Powerhouse Hobbs Talks At Length About WWE Debut, Reuniting With Cody Rhodes Backstage

Royce Keys, formerly known to fans as Powerhouse Hobbs during his run in AEW, made an immediate splash in WWE with a surprise appearance in the men’s Royal Rumble match last Saturday.

Keys officially joined WWE after wrapping up his time with AEW last month, and the company has now offered fans a closer look at his arrival.

WWE released a behind-the-scenes video documenting his Royal Rumble debut (see below), featuring candid moments before the match as well as interactions with Cody Rhodes and Paul “Triple H” Levesque.

As he took in the Rumble stage setup prior to the match, Keys was visibly moved by the moment.

“This is wild. This is like something out of a movie, man,” Hobbs said while taking a look at the Rumble stage. “This whole setup. Walking down this aisle and into the ring and background. It’s pretty amazing, man. I’m getting goosebumps under this sweatshirt. It’s crazy. It feels real. Looking at the ring, the seats, the stage setup — it’s real. Never thought I would be part of something this big. This is huge. Leading to the Grandaddy of Them All, you know? WrestleMania. This starts tonight.”

Keys later crossed paths with Cody Rhodes backstage, another former AEW talent, and took time to speak candidly about the impact Rhodes has had on his life.

“He’s probably going to get mad, but this dude doesn’t know how special he is to me. Thank you for everything. That dude’s been there for me, like, toughest time of my life when my mom passed away. But if I gotta kick his ass, then I gotta kick his ass [laughs]. This is special, man. It’s just like, seeing familiar faces. It’s real. You know, I’m home, I’m moved in. So it’s time to collect.”

WWE’s video also included brief footage of Keys speaking with Paul “Triple H” Levesque ahead of the match, with Levesque offering reassurance before the former AEW standout made his entrance.

“We’re going to get rolling and get some good sh*t started,” Levesque told Hobbs. “We’ll be in a good place.”

Keys entered the Royal Rumble at number 14 and made an immediate impact, eliminating Damian Priest during his run in the match before eventually being eliminated by Bronson Reed.
Afterward, Keys made it clear that his WWE arrival is only the beginning.

“Eliminating a former World Champion. Ah, I’m here, I’m here, I’m here, I’m here,” Hobbs said after competing. “I’m going to take everything I want. Everything.”