Oba Femi has taken WWE by storm in 2026( Credit: Michael Marques/WWE via Getty Images)

The most anticipated WWE WrestleMania 42 clash? Well, that would be Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi.

Although WWE booked two major world championship matches in Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes and CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns for Allegiant Stadium, one could argue that the best-built rivalry heading into WrestleMania was none other than “The Beast” vs. “The Ruler.” The two gargantuans engaged in a handful of in-ring segments that sent WWE fans into an absolute frenzy, generating the type of roof-rattling reactions every WWE feud should strive for.

That’s why the prospects of two of WWE’s most physically impressive superstars facing off on “The Grandest Stage of Them All” had fans salivating and anxiously awaiting to see if Femi could manhandle the most dominant star of his generation.

MORE FROM FORBESWWE WrestleMania 42 Preview And Predictions For SundayBy Blake Oestriecher

If ever there were a passing of the torch, Oba Femi’s win over Brock Lesnar at WWE WrestleMania was precisely it.

Yes, WWE, for once, listened to its fans and booked the right finish on pro wrestling’s biggest stage. Femi demolished Lesnar in mere minutes after planting Lesnar with the Fall From Grace.

Here are the key highlights and moments from Femi’s career-defining victory over “The Beast” at WrestleMania 42:

Lesnar and Femi immediately locked up for a test of strength, and it was a stalemate. Lesnar then took the early advantage and hit Femi with a series of shoulder blocks, but they didn’t affect Femi at all. He pushed Lesnar off, took two clotheslines and remained standing, then pummeled Lesnar with a massive clothesline to take him down. The crowd went wild.

A frustrated Lesnar escaped the ring and pulled Femi to the outside, then sent him spine-first into the ring post followed by the steel ring steps. Back inside, Lesnar hit a series of German suplexes. Lesnar went for another, but Femi blocked ti and nailed Lesnar with a big elbow and some running uppercuts in the corner. On his third attempt, Lesnar picked him up and blasted Femi with an F5. Femi immediately got to his feet and hit Lesnar with a massive choke slam.

Femi picked up Lesnar and slammed him down with the Fall From Grace sitout powerbomb. That was enough for Femi to get the win after about five minutes.

After the match, Lesnar took off his gloves and boots in the middle of the ring as of the crowd applauded and cheered, “Thank you, Brock!” Paul Heyman entered the ring and hugged Lesnar.

If Lesnar was the original “Next Big Thing,” then Femi’s win at WWE WrestleMania 42 cemented him as the, well, next “Next Big Thing.”

Femi didn’t make his official main roster debut until January’s Royal Rumble, and in less than three months, he established himself as one of WWE’s most popular stars. WWE fans got a snippet of Femi’s main roster potential at John Cena’s retirement show on Saturday Night’s Main Event last December when he faced Cody Rhodes.

But now, WWE fans are getting the total package, and boy oh boy, are they reacting to him like he’s already one of the biggest stars in the business. And he very well might be.

There is no such thing as a sure thing in pro wrestling, but especially after his big win over Lesnar at WWE WrestleMania 42, Femi is about as close as it comes. He has the prototypical superstar look, the jaw-dropping entrance, the power, the charisma and the aura that you need to make it to the very top of the pro wrestling business.

One report indicates that WWE officials view Femi on the same level as fellow rising star Bron Breakker, but in reality, Femi may have already surpassed him. All you have to do is hear the reaction to his entrance or his segments to see that Femi has the majority of WWE’s fans wrapped around his finger.

The key to Femi’s long-term success will be how he performs in the ring, but he demonstrated in NXT that he’s a main event level in-ring performer as well. In other words, the sky is limit for Femi, who just beat the man who ended The Undertaker’s WrestleMania undefeated streak at, you guessed it, WrestleMania.

WWE is clearly putting all its eggs in the Femi basket, and it’s obviously the right choice, too. Lesnar leaving his gloves and foots in the ring after the match indicates that the legend is retiring, leaving the need for a new unbeatable Goliath at the top of the card.

With Lesnar seemingly gone, Femi is the new top monster in WWE.