Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Hulk Hogan stunned fans on Thursday when he announced a new wrestling league he is promoting with Eric Bischoff. However, fans were even more stunned by the new slash old look The Hulkster was sporting during his live TV appearance on Fox & Friends to announce it.
The new venture will be called Real American Freestyle, an unscripted freestyle wrestling league. According to a press release, this new league is “aiming to professionalize the sport and provide a platform for the world’s best wrestlers.”
“Seeking to provide an opportunity for the best athletes to compete and showcase their talent, Real American Freestyle will have a deep roster including Olympian, Pan American champion, mixed martial artist, and professional boxer Ben Askren; Olympian and World Champion Kennedy Blades; National Champion and World Champion Zahid Valencia; and more to be announced in the coming months,” the press release revealed. “Events will feature eight weight classes with eight matches for men and four for women and will kick off this summer in Cleveland, Ohio.”
REAL AMERICAN FREESTYLE: Wrestling legends @HulkHogan & @EBischoff reunite to launch new league set to professionalize freestyle wrestling pic.twitter.com/DRKoaBzCNf
— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) May 1, 2025
“Real American wrestlers are some of the most disciplined, elite athletes in the world — but until now, they haven’t had a true professional stage to showcase their greatness,” said Hulk Hogan, who will be the Commissioner of Real American Freestyle. “Eric and I know how to build the kind of heat that grabs attention and we’re going to make Real American Freestyle wrestling a must-see for fans.”
Israel Martinez, which the press release calls “one of the top coaches in the history of the sport,” will serve as the Chief Operating Officer of Real American Freestyle. They state that the league has partnered with USA Wrestling, NIL organizations and the NCAA so that “athletes can compete regardless of their NCAA status.”
“I intimately understand and appreciate what it takes to perform at the level these athletes do, and I was always curious why this sport wasn’t recognized for the potential it has,” said Eric Bischoff, the Chief Media Officer for Real American Freestyle. “The stories we have to tell at Real American Freestyle and the accomplishments of the wrestlers are extraordinary. Not only will the audience be entertained by the product but the entire sport will be lifted as a result.”
It sounds a lot like they want to be like UFC, only without all the punching and kicking, which certainly could be interesting. If only everyone wasn’t so distracted by Hulk Hogan’s weird NWO-type beard, people might actually be excited about it.
Interestingly, Wednesday night, Hulk Hogan spoke to TMZ about the new wrestling league and he hadn’t dyed his beard yet.