Before Powerhouse Hobbs ever delivered a spinebuster on AEW television, he tracked down Arn Anderson backstage to ask permission to use the move that became the move that defined Anderson’s career. Now wrestling in WWE under the name Royce Keys after his January 2026 jump, the former AEW TNT Champion did the one thing many wrestlers do not bother with anymore.
“You know what? Before he did the first one with AEW, he came, pulled me aside and said, ‘I don’t know how to ask you this, but would you mind if I did a spinebuster during my match?'”
Anderson said his answer was instant.
“Wow, I would be honored.”
The exchange came up on Anderson’s podcast, Straight Talk With The Boss, after Anderson was shown clips of Keys delivering a thunderous spinebuster on a recent WWE television appearance. Anderson made clear his admiration is not just about the move.
Bonded Over Being Raised By Their Grandmothers
Anderson described Keys, real name Will Hobson, as a wrestler whose backstage character matches what he shows on screen.
“He’s a really good human being. Great human being. Got a hell of a story too. As far as being raised by his grandmother, same thing. That’s one of the things that kind of bonded us, being raised by our grandma.”
Anderson grew up in Rome, Georgia. Hobson was born in East Palo Alto, California, and trained at All Pro Wrestling in Hayward before debuting in 2009.
Bromwell jumped in to confirm what Anderson was saying matched his own experience meeting Keys at a wrestling convention.
“When I saw him at WrestleCon, he recognized me right away, and was, it was just so kind. Showed me a comic book at the time that was being put together, and he was just so kind, thoughtful. And I thought, you know, it’s so easy to fall in love and be a fan of a guy like this.”
Anderson echoed it in two words.
“Respectful.”
The Move That Got Keys His New Name
Keys revealed in a recent interview on Unseen with Joey Karni that his new ring name is built around family. Royce is the name of his middle son. Keys is part of his late mother’s last name.
“So put the two together, it’s motivating to me. You can’t really f**k up when you got two people you love and care about, using their name, paying homage to them.”
Keys made his WWE Royal Rumble debut at number 14 on January 31, 2026, eliminating Damian Priest before being eliminated by Bronson Reed. After dark matches in February and March, he made his WWE SmackDown debut on April 10 with a squash victory over Berto. On the April 17 episode of WWE SmackDown, Keys won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal by last eliminating Talla Tonga.
The spinebuster he uses in WWE is dubbed the “Last Testament Spinebuster,” a name that traces back to Hobbs’ AEW persona and his “Book of Hobbs” run. The version Anderson signed off on years ago is now landing on WWE television multiple times a month.
Anderson Is Pulling For Him
Anderson was direct about what he wants people watching at home to do when Keys is on TV.
“I hope that he continues to be super successful in the business. And all of you should cheer for a guy like Royce Keys. So it’s awesome to see what he’s doing.”
For a wrestler who spent six years in AEW under the Powerhouse Hobbs name, Keys arrives in WWE with the kind of physical presence and finishing arsenal that matches the modern WWE main event style. Mark Henry described his April 10 debut as “a good one” on the Busted Open podcast. The WWE move on his ring name reportedly had to do with the company wanting trademark ownership of a fresh identity.
The respect that Anderson showed in the spinebuster story tracks back to the same point Anderson keeps making in different forms. Wrestlers respecting the people who came before them is the difference between a healthy locker room and one that breaks itself.
Powerhouse Hobbs left AEW after his contract expired on January 15, 2026, ending a near six-year tenure during which he won the AEW TNT Championship in 2023 and the AEW World Trios Championship as part of The Opps with Samoa Joe and Katsuyori Shibata. Anderson, real name Martin Anthony Lunde, debuted in 1982 and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of The Four Horsemen. The spinebuster has been credited as Anderson’s signature move and is the finisher he is most associated with throughout a 42-year run in the business.
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