Roman Reigns vs. Oba Femi? Why WWE Should Start the Feud on Raw Tonight
During the WrestleMania 42 post-show press conference, Roman Reigns had just reclaimed the World Heavyweight Championship when the moment took an unexpected turn.
As he addressed questions, chants of "Oba" quickly turned into "Oba's gonna kill you" from the live crowd-directed at Oba Femi, the breakout star of the night.
Earlier in the evening, WWE effectively strapped a rocket to Femi's back. His dominant victory over Brock Lesnar-a decisive win in under five minutes-was a "changing of the guard" in Triple H's own words.
What WWE does next will determine whether that momentum turns into something lasting. And after WrestleMania 42, the direction feels clear: Oba Femi is on a collision course with Roman Reigns.
What Happened at the Post-Show?
The crowd chants weren't planned, but it was undeniable. Hours after Femi's win, the crowd was still behind "The Ruler," interrupting Roman's interview moments after his championship win.
Watch how Roman Reigns responded:
Crowd: "OBA'S GONNA KILL YOU"
— EliteRockerz 𝕏 (@EliteClubS0B) April 20, 2026
Roman Reigns: "Oba, you gonna kill me? You did a big thing tonight, but I've done that many times. I've done that with the title on the line. Let's see how you do."
ROMAN REIGNS CUTS A PROMO ON OBA FEMI #WrestleMania
pic.twitter.com/5jLB2Kvh4e
Whether WWE intended to move in this direction or not, it's now part of the story. The audience has already connected the two-and Reigns has acknowledged it on record.
At that point, it stops being speculation and starts becoming direction.
Why SummerSlam Makes Sense
The next step doesn't require a full segment on Raw tonight, but it does require presence. Reigns and Femi should appear together-if only briefly-to plant the seed.
Backlash would be too soon. Reigns needs time to establish his new title reign, while Femi can continue building with short-term programs against established names.
That's what makes SummerSlam the ideal destination.
Set for August, WWE's biggest event of the summer is built for marquee matches-and right now, there may not be a bigger one than Reigns vs. Femi.
Understanding the Layers
There's also a deeper layer to the story. Femi just defeated Lesnar, the same force who helped elevate Reigns into a top star years ago. Now, Femi stands in that role-while Reigns occupies the position Lesnar once held.
In the same way The Rock put over Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2002 following his rookie summer, Roman Reigns-The Rock's cousin-can do the same for Oba Femi this year.
The bottom line is this: WWE doesn't need to wait. This isn't a WrestleMania 43 match-it's a SummerSlam story.
And if the company is ready to fully embrace its next era, that story should end with Oba Femi holding the World Heavyweight Championship.
Related: What Happened to Cody Rhodes' Eye at WrestleMania 42?
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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 2:00 PM.