How Nathan Tomasello Beat Matt Ramos at RAF 01
Image source: Jess Presley (https://www.instagram.com/jesssblogs/)
Real American Freestyle Match Breakdown
The first Real American Freestyle card delivered one of the most talked-about matchups in recent memory: Nathan Tomasello vs. Matt Ramos.
Matt Ramos came in with momentum, known for big-match flair and explosive offense. Tomasello walked in with a plan. When it was over, Tomasello had the belt and a statement win on his hands.
This is exactly how he did it.
Image source: Jess Presley (https://www.instagram.com/jesssblogs/)
First Period: Set the Pressure, Own the Center
Tomasello didn’t feel his way into the match—he imposed. From the opening whistle, he went to work inside the ties:
“I wanted to beat him up from the hand fight, push him to the edge, and get pushouts.”
Ramos had no room to breathe. Tomasello:
Controlled every tie-up
Kept his hands low to protect against level-change doubles
Pulled on the head and moved forward with purpose
By the end of the first period, Ramos had absorbed the message. He was backing out. Visibly uncomfortable. Tomasello had already forced multiple step-outs and dominated mat position.
Image source: Jess Presley (https://www.instagram.com/jesssblogs/)
Second Period: Open Up the Scoring
With Ramos reacting, Tomasello didn’t wait. He transitioned into offense with sharp timing:
“Time to shoot at some of the legs.”
He got to his post high-crotch early, reading the fatigue in Ramos’s arms. Then he built off the right underhook and snapped into another clean high-c. Ramos tried to roll into his head pinch counter—one of his signature positions—but Tomasello stayed grounded, cleared it, and kept wrestling.
These weren’t spontaneous attacks. Every sequence had a setup, and those setups were built through hand fighting in the first period. It was a layered plan, unfolding one exchange at a time.
Image source: Jess Presley (https://www.instagram.com/jesssblogs/)
Third Period: Close with Control
Up four points. One period left. The match could’ve turned if Tomasello made a single mistake.
He didn’t.
“Hands down, head in the pocket, shut down his pop double.”
Every tie was short. Every pressure exchange favored him. Ramos launched big—level changes, upper body attempts, late singles. Tomasello shut every door.
There was a single pushout scored for Ramos in the final minute. That was it. The rest of the period looked like a slow suffocation. Tomasello took away his windows and ran out the clock.
Image source: Jess Presley (https://www.instagram.com/jesssblogs/)
Preparation That Matched the Moment
This wasn’t just a tactical win. It was built long before the match.
Tomasello trained at 7 PM to match the exact fight time.
Simulated walkouts at Thunder—lights off, loud music, full pressure.
Rotated training partners to mimic every threat Ramos might pose.
“When you step on the mat, it’s another match… it kind of normalized it.”
He walked into the arena like it was a Tuesday workout. And that edge showed.
Image source: Jess Presley (https://www.instagram.com/jesssblogs/)
RAF 1 Was Bigger Than a Debut
The belt Tomasello took home? All leather, gold steel, and custom-built. But what really mattered was the message:
A pro league built around Olympic-level talent can deliver big moments.
Tomasello’s performance was a case study in control—something every wrestler can learn from.
Inside the Thunder Plus Hand Fighting Course, you’ll get full access to:
The entire match, broken down by Tomasello
In-match decisions explained with video stops and slowdowns
Drills modeled off the same sequences he used to win
