The deal is done—and now, Powerhouse Hobbs has a new name for his WWE run.
In a January 26, 2026 Q&A session, WrestleVotes confirmed that Hobbs will be known in WWE as Royce Keys moving forward:
“It’s Royce Keys, which I have heard—Royce Keys will be the name of Powerhouse Hobbs moving forward. Someone told me that Royce is his son’s name.”
The new moniker comes just days after Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select confirmed Hobbs had officially signed with WWE, ending weeks of speculation following his AEW contract expiration on January 15. His final AEW appearance aired on Collision: Maximum Carnage two days later.
While WWE has yet to publicly announce where or when Royce Keys will debut, he is reportedly expected to be around during Royal Rumble weekend in Saudi Arabia, leading to excitement that his introduction could come sooner than later.
According to Dave Meltzer, WWE had been pursuing Hobbs for quite some time and were confident he’d sign once free agency opened. AEW made a counter-offer, but Hobbs declined in favor of jumping to WWE.
“WWE had expected that they had Hobbs for actually quite a while,” Meltzer reported. “AEW made an offer. He turned down the AEW offer, wanted to go to WWE.”
At 35, the former AEW TNT Champion brings size, power, and serious potential to the WWE roster—now under a brand-new name.
What do you think of the name “Royce Keys”? Does it suit him, or should WWE have stuck with Powerhouse Hobbs? Let us know below.
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