Podcast Episodes

WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff on Building Real American Freestyle

Published October 9th, 2025 by Justin Basch

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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