Powerhouse Hobbs’ WWE Name Revealed

The former AEW wrestler named Powerhouse Hobbs will have a completely different name in WWE.

For the past five years, AEW fans got to know Powerhouse Hobbs as one of the biggest and strongest wrestlers in the company. There was a time when he was known as Willie Hobbs as well, but the Powerhouse name stuck for the 270-pounder.

After the former TNT Champion’s deal expired earlier this month, it was reported that he would be signing with WWE. On January 23rd, it was confirmed that former Powerhouse Hobbs has officially signed with WWE.

Regarding his WWE name, Bodyslam reports that he will be known as Royce Keys. The name was trademarked earlier in the week.

As always, when a familiar wrestler changes a name, there are complaints about it online. In this case, it appears that Hobbs likely chose a name that means something to him, since he has a son named Royce.

Powerhouse Hobbs Likes What WWE Offered

The final match that Powerhouse Hobbs had in AEW aired on the January 17th episode of Collision as he teamed up with Samoa Joe and Katsuyori Shibata to lose the Trios Titles to the team of “Hangman” Adam Page, “Speedball” Mike Bailey, and Kevin Knight.

While it has been reported that AEW wanted to keep Powerhouse Hobbs long-term, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that after spending over five years in AEW, Hobbs wanted a change, and WWE clearly wanted him as well.

“Nobody in AEW had anything negative to say about him, with us being told he made the decision based on his family, which would seem to indicate he got a better money deal.

Some people go to WWE with the idea of going even with a lesser money offer, because it’s either their dream, or belief they want to be in the top place, or that it’s a better stepping stone to Hollywood than AEW. But Hobbs was a guy the company clearly really wanted and whether he was going to get much higher in AEW is a question.”

Hobbs turned 35 on January 23rd, so he likely has many more years ahead of him as a pro wrestler under the Royce Keys name in WWE.