Royce Keys addresses leaving AEW for WWE
Leaving AEW for WWE wasn’t a difficult decision for Royce Keys.
The former Powerhouse Hobbs got his TV start with AEW and was a TNT Champion and Trios Champion before departing the company for WWE in early 2026. Now heading into his first SummerSlam, Keys spoke with Baby Huey of radio station 107.7 The Bone and was asked what went into his decision to switch promotions.
“A lot. There’s a lot of personal ones that I won’t speak on,” Keys responded. “But the dream was always to be a WWE Superstar. It’s all I dreamt about as a kid, and I will never live my life as to having what ifs. ‘What if I did this? What if I would’ve went? What if I didn’t go?’ There was no second thought about putting pen to paper when that opportunity came up. I mean, you look at what WWE is — it’s the all and be-all of professional wrestling and sports entertainment. So why wouldn’t I want to go?”
Being in WWE is what Keys has always wanted, and he was 100 percent committed to the decision he made to bet on himself. He’s excited about the opportunities that are in front of him and is loving every moment.
Baby Huey asked Keys how hard it was to say goodbye to AEW.
“It’s business. You know? It’s business,” he said. “You’re going to have your friends that you’ll always keep in contact with, and you have your acquaintances, you know? But this is business. This is business. I have to do what’s best for Royce Keys, and the best thing to do for Royce was to go to WWE.”
Homecoming for Royce Keys —
SmackDown is happening in Oakland, California tonight near Keys’ hometown of East Palo Alto. Keys noted that he’s gotten a suite for tonight’s show since so many of his loved ones want to attend.
WWE also has house shows in Stockton and Bakersfield, California this weekend. Ahead of these events, the city of East Palo Alto honored Keys by recognizing July 23, 2026 as “Royce Keys Day.”
SummerSlam in Minneapolis at the start of August will see Keys team with LA Knight & Solo Sikoa against Jacob Fatu & The Usos in a six-man tag match.
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.