Eric Bischoff Announces Huge Plans: Real American Freestyle to Launch Weekly Series Next Year
Eric Bischoff has revealed major plans for Real American Freestyle, the upstart promotion founded by Chad Bronstein, Terri Francis, and the late Terry Bollea (Hulk Hogan). Backed by Left Lane Capital, the company is set to debut its first event on August 30 at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio, streaming live on Fox Nation.
But Bischoff, who serves as Chief Marketing Officer, is already looking beyond the launch. On his 83 Weeks podcast newest video that drops tomorrow, the former WCW President dropped a significant update: beginning in the first quarter of 2026, Real American Freestyle will roll out a weekly, two-hour live television series running 52 weeks a year.
“We’re going to launch a weekly, two-hour, live Real American Freestyle series coming your way, first quarter, 2026,” Bischoff announced. “That’s breaking news… 52 weeks a year, two hours a week, live. Real American freestyle action coming your way. It’s gonna be so much fun. I can’t wait.”
Bischoff noted that while the focus remains on August’s debut show, he and Bronstein have already been planning “the next big move,” with the live weekly series being their cornerstone expansion project.
Betting on the Future
Beyond broadcasting, Real American Freestyle is also eyeing sports betting integration. Bischoff revealed the promotion hopes to have betting available by early 2026.
“Hopefully, by around the first quarter, you’re gonna be able to bet on Real American Freestyle,” Bischoff said. “Especially for the existing MMA audience, because wrestling is the most important foundation of MMA. If you like to bet on MMA, don’t you think knowing a little bit more about wrestling is gonna matter?”
This approach ties freestyle wrestling directly into the growing MMA betting culture, potentially attracting crossover fans who see freestyle as an essential foundation for combat sports.
H/t to Fightful for the transcript portions.
Wrestling.news | Backstage Take
Eric Bischoff’s fingerprints are all over this strategy. While he’s taking a marketing role, his decades of experience in live TV and weekly episodic programming are exactly what Real American Freestyle needs if it wants to scale fast.
What’s notable is Bischoff’s tone — this isn’t just hype. He’s treating this as a long-term play, already envisioning where the company could be by mid-2026. Between the weekly series and the integration of betting, Real American Freestyle is positioning itself not just as another wrestling promotion, but as a hybrid of combat sports and sports entertainment designed to appeal to both hardcore and casual audiences.
The question now is whether the product in the ring can capture fans’ attention the way the business plan is aiming to. With Fox Nation on board for the debut and a weekly series already in motion, all eyes will be on Cleveland later this month to see if Real American Freestyle can live up to its ambitious vision.
