Royce Keys’ Status for February 13 SmackDown Status Revealed

Royce Keys won’t be a mystery name on the sidelines tonight — he just confirmed he’s in the building.

After speculation about when fans would see him again following his 2026 Royal Rumble debut, Keys took matters into his own hands. Prior to tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, the former AEW standout posted to his Instagram Stories indicating he was already at the venue.

The post featured a clear shot of the WrestleMania Vegas logo inside the arena, strongly signaling that Keys is backstage and set for the show.

This comes just days after WrestleVotes noted during a February 9 Q&A session that Keys was expected to appear on this week’s SmackDown. At the time, it was reported that he had not been included on the internal runsheet the previous Friday despite being backstage at Raw on February 2. Now, there’s no guesswork involved — Royce Keys is in Dallas.

Keys made his WWE debut at No. 14 in the 2026 Royal Rumble in Riyadh under his new ring name, marking a major rebrand in front of a global audience. Reports indicated AEW made a strong effort to retain him, but he ultimately chose WWE, even reaching out to Jim Ross before making the move official.

With SmackDown building toward the Elimination Chamber premium live event and featuring a stacked card including Cody Rhodes vs. Jacob Fatu vs. Sami Zayn and Jade Cargill defending the WWE Women’s Championship, tonight already carries major stakes. Now, Royce Keys’ confirmed presence adds another to the intrigue to the blue brand. Whether he appears in a match, a promo segment, or a surprise confrontation remains to be seen — but one thing is clear: Royce Keys is officially in the house.

Are you expecting Royce Keys to make a major statement tonight on SmackDown? What kind of role should WWE position him in moving forward? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.