Entering WWE’s Night of Champions, the King of the Ring final between Oba Femi and Jey Uso was too close for me to call.
Despite online criticism, Uso is one of WWE’s most popular stars and biggest draws. Femi, meanwhile, has shown he’s someone WWE should go all in on. Beyond his physical gifts, he understands what makes pro wrestling work and carries himself with the poise of a veteran in media appearances. In almost every way, he seems built to lead the company into the next decade.
When making our
staff’s predictions, I chose Uso because “too close to call” is a cop-out. I took all the information in front of me and made my best guess.
Turns out, I was wrong, and I knew it as soon as Femi made his way to the ring.
Instead of wearing his customary dark colors, Femi marched down the aisle in what appeared to be silver trimmed with gold.
“Look at what he’s wearing,” I said to my wife. “He already looks like a king. He’s going to win.”
My wife stared at the screen for a moment, turned back to me, and said, “I think you’re right.” Looking at Uso’s gear, black with pinstripes and touches of neon green and orange, she quipped that “Main Event” Jey looked, well, a little less than regal.
Sure enough, Femi won, and it’s not the first time a wrestler’s wardrobe doubled as a spoiler.
Last month at Clash in Italy, Jacob Fatu faced Roman Reigns, where if he lost, he’d be forced to join the Bloodline. Once again, the choice of attire should’ve tipped fans off to the outcome, as Fatu came out in black trimmed with red — Bloodline colors.
Following the 2025 Royal Rumble, Seth Rollins showed up to Raw looking like a villain out of a 1970s cartoon before mocking his enemies, Reigns and CM Punk, and playing mind games with Sami Zayn. At the time, I read it as a subtle heel turn. Rollins ultimately made it official at WrestleMania 41 Saturday, hooking up with Paul Heyman to outsmart Reigns and Punk in the main event.
In Femi’s case, it stands to reason WWE wanted him to look as majestic as possible before accepting his crown. Mission accomplished. In the case of Fatu and Rollins, their telling ensemble may have helped ease fans into their respective character shifts while giving them a reason to stay tuned to see what came next.
They say clothes make the man. In pro wrestling, they definitely make the superstar, as most fans don’t want to back a scrub. But more than style, clothes and ring gear seemingly signal what lies ahead for a character.
