RAF 02: Preview

RAF 02 takes place tonight from State College, Pennsylvania, on the campus of Penn State University. The Bryce Jordan Center will host a card featuring plenty of Nittany Lion flavor. There are two Penn State grads on the card and two others who compete or coach with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. Initially, there were two others booked to participate, but they pulled out due to injuries.

RAF 02 looks to build off the momentum of the organization’s initial offering, which took place in late August in Cleveland, Ohio. On that card, eight championship belts were awarded. Two champions from that event are back to put their belts on the line. Additionally, there are two more title contests for vacant championships.

As advertised, this event will feature a star-studded cast. Two Olympic champions will make their RAF debuts. Three foreign wrestlers with world medals to their names will do battle in State College.

Here’s a match-by-match look at the RAF 02 event:

Bantamweight (135 lbs) - Austin Desanto vs. Nico Megaludis

If this is indeed the first match of the card, what better way to kick things off than to have Austin DeSanto going 100 mph against a former Penn State star? DeSanto had a polarizing career in Iowa City that saw him get on the NCAA podium on three occasions. He made the Big Ten finals and finished third at NCAA’s in each of his last two seasons. Since then, he’s been active on the freestyle circuit. Earlier this year, DeSanto was fifth at the US Open. Back in 2023, DeSanto made the national team and finished in the top three at four international events.

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