Nigerians are beginning to dominate the mainstream wrestling industry, especially in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) scene.
In this article, eelive.ng will discuss some prominent personalities who are currently leading in the WWE or have made a name for themselves in the last decade.
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Early Nigerian Representation in WWE
eelive.ng gathered that one of the first wrestlers in WWE strongly associated with Nigeria was Sesugh Isaac Uhaa, who is better known as Apollo Crews. Although born in the United States, Crews is of Nigerian descent and leaned into his Nigerian roots during a major WWE character change in 2020–2021.
He adopted a Nigerian royal persona, used Nigerian-inspired gear, and was billed from Nigeria. During this period, he won the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
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The Nigerian Giant: Omos
Enter Omos, whose real name is Tolulope Omogbehin, who became the first Nigerian-born wrestler to gain major prominence on WWE’s main roster. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, the 7-foot-3 superstar signed with WWE in 2019 and became known as “The Nigerian Giant.” He rose to fame as the bodyguard and tag team partner of AJ Styles, winning the Raw Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 37.
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Breakout Star of the Year: Oba Femi
eelive.ng has written intensely about the fledgling WWE superstar, Oba Femi. He has been described as the biggest Nigerian-born wrestler to break out in recent years.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Oba Femi, whose real name is Isaac Odugbesan, joined WWE through its NIL (Next In Line) program after a background in athletics and quickly became one of NXT’s most dominant stars. He won the NXT North American Championship and later the NXT Championship, helping raise Nigerian visibility in WWE.
Many fans see Oba Femi as the first Nigerian-born wrestler positioned to potentially become a future world champion in WWE because of his size, charisma, and presentation.
The Last Commandant, Commander Azeez
Commander Azeez, whose real name is Babatunde Łukasz Aiyegbusi, is another wrestler connected to Nigerian representation in WWE. He is of Nigerian descent through his father and Polish descent through his mother.
He first appeared in WWE’s developmental system and later became known as Dabba-Kato before being repackaged as Commander Azeez in 2021. In that role, he was presented as a towering Nigerian military commander aligned with Apollo Crews during Apollo’s “Nigerian royalty” storyline.
It is interesting to note that Azeez helped Apollo Crews during the Intercontinental Championship storyline. Additionally, before wrestling, he played professional American football in Europe.
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Conclusion
Nigerians have remained among the biggest wrestling fans in the world and have embraced the sport as both a sporting event and an entertainment program. The inclusion of Nigerian personalities in wrestling storylines has attracted more fans across demographics.