Hobbs Reportedly Leaving AEW as WWE Move Looms

Powerhouse Hobbs appears to be on the verge of closing the book on his AEW run, with multiple reports indicating that a jump to WWE could be right around the corner.

According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, Hobbs’ AEW contract was set to expire at midnight on January 14. His time with the company effectively wrapped at the conclusion of the Maximum Carnage taping of AEW Collision, which was taped last night. While fans will still see Hobbs one final time on television, his departure behind the scenes is all but official.

The possibility of WWE landing Hobbs has been discussed for quite some time. Dave Meltzer noted in last week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE interest in Hobbs has existed for years, but sources within the company now believe a deal is imminent, assuming nothing changes in the coming days. Sapp added that while rumors circulated about Hobbs potentially heading to WWE in 2025, there was reportedly no contact at that time. However, WWE had reached out several years ago during Dan Ventrelle’s tenure as Head of Talent Relations, though Hobbs ultimately chose to re-sign with AEW back then.

AEW, for its part, made a strong push to keep one of its most physically imposing homegrown stars. Contract talks reportedly stretched on for a while, with AEW presenting what internal sources described as a “huge” offer. Despite the money on the table, Hobbs opted to explore his options elsewhere. The split is said to be on excellent terms, with no animosity between Hobbs and the company.

Although Hobbs is technically free to sign with WWE this week, he still has one last AEW appearance lined up. On the Maximum Carnage edition of Collision airing this Saturday, Hobbs will defend the AEW World Trios Championships alongside Samoa Joe and Katsuyori Shibata as The Opps face Hangman Page and JetSpeed. The match was taped in advance, clearing the way for Hobbs to potentially appear on WWE programming as early as Friday night.

At this point, it’s unclear whether Hobbs would debut in WWE NXT or head straight to the main roster. What is clear is that he exits AEW with an impressive résumé, including a reign as AEW TNT Champion and a historic run as one-third of the longest-reigning AEW World Trios Champions.

If this truly is the end of Powerhouse Hobbs in AEW, his next chapter could be the biggest of his career — and WWE may soon be welcoming one of the most dominant powerhouses to hit the market in years.

Powerhouse Hobbs Reportedly Suffered Legit Injury During AEW Dynamite

Wednesday’s episode of “AEW Dynamite” at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida featured Powerhouse Hobbs challenging Jon Moxley for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. According to Bryan Alvarez on “Wrestling Observer Live,” Hobbs suffered a legitimate injury during his match against Moxley.

“That was not a worked knee injury,” Alvarez said. “[Hobbs] went for a high cross or something and smashed into the turnbuckles and injured his knee. He could barely walk, and he hopped his way back into the ring, hopped into like two spots, and got choked out.”

After about 10 minutes, the title bout came to an end via referee decision, leading to a post-match angle between Moxley and Konosuke Takeshita. It seems the feud between The Don Callis Family and Blackpool Combat Club will continue, but likely without any further involvement from Hobbs.

The match was initially set to go longer, with “Dynamite” reportedly scheduled for an overrun to take it past the normal 10 p.m. ending. However, due to the injury to Hobbs’ knee, the match ended early, allowing plenty of time for the angle involving Khan, the Young Bucks, and Jack Perry.

As of now, the severity of Hobbs’ injury is unclear. While he has been relatively active in recent months, Hobbs hasn’t picked up a significant victory since defeating Sammy Guevara on an episode of “AEW Collision” in late February.

Source: Wrestling Inc.