WWE.com and Pat McAfee Show contributor Mark Kaboly lays out who would be the most interesting and logical opponents for "The Ruler" Oba Femi following his dominant WrestleMania 42 win over Brock Lesnar.
THE SETUP
When you stand toe-to-toe with Brock Lesnar on The Grandest Stage of Them All, beat him in less than five minutes and potentially retire one of the most dominant competitors in WWE history, what’s next is almost as important as what happened. Femi has made quick work of all five opponents (less than five minutes each) since joining the main roster at the start of the year, but with what he did to Lesnar, he’s put himself at the top of the card. Femi is red-hot right now and rightfully so. He’s polished but not a finished product. Putting together a program with the right individual is critical to maintaining the current level of momentum. What comes now might just be as important as what has already happened. So, here’s who will make an interesting next opponent for Femi.
1. Drew McIntyre: McIntyre checks all of the boxes – he’s a "bad guy" who is big and strong, which allows you to believe that he’s capable of standing toe-to-toe with the monster who is Femi. Plus, there is a history that can bring it all together quickly. McIntyre interfered with Femi’s Champion vs. Champion Match against Cody Rhodes at Saturday Night’s Main Event in December that resulted in a no-contest. Now, Drew’s actions were designed for Rhodes, but Femi took a stray in the process and wasn’t happy about it. Fast forward five months, and it’s been out of sight, out of mind. At the same time, people want to see Oba’s entrance and him squashing his opponents, which can take him only so far. Sign me up for a three-match series culminating with a dominating SummerSlam performance against The Scottish Warrior as the next big thing for Femi.
2. Gunther: Whoever Femi faces next needs to be a big thing. A match against Gunther jumps right out at you, and when you have a menacing figure like The Ring General as the opposition, it is something that we need to see. Gunther calls himself The Career Killer for good reason. He retired Goldberg, John Cena and AJ Styles within a matter of months, but the opportunity to add a fourth to that list, potentially at SummerSlam, was potentially taken away by Femi. Who is "The Baddest Man in the WWE"? Gunther is/was that guy before WrestleMania. If the goal is to strengthen Oba's grasp on the business, putting him in the ring with The Ring General a couple of times before getting a title match and against an opponent who hasn’t lost much since joining the company but can certainly overcome a defeat, it’s Gunther.
3. Roman Reigns: Who knows if it was the start of what is next, but the foundation has been laid for Femi and Roman Reigns. The two traded barbs after WrestleMania, with Femi saying, “I think by the end of the year, The OTC can get some.” That prompted the response of: “You did a big thing tonight, but I have done that many times.” The fans want to see it, Oba wants it and The OTC said he’s going to be around a lot this summer after winning the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 42. Heck, all of us want to see it, but Femi vs. Reigns could be epic. It will eventually happen, and if we have to wait for it, then so be it.
4. Bronson Reed/The Vision: Who knows when Reed is scheduled to return from injury, but he’s been out of sight, out of mind… until he isn’t. Bron Breakker returned at WrestleMania 42, and Reed shouldn’t be far behind. Reed is one of the monsters in the business and would give Femi a good test. Pitting Femi against the entire Vison, maybe starting with Austin Theory and making the way to Logan Paul, Reed and Breakker, could set up a build that lasts more than the next PLE. It could ultimately lead to a match against Breakker, but before getting to him, starting with yet another big, powerful, bad guy like Reed could be the jumping-off point.
5. Trick Williams: There is a natural connection between Oba and Trick Williams back to NXT, with The Ruler never really getting a clean win over Trick. That provides an insight into why these two can be pitted against each other immediately. Williams is the newly crowned U.S. Champion, which makes this a long shot. But a one-off without a title on the line to once and for all determine who is better? Sign me up.
Who should be Oba Femi's next rival?
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