Hendrickson Urges Tsarukyan and Poullas to “Just Wrestle” in RAF 07 Rematch
Wyatt Hendrickson, the RAF Unlimited Champion, hopes to witness a more traditional wrestling match when Arman Tsarukyan and Georgio Poullas meet in a rematch at RAF 07. The initial contest between the two at RAF 06 ended in a brawl, drawing criticism for its departure from typical wrestling decorum.
The first encounter between Tsarukyan and Poullas was marked by escalating tension and ultimately resulted in Tsarukyan punching Poullas after the wrestling match concluded. The incident led to a full-scale brawl involving coaches, athletes, and even UFC welterweight Colby Covington.
Hendrickson, preparing to defend his RAF Unlimited Championship against Trent Hillger on March 28th, believes that while the added elements of UFC and jiu-jitsu competitors are a positive for RAF, the rematch should focus on wrestling. “I’d like to see those two just wrestle a fair wrestling match and not try to. I indicate, if they want to go do MMA or grappling, I suppose yeah, absolutely. Just don’t do it at RAF,” he stated via Bowks Talking Bouts.
Hendrickson acknowledged that Tsarukyan’s actions were unusual for a wrestling match, stating, “What happened was really unique and you could tell that Arman’s not just a wrestler because that’s not wrestler behavior I would say. Like it’s really important to control your emotions.” He also noted that Poullas’s actions may have contributed to the escalation, adding, “So, part of me, I think it’s kind of cool for entertainment purposes, but one thing I thought of is if this is people’s first introduction to wrestling, it’s not accurate.”
Despite the entertainment value of the initial brawl, Hendrickson emphasized the importance of representing wrestling accurately. “I hope people didn’t see that and they assume that that’s what wrestling is,” he said.
The rematch between Arman Tsarukyan and Georgio Poullas is scheduled to headline RAF 07, promising a potentially more focused wrestling contest.