Royce Keys makes a powerhouse debut

Within his home state of California, Royce Keys–formerly known as Powerhouse Hobbs–has finally made his TV debut during tonight’s SmackDown.

Taking on Humberto Carillo of Los Garza, Royce got a chance to show off the mix of athleticism, mobility, and strength which makes him such a coveted prospect. The match featured Beto trying to outwit Royce using his speed and finesse. While he would sometimes catch Royce off guard, he’d eventually get slammed by a variety of creative moves. 

One of the most beautiful ones was a catapult off the ground into a twisting power slam. This led to a distraction by Angel Garza, after which Berto launched Royce into the ring post. Keys had no problem selling throughout the match for a lower card wrestler like Berto, and he did it well.

However, the fun part was the selling made his explosive maneuvers better. While he’d look staggered for a few seconds, he’d instantly launch a slam reversal or a Meat Hook Clothesline out of nowhere. In the end, Royce took his straps down to hit a thundering Spinebuster for the win.

After the match, Royce was met by Solo Sikoa. Solo told him that if he needs anything on Smackdown, his “doors are always open”. 

Royce gave him a subtle nod, and I’m intrigued to see how a tweener Royce interacts with Solo Sikoa and the MFTs. I think this is a really good way to both bring Keys into the fold and revitalize Solo’s stale run, as Keys has the charisma and in-ring offense to make a feud between the two worth watching. Overall, it was a very solid TV debut for a very good prospect.