Real American Freestyle (RAF) has been criticized for being a hobby shop for bored UFC fighters, but it appears the promotion is strengthening its commitment to amateur wrestling.
The organization today announced an agreement to acquire World of Wrestling (WoW), the family-owned organization behind Tulsa Nationals, Reno Worlds and the Kickoff Classic, three of the most recognizable youth wrestling tournaments in the nation.
Tulsa Nationals alumni include Olympic gold medalists Kyle Snyder and Gable
Steveson, Olympic and World medalists Spencer Lee, J’Den Cox and Thomas Gilman, and NCAA champions Bo Nickal and Zahid Valencia, among others.
“When you’re part of wrestling, you understand what Tulsa means,” said Chad Bronstein, CEO and Co-Founder of RAF. “Some of the greatest wrestlers in the world went through these tournaments as kids, but what really stood out to us was the story of Jack Roller and what his family built. He took a chance on something he believed in and created an institution that has meant so much to generations of wrestling families. We have enormous respect for that. We’re not coming in to change what makes World of Wrestling special. We want to honor it, invest in it and help create even bigger opportunities for the next generation of wrestlers who come through those mats.”
World of Wrestling’s upcoming schedule includes the Kickoff Classic in November, Tulsa Nationals in January and Reno Worlds in April. Additional details regarding the transaction and future plans will be announced in the coming months.
The next RAF card is set for Nov. 14 in Abu Dhabi.
