WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff on Building Real American Freestyle

The On this episode of Baschamania, I’m joined by the one and only Eric Bischoff — the mastermind who helped reinvent professional wrestling with Nitro and the NWO. Today, Eric brings that same vision and passion to a new frontier: Real American Freestyle.

We dive into the excitement of turning freestyle wrestling into a professional product, the lessons learned from the first RAF event, and the parallels between revolutionizing pro wrestling in the ’90s and reimagining amateur wrestling today. Eric shares his thoughts on storytelling, creating larger-than-life identities, and building moments that fans actually feel.

We also reflect on the loss of Hulk Hogan — co-founder of Real American Freestyle — and what it means for Bischoff to help carry that legacy forward. From emotion to identity to building a true movement, this conversation is packed with insight on where freestyle wrestling can go next and how it can finally capture the mainstream spotlight.

• 00:00 - Eric Getting Involved with RAF
• 03:45 - Excitement for the Stories in Freestyle Wrestling
• 08:45 - Borrowing from Sports Entertainment
• 14:00 - Developing Characters
• 18:30 - Turning a Charity-Driven Sport into a Revenue-Generating Sport
• 22:25 - Takeaways from RAF 01
• 26:15 - Hulk’s Legacy Moving Forward
• 33:15 - Pro Wrestling Unscripted
• 44:01 - Building and Shaping The Identity of RAF
• 46:30 - RAF 02 Expectations
• 48:45 - What's Next for Real American Freestyle

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