Legends: National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Full induction ceremony for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Honors Weekend in Stillwater, Oklahoma on June 7, 2025. Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award: Marcus BlazeTricia Saunders High School Excellence Award: Piper FowlerMeritorious Service for Officials: Ken MaraOrder of Merit: Van StokesMedal of Courage: Mark ColemanOutstanding American: Terry Davis Distinguished MembersDarryl BurleyMatt LindlandTerry SteinerGreg Wojciechowski Recorded June 2025. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOWApple Podcasts  | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify  | Android | RSS

The annual tribute brunch for Saturday, June 7, 2025 at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Honors Weekend. This is the full audio of the morning's events. Tim Johnson serves as the emcee.SpeakersP.A. Bowler & Mike Hagerty (for Ken Mara)Gary Abbott & Johnathan Stokes (for Van Stokes)Matt Brown & Royce Alger (for Mark Coleman)Frank Gallardo & Josh DoBell (for Terry Davis)Pete Schuyler & Solomon Fleckman (for Darryl Burley)Mark Cody & Chris Sada (for Matt Lindland)Adeline Gray & Rich Bender (for Terry Steiner)Josh Cowell & Don Wyper (for Greg Wojciechowski)

The tribute speeches and induction ceremony for 2024 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Distinguished Member Logan Stieber. Tribute speakers: Helen Stieber and Hunter Stieber. Tribune emcee: Dave Martin. Induction ceremony emcee: Sandy Stevens.  Recorded June 2024. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOWApple Podcasts  | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify  | Android | RSS ContributeAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

The tribute speeches and induction ceremony for 2024 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Distinguished Member Coleman Scott. Tribute speakers: John Yates and Neil Erisman. Tribune emcee: Dave Martin. Induction ceremony emcee: Sandy Stevens.  Recorded June 2024. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOWApple Podcasts  | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify  | Android | RSS ContributeAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

The tribute speeches and induction ceremony for 2024 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Distinguished Member Toccara Montgomery. Tribute speakers: Jessica Medina and Axa Molina. Tribune emcee: Dave Martin. Induction ceremony emcee: Sandy Stevens.  Recorded June 2024. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOWApple Podcasts  | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify  | Android | RSS ContributeAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

The tribute speeches and induction ceremony for 2024 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Distinguished Member Tadaaki Hatta. Tribute speakers: Nancy Schultz Vitangeli and Anthony Spooner. Tribune emcee: Dave Martin. Induction ceremony emcee: Sandy Stevens.  Recorded June 2024. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOWApple Podcasts  | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify  | Android | RSS ContributeAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

The tribute speeches and induction ceremony for 2024 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Outstanding American recipient Col. Steve Banach.  Tribute speakers: Mark Faller and Samuel Banach. Tribune emcee: Dave Martin. Induction ceremony emcee: Sandy Stevens.  Recorded June 2024. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOWApple Podcasts  | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify  | Android | RSS ContributeAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

The tribute speeches and induction ceremony for 2024 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Medal of Courage recipient Jonathan Koch.  Tribute speakers: Mark Waters and Kyle Klingman. Tribune emcee: Dave Martin. Induction ceremony emcee: Sandy Stevens.  Recorded June 2024. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOWApple Podcasts  | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify  | Android | RSS ContributeAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

The tribute speeches and induction ceremony for 2024 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Order of Merit recipient Darryl W. Miller.  Tribute speakers: Bill Zadick, Jake Miller and Andy Rein. Tribune emcee: Dave Martin. Induction ceremony emcee: Sandy Stevens.  Recorded June 2024. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOWApple Podcasts  | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify  | Android | RSS ContributeAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

The tribute speeches and induction ceremony for 2024 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Meritorious Service for Officials recipient J.R. Johnson. Tribute speakers: Jeff Pultz & Dr. Mike McCormick. Tribune emcee: Dave Martin. Induction ceremony emcee: Sandy Stevens. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOWApple Podcasts  | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify  | Android | RSS ContributeAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you. Recorded June 2024.

Coleman Scott won a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics after being an NCAA champion, two-time finalist and four-time All-American for Oklahoma State University. He helped OSU win NCAA team titles in 2005 and 2006 and to fifth-place finishes in 2007 and 2008. Scott was a member of the U.S. National Freestyle Team in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015. He was a three-time Pennsylvania state champion for Waynesburg Central High School. Scott was a two-time USA Wrestling National Junior Freestyle champion and a two-time USA Junior World Freestyle team member. He was the Pennsylvania, Northeast Region and National winner of the Hall of Fame's Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award in 2004. Scott was an assistant wrestling coach at Oklahoma State from 2012 to 2014, where he coached four NCAA Division I national champions and six NCAA DI All-Americans while helping OSU capture two Big 12 Conference titles and finish second and third as a team at the NCAA championships. He became an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina in 2014 and took over as head coach after one season. Scott coached two-time NCAA champion Austin O'Connor and NCAA finalist Kizhan Clarke and 13 All-Americans while leading the Tar Heels to five Top 20 finishes at the NCAA tournament. He was a coach for the U.S. Women's Freestyle team at the World Championships in 2018 and 2019 and for the World Champion U.S. Men's Freestyle team in 2017. Scott also coached a Canadian Senior World Team member and an Olympic Trials champion. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOWApple Podcasts  | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify  | Android | RSS ContributeAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you. Recorded June 2023.

Koch worked as a television producer and co-founded Asylum Entertainment which sold to Legendary Entertainment in 2014.In 2015 his life took an unexpected turn when he fell seriously ill during a producers conference in Washington, D.C.To save his life, doctors had to place Koch into a coma. After several harrowing weeks, he miraculously woke up with his mind and spirit intact.However, he learned that he had survived septic shock, which had severely compromised his body. As a result, he had lost all or part of all four limbs, including his right leg and left hand.Even in the face of such devastating circumstances, Koch refused to succumb to despair. Rather than accepting a grim prognosis, he made a vow to not only survive but to thrive for the sake of his teenaged daughter and new wife, Jennifer.Despite being told that his chances of survival were slim, Koch defied the odds. His doctors were astounded by his resilience and determination to live.One doctor, in particular, admitted that Koch had changed her perspective on being a doctor and what could be achieved when patients were willing to fight back. When asked how he survived against unimaginable odds by a doctor at GW hospital, a depleted Koch whispered the powerful truth, “I'm a wrestler.”Over the next 18 months, Koch underwent numerous painful surgeries, prosthetic fittings, and endured intensive rehabilitation.Despite the challenges he faced, he consistently surpassed his doctors' expectations.Recognizing his mental and physical strength, a pioneering surgeon believed Koch was an ideal candidate for a revolutionary human hand transplant. In a groundbreaking procedure, Koch made medical history by successfully receiving a new hand.While it typically takes several years to learn how to use a transplanted hand, Koch's determination and tenacity allowed him to succeed in its use within just four months.Astonishingly, he was back on the tennis court soon thereafter, showcasing his resilience and unwavering spirit.Today, Koch shares his remarkable journey with people worldwide.Through coaching, leadership, and motivational speaking engagements, he inspires others to stand up and fight against adversity.Jonathan Koch's story serves as a powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit and the extraordinary possibilities that can emerge from even the darkest of situations.Bio by National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Retired United States Army Infantry Colonel Steve Banach began wrestling in the eighth grade and competed alongside his younger twin brothers Ed and Lou Banach for Port Jervis High School in Port Jervis, New York.He continued his career at Clemson University, where he was elected captain of the wrestling team as a freshman and was an Atlantic Coast Conference finalist. Banach then decided to transfer to the University of Iowa, where his twin brothers were wrestling for Dan Gable. Steve ended his wrestling career at the 1984 Final Olympic Trials as a member of the US Army Wrestling Team.He served with distinction in the United States Army from 1983 to 2010.This period of service included deployments to six combat zones.Steve demonstrated impeccable leadership during his service in the U.S. Army.He is a Distinguished Member of the 75th Ranger Regiment and served in that special operations organization for nine years, culminating with command of the 3rd Ranger Battalion from 2001-2003.He led U.S. Army Rangers during a historic night combat parachute assault into Afghanistan on October 19, 2001, as the “spearhead” for the Global War on Terror for the United States of America.He subsequently led U.S. Army Rangers in a second combat parachute assault into Al Anbar Province in western Iraq in 2003.Banach served as the 11th Director of the prestigious School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) and led the development of the U.S. Army's Design Methodology doctrine.As a Stryker Brigade Commander, he led the development of the Company Intelligence Support Team tactics, techniques, and procedures, for the U.S. Army.He served as the lead Design Officer for the Department of the Army Cyber Information Warfare Design Planning Team. He also served as the Director of the Army Management Staff College and was responsible for the design and implementation of the US Army's Civilian Education System.He earned the Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device, Bronze Star Medal for Service, the Combat Infantryman's Badge with two awards, and the Master Parachutist Badge with two Bronze Combat Jump Stars.Banach also holds a certificate in Leadership in Crisis: Preparation and Performance, from the JFK School of Government at Harvard University.After leaving the U.S. Army, Banach served as the CEO of the Operational Art & Strategic Initiatives Studies Group (OASIS-G) and is now the Vice-President for Strategic Planning at SOFTwarfare, LLC.Bio via the National Wrestling Hall of Fame

The 2023 Induction Ceremony and speeches from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Honors Weekend in June 2023 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has announced that the Class of 2023 is Distinguished Members Rich Bender, Jimmy Jackson, Patricia Miranda and Joe Williams, Meritorious Official honoree Ed Kelly, Order of Merit recipient Frank Popolizio, Medal of Courage recipient Richard Perry, and Outstanding American honoree Bob Bowlsby.SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOWApple Podcasts  | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify  | Android | RSS ContributeAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you. Recorded June 2023.

The Tribute Breakfast for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2023 took place at the McKnight Center on the campus of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Speaking for the Class of 2023 honorees were: John Kelly and Joel Weber for Meritorious Official Ed Kelly, Pat Popolizio and Bryan Hazard for Order of Merit recipient Frank Popolizio, Brandon Slay and Jordan Burroughs for Medal of Courage recipient Richard Perry, John Bowlsby and Tim Johnson speaking for Outstanding American Bob Bowlsby. Speaking for the Distinguished Members were: Michelle Bender and Jeff Levitetz for Rich Bender; Jay Jackson, Tela O'Donnell Bacher and Katie Kunimoto for Patricia Miranda; Jim Shields and Darryl Monasmith for the late Jimmy Jackson; Mark Ironside and Hardell Moore for Joe Williams. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOWApple Podcasts  | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify  | Android | RSS ContributeAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you. Recorded June 2023.

The 2022 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Honors Weekend closed out with its annual induction program featuring all the honorees. The Class of 2022 featured Meritorious Official Tom Clark (posthumously), Order of Merit recipient Mike Moyer, Medal of Courage recipient Melissa Simmons, Outstanding American Mario Lopez and Distinguished Members Clarissa Chun, Sara McMann, Andy Rein and Jake Varner. The program includes highlight speeches and video presentations. Also honored are Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award winner Cory Land of Alabama and Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award winner Sofia Macaluso of New York. 1:05 - Opening Remarks8:30 - Cory Land12:30 - Sofia Macaluso16:30 - The late Tom Clark23:55 - Mike Moyer33:00 - Melissa Simmons44:00 - Mario Lopez53:00 - Clarissa Chun1:11:00 - Sara McMann1:20:00 - Andy Rein1:31:00 - Jake Varner1:45:00 - Closing Remarks
And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.Recorded June 2022 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

The 2022 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Honors Weekend was back to a fully attended in-person event after a delay from the 2020 class and the 2021 induction ceremony. The McKnight Center hosted one of the newest additions to the weekend, the Tribute Breakfast. Speaking at the Tribute Breakfast in 2022 were Rick Tucci and Zach Errett for Meritorious Official inductee Tom Clark, Jim Miller and Greg Hatcher for Order of Merit inductee Mike Moyer, Archie Randall and Dr. Bob Hines for Medal of Courage inductee Melissa Simmons, Greg Blankenship and William Virchis for Outstanding American inductee Mario Lopez. From the Distinguished Members, speaking are Dr. Roberta Kraus and Waylon Hiler for inductee Clarissa Chun, Tim Hutchins and Art Martori for inductee Sara McMann, Jenna Zipf and Duane Kleven for inductee Andy Rein, Andy Varner and family for inductee Jake Varner. 
And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.Recorded June 2022 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Bruce Burnett has excelled as a coach on the high school, collegiate and international levels, serving as USA Wrestling's national freestyle coach and leading some of the most successful teams in American history.During his tenure, five Americans won Olympic gold medals and 11 U.S. athletes won 13 World Championships including four champions in 1993 and four in 1995.From 1993-2000, U.S. wrestlers won 22 World medals (11 gold, four silver and seven bronze) and placed in the Top 10 at the World Championships as a team every year. The United States won its first-ever Senior World Freestyle team title in 1993 and again in 1995, and won the medal count at the 1996 Olympic Games with three gold, a silver and a bronze.He led the United States to seven World Cup team titles and five Pan American Championships, including 2011 when the U.S. had six medalists, including four champions. From the national teams he coached, 14 wrestlers were inducted as Distinguished Members of the Hall of Fame.Burnett was the wrestling coach at the United States Naval Academy from 2000-13, leading his teams to a 113-57 overall dual meet record and six consecutive 10-win seasons from 2002-07.He began his coaching career at Meridian High School in Meridian, Idaho, where he led his teams to a 154-13-2 dual meet record with four state team titles, four state runner-up finishes, six district titles and nine conference titles from 1974-87.On the mat, Burnett was undefeated in dual meets and a two-time Big Sky Conference and Mountain Intercollegiate Wrestling Association champion for Idaho State University in 1971-72. He was a two-time California Junior College state champion for Bakersfield College, compiling a 55-3 career record and being named the state's outstanding wrestler in 1970. Burnett was a two-time league champion and three-time state place-winner for North Bakersfield (California) High School.He was inducted into the Idaho State Sports Hall of Fame in 1986, the California Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004 and the North High School Hall of Fame in 2013. Burnett received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Idaho Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2015 and was named the Myron Roderick Man of the Year by USA Wrestling in 2016. For continued excellence as a coach on every level of competitive wrestling, Bruce Burnett is inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.Bio by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

When wrestlers, coaches, media and fans gather to talk about the G.O.A.T. at Lehigh University, the conversation always includes Mark Lieberman. Combining all styles, he is considered the Mountain Hawks' greatest overall wrestler. A 1979 Sports Illustrated article described Mark as “the guttiest and the best” college wrestler that year.He was a two-time undefeated NCAA champion at 177 pounds in 1978 and 1979 after a runner-up finish in 1977 at 167. He is part of another special wrestling family with his brother, Mike, winning the NCAA championship for Lehigh in 1975 at 177 pounds.Mark was the first four-time EIWA champion in school history, pinning a tournament record 12 of 16 opponents. In his senior year, he swept the EIWA's major awards, winning the Outstanding Wrestler Trophy, the Sheridan Trophy for most falls and the Fletcher Award for scoring the most team points in his career. He still holds Lehigh records for season falls (16), career falls (43) and most bonus points in a season (95.2% of his matches in 1979).Wrestling for the New York Athletic Club, he was an AAU national champion in 1977 and won the U.S. Wrestling Federation national championship in 1978, 1979 and 1980. Lieberman won a gold medal at the World Cup in 1978 and a silver medal in 1979. He won the Pan Am Wrestling Championships in 1977. He pinned his idol, 1976 Olympic gold medalist and Distinguished Member John Peterson, in the finals of the National Open in 1978 to earn the Outstanding Wrestler Award, the Most Falls Award, the U.S. Wrestling Federation Grand Champion Award and 1978 Athlete of the Year. He also defeated Distinguished Members Wade Schalles, Chris Campbell and Ed Banach in freestyle competition. The 1980 Olympic boycott cost him a chance at an Olympic medal.Helping launch the Blair Academy (New Jersey) freestyle program, he won the AAU Junior World national championship in 1974 and 1975 and was the U.S. Wrestling Federation Junior national champion in 1973. Three times Lieberman won the National Independent Schools championship (National Preps) from 1972-1974 and was outstanding wrestler twice. Mark was inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches' Hall of Fame in 1987, the Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994, the EIWA Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Blair Academy Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.For excelling in collegiate and international wrestling during his record-setting career, Mark Lieberman is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.Bio by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame

One of only two Americans to win three medals at the Greco-Roman World Championships, Dremiel Byers is considered one of the best Greco-Roman wrestlers in U.S. history.Byers won a gold medal at the 2002 World Championships and is one of just five Americans to win a gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling. He added a bronze medal in 2007 and a silver medal in 2009 joining Distinguished Member Matt Ghaffari as the only Americans to medal three times. His 2007 bronze medal helped the United States win its first and only Greco-Roman World team title, by a single point over Russia.Between 1999 and 2011, Byers made eight World Greco-Roman and two Olympic teams, finishing seventh in 2008 and ninth in 2012. He is the winningest wrestler, in any style, in Dave Schultz Memorial International history with six gold medals and 11 total medals. He was named USA Wrestling's Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year in 1999, 2002 and 2009.Byers attended Kings Mountain High School in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, where he was an All-State wrestler and won the North Carolina state high school heavyweight championship in 1993. He attended North Carolina A&T on a football scholarship, but was forced to leave college to take care of family matters.He enlisted in the U.S. Army and joined the Army's World Class Athletes Program in 1996. He retired from the Army as a Sergeant First Class and currently serves as an assistant coach for the WCAP team.Byers was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum's Alan and Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions in 2015.For his record-setting performances during his storied Greco-Roman wrestling career, Dremiel Byers is named as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

As a competitor and coach, Bill Zadick has forever written his name in the U.S. wrestling record book.He won a gold medal at the World Championships in Guangzhou, China in 2006. His younger brother, Mike, brought home a silver medal from the same tournament, making them the first set of brothers since Terry and Tom Brands in 1995 to both make the same World or Olympic team.For a 10-year period, he was one of the most competitive wrestlers on the U.S. national freestyle team. Beginning in 1999 with a runner-up finish in the U.S. World Team Trials, Zadick won back-to-back U.S. Open titles in 2001 and 2002 and finished seventh in the 2001 World Championship. He added second-place finishes in 2003, 2006 and 2008 national tournaments. He was runner-up at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 2000 and 2008, as well as notching a runner-up finish in the U.S. World Team Trials in 2002.After a fifth-place finish in the 1995 NCAA Championships, Zadick earned an NCAA championship as a senior in 1996, helping the University of Iowa win back-to-back NCAA team titles. He wrestled at Great Falls (Montana) High School from 1988 to 1991 and is one of only 17 wrestlers to win four Montana state high school championships, which he accomplished in four different weight classes: 98, 112, 119 and 135.After retiring from competition in 2008, Bill joined USA Wrestling to work with the developmental program. From 2011-14, the U.S. won eight Cadet World medals, nine Junior World medals and 10 medals at the University Worlds or University World Games. In 2014, the U.S. age group World teams reached new levels of success in freestyle as the Cadets placed third in the world, the Juniors placed second in the world and the University team won the world title.Zadick was named national freestyle coach in 2016. In 2017, the U.S. won its first World team title in 22 years led by gold medalists Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder, silver medalists Thomas Gilman and James Green, and bronze medalists J'den Cox and Nick Gwiazdowski. Zadick and his staff also produced one of the greatest years in USA Wrestling age-group history, including winning the Junior World team title for the first time in over 30 years. Zadick was named the U.S. Olympic Committee's Coach of the Year from among all of its governing bodies.At the 2018 Senior World Championships, the Americans finished second and had seven medalists, including World champions Cox, Kyle Dake and David Taylor. In 2019, Zadick led the United States to another successful season, including becoming the first team to win all 10 gold medals at the Senior Pan American Championships.For his stellar wrestling and coaching career, Bill Zadick is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.Bio via the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

In 1975, a few months after concluding his wrestling career at Grand Valley State University with a sixth-place finish at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national tournament, Gary Chopp went skydiving. During the 3,000-foot jump, his main and reserve parachutes malfunctioned, causing him to fall freely during the last 300 feet. He crashed into the ground, fracturing his spine and shattering his pelvis. Surgeons removed his damaged kidney and spleen, but he suffered paralysis in one leg.  Chopp credits the physical, mental and emotional strength he gained as a wrestler for helping him not only to stay alive at the time of the accident but also to achieve inspired goals during the ensuing seven months in the hospital and throughout his life.  After recovering in the hospital where he lost 90 pounds as he fought to stay alive, he returned to school and changed his major. He eventually entered law school, sat on the school's first law review, graduated in the top ten percent of his class in 1981, and won the Distinguished Student Award. Successfully practicing as a trial lawyer for 35 years, Chopp continued to experience complications from the accident. He underwent several surgeries, including the amputation of a leg and the development of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, a chronic pain condition that recently forced him to retire from the practice of law.  Chopp lettered four years (1971-1975) in wrestling at Grand Valley State which began its wrestling program in 1968. He had a career record of 67-26 and was one of the team leaders who helped Grand Valley achieve its goal of becoming a nationally competitive wrestling program. At Grand Ledge (Michigan) High School, Chopp lettered four years in wrestling and two years in football. In wrestling, he won conference championships as a junior and senior, helping Grand Ledge capture the team title both years. Chopp was team captain and qualified for the state tournament as a senior while also placing in Greco-Roman at the Junior World Olympics. By overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds and providing inspiration to many others, former wrestler Gary Chopp is recognized with the Medal of Courage by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Show Notes: LegendsSince 1988, Gary Abbott has served as the media face of USA Wrestling, traveling to major wrestling events in the United States and around the globe, including eight Olympic Games, dozens of senior and age-group World Championships and 38 straight NCAA Championships.Currently the Director of Communications and Special Projects, he is responsible for USA Wrestling communications, including publications and other media platforms, media relations, promotions, public relations and special projects. Abbott oversees USA Wrestling's magazine USA Wrestler and handles the organization's corporate communications program. In 2013, he was a prominent figure in wrestling's fight to remain an Olympic sport, serving on the Committee for the Preservation of Olympic Wrestling.For decades, Abbott has been a pioneer in building women's wrestling, including creating a national girls' high school wrestling poll and helping women's wrestling receive emerging sport status from the NCAA. He has promoted the growth of wrestling by providing coverage for all of wrestling's disciplines. He manages USA Wrestling's Associated Styles program, including grappling and beach wrestling. Abbott has been instrumental in the growth of Cadet and Junior Nationals, which drew a record 5,400 athletes in 2019.Prior to joining USA Wrestling, he was editor of Wrestling Masters from 1982-87, creating content and producing the national magazine. He also served as publicist for the National Wrestling Coaches Association and developed the NWCA Division I Coaches Poll. He founded the ASICS Tiger High School Wrestling All-American Team in 1985.Abbott was a four-year starter on Boston University's varsity wrestling team, competing for Hall of Fame coach Carl Adams, and also wrestled at Harbor Fields High School in New York. He received the Publicist of the Year award from the National Wrestling Media Association in 1991 and won the organization's Publication of the Year in 1996. In 1992, Amateur Wrestling News presented him with its Bob Dellinger Award as wrestling writer of the year. He was the 2005 AWN Man of the Year, and received the 2005 NWCA Meritorious Service Award. Abbott was one of three founders of the NWMA in 1988 and served as its president from 1991-92.He has served as chairperson of the Hall of Fame's Distinguished Members screening committee and as a member of the selection and veterans committees. Abbott served on the steering committee of the Olympic Public Relations Association and participated in the Team USA Leadership Certificate Program, which is the flagship leadership development program for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movements. He received his bachelor's degree in journalism from Boston University in 1982 and a master's degree in sports administration from the University of Northern Colorado in 2009.For a lifetime of dedication to chronicling, promoting and supporting the sport of wrestling on every level, Gary Abbott is honored with the Order of Merit by The National Wrestling Hall of Fame.Recorded June 2021 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Tim Shiels began officiating full-time in 1988, working the regional and state tournaments in his home state of Minnesota. He began focusing on college officiating in 1989 and has worked 12 NCAA Division I national championships, seven NCAA Division II national championships, 19 NCAA Division III national championships, five national junior college tournaments and a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national tournament.  He has worked five NCAA DI finals and was selected as a Top 5 Official by the NCAA Officials Association for four years straight from 2012-2015. He served as the head official at the NCAA DIII national tournament six times and has worked nine National Wrestling Coaches Association Dual Meet Championships and nine Big Ten Championships. Shiels was elected in 2013 to be the first active official to serve on the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee and has served as an evaluator of officials at the Minnesota state high school tournament since 2008. In 2015, he was named NCAA Wrestling's National Coordinator of Officials, replacing Hall of Fame official Dr. Pat McCormick, who held the position for 42 years.  Wrestling for his father, Hall of Fame coach Dick Shiels, at Faribault (Minnesota) High School, he qualified for the state tournament twice, placing fifth as a junior. After high school, Shiels lettered in wrestling and golf at Waldorf College, serving as team captain in wrestling. He then went to the University of Minnesota Morris where he earned All-American honors and helped his team finish third with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Division III tournament in 1981. He had a career record of 106-41-1 and qualified for the National Junior College tournament twice at Waldorf and qualified for the NCAA DIII championships twice at Minnesota Morris.  At St. Olaf College from 1982 to 1988, Shiels coached six wrestling All-Americans and led the team to a 12th-place finish at the NCAA DIII tournament in 1986 and an 11th-place finish in 1987. Shiels was named Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1987 after his team won the All-Lutheran tournament and finished second at the MIAC tournament, 1/2 of a point behind champion St. Thomas. He received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Minnesota Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016. For his long-time career as a highly-respected official and his lifetime of involvement in wrestling Tim Shiels is inducted into The National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Meritorious Official.

The induction speeches for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2021. Meritorious Service for Officials: Tim ShielsOrder of Merit: Gary AbbottMedal of Courage: Gary ChoppOutstanding American: Carl EschenbachDistinguished MembersBruce BurnettDremiel ByersMark LiebermanBill Zadick

An outstanding high school and collegiate wrestler, Rich Lorenzo became an icon in college wrestling as the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1978 to 1992. His exemplary career has earned Lorenzo induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a 2019 Distinguished Member. During his coaching career, he helped 53 Penn State wrestlers earn All-America honors, including two-time NCAA champion Jeff Prescott and national champions Carl DeStefanis, Scott Lynch and Jim Martin. He led the Nittany Lions to 11 Top 10 NCAA finishes, including six Top Five finishes. Penn State won 11 consecutive Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association team titles and two National Dual Meet championships. Lorenzo was named EIWA Coach of the Year six times and was named National Coach of the Year in 1981 and 1992. Prior to becoming head coach, he was an assistant coach for Penn State from 1968-74 and helped the Nittany Lions finish in the Top 10 at the NCAA tournament four times while winning two EIWA team titles and finishing second three times. He was co-executive director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association from 1993-95, raising one half of the coaches' $1 million capital campaign challenge, and served as the association’s membership chair and treasurer from 1993-99. Lorenzo was executive director and treasurer for the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, serving as the major fundraiser to fully endow the wrestling program. He was the chief fundraiser for a $4 million wrestling facility, which was named the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex. On the mat, Lorenzo was a two-time district champion and a state runner-up for Newton (New Jersey) High School. Top-seeded at 191 pounds in the 1968 NCAA Championships, Lorenzo lost a close 2-1 decision in the semifinals and finished fourth. Earlier, he won an EIWA championship and was named Outstanding Wrestler and winner of the trophy for Most Falls. Lorenzo was an East-West dual meet winner in 1968 and a three-time EIWA place winner while going undefeated in dual meets as a junior and senior for the Nittany Lions. Lorenzo was also a four-time Future Farmers of America state public speaking champion and was named the New Jersey Future Farmers of America Star State Farmer in 1964. He received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1995, and was inducted into both the EWL Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1996. Video compilation by Dave “Doc” Bennett.     SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Android | RSS Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.   Recorded June 2019 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Successful at virtually every level of his storied career, Brandon Paulson is recognized for his wrestling prowess and coaching expertise by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a 2019 Distinguished Member. The highlight of his wrestling career was winning the silver medal at 114.5 pounds in Greco-Roman competition at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He also competed three times in Greco-Roman at the World Championships, winning a silver medal in 2001 and finishing eighth in 2002. A four-time U.S. Open champion,  Paulson excelled at every age-group level of USA Wrestling, winning Cadet, Junior, Espoir and University national titles and a silver medal at the Espoir World Championships in 1993. He was an All-American at the University of Minnesota and was a three-time Minnesota high school state champion for Anoka High School. He had a career high school record of 155-12-1 and was named Mr. Minnesota Wrestling in 1992. He was named Greco-Roman Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling in 2008 and received the honor again in 2016. Paulson was a member of the U.S. coaching staff at the 2008 Olympic Games while also helping coach the U.S. Junior Greco-Roman World Team in 2007 and 2008. He has partnered with NCAA champion and U.S. Olympic Team Trials runner-up Jared Lawrence at the PINnacle Wrestling School, coaching youth, high school and international wrestlers. PINnacle Wrestling has produced nine age-group world medalists, including three world champions. He has served as a club coach with the Minnesota Storm, working with senior-level and age-group athletes at the U.S. national championships and World Team Trials. Paulson has also been a member of the Minnesota/USA Wrestling coaching staff for the Junior and Cadet Nationals, helping produce numerous national champions and All-Americans for one of the strongest Greco-Roman programs in the nation. Paulson was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum's Alan and Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions in 2013 and was a member of the Charter Class of the Anoka High School Hall of Fame in 2011.   SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Android | RSS Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

He devoted a lifetime to the sport of wrestling. But in more than 60 years as an athlete, coach and teacher, Charlie Speidel contributed far more to the lives of others than ever can be recorded in the statistics of achievement. He was a pioneer for wrestling and helped it gain stature as a major sport in the high schools and colleges of Pennsylvania and across the eastern states. He traveled extensively, often with arch rival Billy Sheridan, to present clinics and introduce the sport. The record shows that "Doc" Speidel coached 38 years at Penn State University. His teams won 191 dual meets and lost only 53. Seven of them were undefeated. They won eight Eastern Intercollegiate team championships and 56 individual titles. Six of his wrestlers were National Collegiate champions. And in 1953, his Nittany Lions became the only eastern squad ever to win the NCAA team championship. He was an author of wrestling books and articles for such publications as the Encyclopedia Brittanica. During World War II he served four years as fleet recreation officer in the South Pacific. In 1930, he brought the nation's wrestling coaches together and founded the National Wrestling Coaches Association, later serving two terms as its president. All this is a matter of record. But Charlie Speidel's contributions cannot be measured by victories and defeats. First of all, he was a teacher who gave of himself to enrich the lives of young men. He taught "total wrestling" -not only the mechanics, but enthusiasm, self-reliance and the importance of deep dedication, hard work and the strength of the will to win. He stressed the importance of education and insisted that his athletes complete their degrees. Recognized as one of the great coaches, and one of the great humanitarians of the sport, Charles Martin Speidel is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Google Play Music | Android | RSS Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

His interest in wrestling surfaced in 1922 from deep in the waters of San Francisco Bay. After more than half a century of service to the sport, Dr. Albert deFerrari's impact on wrestling had spanned the globe. His first exposure to the sport followed a shipwreck near the Golden Gate. The ship's cargo of cotton was declared free to any takers. Already a champion swimmer and diver, deFerrari retrieved a truckload. The mothers of his neighborhood then remade the wrestling mats of the area, stuffing in the free cotton and sewing the canvas covers with heavy thread. Such interest attracted the attention of the young San Francisco dentist. Soon he would become involved in promoting wrestling in the storied Olympic Club, and would nurture the sport until the club became of national renown on the mats. Dr. Al never lost his innovative approach. While serving more than two decades on the U. S. Olympic Committee and the International Wrestling Federation, he brought about this country's first exchange series with Japan and the Soviet Union and inaugurated the Junior World Championships. When USA Wrestling was founded in 1968, he was an inspirational leader and a close liaison with the international leaders of the sport until his death in 1976. His greatest contribution came during the late 1950s when he rescued the vague and indecisive international rules from their pointless pattern. Because of his efforts, the international federation accepted the scoring of points for takedowns, stopping of the clock for out-of-bounds, and requirements that even the touch-fall must be controlled by the offensive wrestler. Even a shipload of waterlogged cotton had been easier to salvage from the depths. For a lifetime of leadership in the development of wrestling, and for his impact on modernization of the sport, Dr. Albert deFerrari is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Google Play Music | Android | RSS Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

He packed more wrestling success into five years than most athletes manage in a lifetime of competition. Keith Young spent the next three decades returning those rewards to the sport with full interest. His Algona High School team didn't offer wrestling until his senior year, and when he joined the University of Northern Iowa you'd hardly expect a youngster of such limited experience to fill the shoes of one of wrestling's all-time greats, Bill Koll. But fill them he did, winning six national championships in three seasons. Undefeated in collegiate competition, he was NCAA champion at 145 pounds in 1949, '50 and '51, leading the Panthers of coach Dave McCuskey to the team title during his junior year. Young's three collegiate crowns matched Koll's total as Northern Iowa reigned supreme in the welterweight division six years in a row. The same three years, Young was National AAU champ -outstanding wrestler in '50 -and each year the Panthers captured the AAU team trophy. Rather than pursue post-graduate competition, Young turned immediately to high school coaching. In three years at Blue Earth, Minn., he produced a state team champion. Then he returned to Iowa, coaching a year at Osage before taking the reins in 1955 at Cedar Falls. There he produced more than 200 dual meet victories, two state champion teams, two runners-up and a host of individual winners. Far more important, however, was his influence on the lives of young men, as a teaching example of integrity and dedication. He also served the sport of wrestling for many years as one of its most widely respected referees, officiating at the high school and collegiate levels all the way to the NCAA and NAIA championships. In recognition of his outstanding achievements as a champion wrestler, and his long years of service to the sport as a teacher and leader of young athletes, Keith Fay Young is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Google Play Music | Android | RSS Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

As a tall, skinny college freshman, Frank Lewis was "a little tired" after six years of wrestling and planned to give full attention to his studies at Oklahoma State University. But he needed a physical education credit and a wrestling class would provide an easy grade. Members of the class were required to compete in the all-college intramurals and when he failed to win the championship his pride was stung. He decided to concentrate on wrestling again. Frank Lewis concentrated so well that he became a national champion and the gold medalist in the 1936 Olympic Games at Berlin. A state high school champ and four-time medalist from 100 to 155 pounds, he possessed the raw talent from which coach Edward C. Gallagher could mold a winner. But because of his rapid growth, the youngster didn't have the stamina to wrestle the longer college matches. And because of a minor heart condition, his coach had to devise a special training routine to build stamina without putting a strain on his health. Despite these difficulties, he established a collegiate record of 45-5, winning the NCAA title in 1935 after placing second the year before. Both years he contributed vital points to the Cowboys' team trophies. In 1935, he won the National AAU crown and became the first contestant to be officially recognized as outstanding wrestler of a National AAU tournament, receiving a gold watch for this honor. A year later, he swept undefeated through the series of Olympic trials, then defended his position against his alternate on the boat to Europe. In the Games, he scored a fall the first day, another the second day. He wrestled three times the third day, but stamina no longer was a problem and two more falls offset a narrow loss to Tur Andersson of Sweden as Frank Lewis became the only American to win a championship. As a wrestler of ultimate achievement and a lifelong example of perseverance and dedication to goals, Frank Wiatt Lewis is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Google Play Music | Android | RSS Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

In the shadowed ruins of Rome's ancient Basilica, Doug Blubaugh battled the world champion from Iran for the Olympic gold medal. Emamali Habibi had never known defeat. Three times the Persian attacked, each time throwing the young American into danger. Then a swift counterattack from Blubaugh hurled his opponent to his back ... suddenly the struggle was ended. Thus did an Oklahoma farm boy reach the apex of a brilliant athletic career, earning the 1960 Olympic gold medal at 160.5 pounds, and with it recognition as the outstanding wrestler in the world. Doug Blubaugh was no stranger to the role of champion. He won NCAA honors for Oklahoma State in 1957 and National AAU Freestyle titles in 1957, when he was named outstanding wrestler, and 1959. A year before his Olympic conquest, he won a gold medal in the 1959 Pan American Games at Chicago, matching the 1955 achievement of his brother, Jack. They were the first brothers to capture Pan Am titles. Blubaugh is remembered, too, for his epic struggles with a former college teammate, Phil Kinyon. Over four years of Freestyle competition, they met 13 times. The first 12 bouts ended in draws, 11 scoreless. Five of these were in the 1960 Olympic trials, before Blubaugh crashed through for the takedown and victory that sent him on to Olympic glory. From a competitive career totaling more than 400 victories against just 17 defeats, Blubaugh turned to coaching and won added respect for his teaching skills and his honesty and dedication. After seven years as an assistant at Michigan State, during which he was Freestyle coach of U. S. teams in the 1971 Pan American Games and World Championships, he spent a decade as head coach at Indiana University. As a champion athlete of awesome achievement, and as a living example to young men of the highest standards of character and integrity, Douglas Morlan Blubaugh is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Google Play Music | Android | RSS Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

In another unearthed tape from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the introduction video for the Class of 1978 Distinguished Members has been released as a special episode of Hall of Fame Legends. This episode previews the inductions of the third induction class which featured true legends Glen Brand, Ross Flood, Stanley Henson, Harold Nichols, Robin Reed, Gray Simons and Bill Smith. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Google Play Music | Android | RSS Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

A real-life profile of courage, Thomas Irving Green truly personifies the word. As the all-time wins leader at Weedsport High School in New York, Green wrestled collegiately at Cayuga Community College in Auburn, New York, and at SUNY Cortland. After college, he turned his attention to officiating and was moving up the ranks, including serving as an assistant mat official at the Division III NCAA Championships in 1996. Just a few weeks after the end of the 1997 wrestling season, his life changed forever. On May 15, 1997, a container filled with a caustic chemical burst and sprayed Green’s face. Blinded and his face badly burned, Green underwent a series of long surgeries. He needed a procedure to increase the size of his mouth, which had healed so small that even his thumb wouldn’t fit inside. He underwent a cornea transplant, as well as another surgery that used tissue donated from his brother, which helped him regain some of his sight. He has had stem cells put in his eyes, reconstructive retinal surgery and a synthetic cornea implant. In all, Green has endured more than 40 surgeries. One year after the accident, Green returned to wrestling as a volunteer assistant coach at New York’s Port Byron Central School District, helped restart the Port Byron Pee Wee youth program and eventually became head wrestling coach for PBHS. Taking over a team with just five wrestlers, Green built Port Byron into a powerhouse, winning league championships in 2011, 2013 to 2016, and the team tied for the title in 2017. He has been named Patriot League Coach of the Year seven times and registered his 100th career dual win in 2015. For overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles to become an exceptional coach and mentor, Thomas Irving Green is awarded the Medal of Courage by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Google Play Music | Android | RSS Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

The latest episode of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Legends Podcast is with 2017 Outstanding American Dom Gorie. Beginning his wrestling career in junior high school, Dominic (Pudwill) Gorie always set his sights high. As a wrestler at Palmetto High School in Miami, he forged a standout career record of 41-9-1. He received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy in 1975 and wrestled four years for legendary coach Ed Peery, who was inducted as Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1980. Gorie received a Bachelor of Science degree in ocean engineering from the Naval Academy in 1979 and his master’s in aviation systems from the University of Tennessee in 1990. He was designated as a naval aviator and piloted fighter jets aboard the USS America, the USS Coral Sea and USS Roosevelt from 1981 to 1992, where he accumulated more than 600 carrier landings. Gorie also flew 38 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm. Gorie was ordered to United States Space Command in 1992 and was selected as an Astronaut Candidate in 1994. He reported to Johnson Space Center in 1995. Following a year of training and evaluation, Gorie was assigned to work safety issues for the Astronaut Office. He served as a spacecraft communicator in Mission Control for numerous space shuttle flights and was chief of the Astronaut Shuttle Branch. In June of 1998, his most lofty goal was achieved with the first of two shuttle missions as a pilot, followed by two more as Mission Commander. Gorie, who retired from NASA in 2010, has logged a total of 49 days in space. He has received five Medal of Citation honors, including the Distinguished Flying Cross in both 1992 and 2010, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Legion of Merit from 1995 to 2002. Gorie is an active volunteer and board member with Combat Wounded Veterans Challenge, a national organization that provides a spectrum of adventures to wounded veterans while focusing on rehabilitation research. For his achievements as an astronaut and his military service to his country, Dominic Gorie is honored as an Outstanding American by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Google Play Music | Android | RSS Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

The latest episode of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Legends Podcast is with 2017 Distinguished Member and two-time NCAA champion Andre Metzger. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Google Play Music | Android | RSS For those historians who refer to the 1980s as the “Golden Age“ of American wrestling, Michigan native Andre Metzger shines bright as one of its stars. Starting with a 27-second win by fall in his first match in the ninth grade, Metzger wrestled an estimated 2,000 matches in freestyle, collegiate and Greco-Roman. His 1,870 victories equate to an amazing .935 winning percentage. Ending with comeback attempts to make the 2012 U.S. Olympic team and 2014 U.S. World team, his storied career spanned an incredible five decades. Following a stellar high school career that included a state championship, Metzger wrestled in the 1979 World Championships in San Diego. He won the bronze medal and became the youngest American to medal in the World Championships at the age of 19 – a record that stood for 36 years. Combining freestyle, Greco-Roman and judo styles, Metzger changed the sport of wrestling and made it more exciting to watch. He is one of the few wrestlers to have a takedown move named after him -- The Metzger. At the University of Oklahoma from 1979 to 1982, Metzger was a four-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion at 142 pounds, after he placed fifth and second his first two years. In 1980, he made a serious bid for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team. Leading in a late-round match against 1977 NCAA champion Steve Barrett of Oklahoma State in the Olympic Trials, Metzger suffered an ankle fracture that ended his Olympic hopes. His quest for an Olympic Team spot four years later ended when he got a severe case of shellfish poisoning and couldn’t compete in the final trials. In national competition, Metzger won three freestyle and three Greco-Roman AAU Junior championships, as well as five AAU Senior freestyle championships with three runner-up finishes. Internationally, he earned two silver medals, three bronze and a fourth-place finish in the World Championships. He also captured two first-place titles in the Pan American Games and finished second in the 1986 Goodwill Games in Moscow. For his prolific career, dedication and contributions to the sport of wrestling, Andre Metzger is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

The latest episode of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Legends Podcast is with 2017 Distinguished Member and NCAA champion Chuck Yagla. Raised in the wrestling hotbed of Waterloo, Iowa, Chuck Yagla turned a talent for wrestling into a lifelong passion. He began his wrestling journey at Waterloo’s Columbus High School, where he served as a senior team captain and was runner-up in the 1972 Class 3A state tournament. At the University of Iowa, Yagla won an NCAA championship at 150 pounds in 1975 as a junior. His win came via a 4-4, 1-1 split referee’s decision over future three-time NCAA champion and World champion, Lee Kemp. He repeated the feat in 1976, when he was also named Outstanding Wrestler of the NCAA tournament. Wrestling in international competition from 1972 to 1980, Yagla won freestyle events around the world. He was a United States Wrestling Federation Junior National Champion in 1972 and Grand Champion (Ring Series) in 1975. In addition, he won a USWF National Greco-Roman title in 1978. He was a U.S. Olympic freestyle alternate in 1976 and earned a spot on the 1980 Olympic Team, but he was denied the opportunity to compete when the U.S. boycotted the Moscow Games. Yagla also was a runner-up in the 1979 Tbilisi Tournament in the Soviet Union, which is regarded as the toughest international event outside of the Olympics, and won gold and silver medals in the World Cup. Following his wrestling career, Yagla served as assistant wrestling coach at the University of Iowa from 1977 to 1982, before he turned his attention to officiating. He spent 24 years as an NCAA official, gaining the respect of coaches and competitors nationwide. From 1996 to 2007, he was a fixture at the NCAA Division I Championships and was selected to referee finals matches five times. He officiated at six NCAA Division II Championships. In 2009, he was honored by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Meritorious Official. For excelling in every aspect of wrestling during his incredible career, Chuck Yagla is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Google Play Music | Android | RSS Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

When the conversation among Pennsylvania wrestling fans turns to “the best ever,” Jefferson Morgan High School alumnus Cary Kolat’s name is always in the mix. Kolat compiled a 137-0 high school record with four Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association championships, and he was named Outstanding Wrestler at the PIAA tournament each year he competed, an honor no other wrestler has achieved even twice. As a freshman at Penn State, Kolat won a Big Ten title and placed second in the NCAA Championships at 134 pounds. As a sophomore, he was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year and finished third in the NCAA Tournament. Kolat sat out a year to transfer to Lock Haven University, but he came back better than ever, winning back-to-back NCAA titles at 142 pounds in 1996 and 1997 with a two-year record of 50-1. Kolat won two Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference titles and back-to-back Eastern Wrestling League championships. He was named Outstanding Wrestler both years and finished his college career with a 111-7 record and 53 pins. On the international level, Kolat was a member of the U.S. Freestyle Team from 1997 to 2001, and he won a silver medal at the World Championships in 1997 and a bronze medal in 1998. He won three World Cup gold medals, one World Cup silver and two Pan American championships. He was the University National freestyle champion in 1995 and the U.S. Open champion in 1997, 1999 and 2000. In his first Olympic freestyle match at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Kolat faced the reigning world champion, Mohammad Talaei. He scored a thrilling 3-1 overtime victory only to have the result protested. Forced to re-wrestle the match, he lost a narrow 5-4 decision and eventually placed ninth. For his record of success in the United States and around the world, Cary Kolat is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Google Play Music | Android | RSS Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

Episode 11 of the Hall of Fame Legends podcast unearths a gem of audio from the late 1970s. It's not confirmed when this was recorded, but noted wrestling historian Don Sayenga serves as a moderator for a special Olympians Breakfast that included wrestlers from all the way back in the 1920s. This recording has problems with sound quality, but some of the conversations between the group of Olympians, had only been heard that one time. Listen in amazement as names from the past resurface in their own voices to tell the stories of their respective Olympic Games. There are numerous "bangs" midway through this recording, which is approximately 90 minutes. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Google Play Music | Android | RSS Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you. Looking to start a podcast of your own? Get a free month with Libsyn by using the promo code MTO when you sign up. You'll get the remainder of the month from when you sign up as well as the next month free. It'll be enough time to kick the tires and lights some fires.

Episode 10 of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's LEGENDS podcast features the introduction speeches and acceptance speech from 1979 inductee Joe McDaniel. McDaniel passed away in 2011, but archives unearthed at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame have given us his voice from that Honors Weekend. He was destined to be an Olympic champion, but the Games of the XII Olympiad were engulfed in the holocaust of World War II. So Joe McDaniel had to settle merely for recognition as the outstanding wrestler of the world. Three times he was a National Collegiate winner for Oklahoma State University, each year leading the Cowboys of coach Edward C. Gallagher to the team trophy. As a 118-pound junior, he was voted outstanding wrestler of the 1938 tournament, an honor won a year earlier by his roommate, Stanley Henson. Three times he reigned as National AAU champion, twice as a collegian when the Cowboys also won team honors, and again in 1941, two years after graduation. McDaniel's only serious exposure to international competition came at the close of his junior year, in a 1938 European tour climaxed by a tournament at Stockholm, Sweden, among the leading wrestling nations of the world. He was undefeated in 12 bouts and scored an overwhelming victory over Odon Zombori of Hungary, winner of the Olympic gold two years earlier. Despite a three-year hitch in the Air Corps and seven years as field representative for a major steel firm, McDaniel never has been far from the sport of wrestling. After a year of high school coaching and another at Maryland, he returned from the war to coach 11 years at Syracuse University, leading the Orange to a fourth place national finish. In 1963, he moved to Wyoming, coaching two years in high school and eight at the University. His career turned full circle in 1973, when he returned to his home town of Sulphur, Oklahoma, to serve as high school coach. In 30 years of coaching at all levels, his record was 257 victories against 105 defeats. In recognition of his great achievements as a wrestler and his long years of service to the sport, Joe Clark McDaniel is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Google Play Music | Android | RSS Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you. Looking to start a podcast of your own? Get a free month with Libsyn by using the promo code MTO when you sign up. You'll get the remainder of the month from when you sign up as well as the next month free. It'll be enough time to kick the tires and lights some fires.

Episode 9 of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's LEGENDS podcast features 2017 Distinguished Member Tony Gizoni. Gizoni passed away just over a month after his 2017 induction. One of the greatest wrestlers ever to grace the collegiate mat, Tony “Babe” Gizoni was undefeated for seven years in high school and college, winning 108 straight matches. He became the fourth wrestler in Pennsylvania prep history to win three state championships, claiming titles at 101, 103 and 112 pounds from 1946 to 1948 at Washington High School. Gizoni won back-to-back NCAA Division I championships for Waynesburg College. He was also voted Outstanding Wrestler after winning at 121 pounds in 1950 when, as an unseeded wrestler, he defeated the tournament’s top seed – a two-time defending national champion – in the finals. In 1951, wrestling at 123 pounds, he won the title as the No. 1 seed. Trailing in the finals, Gizoni used hand control, back pressure and a hip heist to get a reversal and gain the upper hand in a tight match. That patented move is forever known as the “Gizoni Special.” As a senior in 1952, he was ruled ineligible for the postseason after competing in dual meets and tournaments that were not approved by the NCAA Rules Committee. While at Waynesburg, Gizoni’s 28 dual wins helped the Yellow Jackets to 34 consecutive dual meet wins from 1949 to 1952. Finishing his collegiate career with a 52-0 record, Gizoni’s overall record for high school and college was 120-3-1. The three losses and the tie occurred in his freshman year of high school. Following his competitive days on the mat, Gizoni served in the Korean War and earned a Bronze Star for bravery in combat. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame Washington-Greene, the Helms Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame and the Waynesburg College Hall of Fame. As a true legend in the wrestling history of Pennsylvania and the NCAA, Tony Gizoni is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW iTunes | Stitcher | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Google Play Music | Android | RSS Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you. Looking to start a podcast of your own? Get a free month with Libsyn by using the promo code MTO when you sign up. You'll get the remainder of the month from when you sign up as well as the next month free. It'll be enough time to kick the tires and lights some fires.

Episode 8 of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's LEGENDS podcast features 2015 Order of Merit recipient Dave Bennett. Known as “Doc” throughout the wrestling community, Dave Bennett got his start in wrestling as a member of the inaugural high school wrestling team at Jamestown High School in North Dakota in 1959. He was a conference place winner and qualified for the NAIA National Championships while attending Jamestown College (now University of Jamestown). In 1963, he transferred to Pacific University to finish his wrestling career. Bennett graduated with his Bachelor’s degree at Pacific before completing his doctorate in optometry in 1966. After continued study at the University of Washington and the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, he went into a joint practice of ophthalmology in Kennewick, Wash., in 1978. He blended a professional career with wrestling throughout his life. Bennett coached high school teams from 1969-1990, holding positions as a volunteer, assistant coach, and head wrestling coach at five different high schools. He helped coach over 40 wrestlers to high school state championships in three states. Through Sunkist Kids, Bennett became involved in video scouting and technique analysis. He has produced over 60 instructional and educational tapes for coaches, athletes, and officials, featuring some of the top athletes and coaches in the world. He also produced over 40 television shows for broadcast in the United States and abroad. In 1997, he gave up his medical practice to become a full-time staff member of USA Wrestling. Three years later, he was named National Developmental Freestyle Coach. He was honored as the United States Olympic Committee Coach of the Year in 2008, receiving the Doc Counsilman Award. He is the only wrestling coach to ever receive this prestigious award. Bennett continues to volunteer his services to USA Wrestling, United World Wrestling, and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame with digital media productions. He serves on USA Wrestling’s volunteer coaching staff and the expert group for education for United World Wrestling, the international governing body for the sport of wrestling. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW iTunes | Stitcher | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Google Play Music | Android | RSS Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you. Looking to start a podcast of your own? Get a free month with Libsyn by using the promo code MTO when you sign up. You'll get the remainder of the month from when you sign up as well as the next month free. It'll be enough time to kick the tires and lights some fires.