Caldwell/Bassett Added to RAF 03 Card

When we wrote about the first matchup released on the RAF 03 card, we ended the article by saying that the remaining matchups would probably get released pretty quickly; however, we didn’t anticipate it being that fast. Shortly after the Chad Mendes/Michael Chandler matchup was announced, a second bout was released.

This one will take place at the featherweight class (145 lbs) and it pits high school senior Bo Bassett against 2009 NCAA champion Darrion Caldwell. Last week, RAF announced that Bassett had signed with the organization and was expected to compete on RAF 03, so a Bassett match was expected.

Bassett, the #2 overall recruit in the Class of 2026, recently made history by becoming the first high school boy to capture four Super 32 titles. He was also fresh off his commitment announcement to Virginia Tech. Once the high school season gets underway, Bassett will be shooting for his fourth title at the Walsh Ironman and the Powerade.

Caldwell was a part of the very first RAF card and faced off with world team member Real Woods. The 37-year-old Caldwell managed to get a step-out point on the eventual World bronze medalist before getting caught and pinned.

During his collegiate career, Caldwell was known as one of the most entertaining and exciting wrestlers of his era. He is most famous for his stunning upset of the returning Hodge Trophy winner, Brent Metcalf, in the 2009 NCAA finals. Caldwell earned All-American honors on two occasions and captured four ACC titles while wrestling for NC State.

RAF 03 will take place on November 29th at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. With this match confirmed, the card now looks like this:

Middleweight (175 lbs) - Michael Chandler vs. Chad Mendes

Featherweight (145 lbs) - Bo Bassett vs. Darrion Caldwell