Hulk Hogan has announced his next big wrestling project, but fans have been left baffled.
The WWE Hall of Famer, who was met with fierce boos from fans in January when he appeared during the first Monday Night Raw on Netflix, has been teasing a new venture over the last week with former WCW boss Eric Bischoff.
Earlier this week, the two longtime friends dropped a bizarre black and white video inspired by their old nWO (New World Order) wrestling faction as they teased a ‘third man’, with plenty of speculation around the mystery person.
Just a couple of days later, they have unveiled their collaborator as veteran freestyle wrestling coach Israel ‘Izzy’ Martinez, who has trained several NCAA All-American wrestlers and UFC fighters, including Holly Holm, Jon Jones and Yair Rodrigez.
‘IzzyMania is gonna run wild on the whole world of wrestling,’ Hogan said in the latest video, unveiling the new Real American Freestyle Wrestling promotion.
He added: ‘And now that we stepped our game up and we’re now in the world of professional freestyle wrestling, all I have to say is, welcome to the black and blue.’
Described in a press release as an ‘unscripted freestyle wrestling league’, the project is backed by investor Left Lane Capital, with those involved teasing plans to ‘disrupt innovation, entertainment, and the world’s most popular style of wrestling’.
On its official website, a first event is listed for August 30 in Cleveland, Ohio, with dates to follow in Michigan and New Jersey.
The league’s mission statement is to ‘professionalise competitive wrestling and create a platform for elite athletes to compete in front of millions of fans’.
It’s fair to say a lot of fans have been left scratching their heads after the big reveal of the mystery project and ‘third man’, given the buildup.
‘Oh…. I don’t know who that is 🤷🏼♂️ This seemed more exciting the other day lol,’ wrote @Devil__in__Red on X, while @Ring_Rants simply replied: ‘My God what a letdown.’
‘Biggest letdown in history,’ agreed @RootedVirtue, as another follow on X, Jawwny_209, quipped: ‘I got second hand embarrassment watching this lmfao good lord.’
Despite the backlash, Hogan and fellow WWE alumni Bischoff are hopeful for the future, describing their upcoming roster as ‘some of the most disciplined, elite athletes in the world’
Hogan – who is serving as Commissioner of Real American Freestyle – said in a press release. ‘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.’
The pair confirmed to Forbes that the matches will be a ‘shoot’ – which is wrestling terminology for ‘real’ – but with storylines and entertainment aspects.
‘The stories we have to tell at Real American Freestyle and the accomplishments of the wrestlers are extraordinary,’ Bischoff told the outlet in an interview.
‘Not only will the audience be entertained by the product but the entire sport will be lifted as a result.’
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