Oba Femi: The Next Big Thing in WWE

Who Is Oba Femi?

Oba Femi, born Jordan Oladele Olasunkanmi Femi in 1999 in Lagos, Nigeria, is a professional wrestler currently signed to WWE. Standing 6'4" and weighing approximately 265 pounds, Femi possesses the kind of physical presence that makes everyone in the building take notice the moment he steps through the curtain. But unlike many power wrestlers before him, Femi is not limited to brute force. He moves with an athleticism that seems impossible for his size, a combination that has drawn comparisons to some of the greatest big men in wrestling history.

Before wrestling, Femi was a track and field athlete who competed at the collegiate level in the United States. He threw shot put and discus, which explains the explosive power he brings to the ring. His athletic background also gave him a work ethic and competitive mindset that translated seamlessly into professional wrestling. He signed with WWE in 2022 and was assigned to the Performance Center in Orlando, where he quickly stood out as one of the most promising trainees in the facility's history.

NXT: Building a Foundation

Femi's NXT career was a masterclass in developmental booking. Rather than rushing him to the main event scene before he was ready, WWE's developmental team gave him time to learn the fundamentals while protecting his aura. His early matches were short, dominant squashes that established him as an unstoppable force. As his skills improved, the matches got longer and the opponents got more credible.

The NXT North American Championship became the vehicle for Femi's breakout. He won the title at NXT New Year's Evil 2024 in a match that showcased both his raw power and his rapidly improving ability to tell a story in the ring. His reign lasted over 200 days, during which he defended against some of NXT's best performers and established himself as the clear next call-up to the main roster.

What made Femi's NXT run special was not just the wins and the title reign. It was the way he carried himself. Even in NXT, he had the presence of a main roster star. His entrance commanded attention, his promos — while still developing — had a quiet intensity that felt different from the typical NXT fare. The Performance Center coaches reportedly marveled at how quickly he absorbed feedback and implemented it into his performances.

The Main Roster Call-Up

Femi was called up to WWE's main roster in the fall of 2025, debuting on SmackDown in a segment that immediately established him as a force. He did not arrive with a slow build or a series of vignettes. He walked out, stood in the ring, and the visual alone told the audience everything they needed to know. When he spoke, the words were few but effective: "I am here. And everything changes now."

His first several weeks on the main roster followed the NXT blueprint: dominant victories over increasingly credible opponents. He defeated established mid-carders cleanly and convincingly, and the production team did an excellent job making each victory feel significant. The crowd started to buy in quickly. By his third week on SmackDown, he was getting genuine reactions, not because of a storyline, but because his presence alone was enough to make people pay attention.

The key decision was keeping Femi relatively quiet on the microphone during this period. Rather than exposing him with long promos before he was comfortable, WWE let his physicality do the talking. Short, declarative statements backed by devastating in-ring performances. It was the same approach that worked for early Brock Lesnar, early Goldberg, and early Roman Reigns — let the audience fill in the blanks with their own imagination.

The Brock Lesnar Connection

The comparisons to Brock Lesnar started almost immediately and are impossible to ignore. Like Lesnar, Femi is a legitimate athlete with freakish physical gifts who chose professional wrestling. Like Lesnar, he projects an aura of danger that feels different from the typical wrestling character. And like Lesnar, WWE has positioned him as a generational talent who could carry the company for the next decade.

WWE leaned into the comparison rather than running from it, which was a smart creative decision. The angle started with Lesnar watching Femi from the crowd during a SmackDown taping in January, a callback to how Lesnar himself used to survey potential targets during his early main roster run. The following week, Lesnar confronted Femi backstage and delivered a line that encapsulated the entire story: "You remind me of me. And that's a problem."

From there, the build to WrestleMania has been brilliantly simple. No convoluted storylines, no unnecessary interference. Just two physically imposing athletes on a collision course, with the implicit understanding that WrestleMania will determine whether Femi is truly the next iteration of what Lesnar represents, or just another prospect who could not deliver when it mattered most. For our full WrestleMania preview including this match, see our WrestleMania 42 breakdown.

In-Ring Style and Signature Moves

Femi's in-ring style is built around explosive power and surprising agility. His moveset emphasizes throws, slams, and strikes that leverage his considerable size advantage over most opponents. But what sets him apart from other power wrestlers is his willingness and ability to leave his feet. He can hit a standing moonsault at 265 pounds, a feat of athleticism that never fails to shock audiences.

Comparisons to Past "Next Big Things"

Every generation of wrestling has its "next big thing" — the prospect who is supposed to carry the industry into its next era. Some have lived up to the hype. Many have not. Understanding where Femi fits in this lineage requires looking at who came before him.

The key difference between Femi and most of these predecessors is timing. He is arriving in an era where WWE has more platforms, more content needs, and more global reach than ever before. The company needs new franchise players, and Femi checks every box: he looks like a star, he performs like an athlete, and he has the cultural background to connect with WWE's increasingly international audience.

Why WWE Is Investing in Femi

WWE's investment in Oba Femi is not just about one match or one storyline. It is about the next decade of the company. The current main event scene — Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins — is populated by performers in their late 30s and 40s. They are at the peak of their careers, but the clock is ticking. WWE needs younger stars who can carry the company when this generation steps back.

Femi is 26 years old. If he stays healthy and continues to develop, he could be a top star for the next 15 years. That kind of long-term upside is rare and valuable, and WWE is clearly treating him accordingly. The WrestleMania match against Lesnar is not just a one-off spectacle. It is the official anointing of Femi as a main event player, a signal to the audience and the locker room that this man is the future. If you are new to wrestling and want to understand the broader landscape, check out our Wrestling 101 beginner's guide.

What to Expect at WrestleMania and Beyond

The WrestleMania match against Lesnar is the biggest test of Femi's career so far, but it is only the beginning. If he wins — and most observers expect he will — the question becomes what comes next. A Money in the Bank briefcase cash-in? A world championship program? A feud with another established main eventer?

The most likely scenario is a post-WrestleMania feud with a veteran who can guide him through longer, more nuanced matches while he continues to develop his character work. Names like Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, or even a returning Drew McIntyre would all be excellent opponents for this stage of Femi's development.

The long-term play is clear: Femi wins the WWE Championship by WrestleMania 43 or 44 at the latest. The company is building him for a sustained run at the top, not a flash-in-the-pan moment. Everything about his booking — the protected losses, the meaningful victories, the slow character build — points to a long-term plan that treats Femi as a foundational piece of WWE's future.

The Cultural Significance

It is worth noting the cultural significance of Femi's rise. As a Nigerian-born performer, he represents a growing trend in WWE toward genuine global representation. Africa is one of WWE's fastest-growing markets, and having a Nigerian star in a prominent position is both good business and good for the industry. Femi has spoken about being inspired by Kofi Kingston's WWE Championship win in 2019 and wanting to be the same kind of inspiration for the next generation of African athletes.

His success is not tokenism. He is in this position because he is genuinely one of the most talented prospects WWE has developed in years. But the fact that his rise coincides with WWE's global expansion makes his story even more significant. He is not just a wrestler. He is a potential gateway for millions of new fans in a continent that loves athletics and loves compelling characters.