Bischoff on a streaming deal:

“As a matter of fact, as soon as we’re done with this, I have a call with a major platform that everybody would know about and recognize. We may end up there, we may not. We are going to end up on a platform on August 30th. We’re in discussions. I don’t even want to call negotiations. I’ll be really straightforward with you on this. We’re in discussions with two different platforms. Like I said, one over the next 45 minutes. I’m confident that we’re going to land a streaming opportunity and it may be a cable broadcast, but time will tell, you know.”

“I’m not concerned that we won’t have a platform. I’m only concerned with which one it will be and how it will work for us.”

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Bischoff on Kyle Snyder being listed on their website despite being arrested in prostitution sting:

“I just read about that about an hour ago, actually. I’ve been on the phone all morning and we’ll talk about it internally. I don’t know enough about the facts to comment on it here. Other than to say, I don’t know how old Kyle is, but as a young man or woman, once you start reaching certain levels of success in life and people know who you are, it becomes even more critical that you are careful in the way you conduct yourself, whether it’s in the business or away from the business.”

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Hogan on being booed for last WWE appearance:

“The last time I was in LA, I was Hollywood with the black beard and doing the bad guy thing. I can go out there and get booed in LA or The Rock can get booed in LA or John Cena gets booed in LA but when I get booed, there’s a whole different reaction media wise. For some reason I’ve laid some type of groundwork that people are still interested in what I’m doing. And so for those that are on the team and are riding with the train to the station, that’s great. For those that are the haters and still have a problem with me, there’s nothing I can do to fix that except just keep proving by my actions that I’m still in the game. I’m still pushing hard.”

“When you get booed and then you get 3.2 billion engagements, and you rock that whole world in LA with how much interaction there was on the internet, I’ll take it.”

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“There were certain people who boo the character, there were certain WWE Superstars who had an opinion and had advice for me but I would like to ask the same guys when I go to New York or Chicago and the people cheer out of the rooftops, I would like to know what their advice is then and what their opinion is.”

“So it’s a double-edged sword and it’s always been that. It’s part of the character, it’s part of me personally, it’s part of my professional life, it’s part of my personal life, it’s all the above. And at the end of the day I’m just like an old scarred up seal with a bunch of scars on me and I’m really relatable to most normal people because a lot of people have been through a lot of stuff I have professionally.”

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FOX Nation has signed its second deal in the live sports arena, entering the ring as the exclusive broadcast partner for WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and Chad Bronstein's Real American Freestyle (RAF), announced FOX Nation president Lauren Petterson. Through this new partnership, FOX Nation will broadcast the highly anticipated inaugural matchup event "RAF01" that will take place on Saturday, August 30th at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, OH. FOX Nation has also secured the broadcast rights to the second event, which will take place this fall, with a venue to be announced at a later date.

In making the announcement, Petterson said, "We're thrilled to partner with the Real American Freestyle team as they build a visionary brand that redefines the future of wrestling. Fusing elite athleticism with unmatched entertainment, it's an honor to be part of the new era of the world's oldest and most iconic sport."

"Real American Freestyle is creating something that's never been done before, and we needed a partner that understood that and could build with us," said Hulk Hogan, Commissioner of Real American Freestyle. "FOX Nation is synergistic with our brand, they appreciate the importance of bringing this sport to the masses, and they believe in our goal."

"FOX Nation immediately understood the vision we had for Real American Freestyle making them the perfect partner for this historic media rights deal and the first of its kind in the sport," said Real American Freestyle's Chief Media Officer, Eric Bischoff. "Having the right broadcast partner is critical to putting on a good show for the fans and we are thrilled to be working with FOX."

"Our goal in creating Real American Freestyle was to make historical moves to professionalize the sport of wrestling," said Chad Bronstein, co-founder and CEO of Real American Freestyle. "This partnership with FOX Nation will create a platform the athletes deserve and bring freestyle wrestling to our fans at home."

Real American Freestyle is redefining wrestling coverage with a bold, modern approach and a mission to professionalize the sport. Led by icons Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, Chad Bronstein and Izzy Martinez, the brand brings a reimagined style of storytelling that blends fierce competition with top-tier entertainment. This new partnership will bring FOX Nation subscribers an exhilarating experience, packed with action and an immersive show atmosphere. Recently, the RAF team welcomed legendary wrestler and Olympian Kurt Angle, former MMA champion and renowned broadcast analyst Chael Sonnen, and MMA world champion Bubba Jenkins, as live event commentators to provide expertise analysis during RAF01.

In collaboration with the UFC, USA Wrestling, NIL organizations and the NCAA, RAF creates a groundbreaking platform where athletes — from emerging talents to established stars — can compete regardless of their status, opening new doors for the next generation of wrestling greats. Proceeds for each ticket sold have been pledged to Cleveland State University to continue its role as a pillar of the Cleveland community. A staunch supporter of local athletes and wrestlers across the city in particular, Cleveland State University has provided opportunities for thousands of its students to achieve academic and athletic excellence.

The first matches for RAF01, RAF's debut fight card, include:

• Bo Nickal vs. Jacob Cardenas
• Yianni Diakomihalis vs. Bajrang Punia
• Darrion Caldwell vs. Real Woods
• Austin Gomez vs. Lance Palmer
• Kennedy Blades vs. Alejandra Rivera
• Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Zeltzin Hernandez

Further matches are in development, including a featured, main card bout.

FOX Nation is a direct-to-consumer on-demand streaming service designed to complement the FOX News Channel experience with a members-only destination for its most passionate and loyal super fans. Featuring more than 10,000 hours of content, the subscription service includes lifestyle and entertainment content, as well as historical documentaries and investigative series from a multitude of FOX News personalities. Morning Consult named FOX Nation as one of the top 10 fastest-growing brands in 2023 among Gen Z adults, with the platform placing in the top 15 overall. Launched in 2018, FOX Nation is available at foxnation.com and via app for iOS devices, Android devices, Fire TV, Apple TV, Google TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, FuboTV, Vizio TVs, and Samsung TVs, as well as DIRECTV, DIRECTV STEAM, YouTube TV, Comcast Xfinity, Cox Contour, The Roku Channel, DISH and SLING.

Can you imagine a world where Kurt Angle never joined WWE?? Well, the Hall of Famer tells TMZ Sports if a league like Hulk Hogan's Real American Freestyle existed back in his day ... his life might have looked drastically different!!

We caught up with the American Hero ahead of the organization's debut next month in Cleveland ... and he couldn't be more excited to join in on the fun as an analyst.

"There have been other people who have tried professional wrestling leagues before with Olympic-style wrestling, freestyle wrestling, it didn't work out," Angle said.

"But with Real American Freestyle, they signed the top wrestlers in the world, and they have the backing, the funding, to do this. So this is going to be incredible."

Angle -- who won a gold medal in wrestling during the 1996 Olympics -- said he's even a little jealous that this wasn't an option when he was an active competitor.

"This would have been my thing. You know, I don't even know if I would have crossed over into pro wrestling," Angle said. "I probably would have stuck with amateur wrestling."

"I'm a little jealous, but I'm also excited to be a part of it. And whether I have to commentate, whether I can compete, doesn't matter. I just wanted to be a part of it."

Angle gets to call matches featuring some of the biggest names in wrestling ... including Bo Nickal and 2025 NCAA Heavyweight National Champion Wyatt Hendrickson.

He's also looking forward to working with Hogan and Eric Bischoff, two co-founders of the RAF.

"I worked with these guys for years," he said. "I understand their philosophies and what they bring to the table, and they bring nothing but good. They're going to be able to make this a little more entertaining than a regular amateur wrestling duel would be."