Eric Bischoff, Real American Freestyle Comment On Passing Of WWE HOFer Hulk Hogan
Following the death of WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan (real name Terry Bollea) on Thursday, a number of former friends and colleagues have expressed their condolences to his family, while also honoring the legacy he left behind in the squared circle and beyond. Amongst those paying their respects is former WCW President Eric Bischoff, with whom Hogan worked alongside in WCW and WWE. More recently, Bischoff and Hogan teamed up to form Real American Freestyle Wrestling, an unscripted wrestling league set to debut next month.
Despite Hogan's death, Bischoff asserted that RAF will continue forth in their plans to host their inaugural show in Cleveland, Ohio on August 30. "The show goes on. BROTHER!" Bischoff wrote on X. Shortly before that, Bischoff issued a nod of gratitude to his former business partner, writing, "Thanks for the house Hulkster."
Under Real American Freestyle Wrestling, Hogan served as the commissioner, a role in which he aimed to elevate the roster's athletes into mega stars. Today, the official RAF X account noted that Hogan personally interacted with the athletes en route to the organization's debut show. Hogan also took it upon himself to review tape of their past performances and offer insight.
"Today we lost our Commissioner. We lost a friend. And the sport of wrestling lost one of its greatest champions, not just in the ring, but in spirit" RAF wrote in a statement. "Hulk Hogan believed wrestling was more than just entertainment. He saw it as a brotherhood, a proving ground and a platform for greatness. That's what Real American Freestyle was built to be, a new stage for the toughest, most passionate athletes on Earth. And Hulk was at the center of it. From day one, he threw his weight behind this league. He met with athletes. He watched tape, shared stories and showed up like only he could. RAF was personal to him, something bigger than all of us. This league is part of his legacy, and we intend to honor it."