Real American Freestyle (RAF), a professional wrestling organization established last year, has rapidly gained traction and popularity within the sports world.
The league was co-founded by wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, entrepreneur Chad Bronstein, esteemed coach Izzy Martinez, and former wrestling executive Eric Bischoff. Its mission is to elevate professional freestyle wrestling both domestically in the United States and internationally. Among RAF's roster of top competitors are champions like Wyatt Hendrickson and Kennedy Blades.
Recent reports indicated that RAF was in discussions with NFL Hall of Famer Ray Lewis for a potential wrestling match before the close of the year. Statements from Bronstein and Martinez to a mixed martial arts news outlet confirmed these discussions, suggesting that while no deal was finalized, negotiations were progressing positively.
Angle Expresses Doubts About Lewis's Mat Return
However, former professional wrestling star and Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle, who also boasts a three-time NCAA All-American wrestling record, shared his reservations regarding Lewis's potential success on the mat against elite opponents.
"I don't know if he's going to be able to do it," Angle stated. "Ray did wrestle, I believe, in high school. So, he knows wrestling, but I think he's going to be there to represent RAF. If they do something with him, I don't know if it's going to be a real match."
Angle emphasized the inherent reality of Olympic-style wrestling bouts.
"But the thing is, every match in Olympic-style wrestling is real. So, if he does wrestle, then good for him. And I hope he doesn't get hurt, unfortunately. Listen, Ray Lewis is a bada**, but I mean, he's probably what 55, 60 years old. So, I don't know if it'd be a good idea for him to get on the mat with some of those studs."
For context, Ray Lewis is currently 51 years old. He was a Florida state wrestling champion in his youth before dedicating his career to football, where he became one of the most dominant linebackers in NFL history.
RAF's Global Vision and Future
Angle himself had a brief stint as a commentator for Real American Freestyle before his departure. He clarified that his exit was due to budget constraints and that he harbors no ill will towards the organization.
"I got let go due to budget and I completely understood," he explained. "I wasn't the greatest at commentary and they brought me in because of my name and they wanted me to go for a year and try it out and so I did it and I really enjoyed it."
He expressed strong optimism for RAF's future, envisioning it as a major player in combat sports.
"But they have a great future in front of them. I mean they're going all over the world. They're traveling to different countries, doing events. They were in Russia. They're going to be in Europe, India, they're going everywhere. They're traveling like the WWE does."
Angle highlighted the significant global appeal of wrestling, particularly outside of Western Europe.
"And the thing is wrestling in the United States is very popular, but it's even more popular overseas. So, it's not as popular in Western Europe, but Eastern Europe, Asia, India, those areas, it's very popular. So, I think they have a great future in front of them. I think they're going to do tremendously well, and they're signing not only the American wrestlers, they're signing wrestlers from all over the world. So, this is going to be something that is going to turn into a dynamo company. This is going to be, God willing, it's going to be like the UFC."
Real American Freestyle events are broadcast live on a digital streaming platform. The upcoming event, RAF14, is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas on October 23.
