Royce Keys and OTM’s arrival on WWE Raw had reportedly been in the works for several weeks.
Keys, Bronco Nima and Lucien Price made their presence felt on Monday’s show, appearing together and launching an attack on The Usos, Solo Sikoa and LA Knight.
While the alliance came as a surprise on television, WWE had reportedly been developing the idea behind the scenes for “a few weeks.” Backstage reaction to putting Keys alongside Nima and Price was also said to be “very positive.”
Keys had been absent from WWE television since losing to Jacob Fatu on the August 3 episode of Raw. Nima and Price, meanwhile, have been paired together as OTM dating back to their time in NXT.
Nima’s recent AAA storyline also helped clear the way for the new direction. After aligning with Perros del Mal, he was kicked out of the group following his loss to Penta.
The three officially joined forces on the August 24 Raw, immediately putting themselves in the middle of a storyline involving several of the brand’s biggest names.
It remains to be seen what WWE has planned for Keys and OTM moving forward, but their debut as a unit certainly made it clear that the company intends to position the group prominently out of the gate.
(H/T: False Finish HQ)
