Latest On Royce Keys' WWE Status

Royce Keys’ WWE debut at the 2026 Royal Rumble was a huge moment for the former AEW star, but since then, Keys has not been seen on WWE television.

The former Powerhouse Hobbs has been a guest on Stephanie McMahon’s What’s Your Story podcast, but is yet to feature on Raw, SmackDown, or NXT, prompting speculation that WWE creative had ‘no plans’ for Keys.

A report from WrestleVotes Live stated that there is no update on Keys’ standing, but it is expected he will end up on SmackDown, further to reports from early February:

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. We had speculated for months that SmackDown was the place for him. It certainly does seem like that’s going to be his home. He was backstage Friday night… Don’t know when he’s showing up on TV. Hopefully they have an idea. Hopefully this is part of the plan.”

Fightful Select report that ‘things’ have been filmed for Keys, but no details of the content nor when a television debut for Keys will take place have been confirmed.

Keys’ Rumble debut was met with positivity within WWE and AEW.