RAF Launches RAF NEXT GEN, A National Youth Wrestling Tournament Series Built for the Future of the Sport

Young athletes compete, build rankings, and earn the chance to compete for championships on the same stage as the pros 

TAMPA, FL (May 7, 2026) — Real American Freestyle (RAF), the first unscripted professional freestyle wrestling league and the new home for the sport’s elite, today announced the launch of RAF NEXT GEN, a national youth wrestling tournament series designed to identify, develop, and elevate the next generation of wrestlers. 

Built alongside RAF’s rapidly growing professional platform, RAF NEXT GEN gives young athletes the opportunity to compete at events connected directly to RAF weekends, giving them the chance to interact and meet current RAF superstars. Over the course of the tournament series, they will build rankings over time, and earn the chance to qualify for a marquee championship event contested on the RAF main stage. 

“RAF NEXT GEN is an important next step in elevating the overall wrestling ecosystem,” said Chad Bronstein, CEO and Co-Founder of Real American Freestyle. “The best athletes in the world already compete in RAF. Now we’re creating a connected pathway for the next generation to grow within the same platform, compete in the same environment, and ultimately reach the sport’s biggest stage.” 

RAF NEXT GEN debuts Sunday, July 19 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the day following RAF11. The inaugural event launches with 47 weight classes across four age divisions — 8U, 10U, 12U, and 15U — creating capacity for 1,000+ youth wrestlers in the tournament’s first edition. 

RAF NEXT GEN events will also be sanctioned by USA Wrestling and utilize USA Bracketing. 

“RAF has quickly created a meaningful new platform for wrestling, and RAF NEXT GEN extends that momentum to the next generation of athletes,” said Rich Bender, Executive Director of USA Wrestling. “We’re proud to support an initiative that gives young wrestlers access to a professionally operated competition environment connected to the sport’s growing visibility.” 

Unlike traditional standalone tournaments, RAF NEXT GEN is directly tied to the RAF ecosystem, giving athletes, parents, and coaches access to the same energy, production, and weekend environment surrounding professional RAF events.

The tournament series is built around RAF’s year-round progression model:

• Athletes compete at RAF NEXT GEN events tied to RAF weekends 
• Match results contribute toward rankings within each division
• Top-ranked athletes advance toward a championship event contested on the RAF stage 

The launch of RAF NEXT GEN marks another major step in RAF’s rapid expansion across the wrestling landscape. In less than a year, RAF has emerged as one of the fastest-growing properties in combat sports, generating more than 250 billion media impressions and averaging 250 million social views per event. 

RAF’s next event takes place May 30 in Dallas with RAF09, headlined by Gable Steveson vs Alexandr Romanov and Colby Covington vs Chris Weidman. The league will then head to St. Louis for RAF10 on June 13 before launching RAF NEXT GEN in Milwaukee the following month. 

Parents interested in registering athletes for RAF NEXT GEN can go HERE for additional information. 

Real American Freestyle (RAF) is the first unscripted professional freestyle wrestling league and the new main stage for the sport’s elite. Founded by Chad Bronstein, Israel Martinez, and Eric Bischoff, RAF brings Olympic champions, World medalists, NCAA standouts, and top MMA crossover athletes together in a modern fight-night format built for today’s combat sports audience. 

Since launching in 2025, RAF has quickly emerged as one of the fastest-growing properties in combat sports, generating billions of media impressions and more than 250 million social views per event. RAF combines elite competition, global storytelling, and high-level production to create matchups and moments that extend far beyond the mat. 

All RAF events stream live exclusively on FOX Nation. Beyond the professional league, RAF is building a broader wrestling ecosystem through clinics, athlete development initiatives and a national youth wrestling tournament series under RAF NEXT GEN. 

For more information and updates, visit realamericanfreestyle.com or follow @RAFWrestlingUSA.