Oba Femi is WWE’s absolute center of gravity right now, and if you watched Money in the Bank last night, you know they are building him for something truly epic. He had a mid-card slot, he ditched his own world title shot earlier this summer, and he has not even wrestled on “Raw” since July. But make no mistake, every single move WWE makes is about creating an all-time iconic moment when this former NXT champion, arguably the most exciting breakthrough talent since Brock Lesnar, finally beats Roman Reigns for the biggest prize in wrestling.
“The Ruler” Proved He’s Borderline Superman Against a Beast
Last night’s Money in the Bank event was a massive reminder of just how much WWE is staking on their rising star. Oba Femi getting the win over a returning Bronson Reed was not exactly a shocker. But the way he did it? That’s what should have everyone talking! Femi survived a one-two punch with brass knuckles, then kicked out of Reed’s Tsunami *and* a moonsault. That is straight-up borderline Superman strength from “The Ruler,” man. And we cannot forget who he was facing. Reed is the guy WWE calls on when they need to dispense a beating, the one who gives them a plausible reason to take an injured wrestler off TV. This is the same dude who got one over on Reigns last year, even if that victory probably owed a lot to hometown advantage. Reed is a certified beast, and Femi absolutely crushed him. This is not even the first time WWE has used a premium live event to give Femi his props. Back in January, he stood tall in the Rumble. Since then, he has beaten Lesnar on both stadium shows, though Brock did get one back at Clash in Italy. And he won the King of the Ring tournament without even breaking a sweat. If you have not figured it out yet, we are witnessing an all-timer in terms of a rookie year right here.
The King’s Privilege and The WrestleMania Play
There were some grumbles, for sure, when Femi decided not to use his King’s privilege for a world title shot. If you are old-school, it felt pretty inexplicable, right? Like getting to the last question on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” and just shrugging it off. But when you zoom out and look at the big picture, Femi’s decision to skip a title shot actually makes total sense. If WWE let him go for either world title, or God forbid, one of the lesser mid-card belts this year, it would only undermine what we are all expecting at next year’s WrestleMania. ‘Mania is where the biggest title changes go down. And next year’s show has two massive reasons to throw everything they have at it. First, there is the truly colossal paycheck from the Saudi hosts, likely hundreds of millions of dollars. Second, they absolutely need to make the show exciting enough to ensure the North American fanbase tunes in at brunchtime on both days. How do you do that? You unleash all that Oba Femi potential they have been building for a year. We have all seen the crowds react to him, that sheer euphoria pulsing through the arena when those tribal drums kick in for his entrance. Just imagine that intensity times a thousand.
So yeah, Money in the Bank was not just another show. It was another undeniable brick in the road for Oba Femi, a road that is clearly leading straight to Roman Reigns at next year’s WrestleMania. Get ready, because when those tribal drums hit at ‘Mania, the entire wrestling world is gonna erupt.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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