WWE reportedly has significant plans in mind for Royce Keys and OTM following their arrival on the main roster.
Keys, Bronco Nima, and Lucien Price made their presence felt on Monday’s episode of WWE Raw, interfering in the scheduled main event involving The Usos, Solo Sikoa, and LA Knight. The trio laid out all four men in an angle designed to immediately establish them as a new threat on the brand.
According to a new report, there have been internal comparisons to the way WWE introduced The Nexus and The Shield, with both groups making an immediate impact before being placed into prominent storylines.
There has also reportedly been talk that the angle involving Keys, Nima, and Price could eventually lead to a WarGames match.
The decision to put the three together apparently came together within the past month and represented a significant change from WWE’s previous direction for OTM.
At one point, the plan was reportedly for Nima and Price to split, with WWE Vice President of Content and Development Jeremy Borash considering Nima for a spot in Los Perros Del Mal in AAA. WWE had even begun laying the groundwork for the OTM breakup on NXT television.
Those plans were ultimately abandoned. Nima began being written out of Los Perros Del Mal storylines in AAA, while WWE instead elected to keep Nima and Price together and move OTM to the main roster.
That led to Monday’s Raw angle, where the duo officially aligned with Keys and immediately entered the mix with several established WWE stars.
Keys had most recently appeared on WWE television earlier this month, losing to Jacob Fatu on the August 3 episode of SmackDown. Nima, meanwhile, had been working with Los Perros Del Mal before WWE changed course on the direction of OTM.