• Tony Khan Made An Insane Offer To Powerhouse Hobbs To Stay In AEW
The wrestling world is buzzing about Royce Keyes (formerly Powerhouse Hobbs) debuting in WWE at Royal Rumble 2026, but the real story is the eye-popping money he walked away from to get there. Internal reports suggest AEW didn’t just try to keep him – they tried to make him one of the highest-paid wrestlers in the history of the company.
According to the Wrestling Observer, the final 5-year offer from Tony Khan was “much higher than expected.” It wasn’t just a standard raise; it was a top-tier investment that would’ve put Hobbs in the same financial bracket as Bryan Danielson when he first made the jump from WWE.
To understand how much AEW valued Powerhouse Hobbs, look at the historical comparisons:
The 2019 Scale: The offer was higher than what nearly every founding AEW member made in year one, except for Chris Jericho.
WWE Comparison: The salary offered would have topped what Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were earning four years ago.
The Main Event Benchmark: The numbers reportedly hovered near the range of what a top-tier star like Seth Rollins was making in that same 2021-2022 period.
In 2019, many ex-WWE stars in All Elite Wrestling were earning about a third of what AEW offered Powerhouse Hobbs, according to the Wrestling Observer. Despite Tony Khan being willing to pay triple the industry standard to keep his powerhouse, Keyes chose the WWE spotlight over the AEW check.
While his new WWE salary remains a secret, the fact that he turned down guaranteed big money in AEW shows he’s betting big on his future as Royce Keyes.
RELATED: Reason Behind “Royce Keys” Being Chosen As Powerhouse Hobbs’ WWE Name
ALSO: Multiple AEW Stars React To Royce Keys’ WWE Debut
• Why Ava Decided To Leave WWE Despite More Money Being Offered
The wrestling world was caught off guard when Ava (Simone Johnson) suddenly announced her WWE departure, but the truth behind her exit has finally surfaced.
Despite her high-profile role as NXT’s youngest General Manager, the fourth-generation star decided she didn’t want to do it anymore. The Wrestling Observer confirmed that the decision was entirely her own. Unlike most talent who fight to stay in the industry, the 24-year-old reportedly felt no “compelling reason” to continue.
The timing of her departure sparked immediate rumors regarding her personal life. Speculation has swirled that the recent, quiet release of her girlfriend, WWE LFG talent Tatyanna Dumas, may have been the final straw.
While WWE never publicly announced Dumas’ exit, insiders noted the connection, though the Observer clarified that it’s unclear if that was the primary motive or just a contributing factor.
Bodyslam later added that WWE even offered Ava more money to stay, but she turned it down and decided she won’t sign a new contract.
Before becoming the General Manager of NXT, Ava had a short run as a wrestler on NXT. In 2023, she had 6 matches in NXT. Her debut match took place at NXT Stand & Deliver 2023 Kickoff. Her last match took place at NXT Heatwave 2023, where she lost to Ivy Nile.
