Swerve Strickland Praises Oba Femi, Says He Belongs In Main Events

Swerve Strickland would love to see Oba Femi continue to conquer big things in his career.

Oba Femi’s rise in the WWE from NXT to Monday Night Raw has been everything he has dreamed of. From dominating the scene with the best up-and-coming wrestlers in NXT to opening up WrestleMania against Brock Lesnar, Femi is truly becoming the Ruler of the WWE.

During an appearance on The Bootleg Kev Podcast, Swerve Strickland, a former All Elite Wrestling Men’s World Champion discussed meeting Femi once at the gym and how he praised the big man, telling him he would be booked to win championships in his debut if Strickland had the pen to make it happen in a different world.

“I met Oba [Femi] at the gym and I said, ‘If I had the pen, your debut would be winning that belt.’ Put him in main events. Perception is everything. People will buy it, but they got to see it.”

Femi has been rag dolling and destroying talent all over Monday Night Raw, proclaiming himself as the new Ruler of the brand.

Strickland is set to battle Bandido in the First Round of the 2026 Owen Hart Tournament at AEW Double Or Nothing.

h/t to WrestlePurists for the transcription.