Oba Femi was originally supposed to have a much different role at WWE’s upcoming Saudi Arabia Crown Jewel event, but the company ended up changing the plans and leaving him out of the advertised match altogether.
During the October 31 edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed that WWE initially planned to have Femi compete in a six-man tag team match alongside Penta and Je’Von Evans against Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, and Austin Theory.
That would’ve given Femi a prominent spot on the Saudi Arabia card, putting him directly opposite Breakker and Reed in a match featuring some of WWE’s biggest rising stars. But somewhere along the way, WWE decided to scrap that lineup. Meltzer revealed the original plans while discussing changes to the event’s match card.
“The tag team title match was originally a six man with Oba Femi and Bronson Reed, you know, Oba, Penta, Je’Von against Breakker, Reed, Austin Theory.”
Instead of moving forward with the six-man tag, WWE changed the bout into a tag team championship match. That decision meant Femi and Reed were no longer part of the advertised lineup.
“That was the original lineup match and they changed it to a tag title match leaving Oba and Bronson Reed off.”
That’s a pretty significant adjustment for Femi, especially considering the original match would’ve given him an opportunity to share the ring with Breakker, Reed, and Theory on a major international show. But just because Femi was removed from the original lineup doesn’t necessarily mean WWE is finished with the idea. Meltzer suggested that Femi and Reed could still become involved in the tag team championship match, potentially setting up the six-man encounter for a later date.
“It wouldn’t shock me at all to see those two involved in that match to lead to the six man.”
Of course, that’s only speculation at this point. Meltzer didn’t confirm that WWE has plans for Femi to interfere or that the original six-man match has been rescheduled. The only confirmed change from his account is that WWE originally had Femi booked for the match before switching to a tag team title bout.
For now, Femi’s involvement in the Saudi Arabia event remains uncertain. WWE clearly had a spot in mind for him when the card was first being put together, but the decision to change the match has left questions about what comes next. And with Meltzer suggesting the original six-man match could still happen, there’s a chance WWE hasn’t completely abandoned the idea.
Do you think WWE should’ve kept Oba Femi in the original six-man tag team match, or would you rather see him involved in a separate storyline against Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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