Hulk Hogan and Real American Freestyle are going to run wild on your TV.
Real American Freestyle is the new freestyle wrestling promotion spearheaded by a group led by Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff. The promotion is set to host its debut event on August 30. Now, RAF has a new exclusive broadcast partner.
On Monday, FOX Nation announced a deal to broadcast Real American Freestyle’s inaugural matches. FOX Nation will now serve as the “exclusive broadcast partner” for RAF01, as well as the second event. Details for RAF02 have not yet been announced.
“We’re thrilled to partner with the Real American Freestyle team as they build a visionary brand that redefines the future of wrestling,” said FOX Nation president Lauren Petterson. “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.”
FOX Nation is not a traditional cable channel. It exists as a paid streaming app that is accessible on many supported devices, including Roku and Fire TV. In March, FOX CEO Lachlan Murdoch claimed that the service currently has between 2 million and 2.5 million subscribers.
Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff comment on RAF’s FOX Nation deal
“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 Hulk Hogan, Commissioner of Real American Freestyle. “FOX Nation is synergistic with our brand, they appreciate the importance of bringing this sport to the masses, and they believe in our goal.”
“FOX Nation immediately understood the vision we had for Real American Freestyle making them the perfect partner for this historic media rights deal and the first of its kind in the sport,” said Real American Freestyle’s Chief Media Officer, Eric Bischoff. “Having the right broadcast partner is critical to putting on a good show for the fans and we are thrilled to be working with FOX.”
“Our goal in creating Real American Freestyle was to make historical moves to professionalize the sport of wrestling,” said Chad Bronstein, co-founder and CEO of Real American Freestyle. “This partnership with FOX Nation will create a platform the athletes deserve and bring freestyle wrestling to our fans at home.”
RAF01 takes place at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland on August 30. The first matches include:
- 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
RAF says more matches are in development, including a “featured, main card bout.”
Kurt Angle recently announced he was also joining RAF in multiple roles. This includes working as a broadcaster at the debut event.
Read More: Kurt Angle Is Seeking Footage of Rare Match With Owen Hart
