Royce Keys recently shared a very personal story about one of the hardest times in his life.
While appearing on What’s Your Story? with Stephanie McMahon, Keys talked about losing his mother in 2021 and the immense support he received from Cody Rhodes and CM Punk. At the time, all three were working in AEW.
Royce Keys Praises Cody Rhodes, CM Punk for Support After Family Tragedy
During the podcast, Keys said that when his mom became very sick, he didn’t know what to do. He then called Cody Rhodes for advice. Rhodes may have first thought the call was about wrestling, since Keys often asked him about his career. But when Keys explained that his mom was seriously ill, Rhodes immediately understood how serious it was.
“I called Cody Rhodes to tell him, like, I don’t know what to do. I just got off the phone with my sister, my dad, my mom’s sister, my auntie Joy. And she went straight up to the hospital. And it’s just like, I guess maybe Cody thought I was talking about wrestling because I always bug him with wrestling. And I’m like, ‘No, my mom is sick,'” Keys said.
Even though Rhodes had a newborn baby at home, he made time to check on Keys. That meant a lot to him. “He immediately dropped everything and called me. Like, he called me, he checked on me. I believe his daughter might have been a month old, and he still called me,” Keys added.
About a month after his mother passed away, Keys engaged in a match against CM Punk on AEW Rampage. Wrestling while grieving wasn’t easy for him, but Punk stood beside him.
Before the match, Punk reminded him that wrestling isn’t as important as family.
“I remember having a match with CM Punk a month after my mom died and he goes, ‘None of this sh*t matters, your mom is sitting front row there tonight.’ After the match, he pins me and he taps me on the chest. My mom’s nickname was Nita and he goes, ‘This one’s for Nita,’ and I just lost it,” Keys said.
After nearly six years in AEW, Keys is now in WWE. He debuted in the 2026 Royal Rumble and has already said he wants to become a Hall of Famer one day. His WWE name is inspired by his son.
Read More: Royce Keys Opens Up About Responsibility Behind His WWE Goals
