Royce Keys, the former Powerhouse Hobbs in AEW, made his WWE debut in a big way, entering the Royal Rumble match at #14. While he didn’t emerge from the 30-man battle victorious, he still had a good showing, and he eliminated former World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest from the match. Following his arrival to the company, WWE posted a video to its YouTube channel of Keys backstage ahead of the match. He was shown soaking it all in before fans filled the arena.
“This is wild. This is something like out of a movie, man,” he said. “This whole set-up. Walking out on this aisle and into the ring and the background. It’s pretty amazing, man. Just getting goosebumps under this sweatshirt. It’s crazy… Never thought I’d be part of something this big. This is huge. Leading to the granddaddy of them all, you know. WrestleMania. So this starts tonight.”
Cody Rhodes made an appearance in the video. He joked that it wasn’t Keys’ music he was hoping to hear at the Rumble. Keys said Rhodes didn’t know how special he was to him, and explained Rhodes was there for him during the toughest time of his life, when his mother passed away. Keys said it was special to see familiar faces backstage, and the video showed him interacting with both Carmelo Hayes and CM Punk, who wished him well.
Keys Ready to Make Impact in WWE
Keys, a former AEW TNT and World Trios Champion, said that growing up a wrestling fan, being at the Royal Rumble was a dream for him. He said growing up, he wrestled in plenty of backyard Royal Rumbles. He said he got goosebumps and butterflies just talking about it all.
“It’s one of those things, like, you’re realizing your dreams are like, right there,” Keys explained. “Just gotta reach out and grab it and you’re here. I’m a believer that things happen and the universe plays out everything. So you don’t want to have any regrets. I personally don’t like looking back at things in life. I don’t like second guessing myself or, ‘What if I had done this? Maybe I should have done that? What if?’ Everything lined up and made sense to be here.”
Paul “Triple H” Levesque was also seen in the video, telling Keys they’re going to get him in “a good place.” Keys explained that the COO also told him that he’s there for a reason, which helped ease his nerves. While he didn’t end up winning the Rumble, Keys said he was in WWE to “show up and show out.”
“We’re going to do 100 [mph] straight ahead,” he said. “That’s what I’m here for. That’s the job I have tonight and that’s what I plan on doing.”
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit WWE and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
