Backstage Details On WWE Pairing Royce Keys With Former NXT Stars OTM On Raw

By Eric Mutter
Royce Keys looking like a powerhouse Eakin Howard/Getty Images

After a few weeks off licking his wounds following a loss to Jacob Fatu, Royce Keys returned to "WWE Raw" in a big way, aligning himself with Bronco Nima and Lucien Price of OTM to take out The Usos, LA Knight, and Solo Sikoa. Putting this new faction into the middle of "Raw's" top storyline would seem to suggest that pairing Keys with OTM has been in the works for a bit, and that's what WWE is claiming. On X, False Finish reported that the idea of this trio "had been in the works for weeks" prior to their debut. In addition, WWE was also pleased with how the trios arrival to "Raw" came across.

Despite WWE's claims, there's some evidence to suggest that WWE may have pivoted from whatever their initial plans were for Keys and OTM, specifically when it comes to Bronco Nima. Not only had WWE been teasing a breakup between Nima and Price on "NXT" earlier in August, but Nima had also just joined the reformed Perros del Mal stable in AAA, alongside Angel Garza, Berto, Daga, and Karmen Petrovic. Nima was removed from the group after losing to Penta on Saturday's episode of "AAA on Fox," which had been taped the week before; this suggests that the decision to include Nima and Price with Keys may have occurred as late as last weekend.

Since Keys, Nima, and Price targeted both the Bloodline and the Knight/Sikoa tandem, it remains to be seen whether the group will be positioned as babyfaces or heels going forward. It also remains to be seen whether the group will be looking to make an impact in the tag team and multi-man matches, or if Nima and Price will largely be support for Keys, who may now find himself in position to challenge WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns.

Comments

Recommended