Royce Keys discussed his long-term ambitions within WWE during a recent appearance on the What’s Your Story? podcast with Stephanie McMahon. Keys, formerly made a name as Powerhouse Hobbs in AEW, made his debut for the company as the 14th entrant in the 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble, where he lasted just under ten minutes. While he has yet to appear on televised programming since the event, Keys clarified that he views his arrival as the beginning of a serious professional mission.
“I have so many goals. I want to become champion. I want to become a legend. I want to be in the Hall of Fame. I want to be remembered as one of the most dominant and feared competitors. It’s what I’ve dreamed of. The moment I had talks about signing here, this isn’t a one-off or ‘I’m a WWE superstar now.’ Nah, I still have to work. It took me years to get here. Honeymoon phase is over. Let’s get with it and do work,” Keys said.
The 34-year-old noted that his motivation is driven by the responsibility he feels toward his family. Keys noted that he views his career success as a necessity for the well-being of those who depend on him. He previously mentioned that Triple H took secretive measures to hide his debut, but Keys is now focused on the work required to maintain a permanent spot on the roster.
“I have people that depend on me and people that I can’t let down. I have people that I take care of. If I fail, they don’t eat. I’m not about to have that on my conscience and shoulders. There is no excuse,” Keys added.
Keys’ absence from television since the Royal Rumble is reportedly the result of creative shifts following the loss of the Undisputed WWE Title by Cody Rhodes to Drew McIntyre, which led to a planned feud between Keys and Damian Priest being scrapped. Despite the delay in his TV debut, recently competed in a dark match against Nathan Frazer.
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. You can listen to the full episode on your favorite podcast platform or watch it on the WWE YouTube channel.
