Long before the referee’s hand struck the mat for the final count, the mood inside WrestleMania 42 had already begun to change. What was expected to be a hard contest between an established powerhouse and a rising newcomer was turning into something far more memorable, the night a Nigerian wrestler forced the wrestling world to take notice.
That wrestler was Oba Femi, the commanding 27-year-old known in the ring as “The Ruler.” In one of the night’s headline bouts, he stunned fans by defeating 10-time champion Brock Lesnar in less than five minutes during his WrestleMania debut. The result quickly became one of the defining talking points of the event.
The early moments of the match followed a familiar pattern. Lesnar, one of the most feared competitors in WWE history, pressed forward with the kind of raw aggression that has defined his career. A series of punishing moves suggested the veteran was settling into control. Yet Femi remained composed, absorbing the pressure while waiting for the opportunity to respond.
The turning point arrived when Lesnar delivered his feared F5, a finishing move that has ended countless matches but the Nigerian wrestler refused to stay down. Recovering almost instantly, Femi rose with renewed force, drove Lesnar to the canvas with a powerful chokeslam, and moments later followed with his finishing move, the crushing “Fall From Grace” sit-out powerbomb. The referee counted the pin, sealing a victory that few had predicted.
What happened after the bell carried its own symbolism. Lesnar left his wrestling gear in the ring, a gesture widely understood in professional wrestling as a sign of retirement. In that single moment, the scene seemed to capture a passing of the torch, the closing of one remarkable era and the emergence of another.
Behind the imposing presence of Oba Femi is Isaac Odugbesan, a Lagos-born athlete whose journey to the top stage of professional wrestling has unfolded with remarkable speed. Before stepping into the WWE ring, he competed as a shotput athlete, developing the strength and explosive power that would later define his wrestling style.
His entry into WWE came in 2021, when he joined the organisation through its NIL programme, an initiative designed to recruit elite athletes from other sports. From there, his rise gathered momentum. Competing in WWE’s developmental brand NXT, Femi quickly established himself as one of its most dominant performers. During that period he became a two-time champion and also captured the NXT North American title.
His growing reputation was further reinforced when he won the 2023 NXT Men’s Breakout Tournament and the 2024 Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge, victories that signalled his readiness for the global stage. Even so, his arrival at the very top remains recent. Femi has spent just three months on WWE’s main roster, making his WrestleMania triumph all the more striking.
Physically, the Nigerian star commands attention the moment he steps into the arena. Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing around 310 pounds, he combines imposing size with impressive athletic movement, a combination that proved decisive in his clash with Lesnar.
The generational contrast between the two competitors adds another layer to the moment. Born in 1998, Femi was just four years old when Brock Lesnar made his WWE debut. On Sunday night, the athlete who once grew up during Lesnar’s rise delivered a victory that may mark the beginning of a new chapter in the sport.
Across Nigeria, the triumph has sparked excitement and pride, reinforcing a familiar truth: when Nigerian talent steps onto the world stage, it often does so with authority.
Yet for Oba Femi, the victory appears to be only the beginning. During the WrestleMania post-show, he sent a message to Roman Reigns, widely known as the “Original Tribal Chief.” The remark hinted at a possible title challenge later in the year, suggesting that the Lagos-born powerhouse may already be setting his sights on an even bigger prize.
For a wrestler who has spent only months on WWE’s main roster, the confidence is unmistakable. After what unfolded at WrestleMania 42, the wrestling world now knows that when Oba Femi steps into the ring, the story can change in an instant.
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