Royce Keys (formerly Powerhouse Hobbs) comments on making his WWE debut at the Royal Rumble
As seen during the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble PLE, Royce Keys (formerly Powerhouse Hobbs in AEW) made his debut with the company in the men’s Rumble match. In a video published to WWE’s YouTube channel, Hobbs commented on making his debut at the event…
“This is wild. This is like something out of a movie, man. It’s just this whole setup — walking out this aisle and into the ring, and the background. It’s pretty amazing, man. Just getting goosebumps under this sweatshirt. So it’s crazy. It feels real. Looking at the ring, the seats, the stage setup — it’s real. Never thought I’d be part of something like this, something this big. This is huge. Leading to the granddaddy of them all, you know, WrestleMania.
He’s probably gonna get mad, but this dude [Cody Rhodes] doesn’t know how special he is to me… That dude’s been there for me, like the toughest time of my life when my mom passed away.
It’s just like seeing familiar faces. You know, it’s real. So, you know, I’m home. I moved in, so it was time to collect.
Growing up as a wrestling fan, it’s like stuff you dream about, you know? Growing up, we had plenty of Royal Rumbles in the backyard, getting in trouble. So this is it, man. I’m excited.
Man, I get goosebumps and butterflies just talking about this. It’s one of those things where you’re realizing your dreams are right there. You just gotta reach out and grab it, and you’re here.
I’m a believer that things happen. Like, the universe plays everything out, 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 thinking, ‘What if I’d done this?’ or ‘Maybe I should have done that.’ Everything lined up and made sense to be here.
I got to talk to Triple H earlier. First thing, he let me know that I’m here for a reason. That definitely eased my nerves.”