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Royce Keys wasted no time capitalizing on his Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal victory. Sitting in the crowd for the “WWE Raw” after WrestleMania 42, the former AEW standout got another push from Michael Cole, who confirmed on commentary that Keys is officially part of the “WWE SmackDown” roster.
The announcement came as Cole highlighted Keys’ win over Talla Tonga to capture the 2026 Andre at the April 17 edition of “SmackDown.” It was the third televised match of Keys’ WWE tenure, following his Royal Rumble debut in January and an April 10 squash win over Berto.
Formerly known as Powerhouse Hobbs during his nearly six-year run in AEW, the 41-year-old signed with WWE in January and was placed directly on the main roster. Per a previous report from Fightful Select, Keys was “adamant” during contract negotiations about bypassing “NXT,” an arrangement WWE has granted to the likes of Penta, Rey Fenix, and Jade Cargill in recent years.
Between the Rumble and his blue brand bow, Keys worked the dark match circuit, facing Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley, Nathan Frazer, and Rey Fenix at TV tapings. Reports had indicated WWE was letting him acclimate to the company’s style before pulling the trigger on a televised push.
That push now seems underway. Keys eliminated Damian Priest at the Royal Rumble, ran through Berto in his “SmackDown” debut, and outlasted a field of 25 that included Otis, Aleister Black, Johnny Gargano, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Joe Hendry to claim the Andre.
One recent report has also floated a possible storyline pairing Keys with Jelly Roll against The Miz and Kit Wilson, though nothing has been made official.