The Saudi Arabia Tap-Out and the Kingdom Asterisk

Oba Femi walked out of Riyadh as the King of the Ring, but the crown sits uneasily on his brow. The finals at Night of Champions on June 27, 2026, ended in a refereeing disaster that has split the wrestling world. Jey Uso had the giant locked in a deep sleeper hold, his body weight dragging Femi down to the canvas. Femi's hand clearly slapped the mat three times in rapid succession, a classic submission gesture that the official completely missed. Femi recovered, broke the grip, and hit the Fall from Grace for the pinfall.

The fallout was immediate and harsh. Former King of the Ring winner and Hall of Famer Booker T was scathing in his analysis of the finish. He argued that the referee's blindness robbed Jey Uso of a legitimate victory. As Booker T noted on his podcast, the victory is tainted.

"Oba tapped. Oba tapped. Oba tapped. Jey Uso should be the King of the Ring. They might need to put an asterisk by this win."

Booker's critique points to a deeper issue. A champion built on raw dominance cannot afford to win via refereeing incompetence. It dilutes the monster mystique. Femi must now carry the burden of a disputed crown while heading into the most dangerous match of his young career.

WWE's Inability to Keep the Giant Simple

Why did WWE book a convoluted tap-out finish for their most imposing prospect? Sean Radican, in a sharp critique for PWTorch, argued that the creative team is overthinking a simple formula. Femi does not need tricky booking. He has the size, the athletic footwork, and a natural, booming microphone presence. He is a ready-made centerpiece.

We saw this simplicity work during his record-breaking run in developmental. He held the NXT North American Championship for 273 days, crushing challengers with a direct, physical style. His matches were masterpieces of pacing and power. He cut off the ring, absorbed his opponent's best strikes, and finished them with sudden violence. The King of the Ring tournament should have been an extension of that run.

Instead, WWE presented a series of over-engineered matches. The controversial finish against Jey Uso was the final straw. Rather than building Femi as an unstoppable force, they booked him as a vulnerable giant who got lucky. This booking choice did a disservice to both Femi and Uso, leaving the fans in Riyadh confused rather than awed. A prospect with Femi's ceiling should be presented with absolute clarity, not booking gymnastics.

The Turin Blueprint: How Brock Lesnar Exposed the Giant

The controversy in Riyadh set up a shocking development on Monday Night Raw. Femi announced he was forgoing his guaranteed World Title shot at SummerSlam. He chose instead to challenge Brock Lesnar to a Hell in a Cell match. This is a massive tactical gamble that ignores the lessons of their recent past.

The two powerhouses met at Clash in Italy on May 31, 2026, in Turin. That match provided a blueprint for how to dismantle the younger giant. Lesnar did not try to trade power moves with the 310-pound Femi. Instead, he used lateral movement and quick angle changes to keep Femi off-balance. Here are the key phases Lesnar exploited in Turin:

  • First Phase: Disruption of Base – Lesnar targeted Femi's hips, preventing him from planting his feet to launch power slams.
  • Second Phase: Cardio Attrition – Lesnar utilized repeated German Suplexes to force Femi to carry his own massive body weight through the air.
  • Third Phase: Joint Manipulation – Lesnar isolated Femi's left shoulder, setting up the Kimura lock by using Femi's own momentum against him.

By the ten-minute mark in Turin, Femi's breathing was heavy, and his footwork had slowed. Lesnar capitalized on a missed lariat, hitting an F-5 to secure a clean pinfall victory. It was a masterclass in tactical pacing. Lesnar proved that Femi's explosive power can be neutralized by a wrestler who understands how to apply torque and deplete a giant's stamina.

Entering the Cell: A Tactical Nightmare for Femi

Stepping inside Hell in a Cell does not favor the younger powerhouse. The steel mesh restricts the spacing Femi needs to build momentum. Femi is at his best when he can back his opponent into the ropes, using a 15-foot runway to deliver his running clotheslines. Inside the Cell, that runway is gone. The environment turns into a close-quarters brawl where Lesnar's amateur wrestling background becomes a massive advantage.

Lesnar thrives in dirty, confined spaces. He is comfortable using the cage wall to grind down opponents. He understands how to use the steel links to cut off escape routes and force close-contact grappling. Femi has never competed inside the Cell. He lacks the spatial awareness required to navigate the cage without leaving himself open to quick takedowns. A single misstep against the steel wall could cost him the match in seconds.

Furthermore, Lesnar's veteran experience in specialty matches is unmatched. He has survived wars inside the Cell against Undertaker, Triple H, and Roman Reigns. He knows how to pace himself over a grueling twenty-minute match. Femi's conditioning remains a major question mark, especially after his visible fatigue during the latter half of the Turin bout. If Femi cannot finish Lesnar in the first eight minutes, he will find himself in a deep physical deficit.

Meanwhile, Zoey Serrano Plans Her Independent Reclamation

While WWE focuses its creative energy on the heavyweight division, former talents are rebuilding their careers elsewhere. Zoey Stark, now performing under her real name Zoey Serrano, is preparing for her return to the ring. Her departure from WWE on April 24, 2026, was one of the most questionable roster decisions of the year. Stark had spent nearly a year recovering from a devastating knee injury, tearing her ACL, MCL, and meniscus in May 2025. Her release came immediately after she completed her grueling rehabilitation process.

WWE cleared her medically, only to release her shortly afterward. This move drew widespread criticism from fans and analysts who felt she was never given a fair opportunity to show her recovery. According to PWInsider, Serrano has signed to return at the Future Stars of Wrestling event in Las Vegas.

The event, titled "Survival of the Fittest," will take place on August 22, 2026. This is a homecoming for Serrano, who held the FSW Women's Championship before her WWE run. Her return is a reminder of the depth WWE has lost due to short-sighted roster management. Serrano possesses a superb in-ring toolkit, and her recovery match in Las Vegas will likely prove WWE's decision-makers wrong.

SummerSlam Prediction: The Beast Grinds Down the King

The stage is set for a brutal encounter in Minneapolis. Oba Femi wants to prove that his King of the Ring crown does not need an asterisk. Brock Lesnar wants to assert his dominance over the new generation. The tactical matchup favors the veteran from the opening bell.

Femi will likely start fast, using his size to push Lesnar against the cage. He will look for a quick Fall from Grace to end the match early. But Lesnar is too smart to get caught in the center of the ring. He will weather the early storm, using low single-leg takedowns to compromise Femi's knees and take away his power base. He will focus his offense entirely on Femi's lower half to ground the monster.

Once the match passes the twelve-minute mark, Femi's conditioning will betray him. Lesnar will systematically dismantle Femi's shoulder, leading to a submission victory via the Kimura lock at the 16-minute mark. Femi will leave Minneapolis with a valuable lesson in pacing, but his disputed crown will look more fragile than ever. The Beast will walk out victorious, leaving the young king to rebuild his identity.