Having made his WWE debut at the Royal Rumble, Royce Keys has opened up about moving his new home and how things are coming together.
Royce Keys parted ways with AEW on January 15 this year when his contract expired, making his first WWE appearance in the men’s Royal Rumble match at the end of that month.
Now a member of the SmackDown roster, Keys went on to win the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal ahead of WrestleMania 42.
With that victory in his belt, and an earlier solo debut on SmackDown seeing a win over Berto, Keys has spoken about the changes he has experienced since moving to WWE during an appearance on Unseen with Joey Karni, saying:
“The change has been wild. Ever since I got here, it’s been go go go ever since the Rumble. I’ve been grinding.
“It’s been out there doing dark matches. There’s more matches I’ve done that haven’t been out there, and it’s just getting ready for this process, getting ready for that debut, getting accustomed to everything.
“So, it’s a grind, man, ever since the Rumble it’s been non-stop for me.”
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Between the men’s Royal Rumble and his televised SmackDown debut on April 10, Keys competed in nine untelevised dark matches, seeing victories over Nathan Frazer, Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley, Rey Fenix, Berto, and Rayo Americano.
His debut at a top WWE Premium Live Event would see Keys reflect on the importance of that moment, stating:
It meant a lot. Just thinking about the names that came before you and living up to expectations. And while doing that, you got to create your own path. I did that. I made an impact in the Rumble. So, you know it’s in history now, so now we move forward, progress, and take everything I want.”
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While a number of former AEW stars have debuted in NXT, Keys was among the few to head straight the main roster, and when asked about that decision, he declared:
“The plan was laid out, and I just execute anything they lay out.”
His televised SmackDown debut may have seen congratulations from Triple H, but Keys would also comment that he doesn’t necessarily see the Friday night show as a permanent home, saying:
“This is WWE. So my home is wherever I decide to go. You possibly could see me more up on there.”
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When it comes to stars that Keys could see himself joining up with, he would name Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu and The Usos as names he has a history with during the interview.
From AEW To WWE, The Path To New Success
While some stars have made the switch more than once, Royce Keys is one of a small number to have gone from AEW to WWE, alongside Jade Cargill, Ethan Page, Ricky Saints, Penta, and Rey Fenix.
Of that collective, Saints and Page both started their WWE journey in NXT, with the former Ricky Starks debuting on this week’s SmackDown and the latter heading to Raw. Following this week’s episode of WWE NXT, Saints shared an emotional message with the fans when the show went off air.
Keys followed in the footsteps of Cargill, who made her in-ring debut in the women’s Royal Rumble match in 2023, giving both stars a moment to shine at a top WWE Premium Live Event, with the inaugural AEW TBS Champion going on to become two-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion and Women’s Champion during her tenure to date.
Penta is no stranger to titles either, being the current WWE Intercontinental Champion, while Saints and Page are both former NXT & North American Champions.
For Rey Fenix, titles are still to come as a WWE star, although there is also the possibility of a Lucha Bros reunion, while the same can be said of Keys, although the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal win is no doubt an early indicator of the success he will no doubt achieve.
For all these stars, moving from AEW to WWE has seen their status grow in a new environment, and long may it continue.
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