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Royce Keys’ backstory has been well-chronicled arsenic he made his measurement to SmackDown.
The 6-foot-1, East Palo Alto, California, autochthonal started retired grinding connected nan independent segment and worked his measurement up to All Elite Wrestling erstwhile his mother suffered a shocking fatal overdose successful 2021. He kept pushing and kept working, knowing that his grandparents and nan tone of his mother was still pinch him arsenic he made his WWE debut successful 2026.
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Royce Keys looks connected successful nan ringing during WWE's Royal Rumble astatine Riyadh Season Stadium astatine KAFD successful Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, connected Jan. 31, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE)
"I for illustration to opportunity I was calved to beryllium a master wrestler and calved to beryllium successful this business arsenic a sports entertainer," he told Fox News Digital. "So my grandparents moved from Mississippi to San Francisco and they lived correct crossed nan thoroughfare from nan Cow Palace. … I grew up proceeding astir ‘High Chief’ Peter Maivia, Ray Stevens, Pat Patterson, Kenji Shibuya, Pepper Gomez and truthful ever since I tin retrieve anything, wrestling was 1 of my first memories. It’s brought a batch of joy, happiness and occurrence to my life."
Keys made his debut pinch nan institution arsenic a astonishment entrant successful nan men’s Royal Rumble lucifer successful Saudi Arabia. He eliminated 1 force earlier he was eliminated himself.
He said stepping done nan curtain was an acquisition for illustration immoderate other.
"For me, it was it was a immense trial of caller audience, caller style, being truthful acold distant from home, I didn’t cognize what to expect. Probably 1 of nan fistful of times I’ve been tense successful my life," he recalled. "But erstwhile I sewage to locomotion down that aisle, everything felt truthful natural, getting successful nan ringing and conscionable being there. All eyes connected maine so. It was decidedly rewarding. You ever get that emotion for illustration you were meant to do something? I had that emotion then."
Keys was off-screen for a spot arsenic he worked to get his feet underneath him successful a WWE ring.
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Royce Keys looks connected during SmackDown astatine SAP Center successful San Jose, Calif., connected April 10, 2026. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
After moving a fewer acheronian matches, Keys defeated Berto successful his first SmackDown appearance. He past appeared successful and won nan Andre nan Giant Memorial Battle Royal connected nan nighttime earlier WrestleMania 42 successful Las Vegas.
He said he’s bringing a definite X-factor that makes him standout among different large men connected nan roster.
"I deliberation intensity, intimidation, fear, you know, erstwhile I americium successful nan ring, I thin to get consecutive to nan point. I judge nan definite things I do successful nan ring, not only to nan group successful nan arenas kinda go, ‘Ohh,’ they consciousness it but group astatine location consciousness that arsenic good done their TV screens," he said. "It’s conscionable a batch of domination. I deliberation my life, everything that I’ve been done successful my life has group maine up for this constituent and I intend to beryllium that monster, aliases I for illustration to say, arsenic we opportunity successful nan hood, I’d for illustration to beryllium that ‘monstar’ that’s going to change, thief aliases elevate nan game."
Keys said he will beryllium bringing nan symptom to his opponents arsenic he looks to get into nan title image – whether it’s nan Undisputed WWE Championship aliases nan United States Championship.
"I deliberation each of nan above," he told Fox News Digital. "I person 1 motto that I’ve been surviving by since I was a kid and that was being taught by nan OGs and a batch of nan guys retired present (in nan Bay Area) – I return everything I want. Anything I want to return aliases I see, I’m gonna return it whether it’s championships, aliases whether it’s hurting people, whether it’s dominating nan SmackDown marque and dominating who other wants to travel over, going to different marque and dominating complete there. My life has put maine successful this position and everything that I’ve went done successful my life has put maine to this constituent and I don’t deliberation there’s anybody that could extremity me."
Royce Keys competes against Berto during SmackDown astatine SAP Center successful San Jose, Calif., connected April 10, 2026. (Melina Pizano/WWE)
Keys will beryllium a champion connected nan SmackDown roster each Friday night.
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It will beryllium intriguing to spot who steps up to nan situation and which wrestlers will autumn to his powerful force.
Ryan Gaydos is simply a elder editor for Fox News Digital.
