News

Rumor Killer Regarding Powerhouse Hobbs’ WWE Start Date

By John Canton • Published Jan 16, 2026 14:00 EST
Powerhouse Hobbs AEW WWE

Powerhouse Hobbs is expected to join WWE, but it may not be as soon as some people expect.

It was reported earlier this week that former AEW TNT and Trios Champion Powerhouse Hobbs has let his AEW contract expire because he plans to sign with WWE.

Hobbs spent six years in AEW, and the 34-year-old, whose name is really William Hobson, has decided to move on to see what he can do in WWE.

In an update on Hobbs joining WWE, Fightful Select reports that while Hobbs’ deal with AEW expired at midnight on January 15th, he is eligible to appear anywhere. However, it doesn’t appear as if Hobbs will make his WWE debut as soon as tonight’s January 16th edition of SmackDown.

According to Fightful, Hobbs was not scheduled travel to London, England for tonight’s WWE SmackDown episode, but it’s possible he could be featured in a vignette if the company chooses to introduce him that way. The report noted that while the company could have flown him to England, it apparently didn’t happen.

Fightful reported that “Hobbs is expected to sign with WWE if he hasn’t already.” It was also mentioned that the company had been interested in signing Hobbs for a long time.

Regarding his WWE future, previous reports suggested that the powerhouse would likely skip NXT and go straight to the main roster. The name “Hobbs” has also been rumored as his potential WWE name.

WWE SmackDown Will Take Place In England 

The January 16th edition of WWE SmackDown takes place at the OVO Arena Wembley in London, England. It will air live on Netflix at 3 p.m. ET, five hours before it airs on USA Network in the US at 8 p.m. ET as usual.

Here’s the advertised lineup:

  • New Undisputed WWE Champion Drew McIntyre returns to SmackDown
  • Randy Orton vs. The Miz | Undisputed WWE Title No. 1 Contender’s Qualifying Match
  • Damian Priest vs. Solo Sikoa | Undisputed WWE Title No. 1 Contender’s Qualifying Match
  • Sami Zayn vs. Ilja Dragunov | Undisputed WWE Title No. 1 Contender’s Qualifying Match
  • Matt Cardona vs. Trick Williams | Undisputed WWE Title No. 1 Contender’s Qualifying Match
  • Carmelo Hayes to host a United States Title Open Challenge

We will have full WWE SmackDown coverage later today on TJRWrestling.