The RAF Championship is the title awarded to champions in Real American Freestyle (RAF), a professional freestyle wrestling promotion founded by WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan, Chad Bronstein, and Terri Francis. Launched in 2025, RAF combines the rules of Olympic-style freestyle wrestling with a professional sports model, giving elite wrestlers the opportunity to compete for championship belts, rankings, and prize money.
As the organization continues to grow, the RAF Championship has become one of the most recognizable prizes in professional freestyle wrestling.
What is the RAF Championship?
The RAF Championship is awarded to the winner of each weight division in Real American Freestyle. Unlike traditional professional wrestling promotions, RAF matches are unscripted and follow freestyle wrestling rules, with competitors earning victories through technical superiority, points, or pins.
RAF was created to showcase many of the world’s best wrestlers, including Olympic medalists, NCAA champions, world champions, and accomplished mixed martial artists looking to compete in freestyle wrestling.
RAF Championship weight classes
Real American Freestyle crowns champions across multiple men’s and women’s divisions. The men’s championship weight classes include:
- Heavyweight (285 lbs)
- Light Heavyweight (215 lbs)
- Cruiserweight (190 lbs)
- Middleweight (175 lbs)
- Welterweight (165 lbs)
- Lightweight (155 lbs)
- Featherweight (145 lbs)
- Bantamweight (135 lbs)
Women’s championship divisions are also part of the promotion, giving elite female wrestlers an opportunity to compete for RAF titles.
How is RAF different from WWE or AEW?
Although the organization was co-founded by Hulk Hogan, RAF is not scripted professional wrestling like WWE or AEW.
Instead, RAF features legitimate freestyle wrestling competition with:
- Official freestyle wrestling rules
- Real competitive matches
- Professional athletes competing for prize money
- Championship belts awarded to division winners
- Rankings that determine title opportunities
The league aims to bridge the gap between amateur wrestling and professional combat sports.
Who competes for the RAF Championship?
RAF has attracted a mix of accomplished wrestlers and crossover athletes from MMA. Competitors include:
- Olympic wrestlers
- NCAA Division I national champions
- World Championship medalists
- Former UFC and MMA fighters
- International freestyle wrestling stars
This combination has helped the promotion quickly gain attention among wrestling and combat sports fans.
Recent RAF Championship highlights
One of the promotion’s biggest recent moments came at RAF 11, where former UFC contender Colby Covington defeated Arman Tsarukyan to capture the inaugural RAF Cruiserweight Crossover Championship. The division was created specifically for athletes transitioning from other combat sports into Real American Freestyle competition.
As RAF continues expanding its roster and schedule, additional championship bouts are expected to further establish the league as one of wrestling’s fastest-growing professional promotions.
Why the RAF Championship matters
The RAF Championship represents a new era for freestyle wrestling by giving elite athletes a professional platform beyond the Olympic cycle. With legitimate competition, championship belts, financial incentives, and increasing television exposure, Real American Freestyle is helping elevate freestyle wrestling to a broader audience.
For wrestling fans, the RAF Championship has quickly become one of the sport’s newest and most prestigious titles, showcasing many of the world’s top competitors in authentic freestyle competition.