Three-time SEC shot put champion and Alabama alum Isaac Odugbesan, known as Oba Femi in the World Wrestling Entertainment world, is one of the fastest-rising stars in professional wrestling today.
In January, Femi won the North American Championship in NXT, the developmental brand of WWE. He is the first athlete from WWE’s name, image and likeness program to capture championship gold.
His mother, Maria Belleh Odugbesan, said Femi developed a passion for wrestling while growing up in Nigeria.
“At 12 years old, he would mimic Triple H when he came out of the shower and spit water from his mouth. He drew most of the wrestlers as a young lad,” Odugbesan said.
As a teenager, Femi became interested in studio art and started competing in track and field events. Little did he know that shot put would lead him back to wrestling.
“When I was a child, I thought I would never be a wrestler because I never pictured myself even being in America,” Femi said. “Being an artist was always the dream, and then I became a track and field athlete. Then, becoming a WWE superstar, that kind of fell into my lap.”
Femi’s track and field career took off in Nigeria during his freshman season at the University of Lagos in 2016. He won 10 shot put medals in the Nigerian University Games Association.
His shot put coach had connections with coaches in Tennessee, including the late Middle Tennessee State legend Dean Hayes. Femi came to America in 2017 and spent one year at MTSU before deciding to enter the transfer portal.
“I got recruited by Coach Derek Yush and of course the head coach Dan Waters, and that’s how I found my way to Alabama,” Femi said. “Those are the people that helped me get to where I am today.”
Alabama Track & Field Alum Isaac Odugbesan (known in WWE as Oba Femi) on his journey to the University of Alabama and the people that played a big part in his collegiate career. @CWsports @Obaofwwe
Full Interview: https://t.co/BjXGJ4IKbf pic.twitter.com/J9d3aIsU0G
— Matt Mason (@mattm_2k) July 2, 2024
At Alabama, Femi won SEC indoor shot put titles in 2021 and 2022 and one outdoor title in 2021. After his senior season in 2022, Femi began training in the WWE Performance Center and was called up to NXT in 2023.
Femi won the 2024 Men’s Breakout Tournament on NXT’s “New Year’s Evil” television special. A week later, he defeated Dragon Lee to become the youngest North American champion in NXT history at age 25.
On July 7, Femi defended his title against Wes Lee, a former North American champion. This match took place on “NXT Heatwave” Premium Live Event, which was hosted in Toronto, Canada.
“Going into this, I think people should expect absolute dominance,” Femi said before his match with Lee.
This championship bout was the event’s opening contest. Femi overpowered Lee throughout the match and pinned his shoulders to the mat for a count of three.
Femi’s next title defense will be against Duke Hudson on the July 16 episode of NXT at 7 p.m. CDT.
