AEW talent react to Royce Keys’ WWE debut on social media
The former Powerhouse Hobbs, now going by Royce Keys, made his shocking WWE debut at the 2026 Royal Rumble, which soon attracted reactions from multiple AEW talent.
As a part of the 2026 men’s Royal Rumble match, Keys appeared as the 14th entrant in the match and eliminated Damian Priest, before getting eliminated himself by Bronson Reed and The Vision.
He immediately made an impact upon his surprising WWE debut, to which several of his former AEW colleagues soon reacted on social media. Amada Huber, wife of the late wrestler Brodie Lee, reacted to Keys’ debut on social media, “THAT MY BEST FRIEND LETS GOOOOOOO.”
Darius Martin of AEW’s SkyFlight also reacted to Hobbs appearance, alongside multiple other names such as Wardlow and Kevin Knight. Interestingly, it was Knight who had pinned Hobbs in his last AEW match on January 14th, 2026, to win the AEW World Trios Championship.
Hobbs was a part of the AEW roster from 2020, where he stayed till 2026, successfully winning multiple titles, including the TNT Championship in 2023 and the AEW World Trios Championship.
WWE was long interested in signing Hobbs, and the 35-year-old finally joined the Stamford-based promotion after having negotiations with AEW.
Shounak Chakrabarti is an experienced sports journalist with a lifelong passion for athletics and storytelling. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Journalism from the University of Leeds and joined F4WOnline in 2025.
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