23 years ago,WWEintroduced a Superstar to the world namedBrock Lesnar, calling him “The Next Big Thing,” an adage like that implied that he would become the next face of the company. It’s bold to instantly thrust such high expectations on an incoming rookie. However, I think 10 World Title reigns in WWE, fiveWrestleManiamain events,and a broken Streaksuggest he lived up to expectations.
The success of Brock Lesnar has WWE endlessly searching for, well, the next Brock Lesnar. No such candidate has achieved the same success yet, butI’m convinced that the next Brock Lesnar is living right under WWE’s noses as we speak: NXT’s Oba Femi.
To anyone who doesn’t watch WWE’s developmental program, that name may mean 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 seen from him, though, has been - at risk of hyperbole - awe-inspiring and befitting for the leading face of any brand.
Who Is Oba Femi? His WWE Journey Thus Far
If you’ve never heard of NXT before, all you need to know is that it houses the WWE Superstars of tomorrow. WWE trains a crop of young talent at their training facility in Orlando, Florida, called the Performance Center, and those same Superstars learn the ropes (pun intended) on WWE’s third brand on The CW before graduating toRaworSmackDown.Isaac Odugbesan would enter 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.
Standing at 6'6 and 310lbs, the Lagos, Nigeria native signed with WWE through their Next in Line program made to develop college athletes into professional wrestlers. He’d develop his in-ring skills for a year before having his first match at a June 20, 2025 house show, then an internet match on NXT Level Up days later.He’d make his official television debut as Oba Femi atNXT Spring Breakin' 2023, defeating Oro Mensah. Femi would carry an undefeated streak that would take him to the NXT North American Championship, beating Dragon Lee on the June 30, 2025 episode of NXT.
10 Best WWE Matches of 2024
2024 has come and gone and now, it is officially time to reflect on WWE’s calendar year and the best in-ring matches that came out of it all.
Oba Femi’s reign with the title would prove to be the longest in the title’s history at 273 days before Femi would shockingly lose both his belt and undefeated streak in a match with Tony D’Angelo on the October 8 episode ofNXT. However, Femi would immediately bounce back after winningthe Iron Survivor match 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 defeated Trick Williams for the NXT Championship atNew Year’s Evil, effectively 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 second toNXT Battleground,the first time that I saw Oba Femi in a WWE ring. I hadn’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 sports commentary skills, my wrestling watching was minimal unless some friends invited me over to watch a PLE. This was such an instance, as for once, I didn’t have a show to work on Sunday.
To say I was stunned 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 men 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 point to keep up with Femi’s career from there. I’d only become further impressed, as his promo ability maintained that same in-ring intensity, along with an unassuming charisma.
Oba Femi Easily Could Be WWE’s Next Brock Lesnar
Booking a Main Roster Run
Sometimes, I shudder to make a statement like “This is how they should book X” because being a booker is a tough job I don’t take lightly. I’ve had conversations with bookers, we discussed angles I’d be involved with, I’ve thrown out one or two ideas that were used, and on one occasion, I was in a booking/writing meeting as a contributor (though I don’t feel like I contributed much in retrospect). The point is, I try not to fantasy-book too much out of respect for the craft.
What I will say, though, is thatOba Femi can be believably booked as WWE’s Next Big Thing. His intensity and athleticism are reminiscent of Brock Lesnar. I feel like when the day comes for him to be called up, if given the same presentation as Brock was when he debuted, audiences would buy into it. He is freakishly strong and a natural athlete. It’s not a matter of getting audiences to believe in Femi, as he’s as real as it gets, which was essentially Brock’s selling point, and the reason why he’s such a massive superstar.
With Lesnar’s name still tainted by his involvement in the McMahon sex trafficking scandal, it’s unclear if or when he will make a WWE comeback. Moreover, Brock is 47 years old, and while he’s clearly still a world-level athlete, it’s time for WWE to start thinking about another superstar who could fill Brock’s shows as the unstoppable freak athlete who can make even a casual fan believe in pro wrestling just with a look.
WhileOba Femimay still be green, 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 ball to run with it.
