Jim Ross comments on Royce Keys’ WWE Royal Rumble debut
Jim Ross offered his thoughts on the WWE Royal Rumble during the latest episode of his Grilling JR podcast.
Ross was asked about former Powerhouse Hobbs making his WWE debut as Royce Keys in the match, and responded:
“Well, it was quick. Look, it’s good for his career. You got to move on and stay fresh and put a new coat of paint on it every now and then. And I think that’s basically what he did. He looked great.”
“His ring attire was spiffy. That’s a dated reference,” Ross added.
“He’s a big, strong son of a gun. A lot of character. He’s got integrity. I think the world of him. I wish him nothing but the very best. I gravitated to him early on in his AEW run. And I’m glad that we got a chance to work with him. He’s a hell of a good guy. He’ll be a credit to the locker room without question.”
Keys lasted just under 10 minutes in the match after entering at number 14. He eliminated Damian Priest before being eliminated by Bronson Reed.
Ross was also asked about Chris Jericho not returning to WWE in the match, saying he was surprised it didn’t happen.
“I haven’t talked to Chris in a good while, but I thought it was a lead-pipe cinch that he would be a participant in the match but I was wrong,” Ross said.
When co-host Conrad Thompson suggested that we could learn more regarding Jericho’s future by WrestleMania, Ross responded:
“Maybe that’s what he’s saving it for, is WrestleMania. I don’t know, but whatever it is they’ve been very tight-lipped on it.”
The latest episode of Grilling JR with Jim Ross and Conrad Thompson is available below.
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.