WWE star Royce Keys honored by hometown
July 23 was a special day for Royce Keys with him being honored in his hometown of East Palo Alto, California.
Keys (real name William Hobson) spend time with the East Palo Alto community yesterday as Mayor Webster Lincoln issued a proclamation recognizing July 23, 2026 as “Royce Keys Day” in the city. The proclamation recognized Keys’ accomplishments in both AEW and WWE, along with how he’s remained proud of his hometown and inspired the youth of East Palo Alto.
“Royce Keys serves as an outstanding ambassador for the City of East Palo Alto, exemplifying excellence, humility, perseverance, and community pride while demonstrating to future generations that greatness can come from any neighborhood,” the proclamation said.
The former Powerhouse Hobbs also received an Appreciation Award thanking him for all he’s done to represent the city.
Growing up in East Palo Alto shaped who Keys is and has been mentioned throughout his AEW and WWE runs, including the vignette that introduced him when he arrived on WWE television earlier this year.
Royce Keys set for six-man tag match at WWE SummerSlam —
In his first-ever SummerSlam, Keys will attempt to get on the same page with LA Knight & Solo Sikoa as they team up against the Bloodline trio of Jacob Fatu & The Usos. The PLE is being held in Minneapolis on August 1-2.
SmackDown is being held in Oakland, California this Friday near East Palo Alto.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.