Almost three months ago, Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff shared an nWo-style black-and-white video teasing their return, with a third man set to join them. At the time, people were speculating about several names, with podcaster Conrad Thompson and even Vince McMahon being suggested. However, to say the subsequent announcement of MMA coach Izzy Martinez and the launch of a new company called “Real American Freestyle” was a damp squib would be an understatement.
Still, despite the initial disappointment and the fact that only around 10% of available tickets have sold, there is now positive news. This is because it has been officially announced that the first RAF show will feature Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle on commentary.
This isn’t the first attempt someone has made to take amateur wrestling to a professional level in the United States, with “Real Pro Wrestling” being the most well-known example. Yet, despite the involvement of Daniel Cormier, King Mo, and Rulon Gardner, RPW would only run for two seasons and ceased operations in 2007. Therefore, it was always going to be an uphill struggle for Bischoff and Hogan to make this project a success, especially given the popularity of MMA nowadays, which partially fills this gap in the market.
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