Oba Femi squashes 330-lb star in his first open challenge on WWE RAW

Oba Femi announced last week that, due to not having an opportunity for a championship, he would be the prize and kickstart an open challenge. The first open challenge was answered by a 330-lb star, who he squashed.

This week on RAW, it was the inaugural Oba Femi open challenge in Omaha, Nebraska. As with every crowd since his debut, The Ruler got a huge reception, indicating just how big a star he has become. In fact, during a period where WWE isn’t considered at its best creatively, Femi is one of the highlights of the entire company. The fact that he retired Brock Lesnar gives him an unmatched level of aura. So to topple that would be a huge deal, and even for established superstars who have been on the roster for years, it would be a massive opportunity, albeit a risky one.

Oba Femi’s open challenge was first answered by Akira Tozawa. When the Japanese star stepped into the ring, he was full of regret, and Otis, the 330-lb gentle giant, decided to step in instead. The match only lasted for a few minutes, and Femi would end up squashing Otis in his open challenge.

It was a commendable effort from Otis to step up to the plate, but there is nobody in WWE, not even Roman Reigns, who has as much momentum as Femi does on RAW. It’s interesting to see that WWE has no storyline in place for him, or atleast they’re waiting for Backlash, so the directions are a lot clearer.

It’s a similar situation to what Gunther faced heading into WrestleMania 42. He was too big a star to leave out, and that’s how he ended up in a match against Seth Rollins despite having no history or relationship whatsoever with anyone in The Vision.