Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff are stepping back into the spotlight, but this time, their latest venture takes them into the world of professional freestyle wrestling. After days of teasing a major announcement and the involvement of a mysterious third party, the pair officially unveiled their new project: Real American Freestyle Wrestling, a league set to debut this summer with an ambitious focus on elite athleticism and entertainment.

The official announcement confirmed that the third man in the mix is none other than world-renowned wrestling and MMA coach Izzy Martinez, who will serve as the Chief Operating Officer for the league. Martinez is known for his work with elite athletes such as Jon Jones and Holly Holm, and he is the founder of the Izzy Style Wrestling training program in Illinois.

The league will include eight men’s weight classes and four women’s divisions, with its inaugural event set for August 30 in Cleveland. Hogan will act as the league’s commissioner while Bischoff is spearheading production.

The inspiration behind the league came to Hogan after witnessing Wyatt Hendrickson defeat Gable Steveson to claim the NCAA National Heavyweight title earlier this year.

“When I saw that happen and I saw our President hug him, I went, OK, we are on point, we’re ready to go and instincts have prevailed and I smell victory,” Hogan told the Associated Press. “I think we’re right on track, brother.”

Although neither Hendrickson nor Steveson are officially part of the promotion at this time, Hogan hinted that a rematch between the two is something the league would love to see happen.

“These kids are young, they’re smart. They’re watching TV. They know about branding, they know what sells. And they’ve all got that little Conor McGregor swag,” Hogan added.

The league has already begun assembling a roster of standout talent. Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades has signed on and is set to lead the women’s division, while Ben Askren and Zahid Valencia will compete on the men’s side.

According to Hogan, Bischoff is playing a crucial behind-the-scenes role in shaping the league's future.

“Eric jumped in with both feet, and he’s doing a lot to guide this ship right now, brother. He’s setting so much stuff up production wise , just moving us forward, light years ahead of where we could have been on our own.”

Martinez’s expertise in developing world-class wrestlers adds further credibility to the new league, and Hogan is embracing the opportunity to help shape the next generation of champions.

“I see this as an opportunity for me to get involved,” Hogan said, “to get back, quit sitting on the couch, to get involved with a bunch of powerful athletes that I can relate to as far as championship material, guys that are on top of their game, and I just , I couldn’t pass on it.”

Speaking to Forbes, Bischoff described the vision behind RAFW:

“World-class athletes, elite-level athletes, Olympic-level wrestlers, collegiate champions, but in a professional environment with a lot more entertainment.”

Hogan elaborated on how they plan to blend sport and storytelling:

“Well, I think Eric described it the best when he said if you think of The Voice. You do the backstories first, so the people care about the athletes, and you see where they started, and the injuries and what type of family background they have, and in the history package, I think that kind of sets people up to care for the athletes, like Eric said. And that’s where we’re going to begin, with the people warming up and getting to know the athletes, and then it’s up to the athletes to perform.”

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, Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) April 30, 2025