Oba Femi has wasted no time making his presence felt as he transitions toward the WWE main roster. Last month at Saturday Night’s Main Event, the Ruler delivered a statement performance against Cody Rhodes, pushing the reigning WWE Champion to the limit before the bout ended in disqualification following interference from Drew McIntyre. Despite the controversial finish, Femi’s showing signaled that he belongs on the biggest stage.
That momentum carried into NXT New Year’s Evil, where Femi successfully retained the NXT Championship against Leon Slater. In a powerful visual moment after the match, Femi vacated the title by leaving it in the center of the ring, symbolically closing his NXT chapter. With his dominant performances and undeniable aura, Femi already appears primed for a major push as a formidable new force on the WWE main roster.
WWE Hall of Famer and longtime NXT commentator Booker T is far from surprised by the rapid rise of Oba Femi. In fact, Booker believes the 6-foot-6, 350-pound Nigerian native is perfectly positioned for a dominant main-roster run that could draw comparisons to one of the most iconic forces in professional wrestling history.
Speaking on a recent episode of the The Hall of Fame with Booker T & Brad Gilmore podcast, Booker explained why WWE appears to be handling Femi’s ascent with care and purpose.
“No, I’m not surprised at all,” Booker T said. “You’ve got to know how to build your stars. You’ve got to put those guys in position to succeed and succeed properly. A guy like Oba Femi, you don’t want to drop the ball with someone like that. You want to bring him in, and you want to bring him in white hot. And I think that’s exactly what they’re going to do.”
When asked which major star Femi’s initial run could resemble, Booker didn’t hesitate to name Goldberg.
“I think Oba Femi has the potential to go on one of those somewhat Goldberg runs,” Booker added. “He’s unbeatable until he gets to that one guy, the one who finally gets that first title shot and actually beats him once you’re on the main roster.”
Goldberg’s legendary undefeated streak in WCW, which began in 1997 and stretched through the end of 1998, was famously billed at 173 wins with zero losses. While Booker acknowledged that Femi doesn’t need to replicate those exact numbers, he emphasized that the impact should feel just as significant.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing exactly what Oba does,” Booker concluded. “With someone like him, you just have to make sure you put them in the right position to succeed. I think that’s what they’re doing, and I think they’re doing a really, really good job with him.”
Do you agree with the comments made by Booker T on Oba Femi’s call-up to WWE? Do you think the former NXT champion is primed for a big-time run as he makes way onto the main roster? Where should Oba Femi make his next big-time WWE appearance? At the Royal Rumble or on WWE Raw? Let us know in the comments.
