Oba Femi retains WWE NXT title at New Year's Evil 2026

...

Fernando Quiles Jr

By Fernando Quiles Jr

Contributing Sports Writer

0

Share

Newsweek is a Trust Project member

See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.


At the conclusion of WWE's "New Year's Evil" edition of "NXT" on Tuesday, Oba Femi teased walking away from the developmental brand. After a successful title defense against TNA Wrestling's Leon Slater, Femi left the NXT Championship in the ring as the show went off the air. This left fans wondering if Femi had relinquished the top male prize on the "NXT" brand.

View this post on X

In a social media post on Wednesday, WWE announced that Femi has officially vacated the NXT Championship. The news comes amid several video packages hyping up Femi's full-time debut on the main roster. WWE has yet to reveal whether Femi will be on "Raw" or "SmackDown."

Read More on Wrestling

Oba Femi retains WWE NXT title at New Year's Evil 2026

...

More News: CM Punk’s Status Gets Positive Update Following WWE Raw Bump

The Ruler Eyes Bigger Throne

Throughout his run in WWE's developmental brand, Femi labeled himself as "The Ruler" of "NXT." As Femi's stock continued to grow in the professional wrestling industry, it was clear that he wouldn't be kept from the main roster for long. Femi was showcased during the Dec. 13 episode of "Saturday Night's Main Event," which happened to be headlined by John Cena's retirement match.

Femi was put in a big spot against Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. The match ended without a definitive winner, as Drew McIntyre interfered and caused the match to be thrown out. Femi got physical with McIntyre before embracing Rhodes. Internally, WWE officials were said to be quite pleased with the fan reaction to Femi, and they reportedly believe he has the same upside as Bron Breakker.

More News:

For more on WWE content, head to Newsweek Sports.

View 0 Comments

Request Reprint & Licensing

Submit Correction

View Editorial & AI Guidelines