Oba Femi took to the No Contest Wrestling podcast to address recent comments about his accent following his promo on the January 14 edition of NXT. The new NXT Champion spoke about his background and linguistic abilities.
Femi explained his upbringing in Nigeria, where he lived for 19 years before moving to the United States. During the podcast, he detailed how his experiences shaped his speech patterns.
Let me set the record straight. I know some people online are like, ‘Oh, the accent is fake.’ But I grew up for 19 years in Nigeria, and I don’t think people fully understand that this is my accent. Yes, it’s played up on TV for sure, but this is how I talk.
The champion discussed his ability to code-switch after seven years in the United States, describing how he naturally adjusts his speech depending on the situation. He emphasized that both his Nigerian and American accents represent authentic parts of his identity.
First Title Defense Set Against Eddy Thorpe
The NXT Champion’s reign will face its first televised test on January 21, as Oba Femi defends his title against Eddy Thorpe. The match materialized following a confrontation between the two competitors during a recent in-ring segment.
Thorpe earned this opportunity after attacking Femi during an incident that also involved North American Champion Tony D’Angelo and Ridge Holland. Following the altercation, Femi requested the match from NXT General Manager Ava.
The upcoming defense marks Femi’s second title match since capturing the championship at New Year’s Evil in a triple threat match that featured both Thorpe and former champion Trick Williams.
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