Add as a preferred source on Google Royce Keys is in the middle of one of the biggest stretches of his WWE career. After leaving AEW, where he was known as Powerhouse Hobbs, Keys made his debut at this year’s Royal Rumble, entering the men’s match at No. 14.
In a recent interview with Witty Whittier, Keys said his WWE run has exceeded everything he imagined so far.
“It’s exceeded my expectations. It’s been wild just from the moment I put pen to paper and I knew I was coming, to everything that just recently happened. There’s points where before I have my music hit and I’m going out, I just feel like everything is in slow motion. Like I’m in this dream I’m not waking up from, so everything has been really great. I’ve been put in some great positions and knocked it out of the park, so that’s what I’m gonna continue to do.”
Since then, Keys has received several notable opportunities on Friday Night SmackDown. On April 10, he made his in-ring debut on the blue brand by defeating Berto. One week later, he won the André The Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
Keys has also been directly involved with major names on WWE programming, including Solo Sikoa, MFT, Damian Priest, and Gunther. In May, interference from MFT kept him from defeating Gunther in a match that could have moved him even closer to the top of SmackDown.
In another part of the interview, Keys made it clear that he is not just looking to establish himself on the roster. He wants to win a title before 2026 is over.
“I think before this year is up, I’ll have some gold around my waist.”
It is worth remembering that during his AEW run, Keys captured the TNT Championship and the World Trios Championship alongside Samoa Joe and Katsuyori Shibata. In other words, even as he enters a new chapter, he already knows what it takes to win titles in major promotions.