Real American Freestyle wrestling to debut at Cleveland’s Wolstein Center with Olympic medalists

By Canadian Press on June 18, 2025.

Real American Freestyle wrestling’s inaugural event will be held at the 13,000-seat Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio on Aug. 30, commissioner Hulk Hogan said in a statement.

“Cleveland is an incredible city, and Real American Freestyle is channeling its rock and roll style into this first event,” he said.

The first set of matches and the location for the new promotion’s first event were announced Wednesday. The first two women’s matches are American Olympic gold medalist Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Mexico’s Zeltzin Hernandez Guerra and American Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades vs. Mexico’s Alejandra Rivera Arriaga.

The men’s matches so far are Real Woods vs. Darrion Caldwell and Austin Gomez vs. Lance Palmer.

The format will include eight men’s and four women’s matches. Major signings have included American Olympic medalists Kyle Snyder, Kyle Dake and Aaron Brooks and NCAA heavyweight champion Wyatt Hendrickson.

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Cliff Brunt, The Associated Press