Royce Keys, formerly known as Will Hobbs, was spotted again around WWE RAW this week. However, he was not on live TV, as his absence has continued.
Keys made his WWE debut at the 2026 Royal Rumble. Since then, he has been working quietly behind the scenes. He has appeared in several untelevised dark matches. These matches happened before RAW and SmackDown shows.
It is a slow build and very typical for new talent in WWE. He has already faced multiple strong opponents during this period. Names like Nathan Frazer, Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley, Rey Fenix, and others. He even stepped into the ring with rising talents across the roster.
Despite that, he has stayed absent from WWE TV since the Royal Rumble. Then he returned and made his presence felt again this week on WWE RAW in Houston, Texas.
Royce Keys appears ahead of WWE RAW amid ongoing TV absence
Ahead of this week’s WWE RAW in Houston, Keys made another appearance. This time, he faced Brutus Creed in a dark match. The match saw Keys pick up the win and continued building momentum.
Even with these wins, his TV absence still stands out. But reports suggest there is a reason behind it. WWE is taking a careful approach with him. They want him to adjust to the system first. That includes learning pacing, timing, and production style.
The report also mentioned that many new talents go through this phase before getting TV time and he is being prepared for his main roster. With Keys gaining momentum and getting ready, it will be interesting to see if he makes his debut after WrestleMania 42.
Check out what happened on WWE RAW here.
