Nigerian Wrestler Oba Femi Beats 10-Time Champion Lesnar on WrestleMania Debut

Nigerian professional wrestler, Isaac Odugbesan, popularly known as Oba Femi, stunned Brock Lesnar, a 10-time WWE Champion, on his WrestleMania debut on Sunday.

The headline bout at WrestleMania 42 ended dramatically as the 27-year-old Nigerian overpowered Lesnar in under five minutes.

Following his defeat, the WrestleMania veteran, in a symbolic moment after the match, Lesnar left his wrestling gear in the ring, a gesture widely regarded in professional wrestling as a sign of retirement.

Oba Femi, also known as “The Ruler,” is a former NXT champion and has spent just three months on WWE’s main roster.

The contest began with both wrestlers testing each other’s strength before Brock Lesnar briefly seized control with a series of offensive moves, but Oba Femi absorbed the pressure and shifted the momentum in his favour with a dominant response.

Lesnar delivered an F5, but Femi quickly recovered, countering with a chokeslam before sealing the contest with his “Fall From Grace” sit-out powerbomb for the pinfall victory, as the bout sparked widespread reactions on social media.

Born and raised in Lagos, Odugbesan was a former Nigerian shot put athlete, a two-time NXT Champion and a one-time NXT North American Champion.

Odugbesan started his sports career in track and field events during his school years before signing with WWE in 2021 through its NIL programme.

He went on to win the 2023 NXT Men’s Breakout Tournament and the 2024 Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge.

During the WrestleMania Sunday post-show, Femi sent a message to Roman Reigns, popularly known as the “Original Tribal Chief,” drawing a loud reaction from fans as he hinted at a possible title challenge before the end of the year.