After weeks of speculation, WWE finally revealed Brock Lesnar’s opponent for WrestleMania 42 last week, when Oba Femi stepped up to answer Lesnar’s challenge. Since then, the match has garnered plenty of anticipation, not only because it pits one of WWE’s up and coming stars against a long-time veteran in Lesnar, but because many are wondering if WWE will pull the trigger and give Femi a marquee victory so soon into his main roster career.

That is certainly the direction Rikishi would go in. On his “Off the Top” podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer was adamant that Femi go over against Lesnar at WrestleMania, citing both Femi’s work ethic in getting to the main roster, and the fact that the crowd has already begun to get behind him. As a result, Rikishi feels it would be best for WWE to strike with the former NXT Champion while the iron is hot.

“You see his entrance,” Rikishi said. “When he comes out, the wrestling fans, and I say this over and over again, if they love you, they’re going to let you know. If they don’t love you, they’re going to let you know. The last time I heard people yell ‘Oba! Oba!’, it almost kind of sounded like ‘Goldberg! Goldberg!’ 

“So what does that tell you…We’re looking a star in the making here man. This guy here, to set him off, to set Oba off on the right track, WWE, don’t kill this man right off the bat. Don’t do that to him. Let him get his run. Let him get his opportunity. Let him stand for his people that look like him. Let him have that run. And so I say my prediction is Oba up, Brock Lesnar down.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Off The Top” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription