Real American Freestyle 01 — Full Results & Deep-Dive (Cleveland, OH • 08/30/2025)

Real American Freestyle (RAF) made its debut tonight at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland with a 10-bout card streamed exclusively on Fox Nation—and opened with an emotional video tribute to the late Hulk Hogan, who helped launch the league and was slated to serve as commissioner. The show leaned fully into Olympic-style freestyle rules (UWW-like, “unscripted pro wrestling” in RAF’s words), pairing NCAA standouts, Olympians, and MMA names under bright lights and TV-first production.

Quick Facts

Venue: Wolstein Center (Cleveland, OH)

Broadcast: Fox Nation (exclusive)

Presentation notes: WWE-produced video tribute to Hulk Hogan; Kurt Angle, Chael Sonnen, and Bubba Jenkins on commentary; appearances from combat-sports luminaries; LOCASH performed.

Full Card & Official Results

135 lb — Nathan Tomasello def. Matt Ramos, 4–3.

A razor-tight opener between Big Ten foes. Tomasello’s mat craft and late match management eked out the one-point win in a bout that felt like NCAA tournament déjà vu.

155 lb — Yianni Diakomihalis def. Bajrang Punia, 5–1.

High-level hand-fighting and counter scores carried Yianni past the Olympic bronze medalist returning to action; a clear statement against world-class opposition.

155 lb — Austin Gomez def. Lance Palmer, 11–0 (technical superiority).

The Cleveland favorite Palmer was swarmed by Gomez’s pace and shot chains; a quick tech sealed it.

175 lb — Evan Wick def. Jason Nolf, 10–8.

A thriller. Wick’s re-attacks and transitional scoring answered Nolf’s scrambles just enough to take a two-point shootout.

120 lb — Sarah Hildebrandt def. Zeltzin Hernandez, 11–0 (technical superiority).

Fresh off Olympic glory, Hildebrandt looked sharp and clinical, closing before the horn.

145 lb — Real Woods def. Darrion Caldwell (fall).

Youth and timing over experience: Woods converted pressure into a pin for one of the night’s loudest pops.

190 lb — Kyle Dake def. Dean Hamiti, 11–0 (technical superiority).

Dake put on a masterclass, blanking the 2025 NCAA champ with layered finishes and par terre pressure.

150 lb — Alejandra Rivera def. Holly Holm, 9–7.

Surprise booking of the night: UFC legend Holly Holm stepped in opposite Rivera—and the Mexico international spoiled the cameo in a spirited 9–7 decision.

205 lb — Bo Nickal def. Jacob Cardenas, 6–4.

Back to his folkstyle/freestyle roots, Nickal edged the three-time NCAA AA with timely scores and mat savvy.

Unlimited — Wyatt Hendrickson def. Mostafa Elders, 14–1 (technical superiority).

In the no-limit main event, the Hodge Trophy winner steamrolled Egypt’s Mostafa Aly Elsayed Gabr Elders to close the inaugural card emphatically.

> Source of record for match-by-match results: FloWrestling’s live recap, corroborated by Fightful’s results post.

Opening Tribute & Production Notes

RAF led with a WWE-produced video tribute to Hulk Hogan. On the broadcast side, Kurt Angle joined Chael Sonnen and Bubba Jenkins on commentary, while a LOCASH set and cameos from names like Holly Holm, Urijah Faber and Mark Coleman gave the show crossover sheen—signaling RAF’s intent to present elite wrestling with entertainment packaging.

Backstory: What RAF Is, Who Built It & Why Cleveland

Formation: On April 30, 2025, Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff announced Real American Freestyle, an “unscripted pro-wrestling league” that would showcase real freestyle competition—athletes scoring for real under UWW-style rules, wrapped in big-show production. Coach Israel “Izzy” Martinez joined leadership, with Chad Bronstein as CEO and Bischoff as chief media officer.

Hogan’s Role: Hogan was introduced as league commissioner, using his mainstream reach to spotlight world-class wrestlers and create stories around them.

Broadcast Partner: Fox Nation signed on as exclusive streaming home for RAF 01 and a follow-up event this fall. Cleveland’s Wolstein Center was selected for the debut.

WWE Relationship: The debut’s Hogan tribute was produced in partnership with WWE; Real American Beer (a title sponsor) is partially owned by WWE—evidence of cordial cross-promotion rather than competition.

How Hulk Hogan’s Passing Shapes RAF’s Trajectory

Hogan passed away on July 24, 2025 (acute myocardial infarction per medical records reported a week later). In the weeks since, RAF leadership emphasized pressing forward to realize Hogan’s vision, not pausing the launch. The on-air tribute and WWE’s visible support underscore that the brand will honor Hogan while pivoting the spotlight to the athletes and stories—the very premise RAF was built on.

What that means on the ground:

Expect more athlete-first storytelling (Angle/Sonnen/Jenkins on the call is a tell), with mainstream guests adding reach rather than overshadowing sport.

Fox Nation’s commitment to at least two events in 2025 buys RAF time to iterate the format and build recurring rivalries.

Teases from tonight (e.g., Tito Ortiz confronting Chael Sonnen) hint at RAF blending real-wrestling legitimacy with crossover moments to hook casuals.

Match-By-Match Takeaways

Tomasello/Ramos (135): Clinic in one-possession wrestling. Tomasello’s late clock management was the difference.

Diakomihalis/Bajrang (155): Yianni’s counters blunted Bajrang’s returns; a controlled 5–1 that sets up future international-name bookings.

Gomez/Palmer (155): A statement tech—Gomez’s pace translates brilliantly to the TV format.

Wick/Nolf (175): Bout of the night for purists; Wick’s re-attacks nicked enough clean points to outpace Nolf.

Hildebrandt/Hernandez (120): Post-Paris gold, Hildebrandt showed zero rust. Perfect showcase of women’s freestyle at speed.

Woods/Caldwell (145): Youthful pressure into a fall—exactly the kind of decisive finish TV producers want.

Dake/Hamiti (190): Dake’s 11–0 underscores that legends can still dominate in the “RAF era.”

Rivera/Holm (150): Holm’s surprise cameo brought mainstream buzz; Rivera’s win gives RAF an organic upset story for episode two.

Nickal/Cardenas (205): Tight, TV-friendly chess match; Nickal’s brand equity remains sky-high.

Hendrickson/Elders (Unlimited): A crowd-pleasing demolition by the Hodge winner to close the night.

What’s Next

Second event: Fox Nation holds rights to RAF’s next show this fall. Tonight also seeded potential attractions (e.g., Ortiz vs. Sonnen call-out on the broadcast floor).

Roster growth: AP reporting has tied RAF to continued signings and partnerships (e.g., apparel with Takedown; outreach to Gable Steveson), suggesting an aggressive talent strategy to keep mixing NCAA stars, Olympians and name MMA crossovers.

Why This Debut Mattered

RAF 01 stuck the landing on its core promise: real freestyle wrestling presented like a prime-time combat show. With Hogan’s legacy front-and-center and Bischoff/Bronstein/Martinez steering the product, the Cleveland debut gave Fox Nation something novel in the combat-sports space—and planted several seeds (holistic commentary team, crossover appearances, clean production, genuine upsets) that could make this more than a one-off tribute night.