On November 5, Real American Freestyle (RAF), the professional freestyle wrestling league, announced an agreement to acquire World of Wrestling (WOW), the family-owned organization behind the Tulsa Nationals, Reno Worlds, and Kickoff Classic youth tournaments. The deal hasn't closed, and no price or terms were disclosed. RAF said additional details on the transaction and its future plans will be announced "in the coming months," MMA Mania reported.
WOW's events are long-running, nationally known tournaments that wrestling families already travel to, and RAF has spent 2026 building its own youth series. If the deal closes, a pro league would own both a new youth circuit and some of the oldest names in the sport.
WOW Brings Decades of History and a Full Calendar
MMA Scene reported that Shane Roller, son of the late WOW founder Jack Roller, will stay involved alongside the family after the agreement, and that the deal is meant to preserve the tournament brands and their traditions.
The flagship is the Tulsa Nationals. The next edition, set for January 14 to 17, 2027, is the 72nd annual, with Open and Girls divisions and registration listed as coming soon. WOW's info sheet for the 2026 event set the entry fee at $60, prepaid online, with no refunds after the deadline. The Kickoff Classic runs this month, and Reno Worlds follows in April.
Tulsa's Alumni Include Olympic Champions
MMA Mania reported that Tulsa Nationals alumni include Olympic gold medalists Kyle Snyder and Gable Steveson, Olympic and World medalists Spencer Lee, J'Den Cox, and Thomas Gilman, and NCAA champions Bo Nickal and Zahid Valencia.
RAF's own announcement leaned on that. "If you grew up wrestling, you know what these tournaments mean," the league posted. "The road trips with your family. The nerves before your first match. The trophy you still have. The Roller family built something that generations of wrestlers carry with them."
RAF Already Has a Youth Series
The deal isn't RAF's first move into youth wrestling. On May 7, RAF announced RAF NEXT GEN, a national youth tournament series sanctioned by USA Wrestling, with 47 weight classes across 8U, 10U, 12U, and 15U. It debuted July 19 in Milwaukee, the day after a pro card, with room for more than 1,000 wrestlers.
NEXT GEN events run alongside RAF's pro weekends, results feed national rankings, and only the championship finals stream live on FOX Nation, according to RAF's NEXT GEN page, which lists the first Main Stage Championship for December 2026.
NEXT GEN is new and tied to RAF's own events and streaming partner. WOW is independent and decades old, and its draw is the tournaments themselves. If the deal closes, RAF would have a youth series it built and a set of youth events it bought, and neither company has said how the 2 would fit together.
Chad Bronstein, RAF's CEO and a co-founder with Israel Martinez and Eric Bischoff, framed the deal around keeping WOW's identity. "We're not coming in to change what makes World of Wrestling special," he said, as quoted by MMA Mania. "We want to honor it, invest in it, and help create even bigger opportunities for the next generation of wrestlers who come through those mats."
Entry fees, divisions, sanctioning, and any RAF branding or streaming after closing haven't been announced.
Takeaways for Investors
A Pro League Is Buying Youth Events With a Following
RAF is paying for tournaments that wrestling families already plan their seasons around.
Built and Bought Youth Events Under 1 Owner
NEXT GEN gives RAF a sanctioned series tied to its pro weekends and FOX Nation. WOW adds established events with their own history.
No Deal Has Closed
RAF has signed an agreement to acquire WOW. The deal hasn't closed, and no price or terms are public.
Tulsa Is Set for January 14 to 17
The 72nd Tulsa Nationals is scheduled for January 14 to 17, 2027. WOW hasn't posted the 2027 entry fee or divisions.
