Powerhouse Hobbs appears to be on his way to WWE.
Hobbs’ AEW contract has officially expired, and there is no non-compete clause attached to his deal. That means Hobbs is free to appear immediately once an agreement is finalized, with Friday’s WWE SmackDown on January 16 even being floated internally as a possible landing spot if timing aligns.
There is also early discussion surrounding a potential name change upon his WWE arrival. While nothing has been finalized, the expectation is that Hobbs could debut under an altered name, though simply going by “Hobbs” remains a possibility.
Behind the scenes, AEW and Hobbs had been engaged in contract talks over the past several months. Multiple offers were presented, including proposals as recently as this week, with the belief being that the terms were substantial.
Despite that, Hobbs had largely made up his mind and was said to be mindful about exiting on good terms without burning bridges.
One pitch involved Hobbs stepping into a full-time main roster role elsewhere.
WWE’s interest in Hobbs is not new. The company has tracked him for several years and had previously attempted to make contact during the Dan Ventrelle era, keeping tabs on his development long before his AEW run came to an end.
Speaking of Hobbs’ AEW run coming to an end, as noted, he finished up with the company with his final match at the taping of AEW Collision: Maximum Carnage, which airs this Saturday on TNT and HBO Max.
For those interested, you can check out complete AEW Collision: Maximum Carnage Spoilers For January 17, 2026 here at WrestlingHeadlines.com.
If and when Hobbs officially arrives, it would mark another notable addition to the expanding WWE roster, which is currently in the midst of an influx of fresh, established faces from NXT.
We will keep you posted here at WrestlingHeadlines.com as updates regarding Powerhouse Hobbs jumping-ship from AEW to WWE continue to surface.
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(H/T: WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select)
