​Oba Femi is set to collide with Jey Uso at WWE Night of Champions 2026. Since making his main roster debut as the No. 1 entrant in the Royal Rumble, the King of the Ring winner has made a striking impression, quickly establishing himself as a formidable force on both RAW and SmackDown. The 6-foot-6 superstar has wasted no time making waves, overpowering Brock Lesnar in a WrestleMania 42 moment, testing former WWE Champion Cody Rhodes at Saturday Night’s Main Event, and capturing the 2026 King of the Ring title. It’s clear that the Nigerian standout is destined for greatness, a sentiment echoed by WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry, who believes Femi is already on the level of Roman Reigns.
In an exclusive discussion with Heavy, Henry weighed in on the ascent of Oba Femi, arguing that he believes the rising star is the sport’s next defining figure. “Oba Femi could easily be the face of WWE. He already is,” Henry told Casino.org. “He’s so close; it’s simply a matter of him getting the opportunity now. That is the only thing holding him back. I would put him equal to Roman Reigns in popularity right now.”
Despite having less than a year of main roster experience, Henry asserts that Femi is among the most feared talents in the company. “He’s better than Cody Rhodes, Trick Williams, CM Punk, Drew McIntyre—better than all the established veterans. If you asked fans who would win in a showdown between these guys and Oba Femi, they’d pick Oba Femi. They’d say, ‘Oh, uh, Oba Femi is a problem.’”
The momentum around Oba Femi continued to build as he was crowned the 2026 King of the Ring, a testament to his rising star status. The comparisons to Kurt Angle—who quickly rose due to an extraordinary amateur background and an accelerated path to WWE Championship glory—also fuel the conversations surrounding Femi’s potential. Angle’s ascent was marked by rapid development and a willingness to wrestle the world’s best, ultimately catapulting him into the title picture within a remarkably short span.
Henry drew parallels between Angle’s trajectory and Femi’s current arc. “He picked up wrestling faster than anybody in history,” Henry said of Angle. “He wrestled dark matches for a calendar year. From that year, he became one of the elite guys.” Henry believes Oba Femi could follow a similar path, writing his own history as he continues to collide with top-tier opponents and seize opportunities that propel him toward championship status.
“Oba’s at that point now,” Henry continued. “Look where he is and who he’s sharing the ring with. He challenged Cody Rhodes during John Cena’s retirement run. Then Drew McIntyre stepped in and changed the dynamic, so we haven’t yet seen the full arc of that match. But Oba was in the thick of it, and he looked like a force to be reckoned with.” As Night of Champions approaches, the anticipation around Femi’s future only grows, with many fans and commentators convinced that he is on a course toward lasting stardom and perhaps the next defining era of WWE.