Mike Johnson of PWInsider Elite has reported that the consensus among WWE sources identifies Oba Femi as the expected challenger for Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 42. While there has been speculation regarding a potential match between Lesnar and Gunther, Johnson noted that none of the sources he has spoken with believe that is currently the planned direction for the event.
The seeds for a potential bout between Lesnar and Femi were planted during the 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble match, where the two stars had a tense face-off that drew significant crowd interest. Lesnar ultimately eliminated Femi during that encounter, but the interaction has remained a talking among fans on the “Road to WrestleMania.” On the February 23 episode of Monday Night Raw, Paul Heyman issued an open challenge for the Las Vegas show on Lesnar’s behalf, and Femi has emerged as the leading candidate to answer.
Creative Challenges and Backstage Discussions
Despite the internal reports favoring Femi, recent updates suggest that creative plans have been complicated by a reported backstage stance from Lesnar and Heyman. According to Ibou of the Self Made Sessions podcast, Lesnar has communicated that he should not lose any further matches before his eventual retirement, which is rumored for SummerSlam 2026 in his home state of Minnesota. This presents a dilemma for Chief Content Officer Triple if he wants to use a match with Lesnar to elevate rising stars.
“That puts WWE in a tough spot because Triple H would like to book GUNTHER vs. Brock and Oba vs. Brock at some point,” the report noted. “But if those matches happen, Brock would likely lose in both. So it creates a real dilemma.” Because of these complications, other names such as LA Knight have also been discussed as potential opponents who could absorb a loss to “The Beast Incarnate” at Allegiant Stadium.
Since his call-up from NXT, Oba Femi has been featured on WWE TV, working various short matches. He is coming off a win over Rusev on Monday’s Raw.
