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Royce Keys' WWE Main Roster Status Reportedly Revealed

Will Royce Keys be assigned to WWE Raw, SmackDown or NXT?
Rick Ucchino|
Royce Keys
Royce Keys | WWE

Royce Keys, formerly known as Powerhouse Hobbs in All Elite Wrestling, made his WWE debut this past Saturday night at the Royal Rumble, but it's not been publicly determined whether he'll be a main roster or NXT Superstar moving forward.

The 35-year-old has the potential to be an immediate impact performer for whichever brand is lucky enough to acquire his services, and a new report from the folks over at BodySlam indicates that SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis is about to become a very happy man in the near future.

"Sources indicate to BodySlam that Keys was backstage at RAW on Monday, and word was that he will be part of the SmackDown roster moving forward."

BodySlam did not indicate if Keys is expected to be at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina this coming Friday. Only one match and an appearance from Women's Royal Rumble winner Liv Morgan have been officially announced for the show thus far.

Keys allowed his AEW contract to expire last month, and he signed with WWE less than a week later. AEW President Tony Khan addressed his departure for the first time on Wednesday.

"I think Powerhouse Hobbs had a great run here in AEW. He started wrestling here in Jacksonville where I am now and had some great matches, and became a champion in AEW… I’ll always wish him all the best," Khan told Josh Martinez on Z100 in New York.

Khan reportedly made Keys a very nice offer to re-sign with All Elite Wrestling, but obviously it wasn't enough to keep him from making the jump.

While AEW lost Powerhouse Hobbs, the company picked up Tommaso Ciampa. The Psycho Killer let his WWE contract expire last month, and he worked out an agreement to sign with All Elite Wrestling roughly 48 hours later. He made his debut on the January 28 edition of AEW Dynamite, and won the TNT Championship from Mark Briscoe three days later on AEW Collision.

We'll have to wait and see if Royce Keys makes his official SmackDown debut this coming Friday night.

WWE SmackDown Card for 2/6 (announced):

Liv Morgan
Liv Morgan | WWE
  • 2026 Women's Royal Rumble winner Liv Morgan will make an appearance
  • Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tama Tonga

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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