WWE NXT Champion Oba Femi Admits To Mildly Playing Up Accent

NXT Champion Oba Femi is considered by many to be one of WWE's quickest rising stars, and with a reign as North American Champion as well, it seems like he's on a fast track to the main roster. Veterans like Booker T have already made comparisons between Femi and wrestling legends like Goldberg, who he believes the NXT Champion shares a career trajectory with.

As a Nigerian, Femi's accent has been noticeable, and while some might wonder if this is another case similar to Kofi Kingston pretending to be Jamaican, on "The Rich Eisen Show," Femi shot down any such allegations. "I did grow up 19 years in Nigeria, and I don't think people fully understand that," he said. "This is my accent, like this is — yes, it's like it's played up on TV for sure, but this is how I talk."

Femi did however add that after living in the US for seven years, he's able to "code-switch" his accent. "So, if I go to the store and I'm like 'Hey man, can you put that thing in the bag?' and I can do both [accents]. People think one is real, one is fake — no, like, both are me," he clarified. Femi further explained that he only did a "code-switch" during a promo to give fans something to talk about.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "The Rich Eisen Show" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.