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Oba Femi Walks Through Wrestling's Forbidden Door: Roll Call, February 22, 2025

Your daily briefing on what's going on with Alabama Athletics, including full TV listings.
Will Miller|
Alabama Crimson Tide SEC shot put champion Isaac Odugbesan. (Image credit: Alabama Athletics)
Alabama Crimson Tide SEC shot put champion Isaac Odugbesan. (Image credit: Alabama Athletics) | Alabama Athletics

Prior to WWE's recent partnership with TNA, it was utterly unthinkable, if not impossible, for wrestlers from the two companies to appear on each competitor's programming. It is a new era, however, and former University of Alabama athlete Oba Femi is the latest WWE standout to appear on TNA Impact.

Femi, whose real name is Isaac Odugbesan, is the current NXT Champion in his first reign. He is also the record holder for longest run as NXT North American Champion. He appeared on TNA Thursday night.

Odugbesan won two consecutive SEC shot put titles in 2021 and 2022. During the latter year, he won the shot put at every event he competed in.

Today's Crimson Tide Schedule:

  • Baseball: vs. No. 12 NC State in Jacksonville, Fla. 3 p.m. CT. Watch Listen
  • Men's basketball: vs. No. 17 Kentucky in Tuscaloosa, Ala. 5 p.m. CT. Watch Listen
  • Men's tennis: at South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. 12 p.m. CT.
  • Softball: vs. Drake (doubleheader) in Tuscaloosa, Ala. 11 a.m. CT and 1:30 p.m. CT. Watch Listen
  • Women's soccer: vs. Kennesaw State (11 a.m. CT) and Southern Miss (2 p.m. CT) in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Crimson Tide Results:

  • Baseball: defeated Coastal Carolina 9-2 in Jacksonville, Fla.
  • Softball: lost to No. 15 Virginia Tech 2-1 and defeated Southern Utah 9-1 (six innings) in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
  • Gymnastics: lost to Auburn 197.750-197.350 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Crimson Tide posted season-best score.
  • Swim and dive: Emily Jones finished third in the 100 backstroke at SEC Championships in Athens, Ga.
  • Track and field: Arkansas Qualifier in Fayetteville, Ark.

Did You Notice?

  • The NBA's Philadelphia 76ers made official their previously reported signing of former Alabama basketball player Alex Reese. Reese will be on a two-way deal. He has previously appeared for the Oklahoma City Thunder this season.
  • As Major League Baseball's spring training ramps back up, the race to see who will be the first to hit a home run for their respective teams is on. In the case of the Kansas City Royals, that honor went to former Alabama player Tyler Gentry, who made his MLB debut for the franchise last season.
  • Former Alabama baseball player Zane Denton, who transferred to Tennessee after his time with the Crimson Tide, signed with the Billings Mustangs of the Pioneer League. Denton did not play college baseball in 2024 but was a productive player for the Volunteers in 2023.

Countdown to Crimson Tide's 2025 Football Season Opener:

  • 189 days.

On This Day in Crimson Tide History:

  • February 22, 1893: Alabama and Auburn played for the first time in football. The Tigers won 32-22 before approximately 5,000 fans at Lakeview Park in Birmingham. The schools played every year until 1907, when the rivalry was suspended until 1948.

Crimson Tide Quote of the Day:

“We hazard nothing in saying that the game would not make a single constructive contribution to education in the state.” It concluded: “The fundamental question is: Do the people of Alabama need a tranquil, sane kind of athletics in their two major institutions, or an irrational rabid kind?”
Alabama’s Committee on Phys. Education

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Will Miller
WILL MILLER

Will Miller is the primary baseball writer for BamaCentral/Alabama Crimson Tide On SI. He also covers football and basketball. Miller graduated from the University of Alabama in December 2024 with experience covering a wide array of sports.

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