Mark Henry wants Oba Femi to develop one specific skill as his WWE career accelerates following his victory over Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 42, and it has nothing to do with what happens inside the ring.
Speaking with Toronto Sun, Henry argued that the ability to decline certain creative directions is not a sign of being difficult but a necessary thing to do.
“It’s learning to say no. There’s some things that are not going to be good for you going forward and it’s tough to say no, but you have to be able to say, ‘We worked too hard to get to this point, I think that would take us backwards. Is there another way we could do it because that just doesn’t work for me.’ You’re not being difficult, you’re not being a butthole, you’re being cautious and careful about your development and where you’re going. That’s just my advice to Oba and well as my advice to the company. Do the right thing and be flexible. Don’t be so rigid when an idea is struck and you just don’t feel it. If you emotionally can’t get your mind into it, it’s not going to play out well to the people that are watching.”
Henry directed the message not just at Femi but at WWE itself, framing flexibility as a two-way responsibility between performer and company.
Femi’s defeat of Lesnar at WrestleMania 42 Night Two in Las Vegas was widely viewed as one of the more star-making moments of the entire weekend. Reports have since indicated WWE is planning to position him against Roman Reigns as part of the World Heavyweight Championship picture, with Femi’s win over Lesnar establishing the credibility needed to make that program believable.