Royce Keys teased his future plans in WWE after making a debut at the 2026 Royal Rumble on January 31. After wrestling his final match for AEW on the January 17 episode of Collision, the performer re-emerged in WWE under the new name of Royce Keys during the 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Entering at number 14, Keys immediately eliminated former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest and lasted just under 10 minutes before being eliminated by Bronson Reed.
Appearing on Stephanie McMahon’s What’s Your Story? podcast, Keys said his WWE debut was “better than he could have imagined,” but he’s not content with just that. He noted that the experience was a “hell of an introduction” but emphasized that he has much more to offer to the audience.
“This was a hell of an introduction. Better than what I imagined it was gonna be. I knew it was gonna be big, but it was better than what I thought it was gonna be. This isn’t it, I got so much more to give. I wanna entertain more,” Keys said.
After showcasing his sense of humor during the show, Keys was then asked by McMahon whether he wants to show off the “funny side” of himself on WWE TV. Keys answered that he intended to be himself in the ring, drawing on his background playing street ball. He explained that while he can be funny at times, he remains serious and business-oriented once the bell rings.
“I don’t know, I’m just gonna be me out there. I’m real competitive. I grew up playing street ball. I’d talk a lot of sh*t. I’ll look at you and tell you I’m gonna beat you up. I’m a different breed. In some ways, I’m a product of my environment because I don’t quit, I don’t give up. I’m me in the ring, I’m funny at times, but I’m still serious, and I’ll kick your ass. There’s a side of me that very few have seen, and it just takes every negative and horrible thing to me, and I just bring it out. I know when to turn it off. I have control over that. When I’m there, it’s all business,” Keys added.
Keys has yet to appear on WWE television since the Royal Rumble, reportedly due to shifts in the creative direction for WrestleMania 42 that led to a planned program with Damian Priest being scrapped. However, the 34-year-old remains under contract and has recently been at WWE Headquarters to record additional content for the company’s various platforms.
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.
