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23 years ago , WWEintroduced a Superstar to the world namedBrock Lesnar , holler him " The Next Big Thing , " an proverb like that implied that he would become the next face of the troupe . It ’s bold to straightaway lunge such gamy arithmetic mean on an incoming rookie . However , I call up 10 World Title reigns in WWE , fiveWrestleManiamain events , and a broken Streaksuggest he lived up to outlook .
The success of Brock Lesnar has WWE continuously search for , well , the next Brock Lesnar . No such prospect has accomplish the same success yet , butI’m convinced that the next Brock Lesnar is living justly under WWE ’s nose as we speak : NXT ’s Oba Femi .
To anyone who does n’t take in WWE ’s developmental programme , that name may think nothing to you , and I ’m not going to pretend as though I ’ve followed Femi ’s career since the very beginning . What I have get word from him , though , has been - at risk of hyperbole - awe - inspiring and befitting for the leading face of any blade .
Who Is Oba Femi? His WWE Journey Thus Far
The Road to Gold
If you ’ve never heard of NXT before , all you ask to screw is that it houses the WWE hotshot of tomorrow . WWE train a crop of young talent at their education facility in Orlando , Florida , called the Performance Center , and those same Superstars learn the ropes ( pun intend ) on WWE ’s third brand on The CW before graduating toRaworSmackDown . Isaac Odugbesan would come in the Performance Center upon signing with WWE in December 2021 , fresh off of his SEC Indoor Track and Field Championship wins at the University of Alabama .
remain firm at 6'6 and 310lbs , the Lagos , Nigeria native sign up with WWE through their Next in Line program made to modernize college athlete into professional wrestlers . He ’d educate his in - ring skills for a class before get his first match at a November 11 , 2022 planetary house show , then an internet equal on NXT Level Up days later . He’d make his official television system debut as Oba Femi atNXT Spring Breakin ' 2023 , defeating Oro Mensah . Femi would acquit an undefeated streak that would take him to the NXT North American Championship , beating Dragon Lee on the January 9 , 2024 installment of NXT .
2024 has come and move and now , it is officially time to chew over on WWE ’s calendar twelvemonth and the in effect in - ring matches that came out of it all .
Oba Femi ’s reign with the title would prove to be the long in the title ’s account at 273 days before Femi would shockingly drop off both his bash and undefeated streak in a equal with Tony D’Angelo on the October 8 installment ofNXT . However , Femi would immediately bounce back after winningthe Iron Survivor mate atNXT Deadlineto become the number one contender to the NXT Championship . Much like he did in 2024 , he started off 2025 by winning gold whenOba Femi vote down Trick Williams for the NXT Championship atNew Year ’s Evil , efficaciously becoming the face of thebrand .
Oba Femi’s Size and Intensity Make Him a WWE Main Eventer
What Sold Me on Oba Femi
Let ’s go backward for a 2nd toNXT Battleground , the first time that I see Oba Femi in a WWE ring . I had n’t been following NXT for a while , or WWE TV as a whole . I had been preoccupied with focusing onmy own career as a wrestling commentatorand , unless I was studying the craft to sharpen my summercater commentary attainment , my grappling observe was minimal unless some friends invite me over to look on a PLE . This was such an example , as for once , I did n’t have a show to work on Sunday .
To say I was bedaze by the sight of Oba Femi would be an understatement . His intensity was scary to watch in motion , especially in showcasing the strength to lift two fully grown valet de chambre at once . My mouth dropped with everything he did . I remember telling my friends , " Whoever this guy is , they need to call him up and putthebelt on him . " I made it a level to keep up with Femi ’s career from there . I ’d only become further impressed , as his promo power assert that same in - doughnut intensity , along with an unassuming charisma .
Oba Femi Easily Could Be WWE’s Next Brock Lesnar
Booking a Main Roster Run
What I will say , though , is thatOba Femi can be credibly booked as WWE ’s Next prominent Thing . His saturation and strenuosity are reminiscent of Brock Lesnar . I find like when the twenty-four hour period comes for him to be called up , if give the same presentation as Brock was when he debuted , audiences would buy into it . He is capriciously potent and a natural athlete . It ’s not a topic of getting audiences to think in Femi , as he ’s as real as it gets , which was fundamentally Brock ’s merchandising point , and the reason why he ’s such a massive superstar .
With Lesnar ’s name still corrupt by his involvement in the McMahon sexual urge trafficking scandal , it ’s unreadable if or when he will make a WWE return . Moreover , Brock is 47 years old , and while he ’s understandably still a earthly concern - level jock , it ’s meter for WWE to start thinking about another genius who could sate Brock ’s shows as the unstoppable freak athlete who can make even a casual fan trust in pro grappling just with a look .
WhileOba Femimay still be fleeceable , he already has the look and feel of aWWEmain eventer , and mark my words , he has what it takes to headlineWrestleManiaone day if given the nut to run away with it .
