Oba Femi Addresses Raw Debut Criticism, Praises Ivar's Mentorship

Oba Femi has responded to criticism concerning his debut segment on Monday Night Raw, which aired the week following the Royal Rumble. This appearance marked Femi's official transition to WWE's main roster from NXT, where he had been the North American Champion.

During the Raw episode, Femi entered and attacked The War Raiders, Erik and Ivar, prior to their scheduled tag team match. He incapacitated both individuals. While Femi's arrival received generally positive feedback, some fans criticized the segment, arguing that Femi easily overpowering an established tag team like The War Raiders diminished Erik and Ivar's standing.

Femi Dismisses Criticism, Highlights Own Prowess

Responding to these comments during an interview on the No-Contest Wrestling podcast, Femi dismissed the idea that the segment was detrimental to his opponents. He characterized it as a necessary demonstration of his own abilities.

"The main roster audience has not fully understood the concept that it’s Oba Femi. I don’t think they understand yet. They will. They’ll catch on. Oba Femi destroying the War Raiders is not a knock on the War Raiders. That’s just how good Oba Femi is. The sooner they realize that, the sooner they understand that, the easier things will be for them."

Relationship With Ivar

Femi also discussed the personal significance of collaborating with Ivar during his main roster introduction. He revealed that Ivar had been instrumental in his development as a professional wrestler.

"It was just that more special that it was him. He’s poured so much into me as a person, me as a character, my body of work. His fingerprints are all over my stuff. So I was just happy that he was part of that moment. Even though he was at the bottom end of that moment. But that’s the kind of person he is – he knows the business, he knows what it’s about."

He further praised Ivar’s resilience and mentorship, noting that enduring an attack from "The Ruler" is challenging.

"He ate some big bombs that day. Kudos to him, he’s still up and alive. You take something huge from The Ruler, it’s not easy to get back up. But I do appreciate Ivar as a mentor, as a teacher, as an opponent and as a human being."