Powerhouse Hobbs may have debuted in WWE as Royce Keys at the 2026 Royal Rumble, but AEW didnt let him go without putting serious money on the table.
According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio and in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, AEWs offer to keep Hobbs was one of the most aggressive financial moves the company has made in years. The deal wouldve locked Hobbs in for five years and paid him more than nearly every founding member of AEWs 2019 rosterexcept Chris Jericho.
Even without the WWE numbers, the AEW deal was clearly major.
That means AEW was treating Hobbs like a serious investmentnot just another midcarder. Meltzer even compared the proposed deal to the one AEW gave Bryan Danielson when he jumped from WWE.
But that wasnt the only WWE comparison being made. The AEW deal was worth more than what Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were making four years ago in WWE, and even hovered near the earnings of stars like Seth Rollins during that period.
Even with all that cash on the table, Hobbs still walked. WWE had long expected to land him, and when the opportunity opened, he didnt hesitate. Now operating under the name Royce Keysa name inspired by his son RoyceHobbs is officially part of the WWE machine.
Did Hobbs make the right move turning down one of AEWs biggest offers to start fresh in WWE? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
