Wrestling
WWE nailed it and got everything right with this WrestleMania 42 moment
Wardley vs. Dubois: Only on DAZN PPV - May 9
'The Ruler,' 'The Conqueror,' … and man who retired ‘The Beast Incarnate’ Brock Lesnar.
Oba Femi was already over in pro-wrestling parlance. The way he manhandled Lesnar on The Grandest Stage of Them All was the highlight of all highlights at WrestleMania 42 for me, as it marked his launching pad into mega stardom. It’s what WWE got most right this past weekend in Las Vegas.
Everything about it was done well, starting with Femi’s walkout, which had over 55,000 fans at Allegiant Stadium alternating between the “Obaaa, Obaaa” chant and barks as he hit his epic stride.
The match, just under five minutes in length, told a short, but dramatic story of one force snatching the torch from another. Its rising action came when Lesnar put all his might and weight into two meaty clotheslines that couldn’t take Femi off his feet. However, when ‘The Ruler’ returned the favor, he deposited ‘The Beast’ onto the mat, where he rolled to the outside to regroup.
Lesnar, with frustration and shock plastering his face, tossed the ring steps, looking for answers. Brock recovered enough to drag Femi through a trip to ‘Suplex City,’ though the latter would battle back. The match, filled with palpable energy, hit a crescendo when Femi attempted a third running uppercut against a hapless Brock trapped in the corner, only for Lesnar to counter in the form of scooping the Nigerian sensation up and detonating the F5.
With Lesnar’s back turned to Femi, ‘The Ruler’ got to one knee, fell back down, but pushed up to his feet in a burst to deploy a giant chokeslam.
In one swift swoop, the Fall from Grace sit-down powerbomb followed and Femi defeated and demolished Lesnar like he’s never experienced before.
No, I’m not counting Goldberg’s squashing of Lesnar years ago because that was essentially forced down our throats. Sunday night with Femi was way more natural and, more importantly, believable.
The look of shock painted on Femi’s face, as if he was awestruck at what he had just done, took over the scene. Though, what happened next was truly the kicker. Lesnar proceeded to remove his gloves, then boots, leaving them neatly in the center of the ring to signal his retirement.
So not only did Femi conquer Lesnar, he beat ‘The Beast Incarnate’ into retirement. If you think about it further, it’s only right as it should take an imposing force in Femi to retire a force in Lesnar.
From start to finish, Oba Femi massively being put over against Lesnar was the best moment across two night of WrestleMania 42. He checks every box for WWE Superstardom, from his power-move skillset to charisma and unteachable presence.
The only thing I disagree with is Michael Cole saying ‘Oba Femi is the Next Big Thing.’
No. Oba Femi is the NOW Big Thing. And if WWE plays its programs right, he should be a major Superstar for over a decade strong.
Watch Wardley vs. Dubois only on DAZN
The WBO world heavyweight title is on the line for Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois on May 9, only on DAZN PPV. Buy as a one-off PPV or included, along with Usyk vs Verhoeven (May 23), with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.
