Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle is skeptical that NFL Hall of Famer Ray Lewis could hold his own in a Real American Freestyle (RAF) match, should the rumored bout come together before the end of the year.
RAF co-founders Chad Bronstein and Izzy Martinez told MMA Fighting last week that they were in discussions with Lewis about a possible match, though they cautioned that no deal had been finalized. The talks were described as trending in a positive direction.
Angle, who won Olympic gold in freestyle wrestling and was a three-time NCAA All-American, told OutKick Dropkick he doesn’t expect Lewis to be seriously competitive against RAF’s world-class roster.
“I don’t know if he’s going to be able to do it,” Angle said on behalf of Gambling.com, the guide to the best online sportsbooks. “Ray did wrestle I believe in high school. So, he knows wrestling, but I think he’s going to be there to represent RAF. If they do something with him, I don’t know if it’s going to be a real match.”
“But the thing is, every match in Olympic-style wrestling is real. So, if he does wrestle, then good for him. And I hope he doesn’t get hurt, unfortunately. Listen, Ray Lewis is a bada–, but I mean, he’s probably what 55, 60 years old. So, I don’t know if it’d be a good idea for him to get on the mat with some of those studs.”
Lewis, in fact, is 51 years old. Before becoming one of the most dominant linebackers in NFL history, he was a Florida state wrestling champion in high school.
RAF was formed last year by the late Hulk Hogan, Chad Bronstein, Izzy Martinez and Eric Bischoff to bring professional freestyle wrestling competition to the United States and abroad. Wyatt Hendrickson and Kennedy Blades are among the league’s top champions.
Angle’s Own Exit From RAF
Angle himself briefly worked as a commentator for RAF before being let go. He said the split was amicable and attributed it to budget constraints rather than any conflict.
“I got let go due to budget and I completely understood,” he told OutKick Dropkick. “I wasn’t the greatest at commentary and they brought me in because of my name and they wanted me to go for a year and try it out and so I did it and I really enjoyed it. But they have a great future in front of them.”
Angle predicted RAF would expand internationally, pointing to events already held in Russia and planned trips to Europe and India, and compared its growth trajectory to that of the UFC.
“I think they have a great future in front of them. I think they’re going to do tremendously well, and they’re signing not only the American wrestlers, they’re signing wrestlers from all over the world. So, this is going to be something that is going to turn into a dynamo company. This is going to be, God willing, it’s going to be like the UFC.”
Real American Freestyle airs live on Fox Nation. RAF14 is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas on Oct. 23.
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