Michael Cole Says Oba Femi Is ‘The Next Big Thing in WWE,’ Calls Sami Zayn an ‘Entitled Spoiled Crybaby’

WWE broadcaster Michael Cole joined ESPN’s Get Up earlier today to promote this weekend’s WWE Night of Champions event. During his appearance, Cole broke down the King and Queen of the Ring tournament finals, along with Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther vs. Sami Zayn for the WWE Undisputed Title. Below are some highlights:

Michael Cole on Oba Femi vs. Jey Uso in the King of the Ring Finals

“You mentioned Oba Femi. This guy’s the real deal. He’s the next big thing in WWE. The guy goes 6’6″. He’s 310 lbs. He’s got a tremendous amount of charisma. To use the sports terminology, he is a five-tool player. He is the future of WWE. Tremendous athlete. He was an All-SCC member from the University of Alabama as a shot putter. He has wanted to be a professional wrestler his entire life, and he has an opportunity now, after beating Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, to become one of the biggest things in our business. On the flip side of things, Jey Uso, interesting story here. He’s a former World Champion, but he’s also part of the Anoaʻi family lineage, and that’s the lineage that has brought us The Rock, that has brought us the current World Champion, Roman Reigns. Jey Uso is a veteran. He’s a multi-time tag team champion, a former World Champion. If anyone is going to have the chance to knock off Oba Femi, it could be Jey Uso.”

His Thoughts on Liv Morgan vs. Iyo Sky for the Queen of the Ring Crown

“Yeah, this is interesting because Liv Morgan is the current world champion. So, if she wins, she goes on to face the WWE champion at SummerSlam, and she could have all the gold, but she’s going up against the woman whom I have called not just the best women’s wrestler on the planet, but the best wrestler period on this entire planet. Iyo Sky is unbelievable in the ring. She’s a former world champion, and I think she’s got a chance to knock off Liv Morgan and Riad on Saturday. And remember, King and Queen of the Ring, Greeny, both of those events will be on ESPN, the first hour of the show.”

Hiss Thoughts on Cody Rhodes vs. Sami Zayn vs. Gunther

“It’s interesting. And Cody Rhodes, of course, is the Undisputed WWE Champion. But this is a triple threat match. There’s no countouts. There’s no disqualifications. The first man to pick up a pinfall or submission wins the championship. So Cody has no advantage. He doesn’t even have to be involved in the decision to lose the title. Gunther, the career killer. He’s ended the careers of Goldberg, John Cena, and Hall of Famer AJ Styles. This man is a killer in the ring. He’s an absolute technical genius. And the man you just saw deliver the kick there, Sami Zayn. To use a sport analogy, I like to call Sami Zayn the ‘Wemby’ [Victor Wembanyama] of the WWE. Entitled spoiled crybaby. That’s what Sami Zayn’s been all about.'”

Those matches go down at WWE Night of Champions 2026 on Saturday, June 27. The premium live event is being held at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It will air live on the ESPN App in the U.S. and on Netflix internationally.

If using any of the above quotes, please credit ESPN’s Get Up, with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.