The future of pro wrestling is Black and WrestleMania weekend proved it
TheGrio...
From Oba Femi to Trick Williams and Je’Von Evans, Jade Cargill to Lash Legend, Las Vegas shone brightest as a glimpse of where the future of the industry is headed.
Black pro wrestling fans have had a bit of a time processing change over the past 30-plus years. They were there for the ridiculous gimmicks, the subtle racism and the consistent wonder of when somebody who looked like them would be on top.
WrestleMania 42 helped cement the thought for many pro wrestling fans who could recall the likes of the Junkyard Dog, Ernie Ladd and Ron Simmons that the future of the profession isn’t only in great hands; it lies in the hands of charismatic, athletic and inspirational Black men and women.
Whether it be WWE, AEW or any number of mid-tier to upper-tier promotions, Black wrestlers aren’t just the mid-card acts set out to entertain. They’re the men and women people paid thousands of dollars to see, to chant for, to celebrate and appreciate. Case in point, Oba Femi. The former track and field star at the University of Alabama has taken his imposing 6’4″, 310-pound frame and made himself unquestionably one of the biggest names in pro wrestling in less than three years.
Before and after his defeat of world-renowned combat athlete Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania on Sunday, Femi held the crowd of 55,000 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in the palm of his hand. When he addressed the crowd on Monday during an episode of Raw, the 27-year-old Nigerian superstar (real name Isaac Isaac Odugbesan) strutted to the ring with a bop similar to a joyful, yet assured king. He took the microphone and, after a pause to soak in the adulation of conquering one of wrestling’s biggest names, put the world on notice.
“The ruler has arrived.”
Femi isn’t alone in showcasing the future of the business.
Trick Williams, a former Hampton University football player, took home his first WWE title on Sunday by capturing the United States championship. The bravado Williams has is evident every time he steps into an arena or makes an appearance on daytime television to promote WWE and himself. Whether it be by letting the world know about his “lemon pepper stepper” boots, his white mink coat or being hailed as “The Anointed One,” Williams has mixed a little bit of Memphis and over-the-top showmanship to power his way to the top.
Beyond Williams’ charisma is his entrance theme. The horn-driven creation sounds like royalty from the moment you hear it. Then, once the drums kick in, fans begin chanting “Whoop that Trick,” a nod to rapper Al Kapone and the 2005 film “Hustle & Flow.” In a recent interview with the “My Mom’s Basement” podcast, Williams (real name Matrick Belton) revealed that the inspiration behind his hit theme song came from another song with triumphant horns.
“The original pitch that I gave the music guy was, I love Family Ties by Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem. I love the horns at the beginning. I like the horns, I like the bass, I like the drums on it,” Williams said. “It feels like royalty, like hip hop royalty is walking in the room. And that’s how I saw myself, representing that hip hop culture, and those horns, it makes it feel like such a big deal. They came back with the theme that I have now, I was like, ‘Bro, this is perfect.’”
Williams’ emergence has already prompted some fans to compare his rise to that of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in 1998. Brash, cocky, verbose, with movie-star charm and looks. It’s led him to go toe-to-toe with Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s flagship debate show, “First Take,” and have Lil Yachty in his corner for his WrestleMania debut (the latter might have played a minor role in him winning said United States title).
Even if the weekend ended in gold for the likes of Williams and Femi, who are being their authentic selves turned up to 10, it ended with greater appreciation for talented performers such as Jade Cargill, Je’Von Evans and Lash Legend.
Cargill, a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha and a former college basketball star, had long been viewed as the next big thing in wrestling due to her statuesque looks and strength. Alongside Bianca Belair and Naomi, she made her Wrestlemania debut in 2024 before making history in 2025 as she faced off against Naomi in the first non-title singles match between two women in ages. Not for nothing, it was also only the second WrestleMania 1-on-1 match involving two Black women, with the first being Belair and Sasha Banks (now Mercedes Moné) in 2021.
While Femi and Williams have garnered appreciation for their growth in the ring, Cargill has had to face critics who have consistently questioned her abilities in the ring, even if she has improved and proven herself over the years, that she’s not viewed as a star just because she looks like one but because she is one, all the way around. Sunday, she stepped into the ring as the WWE Women’s champion and even without a title around her waist, she left the ring with the respect of her critics, even if those critics likely meant nothing to her and her growth anyway.
“A woman who knows her worth, that’s a dangerous thing,” Cargill wrote in an essay for The Player’s Tribune in 2022 when she was still part of AEW.
She added, “I come from a proud, Black family, and generations of proud, Black women. So I’ve always grown up with that special armor, that ability to be the only Black person in a room and keep my head up high — because I feel like I’m representing a lot of Black people who aren’t there. And I feel like I’m representing them even more in the role I’m in now. In everything I do, I want to be a pioneer for the next generation. I want to be proof.”
She has not only lived up to her words, but she’s also exceeded them.
Without her title, Cargill remains the top heel on SmackDown, WWE’s Friday night show. Behind her, Lash Legend, who formerly played for the Seattle Storm in the WNBA, is another powerhouse who will likely one day wear the title Cargill previously held. Down in NXT, WWE’s developmental league, names like Kelani Jordan, Jaida Parker, EK Prosper, Keanu Carver and Jasper Troy are sharpening their skills and talents for the day their number gets called and they eventually make a WrestleMania debut.
What makes this era of pro wrestling exciting for Black men and women is not only how fans connect with the performers, but also how those performers aren’t caricatures or watered-down stereotypes that plagued so many talents of years past. Being authentic carries over far better on television than playing to type. AEW has Kevin Knight and Ricochet as high flyers who could tap into mean streaks if need be. Leon Slater, a daredevil in his own right, is currently one of the faces of TNA Wrestling. These names aren’t even counting the dozens, or so, independent promotions where companies like North Carolina’s ASÉ and Maryland’s F1ght Club Pro Wrestling are showcasing young Black talent who one day want to make it big.
Two generations ago, Black wrestling fans had The Rock and Booker T at the top, each giving back to the business in their own way. The last generation featured several big names, including Kofi Kingston, Big E and Bobby Lashley, all of whom held WWE’s top honor, the WWE title. Now the current generation has inspirations and talent across the board to root for, from Belair and Moné and Naomi and Athena on the women’s side to Williams, Femi, Evans, Slater and others on the men’s side.
There are levels to viewing the future; sometimes it’s best to do so without rose-colored glasses. But the bright lights of Las Vegas proved that pro wrestling’s future and the faces that will be at the forefront?
They’ll be Black. And it’s a beautiful thing to bear witness to.