WWE fans have been waiting to see what’s next for Royce Keys after his epic Royal Rumble debut—and now we know WWE is planting seeds for something bigger.
According to Fightful Select, Royce Keys was recently at WWE Headquarters filming an episode of “What’s Your Story?” alongside Stephanie McMahon. That detail helps clear up speculation about why the former AEW star was spotted at Stamford this week after he uploaded a photo from his visit to the WWE Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, on February 10.
WrestleVotes added fuel to the fire during a February 9 Q&A, saying Keys is “expected to appear” on this week’s Friday Night SmackDown in Dallas. He wasn’t listed on last week’s SmackDown runsheet and was merely backstage for the February 2 episode of Raw—but now things are heating up fast.
“I was surprised we didn’t see him last Friday,” WrestleVotes said. “From what I saw, he was not on any of the sheets at all. He was not included there. We’ll see him this Friday night from Dallas, Texas.”
Keys debuted as entry No. 14 in the 2026 Royal Rumble—marking his first WWE appearance after rejecting a deal to stay with AEW. That dramatic rebrand, under the name Royce Keys, came after he personally reached out to Jim Ross before committing to WWE.
Now WWE appears to be laying the groundwork for a serious push—complete with network-produced features and a prime SmackDown appearance. Royce Keys isn’t just showing up. WWE is making sure you know his story before he even throws another punch.
Are you ready to see Royce Keys back in action on SmackDown? What do you think WWE has planned for him? Drop your thoughts in the comments—we want to hear from you.