This past April, former WCW President Eric Bischoff and the late WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan formedReal American Freestyle Wrestling. Theunscripted promotion features male and female amateur wrestlers participating in freestyle competition, while having a platform to share their story and background. Although sports entertainment provides fans with intriguing personas and long-term storylines, Bischoff was surprised to learn about the amount of characters that can emerge in the world of amateur wrestling.
Speaking on "The Ariel Helwani Show,"Bischoff explained that he's been impressed with the personal qualities of the athletes he's signed so far, stating that the audience will value freestyle wrestling on a different level once they learn about the individual story of each competitor.
"Amateur wrestlers in particular, they're just wired differently and I knew that coming into this. I knew there'd be an opportunity to really find some interesting characters and interesting people. But wow, was I surprised at just how much character and personality and charisma we have in a lot of these athletes we're working with. I can't wait to tell their stories ... they're interesting people and when you learn about them, you really learn to appreciate freestylewrestling a whole lot more."
After Hogan passed away last month, many questioned if RAF would continue, but Bischoff insured that he will be moving forward with future plans for the promotion, as well as their inaugural show in Cleveland, Ohio on August 30.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Ariel Helwani Show" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
