Oba Femi is exactly what WWE has been waiting for

Sometimes, we make this pro-wrestling thing way more complicated than it has to be. With art of any kind, there’s room for individual styles, unique interpretations, doing things people never expected to help further that art. But sometimes you gotta take that brush and paint that soup can.

In WWE’s case, that latest Warhol is Oba Femi , the man who tore through the company’s developmental brand and is now slated to open Night 2 of WrestleMania 42 for ESPN’s free portion of the event , He’s big, he’s bad, he’s boisterous and beats the opposition down — Femi works so well because there isn’t an era you could drop him in where he’d seem out of place. He’s the king of any castle, and “The Ruler’s” decree for success? Stay grounded in the things that you know, communicate your worth, and tear apart whatever's in front of you.

In a now-viral clip from February, Justina Emmanwori, mother of Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori, struggled to understand the importance of the Super Bowl as a singular event. Anyone lucky enough to spend their undergraduate days with Nigerian friends and classmates has heard a similar facsimile of her disbelief. While it extends across cultures, there tends to be a push from immigrant parents not just for education, but the pursuit of practical careers, like becoming a doctor, lawyer, or something else the world will always need.

“Engineer! ” Femi exclaims, reminding me of the final piece of the immigrant career trinity. Already a decorated track and field athlete at the University of Lagos, the American portion of Femi’s college education started at Middle Tennessee State in 2017, and he eventually found his way to the University of Alabama .