By Real American Freestyle

RAF NEXT GEN is a national youth tournament series powered by RAF.

Built in partnership with USA Wrestling, RAF NEXT GEN gives young athletes the opportunity to compete in a national tournament series, earn rankings and qualify for championship competition alongside the biggest names in the sport.

Whether your goal is to test yourself against the nation’s best, build your national ranking or compete for an RAF championship belt, every event moves you one step closer.

How Does RAF NEXT GEN Work?

Each season consists of a six-month tournament series.

Athletes earn points at each event based on where they finish. Those points accumulate throughout the season, creating national rankings and determining who advances to the championship.

The top two athletes in each weight class qualify to compete for an RAF NEXT GEN Championship Belt.

Season One Schedule

The inaugural season runs from July through December 2026.

Regular Season Events

Milwaukee (Register now)
Cleveland (Register now)
Miami
Las Vegas
Chicago

The Championship Event will take place in December 2026 alongside an RAF professional event on wrestling’s new main stage.

How Do Athletes Qualify?

To become eligible for the championship, athletes must compete in at least two (2) RAF NEXT GEN events.

Championship qualification is determined by cumulative points earned throughout the five-event regular season.

At the end of the season, the Top 2 athletes in each weight class qualify for Championship matches to determine the RAF NEXT GEN Champion.

Tie Breakers

If athletes finish tied in points, ties will be broken by:

1. Highest individual tournament finish
2. Point differential
3. Number of RAF NEXT GEN events competed

If an athlete changes weight classes during the season, their accumulated points move with them.

Age Divisions

The inaugural season includes:

Co-ed 8U
Co-ed 10U
Boys 12U
Girls 12U (starting in Cleveland)
Boys 15U
Girls 15U (starting in Cleveland)

Additional divisions may be added in future seasons.

Weigh-Ins

Weigh-ins take place at the same location as the official RAF Fan Zone. This allows young athletes to experience the excitement of professional event weekend while becoming part of the larger RAF atmosphere.

Can’t make official weigh-ins? Satellite weigh-in options are available.

Tournament Format

Competition is divided into two sessions:

Morning Session: 8U & 10U

Afternoon Session: 12U & 15U

Each wrestler checks in before competition to finalize brackets.

Warm-ups begin approximately 45-60 minutes before the first match.

Competition continues until only two athletes remain in each bracket.

Those athletes advance to the championship finals later that evening.

All tournaments use a double-elimination format.

Will RAF NEXT GEN Be Streamed?

Yes. Only the championship finals will stream live on FOX Nation on Sunday night.

The full tournament takes place throughout the day, with finalists advancing to the live championship broadcast.

Broadcast times will be announced before each event.

Tickets

Parents and spectators can purchase tickets online in advance or at the door on event day.

Coach bands are available through USA Wrestling.

Tickets include in-and-out access throughout the day.

More Than A Tournament

RAF NEXT GEN is the official youth pathway to wrestling’s new main stage. Every event gives athletes the opportunity to compete against elite competition, earn national rankings, qualify for an RAF championship and become part of the fastest-growing wrestling platform in the world.

The journey starts here.