LAGOS MAY 9TH (NEWSRANGERS)-Nigerian wrestler Oba Femi is considered “the next big thing” in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The 6-foot-6, 310-pound powerhouse defeated legend Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas on April 19, forcing the decorated WWE superstar into possible retirement.
“I will say that Brock was … one of those guys I idolized when I was growing up, but now I’m here and he’s still here … and I’m the one who’s going to knock him off the throne,” he told CNN’S Larry Madowo during an interview in Stamford, Connecticut, days before the much-anticipated match. “I’ve idolized him, I’ve villainized him, so at WrestleMania when I beat him, I’m going to humanize him. I’ll show him the door.”
Femi, who goes by the moniker, The Ruler, used his signature “fall from grace” move to defeat Lesnar in under five minutes. When explaining the technique’s name he said, “when you’ve fallen out of favor with the king and you’re no longer special in the king’s eyes, you’ve fallen from grace. So that’s where the name comes from. It’s very symbolic. When my opponents are no longer in favor with The Ruler, they fall from grace.”
The move itself involves Femi picking up an opponent, sitting them on his shoulders, then slamming the opponent to the mat on their back.
Oba Femi in action against Kit Wilson during WWE SmackDown at Amerant Bank Arena on February 20, 2026, in Sunrise, Florida.
Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images
And after falling from grace, Lesnar, who dominated the space for almost 25 years, hung up his boots, literally, leaving them and his gloves in the ring — a traditional symbol of retirement in the sport — allowing Femi to established himself as a top-tier force.
Before Femi, there was Isaac Odugbesan
Femi, whose real name is Isaac Odugbesank, was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. The 28-year-old says growing up in the west African nation prepared him to take on the world stage.
“The way the country is structured, if you can make it there, if you can survive there, you can survive anywhere. I feel like that’s where the … saying really comes from: ‘Naija no dey carry last,’” he explained. The popular Nigerian Pidgin phrase translates to “Nigerians never finish last.” It is often used to convey excellence, resilience and a drive to excel.
Femi also credits his Yoruba upbringing with shaping his approach to life and work. “The ‘respect culture’ that comes with being Yoruba, you know … it takes you far. You have to bring some element of respect and likability to the table … and that’s one thing that Yoruba people are pretty good at,” he said.
Femi was a college athlete in Nigeria before coming to the US, where he attended the University of Alabama. He was a standout shot putter there, winning the Southeastern Conference Indoor Shot Put Championship in 2021 and 2022, and the SEC outdoor title in 2022, setting a tossing record of 20.7 meters (67.9 feet) at the school.
“I definitely had aspirations to go to the World Championships, to go to the Olympics, to win medals,” he said.
Before Femi’s success in the WWE, the Nigerian-born athlete competed in the shot put event at the Ibile Games in 2015, in Lagos, Nigeria, securing a silver medal in the competition.
Oba Femi
Then, the WWE reached out to him on social media.
“I’m guessing they saw the package, they saw the size, you know, they saw some of my throwing videos. I showcase some sort of intensity during my throwing, so I’m sure that’s what drew them (to me).”
“I qualified for … the 2022 World Championships, but at the time when I found out that I qualified based on points, I was already gearing up to start my WWE journey … I took that piece of information, put it in my pocket and I continued heading towards the WWE because that chapter was closed,” he said.
The artist within
That chapter isn’t the only one currently closed.
Femi, who routinely picks up grown men and tosses them around the ring with ease, told Madowo, “we can’t always assume that human beings are one dimensional.” That statement reflects his multifaceted talents perfectly.
On top of being an accomplished shot putter and a world-class wrestler, Femi is also an artist. “As a kid, because they told me I was good at it, I thought I was going to be an artist,” he said.
But Femi, who has a bachelor’s degree in visual arts, hasn’t drawn in a long time. “As I grew older, it kind of became a chore,” he said. “It became this thing where people put me in a box, because I was good at it. They said, ‘Oh, you are going to be an artist. Oh, he’s good at art,’ and it didn’t really give me the opportunity to explore and, you know, see what I actually was good at.
“So after a while there was a little bit of burnout and … it just became something I was good at as opposed to a passion.” But, he adds, it has a “a place in my heart,” and left the door open to possibly returning to it someday.
Femi graduated with a bachelor’s degree in visual arts from the University of Alabama. “As a kid, because they told me I was good at it, I thought I was going to be an artist,” he said.
Oba Femi
Looking ahead
Not yet 30, Femi has already accomplished a lot, and as for the future, he said he “just want(s) … to be that symbol of emotional attachment for some young child watching right now, so when they grow up, they can be like, ‘Wow, I remember watching Oba Femi.’
“I just want to leave an impact on the generation coming up so they can feel how I felt coming up.”
For now, the outlines of that legacy are emerging: a talented artist, an accomplished shot putter, and a world-class wrestler — determined to never come in last.
CNN
For media advert, placement of publication, media consultancy, events coverage and further inquiries please WhatsApp 2348023773039 or email: labakevwe@yahoo.com
