Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Aug 3

Oba Femi Beats Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam Night 1 as Randy Orton Derails Cody Rhodes

Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Aug 3

Oba Femi Beats Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam Night 1 as Randy Orton Derails Cody Rhodes

Q: After surviving Lesnar's brutal onslaught, which World Heavyweight Champion will Oba Femi target next to claim his crown?

Oba Femi is most likely targeting Roman Reigns, the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. The immediate title picture centers on Reigns’ defense against Seth Rollins on Night 2 of SummerSlam, and the reporting around Femi’s rise consistently points to Reigns as the bigger long-term destination. Femi already earned a world-title opportunity by winning the 2026 King of the Ring, but chose to postpone that path in order to finish his feud with Brock Lesnar inside Hell in a Cell. That decision was widely framed as a way to make a future Reigns-Femi showdown feel even bigger. There is also direct storyline support for that direction. After WrestleMania 42, Femi openly hinted that “the OTC can get some,” a clear reference to Reigns, and outside reporting has said WWE was laying groundwork for Reigns as Femi’s next marquee opponent. The company’s own presentation around SummerSlam reinforced that by shifting attention to the Reigns-Rollins title match immediately after Femi’s win over Lesnar. If Rollins were to defeat Reigns, Femi could logically pivot to him instead, since Rollins is the scheduled challenger and a central figure in the same championship scene. But based on the available reporting and the broader storyline build, Reigns remains the most credible answer as the champion Femi appears set to chase next.

Q: Why did Oba Femi risk his guaranteed championship opportunity to face the most destructive force in Hell in a Cell history?

Oba Femi risked the guaranteed title shot because, in storyline, he believed beating Brock Lesnar mattered more to his rise than cashing in the opportunity immediately. The reporting around SummerSlam made clear that Femi saw unfinished business with Lesnar as the priority. After beating Lesnar at WrestleMania 42, then losing the rematch at Clash in Italy, Femi wanted the decisive rubber match. When Lesnar attacked him after his King of the Ring coronation, Femi responded by challenging him rather than waiting for a championship bout. He told Adam Pearce he could take the world title “whenever he wants,” but right now he wanted Lesnar. That choice was also about legacy. Lesnar entered with a perfect Hell in a Cell record and a reputation as one of WWE’s most destructive forces. Femi had never wrestled inside the cell. By choosing that fight, especially in Lesnar’s home state, Femi was gambling for a bigger statement than a routine title challenge could offer. The result shows why WWE framed the decision that way. Femi did not just beat Lesnar; he survived suplexes, steel steps, multiple F5s and a tombstone on exposed wood before pinning him clean with Fall from Grace. JBL’s “slayed” comment and Lesnar calling Femi “the future” underscored the intended message: this was a torch-passing win. So the risk was about proving he belongs above the title picture, not merely in it. After this win, Femi appears to have strengthened, not weakened, his claim to a major championship match.

Q: Did Brock Lesnar's shocking post-match confession secretly confirm his permanent retirement from the WWE squared circle?

No. Lesnar’s post-match line calling Oba Femi “the future” and himself “the past” strongly suggested a torch-passing moment, but it did not secretly confirm a permanent WWE retirement. The clearest evidence is the recent storyline itself. Lesnar already appeared to retire after losing to Femi at WrestleMania 42 by leaving his boots and gloves in the ring, only to return later, attack Femi on Raw, and continue the feud through Clash in Italy and SummerSlam. That history makes any apparent farewell less definitive than it looks on the surface. Reporting around SummerSlam also pointed to uncertainty rather than confirmation. Some coverage described the Minneapolis match as potentially Lesnar’s last, but with an important caveat: in WWE, “retired” has been used loosely in this storyline, and even backstage discussion treated his status as unresolved. Other reports noted that previous retirement teases were never fully formalized and were later reversed on television. What Lesnar’s comments do confirm is the creative message of the match. WWE framed Femi’s Hell in a Cell win as a major generational breakthrough, and JBL’s “slayed” remark reinforced that perception. Lesnar’s words publicly endorsed Femi as the company’s rising force and positioned Lesnar as the veteran stepping aside. Unless WWE or Lesnar explicitly announces that he is done for good, the safest reading is that this was a symbolic passing of the torch, not hard proof of permanent retirement.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Aug 3

Oba Femi closed SummerSlam Night 1 in Minneapolis by beating Brock Lesnar with Fall from Grace onto the exposed ring frame, then got a post-match endorsement from Lesnar as WWE’s future.
Randy Orton’s return reshaped the men’s title picture, interrupting Cody Rhodes’ match with CM Punk with an RKO that let Punk land a GTS and retain the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Liv Morgan strengthened her Women’s World Championship reign in the opener, surviving Iyo Sky with Judgement Day help before finishing the match herself with Oblivion.
Gunther kept rolling by choking out Nick Aldis, while LA Knight pinned Jey Uso in a six-man match that also gave Solo Sikoa fresh momentum.
Paige ended the night isolated after Fatal Influence split from her and the Bella Twins turned heel, setting up a new SmackDown alliance search heading into Night 2.