Oba Femi Joined Elite List When He Vacated WWE Championship

Oba Femi has finally addressed giving up his WWE title as he joined an elite list in the process.

The winds of change are blowing in NXT with the brand losing several of its top stars to the WWE main roster in recent weeks. Trick Williams has made a splash since joining SmackDown, while Je’Von Evans has brought the bounce to Monday Night Raw.

However, perhaps NXT’s biggest loss has come in the form of two-time NXT Champion Oba Femi. The powers that be clearly weren’t hanging around with Femi’s future and chose to have him simply relinquish his NXT Championship without explanation rather than have him lose the title before moving to the main roster.

Oba Femi made his official main roster debut as the number one entrant in the 2026 men’s Royal Rumble. Femi lasted over 39 minutes in the match, picking up five eliminations before he was dumped over the top rope by Brock Lesnar.

Oba Femi Joins Short WWE List

Now, Oba Femi has addressed giving up his NXT Title on the No Contest Wrestling podcast, acknowledging that it puts him in esteemed company with other top NXT stars who didn’t have to lose their gold before making the jump to the main roster:

It feels very unique, it lets me know where the company kind of sees me caliber wise like where I am in the pecking order which is really reassuring. Very, very short list I believe it’s me, Asuka and the War Raiders if I’m not mistaken.

That is a very, very short list and it’s a privilege to be on that list. Not everyone gets to be on it and it’s for a very good reason, now I have to show everybody coming upto the main roster,.. it wasn’t just done for anybody. Like you don’t just have a regular old call up on your hands you have a superstar here.

Asuka was the undefeated NXT Women’s Champion for 510 days, giving that title up before making the step up to the main roster, where her undefeated streak continued until she was inexplicably defeated by Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 34.

The War Raiders left their NXT Tag Team Championship behind in 2019 when they became the Viking Experience and then the Viking Raiders on the main roster.