10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Ruler Oba Femi

10 things you didn't know about Oba Femi — WWE's Ruler

Here are 10 things you didn’t know about Oba Femi — the WWE star whose rise from a college shot-put athlete to one of the company’s biggest names has surprised wrestling fans around the world. There was a time when casual fans didn’t even know his name, and today he’s beaten “The Beast” Brock Lesnar twice, including the match that ended Lesnar’s career for good. A rise to the top this quickly is extremely rare in professional wrestling. These 10 facts explain how “The Ruler” became one of WWE’s biggest stars in such a short time.

1. His Real Name Is Isaac Odugbesan

Oba Femi is his ring name. His real name is Isaac Odugbesan, and he was born on April 22, 1998, in Lagos, Nigeria, according to his official WWE and Wikipedia profile. WWE created a dominant and regal character for him, but behind that persona is a Nigerian athlete who dreamed of becoming a WWE Superstar from a very young age. At the time, that dream seemed almost impossible, but today it has become a reality.

2. He Grew Up Watching Triple H and The Undertaker

Oba Femi has been a wrestling fan since he was just six years old, and in an interview discussing his upbringing in Nigeria, he named Triple H and The Undertaker as his favorite wrestlers. What makes his story even more remarkable is that he was watching WWE from Nigeria, where access to professional wrestling was limited and becoming a WWE Superstar didn’t seem like an easy dream to achieve. In a 411Mania interview, Femi described the blunt, straightforward feedback culture he grew up with in Nigeria as something he specifically asked Triple H to apply to his own WWE development — a mindset he credits as part of what shaped his fast rise.

3. He Was a High-Level Shot Put Athlete Before Wrestling

Before joining WWE, Oba Femi was a serious track and field athlete who competed in the shot put at a high level. In 2017, he moved to the United States to pursue college athletics. He first competed for Middle Tennessee State University before transferring to the University of Alabama, where he won multiple SEC Shot Put Championships. In a CNN interview conducted ahead of WrestleMania 42, Femi also revealed a lesser-known detail: he holds a bachelor’s degree in visual arts and was originally pushed toward becoming an artist as a kid before burning out on it and moving toward athletics instead.

This wasn’t just a hobby — it was a successful athletic career, and it’s one of the biggest reasons why Oba Femi arrived in WWE with an incredibly powerful physique that most wrestlers spend years trying to build.

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4. WWE Signed Him Through Its NIL Program

Oba Femi joined WWE’s Next in Line (NIL) program in December 2021. The program was designed to recruit talented college athletes directly from amateur sports instead of the traditional independent wrestling circuit. In August 2022, Oba Femi reported to the WWE Performance Center, officially beginning his professional wrestling journey (debut confirmed November 2022). Today, Oba Femi is widely considered one of the biggest success stories of WWE’s NIL program, proving that with talent, dedication, and the right guidance, an athlete can become a top WWE superstar without first spending years on the independent wrestling circuit.

5. His NXT Debut Didn’t Go as Expected

Looking at Oba Femi today, it’s easy to believe that he has always been an unstoppable force. However, his journey began very differently. In November 2022, he lost his debut match on NXT Level Up to Dante Chen. A short time later, he suffered another televised defeat as well. It’s a reminder that not every future superstar has a perfect beginning — in many cases, WWE gradually builds a wrestler’s character before giving them a major push, and Oba Femi’s journey is one of the best examples of that process.

6. He Won a Championship Through His First Major Tournament

oba femi nxt north american champion — Pic credit- WWE

Oba Femi didn’t just win the NXT North American Championship — he completely dominated the division during his reign. His title reign lasted 272 days, making it the longest North American Championship reign in the title’s history at that time.

A championship reign of that length is never given by chance. It proved that WWE had complete confidence in Oba Femi’s talent and had already made long-term plans for him well before his main roster call-up.

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7. He Set a Championship Reign Record

8. His Entrance Strut Is a Tribute to Ric Flair

One of the most recognizable parts of Oba Femi’s entrance is his confident strut. Speaking on Stephanie McMahon’s What’s Your Story? podcast, Femi confirmed the walk is a deliberate homage to WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, describing it as “kind of a twist on Ric Flair” with more modern arm action and shoulder movement built in. At first glance, it may seem like a small detail, but over time it has become one of his signature trademarks, and fans can now regularly be seen copying his strut online.

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9. He Beat Brock Lesnar Twice — Including the Match That Actually Ended Lesnar’s Career

This was the rivalry that completely changed Oba Femi’s career. After joining the main roster following the Royal Rumble 2026, he found himself facing one of the most dominant superstars in WWE history, Brock Lesnar. Most people believed this would be the biggest challenge of Oba Femi’s career. Speaking to CNN’s Larry Madowo days before their first meeting, Femi said Lesnar was someone he’d idolized growing up, but added: “now I’m here and he’s still here … and I’m the one who’s going to knock him off the throne.”

The feud played out across three matches. At WrestleMania 42, Oba Femi shocked the wrestling world by defeating Brock Lesnar clean in a matter of minutes — a win so decisive that Lesnar left his boots and gloves in the ring afterward, hinting at retirement. Lesnar came back weeks later and evened the score with a win over Femi at Clash in Italy, setting up a rubber match. At SummerSlam 2026, the two settled it for good inside Hell in a Cell, and Femi picked up the win with his Fall From Grace powerbomb — a victory that turned out to be Lesnar’s actual final match. Lesnar confirmed his retirement afterward on The Pat McAfee Show, saying, “Saturday for Brock Lesnar, that’s it. That’s it for me in the squared circle.”

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10. He Won King of the Ring on His First Attempt

Oba Femi’s momentum through 2026 didn’t stop at beating Brock Lesnar once. In between his wins over Lesnar, he also delivered an outstanding performance in the King of the Ring 2026 tournament and captured the crown in his very first attempt, before going on to close out the Lesnar rivalry for good at SummerSlam.

By that point, he had already accumulated two NXT Championship reigns along with the NXT North American Championship. Achieving so many major accomplishments in such a short time after arriving on the main roster is extremely rare — very few WWE superstars have reached so many significant milestones so early in their careers.

Gaurav Sharma

About Gaurav Sharma
I am the founder, lead writer, and editor behind Wrestling Nightmare. I have been analyzing and following professional wrestling for years, with a deep focus on WWE, AEW, and TNA—spanning the Attitude Era, the Ruthless Aggression transition, and modern long-term booking eras like The Bloodline. My work centers on breaking down in-ring storytelling, creative booking decisions, and the business landscape of combat sports entertainment. When I am not breaking down pay-per-view match structures, I am tracking roster movements, injury reports, and backstage creative pivots to deliver grounded, hype-free pro wrestling analysis.
contact@wrestlingnightmare.com

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