Royce Keys Talks Unleashing 'Pit Bull' Side of Carmelo Hayes [Exclusive]

Finding great strength in numbers.

Royce Keys has taken over Monday Night Raw by force with the recent creation of The 946, a stable of superstars hungry to make a name for themselves in WWE by any means necessary. Whether that's by setting a car on fire or running an enemy down with one in a venue parking garage.

In the two months since their surprise debut, The 946 has proven to be wildly unpredictable and while The Bloodline may be their prime target at the moment, there's only one thing about this group that is for certain: ain't nobody safe from their wrath.

Carmelo Hayes is in The 946 and WWE fans may no longer recognize HIM

Most critics and fans agree that the slow rollout of The 946 has been executed to near perfection. Keys has the look and feel of a future World Heavyweight Champion, and no NXT call-up may ever have had a more impactful of a main roster debut, both literally and figuratively, than Jaida Parker did when she ran down Jacob Fatu two weeks ago.

The group leveled up again this past Monday night when former Men's United States Champion Carmelo Hayes ended his two-month hiatus from television. He attacked Solo Sikoa with a crowbar and revealed himself to be the fifth member of The 946.

"Melo's always been my boy. Before this even came up, before WWE," Keys told The Takedown on SI. "I know how he is. He's just like a pit bull. He's got a little Tyson in him that some people haven't seen. The world got a taste of it [Monday] night, so it's just one of those things that, you know, it's like a pot of gumbo. You got all your ingredients and you're seasoning it, and once it's together, you know, it's just a chef's kiss."

Keys has been slowly seasoning that gumbo one ingredient at a time, and with a likely battle against The Bloodline inside WarGames next month, there may be another mystery ingredient in this 946 recipe that has yet to be added to the pot.

While he was very careful not to give too much away about how The 946 came together or what the group's future may hold, Royce expressed sincere gratitude for the weekly spotlight on everyone involved.

"Just being featured on some of the heavy segments, you know, the trust and value, week after week, it means a lot. It definitely lets me know I'm doing the right thing. Everyone in The 946, Jada, Lucien, Bronco, Melo now, we're all doing the right things. We're all on the same page and everyone in this group is handpicked."

One by One by One 🩸#wweRaw pic.twitter.com/LMa5WBn2eA
— Royce Keys (@RealRoyceKeys) September 22, 2026

Reports are that Keys specifically requested that Carmelo Hayes join The 946, he would neither confirm nor deny that report to The Takedown on SI, but there certainly appears to be a specific reason why Lucien, Bronco, Jaida and now Melo were all chosen to join the group.

While the conversation over the "future of WWE" has centered around Oba Femi and Bron Breakker in recent months, Carmelo Hayes once spearheaded those discussions. As a member of The 946, he has suddenly been shifted from creative stagnation on SmackDown to being one step away from crossing paths with the top star in the company, reigning World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns.

However, Royce Keys has a warning for those fans who have been anxiously waiting for that renewed Carmelo Hayes push. You may not recognize HIM as a member of The 946.

"It's gonna give him a different side. It's given me a different side. It's given Bronco, Lucien and Jada, you know, everyone's gonna see a different side of all of us," Keys said. "Those three numbers mean something, and something we say every single week: 946 means ain't nobody safe."

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