It was Great!
by NITEMARES! on 12/2/25Wintrust Arena - ChicagoRating: 5 out of 5You have to be there to experience the FULL affect!

Venue
You have to be there to experience the FULL affect!
Excellent atmosphere and an all around great time... What wrestling needed.
I am a college wrestling fan. I think the idea of providing a market for wrestlers after college is a great idea. It gives them a chance to continue in the sport and make a living. But the most enjoyable part of the sport is the incredible athletic ability and technical skills required to excel. The professional wrestling-like atmosphere doesn't work for me, and I suspect will not translate well to people who are not serious wrestling fans. They will quickly get bored with two wrestlers who are so skilled that they cancel out each other's strengths and have seemingly low action matches. Anyway, I would attend future matches if they toned down all the noise and showmanship and just let the fans enjoy high quality wrestling.
It was a great event that brought quality wresting talent from UFC, Bellator, and USA wrestling. We got to see real Olympians from 2024. Contenders and silver medalists. Two silver medalist. Hosts were great. Cameos from Kurt Angle were great. Most importantly the wrestling was great. I would definitely go back.
We loved the Real American Freestyle event! Very professional, entertaining, and inspiring. Looking forward to future meets!
If you are a fan of Freestyle Wrestling, you will love this event! Plain and simple. You get the action and some interviews. Shoving a mic in Desanto's face after a match is definitely something you will want to hear. That said, there is room for improvement. I'm not a fan of the three 2-minute periods, but that just might take some getting used to. I also wish they would make the 30s shot clock visible to the entire stadium. I could also do without the spotlights between matches. At least aim them away from the crowd.
We weren't sure what to expect on this but knew enough of the wrestlers to make it worth our while. being so close to bryce jordan center made it easier to decide. disappointed that they left 1/2 of the whole arena empty and we had to sit in the corner turned to see the mat. the first match didn't even go up on the big screen, but it was very cool to see so many wrestlers and those in the wrestling world that weren't going on the mat. it was a laid back vibe compared to big shows of fake wrestling, imo. we couldn't hear the interviews that well, but overall it was a great time and we are glad to have went. Best match was Jake winning at 39 years old.
Wrestling is such an exciting sport; RAF is giving exposure to some of America’s best wrestlers, as well as giving opportunities deck. International wrestlers to compete in the United States. RAF was a very professional event with interviews, back stories, and lots of excitement. Each winning wrestler signed autographs after his/her match which was wonderful for all the kids and teenagers who wrestle. In addition, RAF offered a “meet and greet” afterward. The wrestlers stayed until after midnight signing autographs, taking photos, and meeting all the fans. What a great experience for the younger wrestlers!!! I sincerely hope this takes off — what a great night of entertainment!!!
The event was awesome. The venue was organized, nice, well spaced. There were merchants for something to eat. There were 2 or 3 performers that shouldn't have been there(mostly because they didnt try). Which I feel is not fair to the guests that came to the event(there were guest from all over the states). Over all though the event and staff did an amazing job.
The Real American Freestyle event was a hit! I have a passion for the sport and was skeptical as what to expect but was blown away by the high degree of production that went in, big screen, memorial to Hulk Hogan, professional commenter (C.Shonnen), the round girls were fantastic and the competition was well thought out (way to go Izzy) for this first time event. It leaves room to grow for RAF 02. Area to improve is sound system ~ hard to hear wrestler interviews before each match and need to build up the hype for each match via social media well in advance of event. Overall, had a great time. Job well done.