Royce Keys has revealed the specific instructions Triple H gave him to keep his first appearance in the company secret. Keys, formerly known as Powerhouse Hobbs in AEW, arrived in WWE as the #14 entrant in the 2026 Royal Rumble match on January 31. During the bout, he successfully eliminated Damian Priest before being tossed out by Bronson Reed.
Appearing on the latest episode of What’s Your Story? with Stephanie McMahon, Keys spoke about an interaction he had with Triple H—referred to by his real name, Paul Levesque—before the event. Keys explained that Triple H took extreme measures to prevent the “Young OG” from being spotted by fans or media at the host hotel.
“I love working out, it’s a stress reliever for me. I’m talking to Paul like, ‘Hey, do you think I can maybe use the hotel gym?’ I knew what was coming next. I asked him….about five seconds of silence. I’m like, ‘Damn.’ And then he’s like, ‘Well…’ and it was more silence. I’m like, ‘Damn!’ He’s like, ‘Well, we don’t want you to be seen, you’re a surprise.’ And I’m like, ‘Man, okay.’ I know this whole silence thing growing up. Silence means no,” Keys said.
While Keys was barred from using public facilities, he noted that the Chief Content Officer ensured he could still maintain his fitness routine in private. The secretive measures were part of a larger effort to protect the surprise of his debut, which used a name that honors his son, Royce, and his late mother’s maiden name, Keys.
“But he was cool. I had a bench delivered to my room, some bands and some dumbbells. He took care of me. He’s like, ‘We don’t want anybody to see you. Once it gets out, it’s just out there.’ I understood that,” Keys added.
Keys has yet to appear on WWE TV since the Royal Rumble, reportedly due to shifts in WrestleMania 42 plans that scrapped an expected feud with Damian Priest. However, he has remained active behind the scenes, recently appearing at WWE Headquarters to record content and competing in a dark match against Nathan Frazer before a recent episode of SmackDown.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit What’s Your Story? with Stephanie McMahon with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
