Why I Chose WWE Over Olympic Dreams — Oba Femi

Why I Chose WWE Over Olympic Dreams — Oba Femi

Nigerian-born professional wrestler Oba Femi has opened up on his decision to abandon a promising athletics career for the glitz and intensity of WWE, saying the opportunity reshaped his future in ways he never imagined.

The 28-year-old, whose real name is Isaac Odugbesan, was once on a steady path toward the Olympics as a shot put athlete before a chance discovery on social media altered his trajectory.

Femi recently made global headlines after a stunning victory over wrestling icon Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, dispatching the veteran in under five minutes — a result widely described as a defining moment in his rapidly rising career.

Speaking in a recent interview, the former athlete said his initial ambition was to compete at the Olympic Games and World Championships, but his relocation to the United States in 2017 exposed him to new opportunities.

“I had aspirations to go to the Olympics and win medals, and I achieved some of that to a degree,” he said, reflecting on his athletics journey.

After leaving University of Lagos, where he featured prominently at the National University Games (NUGA), Femi continued his development in the U.S. collegiate system.

Competing at the elite level, he claimed multiple honours, including back-to-back titles at the SEC Indoor Championships in 2021 and 2022 — achievements that underscored his potential on the global athletics stage.

However, 2021 proved to be a turning point. Through Instagram, WWE scouts identified his physicality and athletic profile, inviting him to participate in the company’s Next In Line (NIL) programme — an initiative designed to recruit standout collegiate athletes into professional wrestling.

“They reached out to me on Instagram. I accepted, and everything changed from there,” he said.

Femi noted that his transition into wrestling was eased by his explosive strength, discipline, and competitive mindset developed during his years in track and field.

Those attributes, combined with WWE’s performance training system, helped accelerate his rise through the ranks.

He officially signed with WWE in December 2021, bringing an end to his athletics career and marking the beginning of a new chapter that has since seen him emerge as one of the promotion’s most exciting prospects.

Now firmly established in the global wrestling spotlight, Femi says he has no regrets about walking away from his Olympic dream, insisting the move has given him a bigger platform and a chance to inspire a new generation of Nigerian athletes to explore unconventional paths to success.