Powerhouse Hobbs Signs with WWE After AEW Exit

The speculation is over—Powerhouse Hobbs is officially a WWE Superstar.

After days of mounting reports and internal buzz, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select confirmed on Jawerhouse Hobbs Signs with WWE After AEW Exitnuary 22, 2026, that Hobbs is now under contract with WWE.

“Oh yeah, before I leave for a weekend off. No longer ‘believed.’ Powerhouse Hobbs is signed by WWE.”

This confirmation ends the brief but intense free agency window that opened when Hobbs’ AEW contract expired at midnight on January 15. His final AEW match—a trios title defense—aired on the January 17 episode of AEW Collision: Maximum Carnage, but as of that date, Hobbs was no longer tied to Tony Khan’s promotion.

WWE had been considered the frontrunner all along. As previously reported by Fightful and Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE had long-term interest in Hobbs, and insiders believed he would make the jump the moment his AEW obligations ended.

“WWE had expected that they had Hobbs for actually quite a while,” Dave Meltzer noted. “AEW made an offer. He turned down the AEW offer, wanted to go to WWE.”

At 35 years old, Hobbs brings serious size, presence, and upside to WWE’s roster. There’s still no word on whether he’ll debut on RAW, SmackDown, or NXT, but insiders believe Hobbs is expected to be around during Royal Rumble weekend in Saudi Arabia.

With Hobbs now officially signed, the attention turns to when—and how—WWE will introduce him to the WWE Universe.

Where do you want to see Powerhouse Hobbs land in WWE? NXT dominance? SmackDown monster? RAW enforcer? Let us know in the comments.