Royce Keys written off TV after Jacob Fatu attack on WWE Raw, injury described as bruised larynx and cervical strain

Royce Keys will be out of action indefinitely after an attack by Jacob Fatu on last week’s episode of WWE Raw, Michael Cole announced on Monday’s Raw in Norfolk, Virginia, saying Keys suffered a bruised larynx and cervical strain and will be out 'indefinitely'. Backstage reporting, however, has described the segment as a storyline rather than a genuine medical absence.

The confrontation capped a street fight that headlined the previous week’s Raw, with Fatu continuing his assault after the match by using a chair and delivering a hip attack; the 41-year-old Keys was stretchered out of the arena and WWE later posted footage of the aftermath on its YouTube channel.

Dave Meltzer reported in last week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the segment was an angle and specifically noted that it was "not an injury cover angle." That backstage information suggests Keys’ absence is not the result of a legitimate injury, according to the report.

The development followed Keys’ appearance at SummerSlam two days earlier, when he teamed with LA Knight and Solo Sikoa to defeat Jacob Fatu and The Usos.

Keys signed with WWE in January, made his debut at the Royal Rumble and later appeared on television more than two months afterward on SmackDown as he began transitioning into a regular presence on WWE programming.

WWE has presented Keys as sidelined indefinitely, and the television angle provides the company a storyline mechanism to extend the rivalry with Fatu while delaying Keys’ return.

With Keys written off television, his next move will depend on how WWE elects to progress the rivalry with Jacob Fatu.