WWE’s uptick in non-televised live events, aka house shows, this year means we’ve gotten more of the light-hearted, more-or-less continuity-free moments that fans only get to see when the show isn’t being broadcast all over the globe.
Many of these moments do end up going all over the world via social media, which is why WWE’s figured out how they can coexist with their storytelling. But some of them are still just fun one-offs we may or may not ever see on Raw or SmackDown. So far, that’s what the Oba
Femi/Danhausen spot at a house show in Fairfax, Virginia last month has become…
Debate emerged as to whether or not WWE’s next Next Big Thing should be interacting with a comedy act like Danhausen, let alone playing along with his antics. Taking the pulse of our community here at Cageside Seats told us it was fine, but the majority still thought we shouldn’t see Obahausen on television:
That wasn’t exactly the question Femi was asked during a sitdown interview with Alabama’s ABC affiliate WBMA. He was promoting Raw’s stop in Birmingham next Monday while reflecting on his time in Tuscaloosa as a decorated track and field athlete at the University of Alabama.
So the lead up to the question had more to do with the pitch-perfect Bron Breakker impression Oba broke out in the build to their match at Sunday Night’s Main Event…
… than it did a month-old house show bit with the Very Nice, Very Evil One. Still, I think Femi would say something similar if asked about the Obahausen video:
“Well, I think that stems from my disdain of characters who are too strong. I’ve never liked them. I think if you’re too strong and you have no weaknesses and you’re just all that, then nobody cares. If you can do all things, then when you do something, well, you can do all things, who cares?
“So, I’m not afraid to show personality and be a human being. Even though you’re super human, you’re still human within all that. So, that’s how I think about that.”
It’s an interesting answer, and would seem to be another indicator of where pro wrestling is headed, whether old heads like me like it or not. We’ve watched Oba Femi’s rise through NXT, and know the man behind the character is NIL signing Isaac Odugbesan, three-time SEC shot put champion and proud Nigerian. His every move will be followed online by a portion of the fan base, he’ll be featured on Netflix’s Unreal behind-the-scenes “reality” show, and he’ll be tasked with doing interviews like the one about where he has to seamlessly switch between his real self and his storyline self.
Going forward, it will be even more difficult for wrestlers to 100% “keep kayfabe”. So why bother trying to be “too strong”, as Oba puts it, all the time?
What do you think about Oba Femi’s answer about showing his personality even while playing a pro wrestling “monster”? Does it change how you think about Obahausen, and other similar interactions between serious and comedy characters?
