Royce Keys is quickly becoming a prominent figure in WWE. The 6’1″, 270-pound wrestler, who has a build similar to a powerlifter, first appeared in WWE at the Royal Rumble after spending almost six years in AEW as Powerhouse Hobbs. While in AEW, he had memorable matches and rivalries with top stars like Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, and Jon Moxley. Although he didn’t become a consistent main event performer, he did hold the AEW TNT Championship and the AEW World Trios Championship with Katsuyori Shibata and Samoa Joe.
As a fan, it’s really interesting to hear Keys talk about his career choices! He explained that WWE was actually where he first got into wrestling, so it always held a special place for him, and he’d jump at the chance to sign with them if he could. It’s crazy how quickly things moved – he showed up on WWE just two weeks after his last appearance in AEW!
Keys shared in an interview that joining WWE had always been a lifelong dream. From a young age, he was a fan, and when the chance came to pursue it, he felt he had to take it. He explained he was raised to believe in self-reliance – to always trust his own abilities and go after opportunities with confidence and determination. He felt the timing was finally right to do just that.
After a quiet period following his Royal Rumble appearance, where he worked behind the scenes to adjust to WWE, Austin Theory has become a major presence on SmackDown. He’s maintained a perfect winning record and recently won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal leading up to WrestleMania.
Keys explained that he’d spoken with Paul Levesque, also known as Triple H, before his first WWE appearance, and clarified why it took some time after his unexpected debut in the Royal Rumble for him to start regularly appearing on WWE television.
I had some conversations about my future, especially after going to Saudi Arabia for the Rumble. Many people assumed I’d immediately move to commentary or start appearing on every episode of SmackDown and Raw. Actually, I was doing practice matches backstage before each show – they looked like real matches because the ring was set up, but they weren’t televised. I did these practice matches every Monday and Friday.
I didn’t miss a single week of training,” Keys explained. “I focused on getting comfortable and experiencing different types of opponents. It was about finding my rhythm and getting used to being part of the team.
He recently appeared in a behind-the-scenes video with his friend Jacob Fatu, someone he’s had a rivalry with on the independent wrestling circuit. The segment showed Fatu helping him prepare for his upcoming match against Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Keys said that wrestling in WWE has always been “in his mind” even when he was in AEW.
Keys always dreamed of joining WWE. He realized he needed to take the chance shortly before his current contract ended. He didn’t want to look back and wonder ‘what if’ he hadn’t tried, and that feeling ultimately convinced him to pursue the opportunity.
Royce Keys is adding another highlight to his wrestling career: he’ll be a playable character in the upcoming WWE 2K26 video game. He’ll join legends like Typhoon and Earthquake, as well as AAA star Octagon Jr., as part of the game’s Season 6 Ringside Pass, which launches in October.
Keys explained he’ll be appearing alongside wrestling tag team champions Typhoon and Earthquake, and also mentioned being featured with groups called ‘Natural Disasters’ and ‘Octagon.’ He described the whole situation as ‘crazy’.
He used to play a lot of video games, but his kids are getting him back into it. His son especially likes playing as Fatu, and he himself often uses Reigns – which is funny because those two will be competing against each other at WWE Backlash this weekend.
Keys gave the interview while recording his movements and appearance for WWE 2K, so he could be featured in the game.
Keys shared that he’s recently started playing the 2K video game again because his kids are into it. He admitted his son, Royce, beat him in a game the night before, giving Royce credit for the win. Royce chose Jacob Fatu as his character – someone he’s known his whole life – and randomly assigned Roman Reigns as Keys’ opponent. Royce is a bit more skilled at the game, which is why he won, but Keys is confident he’ll improve with some practice, especially with Backlash coming up.
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2026-05-07 18:14