Dave Meltzer confirmed that Powerhouse Hobbs has signed with WWE, and another report revealed the potential new ring name for the star.
It was reported last week that Powerhouse Hobbs had departed AEW, as his contract had expired, and that he was headed for WWE, and now, the move has been confirmed by Dave Meltzer. It was Fightful Select to first report the news, and in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Meltzer also confirmed the signing.
In yet another report on Friday, this one from BodySlam+, Hobbs' new ring name was also revealed. According to the outlet, Hobbs will be known as "Royce Keys" in WWE. The company filed a trademark for the name on Tuesday.
According to Meltzer, Hobbs made the decision based on his family, which likely indicates that he received a better deal in terms of money from WWE. Meltzer also wrote that no one in AEW had anything negative to say about the former World Trios Champion. He said that Hobbs was a guy that WWE clearly wanted, which had also been reported in recent days, and whether or not he would have climbed higher in AEW was a question.
Just when Hobbs, or "Keys," will debut in WWE has yet to be confirmed. "WWE SmackDown" emanates from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, ahead of Saturday Night's Main Event at the arena this weekend. Fightful previously reported that WWE sources expected the now-former AEW star to be at the Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia, but the outlet couldn't confirm those plans.
His last match took place on "AEW Collision," a taped episode of the show, last week, where The Opps dropped the AEW World Trios Championships to "Hangman" Adam Page, "Speedball" Mike Bailey, and Kevin Knight.
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Category: General Sports
