WWE star Royce Keys talks grinding on the indies with Jacob Fatu before reaching pro wrestling pinnacle

WWE star Royce Keys recalls the sometimes terrifying roadtrips he needed to take to get to the top in an interview with Fox News Digital.

Before Royce Keys was picking apart opponents in WWE, he was wrestling and working with future stars on the independent scene in the Bay Area.

Keys performed for West Coast Pro along with fellow WWE star Jacob Fatu before each of them took gigantic strides into becoming the superstars fans cheer for today. West Coast Pro owner Scott Bregante detailed the company’s rise and impact on the industry in an interview with Fox News Digital before its shows took place during WrestleMania week last month.

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Royce Keys looks on in the ring during WWE's Royal Rumble at Riyadh Season Stadium at KAFD in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 31, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE)

WWE SmackDown’s newest big man said West Coast Pro was a different experience than a lot of other places he worked on.

"A lot. Scott is one of my partners from way back. He knows everything that I’ve been through. Me and him have been through some things together," Keys told Fox News Digital. "Definitely the West Coast has a different feel from any other place I’ve been. I’m not knocking any other place.

"The West Coast man, I think we grind harder, we get with it, we take what we want. For me, I like to say it’s in the water out here in the Bay. You drink the water out here, it’s something different."

Fatu, who is set to challenge Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship at Backlash next weekend, was a top guy at West Coast Pro as well. Keys said he had "no doubt" that Fatu would emerge as big of a star as he is now in WWE.

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