WWE SmackDown is in Oakland tonight (July 24), which is near Royce Keys’ home turf in East Palo Alto. He’s kind of a big deal over there, which is why the mayor declared July 23 to be Royce Keys Day.
Royce has also been doing media to promote SmackDown and SummerSlam. In an interview on 107.7 The Bone, Baby Huey asked Royce what factors led him to leave AEW and join WWE. The big man admitted there were several personal reasons behind that decision, but he preferred to focus on WWE being his dream
job since he was a little powerhouse.
There’s a lot of personal ones that I won’t speak on, but, the dream is always to be a WWE superstar. It’s all I dreamed about as a kid. And I will never live my life as to having what ifs. What if I did this? What if I would’ve went? What if I didn’t go? There was no second thought about putting pen to paper when that opportunity came up.
I mean, look at what WWE is. It’s the [be all] of professional wrestling and sports entertainment. So, why wouldn’t I want to go? I felt like LeBron James right now in free agency, you know what I’m saying? …It was one of those things like, this is what I always wanted. The opportunity is here. Let’s see what we make out of it. And I will always put 10 toes down and 100%, seven days a week, always bet on myself.
When asked how hard it was to leave AEW, Keys didn’t mention the personal stuff and said it was a business decision.
“It’s business. You’re gonna have your friends that you’ll always keep in contact with, and you have your acquaintances. But this is business. I have to do what’s best for Royce Keys. So, the best thing to do for Royce was to go to WWE.”
It sounds like the former Powerhouse Hobbs wisely left AEW on good terms. So if he ends up being a flop in WWE, I don’t have much doubt that Tony Khan will take him back.
How do you think Royce Keys will fare in WWE going forward? Will we ever find out more details on what his personal reasons were for leaving AEW and joining WWE? Give me your reactions in the comments below, Cagesiders.
