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Powerhouse Hobbs Makes WWE Debut As Royce Keys in the Royal Rumble

The former AEW star made a huge impression in the men’s Rumble
Joe Baiamonte|
Powerhouse Hobbs
Powerhouse Hobbs | Lee South - All Elite Wrestling

Royce Keys has officially arrived in WWE.

The artist formerly known as Powerhouse Hobbs made his WWE debut in the men’s Royal Rumble match tonight, in Saudi Arabia.

Keys signed his contract with WWE in recent weeks, having seen his contract with AEW expire at the turn of the year. And it’s safe to say he made a big impression in his first outing in a WWE ring.

A huge WWE debut for Royce Keys

The former AEW TNT Champion entered the men’s Rumble match at number, and wasted no time endearing himself to the WWE audience with a typically devastating performance, the type of which made Keys such a beloved star down in Jacksonville.

Keys’ entrance actually saw his AEW alias flash up on the titantrons on the stage, before breaking apart and his new ring name of Royce Keys appearing. Michael Cole and Wade Barrett on commentary immediately acknowledged Keys’ reputation without mentioning AEW, explaining that he was a major star who had competed across the world.

Powerhouse Hobbs
Powerhouse Hobbs is now Royce Keys | Lee South - All Elite Wrestling

The former Hobbs’ first act as a WWE Superstar was to eliminate former World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest from the Rumble match. Keys was treated to a huge reception from the 25,000-strong crowd in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and immediately felt like a huge deal upon entering the men’s match.

With Keys debuting so close to WrestleMania 42, it will be interesting to see if the former Opps member is placed into a major program for the biggest show of the year.

Given the reaction he received in Saudi Arabia and the way he was talked up on commentary, combined with the length of time he was given to shine in the Rumble match, it would appear Keys is being built for a key position in Las Vegas in April.

Powerhouse Hobbs
Powerhouse Hobbs | Lee South - All Elite Wrestling

Keys’ debut had been widely anticipated ahead of the Rumble, with news spreading across the internet in the past two weeks that he had signed with the old New York territory after reportedly turning down several ‘huge money’ offers to remain with All Elite Wrestling. Hobbs had been All Elite for five years prior to his contract expiring.

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Joe Baiamonte
JOE BAIAMONTE

Joe Baiamonte is a contributing writer for The Takedown On SI, joining the team in April, 2025. Joe has been covering professional wrestling, sports and entertainment for over a decade, serving as editor at SPORTbible between 2014 and 2018 - where he helped the team to three consecutive Football Blogging Awards - and as head of sport at Unilad. Joe has written for numerous outlets in the United Kingdom and United States, including The Sportsman, Sporf, Pubity, GiveMeSport and The Sportster, interviewing the likes of Neymar, Harry Kane, Ruud Gullit, Triple H, Ric Flair, Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch, Rey Mysterio, Aaron Boone, Alex Cora, Chris Sale and Chase Uttley. He has a BA (Hons) degree in Journalism and Broadcasting from the University of Salford and currently resides in Manchester, England, having been raised just down the road in Burnley. He briefly moved to Croatia with his family after the birth of his son, where he spent an entire summer writing on the beach and eating squid.

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