Royce Keys has made it clear that he has major ambitions in WWE, revealing that his top goal before the end of 2026 is to capture championship gold.

Keys has continued building momentum on WWE SmackDown in recent months, becoming a regular presence on the blue brand while picking up several notable victories along the way. One of the biggest moments of his rise came when he won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, further positioning himself as one of WWE’s emerging stars.

During a recent interview with SportsBoom, Keys was asked about the main objective he wants to accomplish before the end of next year. His answer was direct and confident.

“Have a championship belt around my waist,” Keys said. “It’s gonna happen.”

Royce Keys Talks Improving Promos And WWE Dream Matches

Beyond his in-ring goals, Keys also discussed one area of his game he continues trying to improve — connecting with the audience through promos.

According to Keys, learning how to communicate more effectively with fans remains one of the biggest parts of professional wrestling, and he pointed to Jake Roberts as one of his biggest inspirations when it comes to promo delivery.

“Talking to the audience, you can always get better at promos,” Keys explained. “You can always figure out a different way or how to get better connecting with the audience.”

He added that Roberts’ calm but intense speaking style reminded him of his grandfather.

“One person that comes to mind is Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts. He reminds me of my grandfather, because my grandfather was stern and he knew he was serious, and he didn’t have to yell,” Keys stated. “You look back at old Jake Roberts’ promos, he never yelled. But you knew he was serious.”

Keys also made it clear that he is willing to face anyone in WWE and specifically named several stars he would like to step into the ring against.

“Anybody and everybody, anybody that gets in the ring can get it,” Keys said before listing names such as Gunther, Trick Williams, Jacob Fatu, and Oba Femi.

“I take what I want, and that’s something I lived by my whole life,” he continued. “I would love to get in the ring with Gunther, Trick Williams, Jacob Fatu, Oba Femi. Anybody, man, I’m down. I don’t run from anybody. It can be anybody.”

When specifically discussing a possible match with Jacob Fatu, Keys predicted an intense and physical encounter.

“Nobody gonna get in between us,” Keys said. “If you’re in a bar and you see two big dudes go at it, what are you going to do? Hard hitting, going at it. Nonstop action. Two dudes that refuse to lay down for anybody. Somebody’s not going to get up.”

With his confidence continuing to grow and his profile steadily increasing on SmackDown, Keys appears determined to position himself as a future championship contender in WWE.

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