Tony Khan addresses Powerhouse Hobbs recent departure from AEW

All Elite Wrestling officially said goodbye to Powerhouse Hobbs last month, closing the chapter on a run that saw him rise from early appearances to championship success. Hobbs departed the company as a former AEW TNT Champion and AEW World Trios Champion before quickly resurfacing on a new stage.

Just days after leaving AEW, Hobbs made a surprise appearance in the Men’s Royal Rumble, entering under the new ring name Royce Keys and marking the start of his next chapter with World Wrestling Entertainment.

Speaking with YoJoshMartinez, AEW President and CEO Tony Khan reflected positively on Hobbs time with the company and made it clear there are no hard feelings surrounding the move.

“Well, I think Powerhouse Hobbs had a great run here in AEW,” Khan said. “He started wrestling here in Jacksonville, where I am now, and had some great matches and became a champion in AEW. We were just talking about the TNT Champion. He’s a former TNT Champion, former World Trios Champion in this run here. I’ll always wish him all the best.”

Hobbs final AEW appearance came on the January 17 episode of AEW Collision, where he teamed with Samoa Joe and Katsuyori Shibata as The Opps in a losing effort while defending the AEW World Trios Championships. The trio held the titles for more than 270 days, establishing one of the more dominant reigns in the division.

In his Royal Rumble performance, Hobbs lasted close to ten minutes and made an immediate impact. He scored an elimination over former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest before eventually being dumped from the match by Bronson Reed of The Vision.

At this stage, WWE has not revealed which brand Hobbs will be assigned to. A move to NXT would reunite him with several familiar faces from his AEW days, including Ricky Saints, Shawn Spears, and Ethan Page. Meanwhile, Raw and SmackDown also feature a growing list of former AEW talent such as CM Punk, Rusev, Jade Cargill, Cody Rhodes, and Aleister Black, leaving Hobbs potential landing spot wide open.

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