Why Royce Keys Started on Main WWE Roster Instead of NXT

Royce Keys hasn’t appeared on WWE television since debuting at the Royal Rumble, but new information explains one major detail about how his WWE deal came together.

According to Fightful Select, Keys was very clear during negotiations with WWE that he did not want to start his run in NXT. Instead, he pushed to join the main roster immediately when finalizing his contract with the company.

“We haven’t been told of specific plans creatively, but when negotiating his WWE deal, he was adamant he be on the main roster as opposed to NXT.”

That stance played a key role in how WWE structured his deal after he departed AEW and signed with the company earlier this year. The situation isn’t completely unusual. The report notes that other wrestlers have taken a similar approach when joining WWE in recent years.

“There are other talent that has happened with, including Penta and Rey Fenix.”

Even though Keys has not been featured on television since his Royal Rumble appearance, he has remained active behind the scenes. Fightful Select noted that he has been traveling with WWE regularly while the company continues working on plans for him.

“In addition to filming Stephanie McMahon’s podcast, Keys got scanned for WWE 2K and announced for that, and has been traveling to TV weekly and working dark matches.”

The report also stated that WWE has filmed additional content with Keys, although details about those projects have not yet been revealed. Fightful also confirmed that Keys signed a multi-year contract with WWE shortly after leaving AEW.

“We’re told that they’ve also filmed additional projects with him, though we haven’t heard what they are.”

“Keys signed a multi-year deal with WWE immediately upon leaving AEW.”

While Keys has yet to return to WWE programming since the Royal Rumble, the fact that he insisted on a main roster role could explain why the company has taken extra time to figure out the right direction for him.

Do you think Royce Keys made the right move by pushing for a main roster spot instead of going through NXT first? Let us know what you think and share your thoughts in the comments.