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Major Update On Oba Femi Main Roster Plans & Why He Relinquished The NXT Title

Oba Femi is on his way to the WWE main roster and the rest of the locker room better be ready.
Rick Ucchino|
Oba Femi
Oba Femi | WWE

The Ruler is on his way to the WWE main roster and there may be no one in the locker room who can stop him from taking over.

Oba Femi made headlines earlier this week. Moments after he defeated TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater to retain his NXT Championship at New Year's Evil, he left his title belt in the center of the ring before walking out of the WWE Performance Center. It appears that will be his final appearance as a member of the NXT brand.

Femi's imminent call-up has hardly been a secret. Following his match with WWE Champion Cody Rhodes at Saturday Night's Main Event, the company began running vignettes for the Nigerian native during episodes of Raw and SmackDown.

The folks over at BodySlam have now learned which brand he's expected to join in the coming weeks.

"Sources indicate to Bodyslam that Oba Femi’s name is being discussed for creative plans on the RAW brand. Femi’s presentation has been a major hit with many in the company and they view him as a big piece... not only the future but the now."

During Thursday's episode of WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, the guys were able to confirm that Femi is earmarked for Monday Night Raw. Furthermore, the two-time NXT Champion is expected to be prominently featured during the weekend of WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas.

"Sean Ross Sapp was told after NXT this week that Oba relinquishing the title was because of the imminent main roster plans, and those controlling his creative on the main roster didn't want him taking another loss."

The Raw, SmackDown and NXT rosters are in a state of flux at the moment

Oba Femi
Oba Femi | WWE

WWE has yet to announce what is next for the NXT Championship, but Ricky Saints made it clear Tuesday night that he's sticking around with the goal of putting the title back around his waist.

That is welcomed news for head of NXT creative Shawn Michaels, who in the last few weeks has lost Je'Von Evans, Trick Williams, Lash Legend, Jordynne Grace and now Oba Femi to the main roster.

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With The Ruler slated to join Monday Night Raw, a rematch with Cody Rhodes in the near future is likely off of the table. So too would a showdown with Drew McIntyre, the man who caused his previous match with The American Nightmare to end in a no-contest.

This is assuming there is no more roster shuffling between now and this year's 'Showcase of the Immortals'.

McIntyre is set to face Rhodes for the WWE Championship on Friday night on SmackDown in a Three Stages of Hell Match. A Scottish Warrior victory would turn WrestleMania season on its head before it even had a chance to get out of first gear.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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