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WWE SmackDown Comes to OKC: Royce Keys talks Royal Rumble debut

Posted: Jul 6th 2026 By: Christian Hans

Friday Night SmackDown is coming to the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, and that includes WWE superstar Royce Keys.

Royce Keys is living out a lifelong dream after signing with WWE earlier this year. Keys stopped by News 9 on Monday to talk about his whirlwind debut at the Royal Rumble, life on the road, and what fans can expect from the show.

I want to talk about you as well and your story. You’re a newcomer to WWE; how did you get here?

Keys: Just hit my sixth month here. It’s crazy.

What is really crazy is your start. The Royal Rumble is a huge event. You were a surprise entrant into the Royal Rumble. Walk me through that moment.

Keys: 26-hour travel day, hiding in my room for one day, jumping in the car to go to the venue. It’s crazy. Anybody knows I’m a huge wrestling fan. My whole family is a huge wrestling fan, but debuting at the Royal Rumble, it’s like one of the top four. It’s like one of the pinnacle pay-per-views for WWE.

Huge crowd pop, too, because people were familiar with you from your time with AEW (All Elite Wrestling). What’s that transition been like?

Keys: First of all, it’s like a dream. It’s a dream come true, but everything is just to a T. The production, the people working there, staff, talent, it’s the place to be. As we say in the business, it’s the Mecca.

The production’s going to be top level at the Paycom Center on Friday night. What can fans expect when they show up?

Keys: Well, first of all, anyone that attends, we have a special promo code, Save30, so you save 30% on your tickets. Also, tickets are starting off at $30. So anybody that’s new to WWE or is a huge fan, the thing we like to say is that anything is unexpected.

There’s obviously some tension building right now between you, Jacob Fatu, the Bloodline. This is a long history.

Keys: I knew you were going to ask that. I’m so deep in that family, especially being trained by the WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi Fatu. So me and that whole family, we go back. Trying to bring my partner, trying to bring my boy Jacob back. You know that he doesn’t need Roman Reigns.

Do you think it’s gonna come to blows on Friday? What should we be watching out for?

Keys: I hope not, but you know, sometimes family, you gotta put the SmackDown on each other, you know?

For folks watching at home, obviously WWE is in a different town just about every week. It’s a lot of traveling. How’s life been on the road?

Keys: Something you gotta adjust to. It’s a huge sacrifice, especially if you have a family at home, but we’re non-stop, all year, 52 weeks a year, sometimes three or four days a week, depending on what the schedule is. So it’s something that you have to get used to. Sacrifice is a big thing in this business.