Oba Femi is one of the fastest-trending WWE superstars right now. The current NXT star, who is just 27 years old, has already had a pop with big-time stars such as Cody Rhodes. Not to mention Drew McIntyre, the current WWE Champion, knows who he is.
In more ways than one, Oba Femi is one of the most powerful names that WWE has at its disposal right now. His in-ring power was, with no doubt, shaped by his days competing in shot put for the University of Alabama.
No stranger to being in the limelight and stepping into positions where others may feel uncomfortable, Oba Femi's Royal Rumble slot is already taking shape.
Oba Femi's best spot in the WWE Men's Royal Rumble is clear as day
As excellently pointed out by Andy and Adam at WhatCulture Wrestling, Oba Femi should have his eyes on a number one or number two slot at Royal Rumble.
The reason they gave, which was said in jest but actually makes perfect sense, is that Oba Femi can only complete his already-iconic entrance into the ring if he is a number one or two entrant. If he comes in after the bell is rung, he risks being overlapped by the entrant after him unless he compromises his entrance.
Obviously, this won't play into WWE's thinking. How to give fans exactly what they want hasn't always been on WWE's agenda over the last few years. Nevertheless, it's a logical conversation they need to have.
It's painful to admit, but there is little hype around the Royal Rumble this year. Fans are starting to see more rumors and predictions come to light, but we'd be past that stage by now in recent years. The missing excitement is even more reason to hand Oba Femi the keys to open up the Royal Rumble; we saw how fans reacted to him at Saturday Night's Main Event last month.
Those first two slots are at a disadvantage due to competing for the longest time, but it's not always the case that those first two entrants are eliminated. The likes of Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio and Rhea Ripley, to name a few, have all won the Rumble after starting the match.
Alas, WWE probably won't give Oba Femi the win. Nor will he expect to be given the win.
Either way you look at the glass, Oba Femi starting the match would be pretty epic. His brute power makes him the ultimate choice to start the match on the right note, and it would allow the Nigerian-born NXT star to further imprint himself in the minds of the WWE universe, while attention is at an all-time high. Heck, we all know that he's joining RAW or SmackDown soon, anyway.
If WWE chooses to front-load the Men's Royal Rumble with their biggest frames, then Oba Femi is an obvious choice. Even if they mix the big dogs with the high-flyers, Oba Femi is still a solid candidate for the front of the Rumble.
Some wrestlers thrive when facing tired, depleted legs. Oba Femi is not one of those wrestlers. His whole career to date has been about doing it his way and not relying on external factors to win. Let's hope that January 31 is another Oba Femi show.