WRESTLING EVOLUTION: Real American Freestyle spotlights mankind's oldest sport

Key Concepts

• Freestyle Wrestling: An Olympic style of wrestling characterized by its dynamic and open nature, allowing for a wide range of techniques.
• Folkstyle Wrestling: A style commonly practiced in American amateur wrestling, particularly at the middle school, high school, and college levels.
• Greco-Roman Wrestling: Another Olympic style of wrestling, distinct from freestyle, with specific rules regarding holds and takedowns.
• Real American Freestyle Wrestling: A newly formed professional wrestling league aiming to bring entertainment and a professional element to the sport.
• Fox Nation: The exclusive platform for broadcasting Real American Freestyle Wrestling events.

Real American Freestyle Wrestling League

1. League Overview and Mission: Real American Freestyle Wrestling is a new professional league founded with the goal of elevating the sport of wrestling by incorporating entertainment and a professional structure. The league aims to shed light on wrestling, described as the oldest sport in mankind, and bring a professional element to it.

2. Co-Founders and Key Figures:

• Chad Bronstein: Co-founder and CEO of Real American Freestyle Wrestling.
• Eric Bischoff: Involved in creating the entertainment aspect of the matches.
• Izzy Martinez: Co-founder, also involved in the league's development.
• Hulk Hogan: Co-founder, previously partnered with Chad Bronstein in another venture, "Real American Beer 2."

3. Wrestling Styles Explained: The transcript clarifies the different styles of wrestling:

• Folkstyle Wrestling: The amateur style practiced from middle school through college in the United States.
• Freestyle Wrestling: The Olympic style, which is the focus of the new league. It is described as the style wrestlers transition to after graduating from college and the style contested in the Olympics.
• Greco-Roman Wrestling: Another Olympic style, mentioned as one of the three styles that may be incorporated in the future.

4. Popularity and Growth of Wrestling:

• Wrestling, in general, is experiencing increasing popularity.
• It is highlighted as the fastest-growing sport for women in America.
• The lack of a previous professional league in wrestling is seen as an opportunity for Real American Freestyle Wrestling to gain traction.

5. Match Format and Entertainment Value:

• The league aims to create matches with a high level of entertainment.
• Examples of featured athletes include Michael Chandler (UFC superstar) and Chad Mendes, both of whom have wrestling backgrounds and competed in college.
• The matches are designed to showcase the athletes' wrestling prowess within an entertaining framework.

6. Event Attendance and Success:

• The league is experiencing significant crowd turnout.
• An upcoming event in Chicago at the Wintrust Arena is expected to be sold out, with approximately 6,000 attendees.
• Previous events in Cleveland also drew similar crowd sizes.
• An event at Penn State also saw large attendance.

7. Broadcast Information:

• Real American Freestyle Wrestling events are broadcast exclusively on Fox Nation.
• The next event is scheduled for Saturday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

8. Athlete Perspective (Michael Chandler): Michael Chandler, a UFC star, expresses his enthusiasm for participating, stating, "Hell yeah, sign me up," and emphasizing the need to "game plan." He shares his personal wrestling journey, starting at a young age, being coached by his father, and achieving success at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (two-time All-American, two-time Pac-10 champ). He also mentions his professional MMA career, including fighting for a UFC title three times, and his continued involvement in wrestling and jiu-jitsu. Chandler articulates a deep, indescribable love for wrestling shared by those who have been involved since a young age, calling it "hands down the toughest sport on the planet."

9. Conclusion: Real American Freestyle Wrestling is launching as a professional league to capitalize on the growing popularity of wrestling, particularly the Olympic freestyle style. By combining athletic competition with entertainment, and leveraging partnerships with platforms like Fox Nation and influential figures, the league aims to bring a new level of professionalism and viewership to the sport. The strong attendance at initial events suggests a positive reception from the public.