AEW made a ‘much higher than expected’ offer to keep Powerhouse Hobbs
Powerhouse Hobbs received a big offer from AEW to remain in the company.
Dave Meltzer addressed Hobbs leaving AEW and signing with WWE in Friday’s edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, available now for subscribers. Meltzer wrote that AEW’s offer to Hobbs was much higher than expected and later compared it to deals signed by top stars in recent years.
Meltzer wrote:
“He got a great AEW offer to stay but I don’t know his WWE offer. The AEW offer was much higher than I would have expected. It would have been a number that I believe would have been higher than anyone but Chris Jericho earned in AEW’s first year in 2019.”
Meltzer continued to compare the offer Hobbs received to what Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and others have made in recent years.
“It would be in line with what Bryan Danielson got to jump from WWE to AEW, maybe slightly less but in line. It would be more than guys the level Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were making four years ago (less than they are making now) and in the range of what a guy the level of Rollins were making around the same time and nearly triple of what many significantly high WWE stars were making in the first year or so of AEW after the first round of increases had taken place.”
“If WWE did offer him similar money, in theory it would guarantee a decent push,” Meltzer continued, although he noted that WWE will ultimately push the wrestlers who get over.
Hobbs will be using the name Royce Keys in WWE. He has a son named Royce as well. WWE filed to trademark the name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. Hobbs turned 35 last Friday. He had been with AEW since 2020 and is a former TNT Champion and World Trios Champion in the promotion.
The full edition of this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter is available here for subscribers.
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.