Oba Femi is carving out his path.
And he’s not quite sure yet what that final destination looks like.
The rising WWE star recently appeared on No-Contest Wrestling, where he opened up about his evolution inside and outside the ring. During the conversation, Femi credited John Cena for helping him develop a business mindset much earlier in his career than many before him.
“It’s because of guys like John, you know, going out there and talking about these things. Now I don’t have to go through all that hard process that he went through,” Femi said. “So I’m grateful for stuff like that, having those people who have done it in my life. That’s what it comes down to.”
When it comes to his in-ring identity, however, Femi admits the blueprint is still being drafted.
He acknowledged that there are multiple paths to greatness in WWE. On one hand, there’s the physically dominant, unstoppable force — similar to Brock Lesnar. On the other, there are long-form, emotionally layered story arcs like those seen in The Bloodline saga.
“I don’t know if I’m going to have exactly like a John Cena-type run. I’m still in the process of even finding out what kind of run I even want to have. You know, there’s the strong, dominant Brock Lesnar type. And then there’s the story-driven runs like The Bloodline stuff. I don’t know what my legacy will be yet. But at least I know what’s right. So with that, going forward, we’ll see where the winds take us.”
It’s a thoughtful perspective from a talent still early in his journey.
Another piece of that evolution has been his presentation. During his time in NXT, Femi leaned into a quiet, stoic persona. Recently, however, he’s made the conscious decision to become more vocal, including talking more trash to opponents.
And perhaps most telling of all, Femi says he’s working to shift his mindset entirely when it comes to the locker room.
Respect is one thing.
Idolatry is another.
“That fandom stuff has to go,” Femi said. “The guys who dwell on that stuff, I don’t think they do particularly well, if you ask me. The second you start to see these guys as your rivals, the better for you.”