At WrestleMania 42, we witnessed a very big difference between Night 1 and Night 2. Night 1 saw its fair share of moments, but didn’t seem to have much wrestling, especially on the women’s side of things. As for Night 2, the matches were far better, and it genuinely felt like WrestleMania again. However, there was still one match that was less than five minutes, the match that kicked it all off on ESPN proper between Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar.
This was an absolute dream match in every sense of the word. One of the biggest bada**es the WWE has ever seen went one-on-one with one of the biggest up-and-comers that the WWE has ever seen. This was a heavyweight clash of monumental proportions. Not only did Oba Femi get the win, but he did so dominantly. He may have even forced “The Beast” to retire. A star was indeed born at WrestleMania 42.
Oba Femi Cemented Himself As A Star at WrestleMania 42
WrestleMania Sunday kicked off with a huge bang as Oba Femi battled Brock Lesnar. This may have been one of the biggest and most anticipated WrestleMania matches in quite some time. This was one that fans were genuinely optimistic about, with a younger star going over a veteran. Spoiler alert: they weren’t disappointed. Even with the rumors that Lesnar may have “squashed” Femi… But those rumors could not have been more wrong.
Femi walked into the match looking like a million bucks. His music hit a massive ovation from the 50,000+ in attendance. He strutted down to the ring with the fans cheering “OBA! OBA! OBA” and copying his march. He already won half of the battle with the entrance, and yes, that includes becoming a made man. When you have 50,000 people screaming your name at your very first WrestleMania and copying your moves, it’s safe to say you’re going to go far in this business.
The match was kept short, under five minutes. However, it more than did the job and cemented Femi as a future star in this world. The Ruler truly looked invincible. Brock Lesnar tried to take him down with a couple of clotheslines, but Femi barely moved an inch. The Beast Incarnate was instantly shocked and had to regroup. He did eventually find his way back into the war, taking Femi on a trip to Suplex City.
However, this was the Ruler’s night to shine and ascend to the top, and he did just that. Lesnar hit Femi with an F-5, but he didn’t stay down. Femi got right back up and landed a massive chokeslam on Lesnar. He then picked up Lesnar for his finishing move, the Fall From Grace, which put Lesnar away for the three-count.
A short match that had just as much of an impact as the 30+ minute main event between Roman Reigns and CM Punk. The message of the match was clear: Oba Femi has arrived. He is now the guy to beat and the man who rules over WWE with an iron fist.
The Beast, Brock Lesnar, was the man who ended The Undertaker’s legendary WrestleMania streak. However, despite all of his accomplishments in the WWE, he was no match for the former NXT Champion. This was the first time, probably ever, where we saw Lesnar look human. He had no answer for Femi, who is essentially a better and younger version of Brock Lesnar. Oba Femi is the Brock Lesnar of 2002 in a way.
After his defeat at WrestleMania, Lesnar took off his gloves and boots and left them in the ring. He soaked in the crowd’s adulation for seemingly one final time, as many fans in the arena wondered if this meant goodbye to The Beast. However, if there’s any silver lining in this for Lesnar, he can retire knowing that he absolutely created a megastar for the WWE for at least the next decade, maybe longer, in his final match.
Now, I know there’s talk about Lesnar potentially coming back at SummerSlam to work with Gunther. However, if I’m WWE/Lesnar, I let WrestleMania truly be the end of The Beast’s legendary career. While it’s never easy to see the great ones go, what will Gunther/Lesnar accomplish that wasn’t accomplished with Femi/Lesnar? Femi can forever be the guy who ended one of the most legendary careers in the WWE.
So, lo and behold, a star was born at WrestleMania 42. Oba Femi’s squashing of Brock Lesnar put him in a very elite group of people who actually manhandled The Beast. He did something at his first-ever WrestleMania that many other wrestlers can only ever dream of. He not only took the fight to Lesnar, but also decisively decimated him. This is something that cannot go understated. This is a major deal and should be treated as such.
Now, where does Femi go from here? That’s a whole other story. Maybe a date with Roman Reigns is in the future, in a real passing of the torch moment. But what does he do on Monday Night RAW for the time being to continue his momentum from WrestleMania 42? That’s the real question. While a lot may be up in the air still, one thing we know for sure is that a star was truly born at WrestleMania, and his name is “The Ruler,” Oba Femi.
What do you think? Share your thoughts, opinions, feedback, and anything else that was raised on Twitter @PWMania and Facebook.com/PWMania.
Until next time
– Scott Mitchell
You can follow me on X (Twitter) and Instagram @Scott44Mitchell
