Add as a preferred source on Google Oba Femi closed out night one of WWE SummerSlam on 8/1 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis with the biggest win of his career, going over Brock Lesnar in a Hell in a Cell match to take the rubber match of their trilogy 2-1.
Femi survived a Tombstone on the exposed wood after Lesnar peeled the canvas back, kicked out, and finished The Beast with the Fall From Grace at 11:41.
The post-match is what everyone was talking about. Lesnar came back out, shook Femi’s hand, hugged him, and raised his arm, then grabbed a mic and put the King of the Ring over clean as the future of the company. He pointed to himself, then to Femi:
“This is the past. This is the future.”
In an interview WWE released after the show, Femi said he had no idea the endorsement was coming, even though the respect between the two was already there.
“Definitely a swerve. I did not see that coming.”
That was a surprise on camera only. Days before the show, Triple H said on Busted Open Radio that Lesnar has been hands-on with Femi backstage, bringing him into his room in the afternoons and sitting with him for hours talking about the business.
The finish carried extra weight given the history. Lesnar went into the match 2-0 inside the Cell, with both wins coming over The Undertaker, and this was Femi’s first time in the structure — and his first time closing a main roster show.