Real American Freestyle reveals its exclusive broadcast partner
Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff’s Real American Freestyle (RAF) has announced its exclusive broadcast partner.
On Monday, the promotion revealed that its debut event, RAF 01, will air on Fox Nation on August 30.
“Real American Freestyle is creating something that’s never been done before, and we needed a partner that understood that and could build with us,” said RAF commissioner Hulk Hogan. “FOX Nation is synergistic with our brand, they appreciate the importance of bringing this sport to the masses, and they believe in our goal.”
The broadcast team is set to consist of Kurt Angle, Chael Sonnen, and Bubba Jenkins. Angle was quoted in a Fox press release on the news:
“I grew up freestyle wrestling and achieved the highest level of success in the sport,” Angle said. “I couldn’t be prouder to support athletes at all levels of their careers and partner with Real American Freestyle to make it happen. Chael and Bubba will bring a unique aspect to their analysis given their own backgrounds in combat sports, and I’m excited to join them for RAF 01 to bring freestyle wrestling to audiences around the world.”
Fox Nation president Lauren Petterson was also quoted in the release:
“We’re thrilled to partner with the Real American Freestyle team as they build a visionary brand that redefines the future of wrestling. Fusing elite athleticism with unmatched entertainment, it’s an honor to be part of the new era of the world’s oldest and most iconic sport.”
RAF 1 will be held in Cleveland’s Wolstein Center on the campus of Cleveland State University. The venue holds over 13,000 for basketball and approximately 15,000 for concerts. As of Friday’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, 639 tickets had been distributed to the show.
Six matches are advertised for the show:
RAF 01 lineup for August 30:
- Bo Nickal vs. Jacob Cardenas
- Yianni Diakomihalis vs. Bajrang Punia
- Darrion Caldwell vs. Real Woods
- Austin Gomez vs. Lance Palmer
- Kennedy Blades vs. Alejandra Rivera
- Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Zeltzin Hernandez