Powerhouse Hobbs was repackaged for his WWE debut at the Royal Rumble.
The rumors turned out to be true after all. Powerhouse Hobbs made his WWE debut at the Royal Rumble. The former AEW TNT Champion received a new name as part of his fresh presentation in WWE.
When the countdown hit zero for entrant number 14, the graphics initially showed Powerhouse Hobbs, drawing a big reaction from the crowd at Riyadh Season Stadium. Michael Cole acknowledged the name before the screen transitioned to reveal Hobbs’ WWE ring name: Royce Keys.
Keys immediately went on the attack, eliminating entrant number seven Damian Priest before coming face-to-face with a familiar opponent in Cody Rhodes. The two previously crossed paths during their time in Tony Khan’s All Elite Wrestling.
Hobbs’ Royal Rumble run didn’t last long. The powerhouse was eventually overwhelmed by multiple competitors before being eliminated by Bronson Reed.
Powerhouse Hobbs left AEW after his contract expired last week. As part of his final appearance, Hobbs competed in a six-man tag team match alongside Samoa Joe and Katsuyori Shibata on Collision. The trio lost their titles to Hangman Page and JetSpeed.
Hobbs was reportedly offered a lucrative deal to remain with AEW. In the end, he chose to sign with WWE, making his debut during the 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble.
WrestleZone’s live coverage of WWE Royal Rumble is ongoing here.
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