The passing of the torch was passed during Day 1 of Summerslam

For nearly 25 years, "The Next Big Thing" has been synonymous with Brock Lesnar. It was more than just a nickname it represented a once-in-a-generation athlete who reshaped WWE from the moment he debuted. On Night 1 of SummerSlam 2026, that mantle officially changed hands.

Inside Hell in a Cell, Oba Femi defeated Lesnar in the final chapter of their trilogy, delivering the defining performance of his career. The victory alone would have been enough to establish Femi as WWE's newest megastar. But what happened after the match transformed it into something far greater.

Lesnar embraced Femi, called him "the future of WWE," and referred to himself as "the past." It was the ultimate endorsement from one of the most accomplished superstars in wrestling history and a symbolic passing of the torch that WWE rarely stages so openly.

The comparison between the two men is impossible to ignore. In 2002, Lesnar defeated The Rock at SummerSlam to become the youngest WWE Champion in history, launching a Hall of Fame-worthy career built on unmatched athleticism and dominance. Nearly a quarter-century later, another physical phenomenon has emerged to follow a remarkably similar path.

At just 28 years old, Femi has already won the King of the Ring tournament, survived a brutal trilogy with Lesnar, and now owns arguably the biggest victory of his career. If WWE stays the course, he appears destined to become the company's next world champion and its centerpiece for years to come.

The Hell in a Cell main event perfectly showcased why WWE has invested so heavily in Femi. Knowing Lesnar's tendency to overwhelm opponents early, Femi immediately took the fight to "The Beast." The opening minutes became a violent tug-of-war between two athletic heavyweights determined to prove their superiority.

Lesnar relied on the formula that made him a legend German suplexes, devastating strikes, steel steps, and chairs. Femi answered every challenge with incredible power, launching Lesnar with chokeslams, powerslams, and repeated Fall from Grace finishers.

What truly elevated Femi wasn't his strength it was his resilience. He survived three F5s and even kicked out after a Tombstone Piledriver onto exposed wooden boards, paying homage to The Undertaker while demonstrating a level of toughness rarely seen in WWE's modern era. When Lesnar desperately reached for one final chair shot, Femi knocked it away and delivered one last Fall from Grace to secure the victory.