Hulk Hogan's new endeavor has Cleveland ties, brother

Driving the news: Wolstein Center will be the venue for its inaugural event on Aug. 30, RAF revealed to Axios on Wednesday.

• Tickets go on sale today via RAF's website.

How it works: Unlike WWE-style professional wrestling, RAF features the kind of "unscripted" freestyle wrestling seen at colleges and the Olympics.

• The Aug. 30 event will include eight men's and four women's matches with winners receiving financial prizes and/or championships.

Flashback: RAF is the brainchild of Cleveland native Chad Bronstein, a former high school wrestler and Miami University grad.

• Bronstein became an entrepreneur after college, developing cannabis brands with athletes like Mike Tyson and Ric Flair, before co-founding Real American Beer with Hogan in 2024.

What they're saying: "When I brought the idea for RAF to Hulk, he was like, 'Brother, we gotta start with Cleveland,'" Bronstein tells Axios.

• "Ohio has such a huge wrestling community with various colleges. There's never been a pro promotion for freestyle wrestling where you have the same opportunity athletes in other sports do after college."

State of play: RAF's roster features a collection of former Olympians, NCAA champions and MMA stars.

• Among those competing Aug. 30 is Lance Palmer, who wrestled at St. Edward High School in Lakewood and Ohio State University before becoming an MMA fighter.

What's next: RAF will reveal the night's full card in the coming weeks.

• Future events are set for cities like New York, Tampa and Chicago.