Kevin Nash Says Oba Femi Is WWE’s Next Big Star

Kevin Nash is putting his stamp of approval on Oba Femi, calling the big man one of WWE’s brightest building blocks for the future.

On the latest episode of his podcast Kliq This, Nash broke down how much Femi has evolved in a short amount of time, specifically pointing to subtle but important tweaks in his entrance and in-ring presentation. Nash noted that Femi used to lean into a more exaggerated, almost comedic walk to the ring, but has since dialed that back after a handful of steps in favor of something cooler and more controlled.

“Am I the only one that realizes that the guy with the rocket up his a** is Oba Femi?” Nash said. “When he came down, it was very exaggerated, kind of cartoony, Bushwhacker-y kind of a thing. Now he does that for maybe six to eight steps and then he just drops out of that and goes into kind of a cool jazz version of the original.”

Nash also dug into Femi’s recent interaction with Paul Heyman, reading it as Heyman attempting to pull Femi into his orbit at the expense of Bron Breakker. According to Nash, Femi’s refusal to play along sent a clear message about where his loyalties and confidence currently stand.

“When he was leaving the ring after he told Heyman to go [expletive] off because Heyman wanted to pull him in and be his next guy, he was basically dumping Bron Breakker and saying, ‘You’re my boy.’ And he said, ‘I’m not a Paul Heyman guy,’” Nash explained.

Beyond the physical presentation, Nash sees a natural likability starting to surface in Femi now that he’s settling into his spot on the roster. He compared the overall package to a very specific piece of pop culture.

“From just how well things are going, and he feels it, you could just see … he’s just a nice guy. You see it in his eyes. You can see it in his face, his smirk. He’s just going to get better and better and better and better,” Nash said, before adding, “It’s more like a Disney-type thing where he’s the Lion King. The Lion King’s not necessarily bad. He’s just … the hyenas aren’t going to [expletive] with him.”

It’s hard to argue with the trajectory Nash is describing. Femi has had a breakout first year on the main roster, highlighted by winning the 2026 Men’s King of the Ring tournament and retiring Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam — the kind of milestone most performers never get near, let alone in year one. There’s also been talk of a possible WrestleMania 43 showdown with Roman Reigns down the line, which would be another massive step up in spotlight.

What makes Nash’s comments notable isn’t just the praise itself, but who it’s coming from. Nash has never been shy about calling out performers he doesn’t believe in, so his read on Femi’s polish, charisma and positioning carries extra weight. If WWE is indeed grooming Femi as a future top-of-the-card fixture, the Heyman confrontation and the subtle shifts in his presentation look like deliberate building blocks rather than coincidence.

Femi’s climb has been steady rather than rushed, and that may end up being the smartest part of it. Whether that eventually leads to a Reigns showdown at WrestleMania or another direction entirely, the pieces appear to be falling into place for him to be a defining figure in WWE’s next era.