NXT Champion Oba Femi is carving his own path of destruction, and he wants the WWE Universe to know he is unlike anyone who has come before him, including Brock Lesnar. During a recent appearance on The Hall of Fame Podcast, Femi directly addressed the frequent comparisons to the former WWE Champion, making a firm distinction between drawing inspiration and being a replica.
While acknowledging some surface-level similarities, Femi asserted his unique place in the industry.
“Personally, I don’t think anyone moves like Oba, talks like Oba, walks like Oba,” Femi stated. “Oba is a unique experience, and people who draw the most correlation between Lesnar and Femi are people who haven’t really seen a lot of Femi. They just look at the superficial stuff like the build and speed.”
The comparisons have been fueled by Femi’s dominant and rapid ascent since his debut in April 2023, a run that includes victories in the NXT Breakout Tournament and reigns as both the North American and current NXT Champion. He believes, however, that his character work sets him apart.
“Those are just the exterior. When you know the character of the ruler, the destroyer, the bringer of war, you understand that is a unique experience that the WWE universe has never seen before,” he explained. “Oba is a one-of-one. I want to make that clear.”
Femi did admit to borrowing elements from Lesnar’s in-ring style but was quick to dismiss the notion of being a direct copy.
“I’ve definitely taken some inspiration from him in the way I work,” Femi admitted. “But I don’t think it’s a one-to-one correlation between Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi. The athleticism and strength are there, but I think Oba is a beast of his own.”
Despite his focus on establishing a separate identity, Femi has previously expressed a strong interest in a future match with Lesnar. He has called the potential confrontation “carnage” and believes a match between them could headline any WWE event.
As Femi forges his own legacy, his next title defense is scheduled for the upcoming episode of WWE NXT in a Triple Threat match against Josh Briggs and Yoshiki Inamura. Meanwhile, Lesnar has not been on WWE television since SummerSlam 2023 and was implicated in the lawsuit filed by Janel Grant against Vince McMahon and WWE in January 2024.