Oba Femi Responds to Main Roster Talk After 'Impressing' WWE

Oba Femi and Cody Rhodes put on an excellent match in the opening contest at Saturday Night's Main Event before John Cena's retirement match. Cena made sure that the younger generation was showcased on the night and that included the 27-year-old Nigerian powerhouse who looked like a star against the WWE Champion.

Drew McIntyre's interference and attack on Rhodes led to a disqualification, much to the fans' frustration. But Oba's first appearance on a major WWE show ended with him hitting McIntyre with a chokeslam.

Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez claimed on Wrestling Observer Live that WWE were "very impressed" with Oba, Sol Ruca, Je'Von Evans and Leon Slater, the four young stars who competed at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. They weren't alone as the overall reaction from viewers was that they look set to be major players in the future.

Oba has no doubts that he is ready to take the step up to WWE's main roster. He told Peter Rosenberg on Cheap Heat:

"I believe in myself, and I believe I'm good enough to be there [on the main roster]. Like, right now, I'm good enough to be on the main roster. Period. Like, there's no question about that."

Oba looked set for a call up back in September after losing the NXT title to Ricky Saints. He was absent from NXT TV until he made a shock return in November and eventually reclaimed the gold at Deadline earlier this month.

The Ruler gave an honest assessment of continuing in developmental:

"But I've been patient, you know, I've done what's been put in front of me because sometimes when you think about what's at the end of the tunnel, you somehow get lost in the sauce and you stop figuring out how to navigate your current situation. So I've tried my best to stay on course the best I can."

Oba has been with WWE since 2021 after joining the company through its NIL programme. He is a former NXT North American Champion and is now a two-time NXT Champion, whom many believe is a future WrestleMania main-eventer.

Mark Henry Predicts Future Oba Femi vs Cody Rhodes Match

Oba Femi and Cody Rhodes shook hands after their match, and both hit moves on Drew McIntyre to finish on a positive note. The respect shown by the WWE Champion towards the NXT Champion seemed to signify that the American Nightmare believes he is a real star in the making.

Mark Henry was in attendance to bid farewell to John Cena and the WWE Hall of Famer doesn't think it's the last time we will see the pair battle. He posted a clip on X and wrote:

"Sit ringside with me for #SNME and this tremendous match between (Cody Rhodes) & (Oba Femi)! This is sure to be something we see again on a bigger show!"

Oba will, for now, focus on continuing to dominate NXT as he defends his title at NXT: New Year's Evil on January 6th, 2026. He faces TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater, who has the chance to become the first active TNA star in history to win a WWE title.

Whenever the Nigerian does drop the title, it seems likely it will be his time to arrive on the main roster. He may be a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble on January 31st.