CLEVELAND, OHIO • And just like that, RAF01 is in the books, and what a Saturday night it was. The presentation, the production, and the product all hit the mark…and the wrestling was fantastic. Just as fantastic was how the championship belts were awarded, inserting champions at the weight classes, and now, all is left is for challengers to step up and for some more Real American Freestyle to be wrestled.
The first matchup of the night saw Clevland native Nathan Tomasello defeat Matt Ramos at 135 pounds by way of a 4-3 decision. And, off the final start, Ramos made it exciting as he jumped into the air trying to soar over or into a scramble position with Tomasello, not quite hitting his mark, but then firing into a crazy shot. Already winning by three, Tomasello conceded the takedown and stayed heavy on bottom while earning the win and the Bantamweight title belt.
Next up was another title match, and this one was at 155 pounds and for the Lightweight crown. This match saw Yanni Diakomihalis and Bajrand Punia head into the third period with Diakomihalis holding a 2-1 lead but then saw Diakomihalis close out the bout with a 5-1 win after a final score that came off a beautiful ankle pick following a Punia snap down.
Following the Lightweight title, another 155-pound matchup saw Austin Gomez square off against Lance Palmer. The two had their words, and the bout was billed as the young Olympian facing off against the wily veteran. Would it be the highlight reel that is Gomez, or would Palmer prove that an old dog can still hunt? In the end, the match opened with an all-Gomez pass-by to gut before it quickly ended with a Gomez front head to a go-behind and a gut. Gomez dominated, and the match only lasted about one minute—an 11-0 technical fall.
After the bout, Gomez, playing the apparent “heel” and generating the “heat,” called out Diakomihalis for a shot at the title. And this is what is so great about RAF, guys who are good enough to call out other guys have opportunities to create matchups that they and fans want to see wrestled out. As for who will be liked and who will be villainized, that is all left to be seen. But it was nice to see some of the personalities of the wrestlers come out and play to the event and force the apparent matchups moving forward.
Once Gomez had exited the mat, Evan Wick and Jason Nolf arrived. The bout was for the Middleweight title, and, in the end, it was Wick winning an exciting 10-8 decision that saw a great deal of action offensively as well as defensively.
Up next was the first action on the card for the women, and as fate would have it, it would be Sarah Hildebrandt against Zeltzin Hernandez. As many had predicted, Hildebrandt would win the bout, and 11-0 technical fall, but this one would go into the third period and Hernandez would fight the entire way.
The win gave Hildebrant the RAW Strawweight belt, but once she was crowned, it was time for Real Woods and Darrion Caldwell to step onto the mat for the RAW Featherweight belt.
Woods, who is as hot as any wrestler right now, would stand up to all of his talk against Caldwell as the new line took out the old line, by fall in 3:29. Woods, who was too much to handle, collected takedown to a gut to close out the first period, and then went takedown, gut, gut, to fall to close out the bout.
Prior to the bout, many exchanges of words took place, but in the end, even through it all, there was much appreciation and respect for each wrestler. And, like Gomez, is it possible to think Woods might take on a Heel role…or is Woods just too dang likable no matter what he says?
For the Cruiserweight belt, it was Kyle Dake and Dean Hamiti, and this one was Dake all the way. An 11-0 technical fall in the second period showed why Kid Dynamite still has much left in the tank.
As for the twists in the bout card, the only loss, a great loss, came when the NCAA rules that Kennedy Blades could not compete. In her place, however, would be a last second addition with true star power: Holly Holm. Holm, who was there to simply train and warm up with Blades would ultimately fill in the card and, within the first ten seconds, nearly blow the roof off the place when she cow-caught Alejandra Rivera and dumped her on her back. Holm would go up 4-0 early, but Rivera battled back strong and ultimately took the win, a 9-7 decision.
With two bouts left, the second to last would determine a Light Heavyweight champion, and in the matchup between Bo Nickal and Jacob Cardanes, it would end with a 6-4 decision for Nickal who made it clear that he was here to stay with RAF.
And finally, in the end, it was the Heavyweight crown up for grabs, but Wyatt Hendrickson would prove that the title was all his with an 14-1 thrashing of Mostafa Elders in 3:08. However, after Hendrickson was given his belt, Mason Paris came out and told everyone that he is back, and he is coming to take over the world. Hendrickson looked delighted, and the fans now have a matchup that will possibly take place after the World Championships.
So, aside from RAF providing entertainment on a more consistent basis, the matchups and belts and stories and ability for the wrestlers to be individuals with their own personalities, has a great draw to it. Look for an announcement soon about the next RAF event, as now there is a product that allows wrestlers to continue to compete while still training for the Worlds and Olympics and Ranking Series.
Here are the results from RAF01:
135 • Bantamweight Title: Nathan Tomaselo defeated Matt Ramos / Dec, 4-3
155 • Lightweight Title: Yani Diakomihalis defeated Bajrang Punia / Dec, 5-1
155 • Lightweight: Austin Gomez defeated Lance Palmer / TF, 11-0
175 • Middleweight Title: Evan Wick defeated Jason Nolf / Dec, 10-8
120 • Women’s Strawweight Title: Sarah Hildebrandt defeated Zeltin Hernandez / TF, 11-0
145 • Featherweight Title: Real Woods defeated Darrion Caldwell / Fall, 3:29
190 • Cruiserweight Title: Kyle Dake defeated Dean Hamiti / TF, 11-0
150 • Women’s Middleweight: Alejandra Rivera defeated Holly Holm / Dec, 9-7
205 • Light Heavyweight Title: Bo Nickal defeated Jacob Cardenas / Dec, 6-4
UNL • Heavyweight Title: Wyatt Hendrickson defeated Mostafa Elders / TF, 14-1
• TC LIFONTI / LEAD WRITER FOR ILLINOIS MATMEN / tclifonti.com
