Oba Femi has borrowed from some professional wrestling legends for his personal ring entrance.
WrestleZone Managing Editor Invoice Pritchard spoke with Oba Femi forward of his title protection at NXT Heatwave. He’ll defend his North American Championship in opposition to Wes Lee, who may have his final shot at Femi’s title if he loses.
Oba Femi has impressed since he made his NXT debut in 2022, a part of which is because of his ominous entrance, which features a sluggish strut to the beat of his music. Femi mentioned he borrowed a part of it from Ric Aptitude’s personal strut, which has the identical timing. He says it’s an natural addition to his presentation, which he tries to take as a lot time as allowed to maximise its impact.
Oba Femi on making an entrance
“Effectively, the march to the ring particularly, it simply has extra to do with the doorway theme music than it has to do with any crucial character presentation. I really feel like individuals have undoubtedly seen that strut earlier than, however most individuals should not certain the place they’ve seen it. However in the event you look from the Buddy Rogers to the Ric Flairs to the Oba Femis, it’s the identical factor. It’s simply executed barely in a different way, completely different renditions of it. And it flows with the beat. So, the strut and all that stuff, numerous these additions have once more, been natural.”
Oba Femi says the strut matched the beat, so he began doing it and saved it because it simply made sense. He in contrast it to a march to warfare, noting that he by no means understood why some performers would run to the ring and take away from their display time.
“It felt like a march to warfare, as a march of confidence. Versus a cost, you recognize? I’ve by no means understood like, why your music would hit, and also you bolt to the ring, and also you spend as little time on digicam, versus [taking it all in]. ‘What’s that? Like, why are you doing that? Why are you working?’ There isn’t any want to try this. However in the event you take your time and also you march to warfare there’s a sure confidence that goes with that,” Oba Femi said.
“Have a look at the top of The Undertaker’s entrance. It takes ten minutes,” he continued. “However that’s ten minutes of anticipation, and confidence, and aura. In order that’s the identical factor I attempt to undertake.”
Making A Good Impression
Throughout a previous interview with Jim Varsallone of the Miami Herald, Oba Femi believed he nailed his first impression in NXT and burdened its significance. Femi was requested how he’d advise expertise that didn’t really feel that approach, whether or not they overthought it or simply weren’t pleased with their debut.
“You probably have already made the impression, that’s executed. Nevertheless good it went, it went. However, it’s not the top of the world. Even in case you have a ‘dangerous’ first impression, I really feel like over time, individuals will truly understand who you might be and it’ll finally come throughout. Even in the event you haven’t came upon who you might be, or who you need to current your self to be,” he defined, “Sooner or later, you’ll and the extra constant you might be, finally, the individuals will get it.
“The individuals will begin to come to your facet,” he continued. “Like, I do know lots of people who began a brand new job or went to a brand new college. And at first, they’re the bizarre child or the brand new man. However after one or two years, you aren’t the brand new man anymore. You aren’t the bizarre child anymore. You might be John, otherwise you’re Invoice, or Evan, or whoever you truly are. And that’s how individuals will begin to understand you. They may discover out who you might be in the long term.”
Oba Femi will defend the North American Championship in opposition to Wes Lee at NXT Heatwave, which can happen on Sunday, July 7 in Toronto, Canada.
Watch our full interview with Oba Femi beneath:
