Former WWE NXT North American Champion Oba Femi has a chance at the big time on January 7, as he will face WWE NXT Champion Trick Williams at NXT New Year's Evil. 

In a new interview with "The Ringer Wrestling Show," Femi made it very clear that the two men coming from rival SEC schools had nothing to do with his animosity towards Williams. The number one contender believes the two men have plenty of reasons to be rivals just in WWE alone.

"I did track and field and he did football, so there's no real reason for there to be an SEC rivalry," Femi began. "You have to think about what this match means. Who is the real top guy? Is it the pro wrestler or is it the sports entertainer? And I think people are overlooking that aspect of it. Who represents the brand dictates which way the brand's gonna go. So do we stay grounded ... or do we, for lack of a better term, squander it with the sports entertainer?"

Femi believes he will do a better job of representing "NXT" than Williams has done for much of 2024. He feels the flash and sizzle of Williams's style has undercut the seriousness of professional wrestling. He hopes to bring the Tuesday night program under the same strict boot of Monday night's World Heavyweight Champion, Gunther.

"I feel like that kind of kills the legitimacy of what we do. I agree with Gunther, in the sense that this is a sport," Femi said. "I know people are trying to make a name for themselves and become superstars, but when we push that way, we kill what it actually is. So that's what this match means."