WWE Hall of Famer and NXT commentator Booker T has given his strong endorsement to Oba Femi, stating that the former NXT Champion is ready to “run with the big dogs” on the main roster. On his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T praised Femi’s performance in his title loss to Ricky Saints at the recent NXT No Mercy premium live event, a match that ended Femi’s impressive 263-day reign as champion.
“Big ups to Ricky Saints going out there and doing that. Big ups to Oba Femi as well for going out there and being able to quarterback that thing so well at such a young age in the business, so to speak, as far as only being in the business three years, being able to go out there and be a general inside the squared circle, and outside of the ring. It’s so impressive, it really is impressive,” Booker T said.
He also emphasized the importance of how a champion loses, a test he feels Femi passed with flying colors. “One thing I’ve always said about true artists, guys that pick this up and really do very, very well – your losses have gotta be better than your wins, or just as good. And that dude went out and he lost just as good as he went out there to take a W any day of the week.”
Booker T believes that Femi’s combination of in-ring work and believable character makes him a prime candidate for a main roster call-up in the near future. “I hope and I wish for so many more of these young guys to be able to take it and pick that up. Because he doesn’t go out there and do a whole lot in the ring, but everything is so impressive, everything is so believable, and he’s come such a long way in such a short amount of time,” he said.
When asked directly if Femi is ready for Raw or SmackDown, Booker’s response was definitive. “Let’s just say this, I think Oba can run with the big dogs. He can do it right now. Do I think he’s ready? Yes, I do. I’m not running the show, I’m not pulling the strings or anything like that, but I like everything about Oba Femi, and I think if they were to pull the trigger with him, they could do very, very well, I really do.”
Oba Femi’s reign as NXT Champion was a dominant one, as he captured the title by cashing in his NXT Breakout Tournament contract on Dragon Lee in January 2025 and went on to have a lengthy and destructive run as the brand’s top champion.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Hall of Fame with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
