WWE officially confirmed on this week's RAW that Brock Lesnar will battle Oba Femi inside Hell in a Cell at SummerSlam 2026, and a new report has shed light on why the company opted against an immediate world title clash.

According to Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com, WWE always intended for Femi to win the 2026 King of the Ring tournament. However, rather than cashing in his guaranteed championship opportunity against Roman Reigns straight away, the plan was for him to put that title match on hold in order to settle unfinished business with Lesnar.

Meltzer noted that WWE views Femi vs. Reigns as a marquee attraction and believes SummerSlam would have been too early to deliver the bout. While he could not confirm that the company is specifically targeting WrestleMania 43 for the match, he indicated the long term objective is to make the eventual showdown feel as significant as possible.

He also shared his belief that Femi losing to Reigns at this stage of his rise would not have benefited the rising star. While some have compared the situation to Cody Rhodes overcoming setbacks before reaching the top, Meltzer argued that Femi is a different type of performer, suggesting he is more comparable to Bill Goldberg than Rhodes or Will Ospreay.

Instead, Femi will step into Hell in a Cell with Lesnar at SummerSlam, a rivalry Meltzer described as one of WWE's hottest storylines thanks to its strong YouTube numbers and consistently loud crowd reactions. He added that, in his opinion, Femi should emerge victorious, as Lesnar already scored the first win in the rivalry and another victory for the former WWE Champion would offer little benefit.