Oba Femi Beats Bronson Reed at Money in the Bank as WWE Builds Toward Roman Reigns

Oba Femi defeated Bronson Reed at WWE Money in the Bank on October 10, 2026, at the First Horizon Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The result was never in serious doubt, but the manner of survival told the real story of where WWE sees him.

Reed brought brass knuckles into the fight. He hit Femi with a one-two punch. He connected with the Tsunami. He followed with a moonsault. Femi kicked out of all of it. Few wrestlers on the roster could absorb that sequence and still have their hand raised.

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More Than a Mid-Card Win

The match occupied a mid-card slot, yet the stakes felt larger. Femi is a former NXT champion. He won the King of the Ring tournament. He beat Brock Lesnar on two stadium shows, though Lesnar got one win back at Clash in Italy. In January, Femi stood tall in the Royal Rumble. His rookie year has been described as an all-timer, and he is viewed by many as the most exciting breakthrough talent since Lesnar.

He also skipped a world title shot earlier this summer, choosing not to use his King’s privilege. The decision drew questions. One comparison that circulated was to a contestant walking away from a guaranteed prize on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. In hindsight, the choice looks less like hesitation and more like patience.

Reed's Role and the Bigger

Reed had defeated Roman Reigns the previous year, though that result may have benefited from hometown advantage. WWE has used Reed as an enforcer who dispenses beatings for kayfabe injuries. Beating him does not automatically make Femi a title contender, but it keeps his momentum intact.

Femi has not wrestled on Raw since July. That absence is not a demotion. It is part of a larger plan.

Roman Reigns and the Road to WrestleMania

Reigns beat Seth Rollins at SummerSlam, adding to his aura. At Money in the Bank, he won without Bloodline interference, defeating Penta and LA Knight in the process. Penta won the Money in the Bank ladder match, but a briefcase alone may not be enough against Reigns. Reigns is expected to beat Penta again, then face Sami Zayn for the Crown Jewel Championship next month in Riyadh.

The path appears to be clearing for Femi and Reigns to meet at WrestleMania next April. WWE is building Femi for an iconic moment against Reigns, and the expectation is that Femi wins. For that to land, Reigns needs a god-tier aura before the event. Femi, meanwhile, needs meaty challengers before the Royal Rumble in February. Drew McIntyre fits that description. The former world champion, who has beaten Lesnar, caused chaos in Femi’s first main roster match. He has the credentials to test Femi without diminishing him.

WrestleMania next April comes with two special reasons attached, and Saudi hosts are paying hundreds of millions for it. The two-day format also needs North American brunchtime viewership. Those are business considerations, but they shape the card.

Femi’s entrance features tribal drums, and crowds respond to him with euphoria. He is 28 years old. His real name is Isaac Odugbesan. He was a shot-put prodigy before wrestling. The center of gravity in the WWE universe is shifting toward him.

The plan seems clear: keep Femi away from the World Heavyweight Championship conversation, let him act oblivious to Reigns, and have him win the Royal Rumble in February. From there, WrestleMania becomes the stage. Femi is on a path to greatness. The only question is how WWE books the road between now and then.