Hobbs/Keys should have started in NXT. Hell, Starks and Ethan Page can wrestle circles around him yet they were assigned to NXT.
The Royal Rumble debut was cool, but after that, he should have been shipped to NXT to get ready for the big time. WWE may be having him work thsoe dark matches to get him accustomed to their style, and perhaps his age (40 years old) may have been a reason he wasn't shipped to NXT, but as someone who debuted in 2009, even if he spent the bulk of that time in mudshow promotions, the fact he's relegated to dark matches while cats like Oba Femi have been in the business for less than 4 years and is thriving, isn't a good look on Hobbs/Keys.