Oba Femi’s promised World Title match could be pushed all the way to WrestleMania 43 next year, according to Dave Meltzer.
Femi won the 2026 King of the Ring tournament at WWE Night of Champions by defeating Jey Uso, earning a World Championship opportunity. Rather than cash that in at SummerSlam, he is now set to face Brock Lesnar in Hell in a Cell.
Meltzer believes the real payoff is being saved for a Roman Reigns showdown on the grandest stage. Lesnar, with reporting indicating he chose to continue that rivalry over taking the guaranteed title shot.
Why WWE Is Reportedly Holding Off
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer laid out his reasoning for the delay and where he expects the title match to land.
He’s going to get his championship match. I think it’ll be at WrestleMania… Maybe Brock didn’t want to make the trip, or maybe they just wanted Oba not to lose twice,” Meltzer said. “They wanted him to wear the crown… I’m not surprised, I mean, it doesn’t suck, it’s not the first, tenth or fifteenth time this has been done.
Meltzer framed a Reigns vs. Femi match as WWE’s most valuable possible booking.
It’s just how they decide to do their business. I mean, I think from a business standpoint, they got nothing bigger than Roman Reigns against Oba Femi and that’s the WrestleMania match most likely,” he said.
The pivot leaves Femi in a Hell in a Cell match against Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam rather than the title spot his tournament win was supposed to guarantee. Triple H has also been accused of being overcomplicated with SummerSlam card.
Roman Reigns Booked For SummerSlam
Roman Reigns is being challenged by Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam 2026. That leaves the door open for WWE to build toward Reigns vs. Femi later, a direction that fits earlier concerns that Bloodline-first booking has been costing Oba Femi his moment.
Femi is a former NXT North American Champion and a two-time WWE NXT Champion. His run to the King of the Ring crown was meant to fast-track him into the world title picture, but for now, the wait continues.