Legends: National Wrestling Hall of Fame

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Mat Talk Podcast Network presented Legends, a series dedicated to telling the stories of wrestling's greats. Featuring Outstanding Americans, Distinguished Members, Order of Merit and Medal of Courage winners, Legends will chronicle the stories from the most legendary figures in Olympic, college and high school wrestling.

2019 Distinguished Member Rich Lorenzo 07/01/2020

2019 Distinguished Member Rich Lorenzo 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 | | | | | | | Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, . 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. /episode/index/show/hoflegends/id/15043826

2019 Distinguished Member Brandon Paulson 06/16/2020

2019 Distinguished Member Brandon Paulson 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 | | | | | | | Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, . 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/index/show/hoflegends/id/14851727

1979 Distinguished Member Charles "Doc" Speidel 12/21/2018

1979 Distinguished Member Charles "Doc" Speidel 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 | | | | | | | Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, . 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/index/show/hoflegends/id/7503914

1979 Distinguished Member Dr. Albert deFerrari 12/14/2018

1979 Distinguished Member Dr. Albert deFerrari 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 | | | | | | | Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, . 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/index/show/hoflegends/id/7503590

1979 Distinguished Member Keith Young, three-time NCAA champion 12/07/2018

1979 Distinguished Member Keith Young, three-time NCAA champion 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 | | | | | | | Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, . 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/index/show/hoflegends/id/7503173

1979 Distinguished Member Frank Lewis, Olympic Champion 11/30/2018

1979 Distinguished Member Frank Lewis, Olympic Champion 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 | | | | | | | Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, . 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/index/show/hoflegends/id/7503203

1979 Distinguished Member Doug Blubaugh, Olympic Champion 11/16/2018

1979 Distinguished Member Doug Blubaugh, Olympic Champion 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 | | | | | | | Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, . 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/index/show/hoflegends/id/7501976

1978 Hall of Fame Distinguished Member Introductions 11/09/2018

2017 Medal of Courage recipient, Thomas Irving Green 07/30/2018

2017 Medal of Courage recipient, Thomas Irving Green 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 | | | | | | | Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, . 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/index/show/hoflegends/id/6866791

2017 Outstanding American, Dom Gorie 07/24/2018

2017 Outstanding American, Dom Gorie 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 | | | | | | | Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, . 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/index/show/hoflegends/id/6846483

2017 Distinguished Member Andre Metzger, Two-time NCAA Champion 05/15/2018

2017 Distinguished Member Andre Metzger, Two-time NCAA Champion 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 | | | | | | | 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, . 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/index/show/hoflegends/id/6591935

2017 Distinguished Member Chuck Yagla, Two-time NCAA Champion 05/07/2018

2017 Distinguished Member Chuck Yagla, Two-time NCAA Champion 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 | | | | | | | Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, . 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/index/show/hoflegends/id/6565693

2017 Distinguished Member Cary Kolat, Two-time NCAA Champion 04/27/2018

2017 Distinguished Member Cary Kolat, Two-time NCAA Champion 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 | | | | | | | Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, . 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/index/show/hoflegends/id/6530019

Rare Olympians Breakfast featuring conversation with U.S. Olympic wrestlers from 1924-1964 12/26/2017

1979 Distinguished Member Joe McDaniel, Three-time NCAA champion 10/13/2017

1979 Distinguished Member Joe McDaniel, Three-time NCAA champion 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 | | | | | | Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, . 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? 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/index/show/hoflegends/id/5836307

2017 Distinguished Member Tony Gizoni, Two-Time NCAA Champion 08/14/2017

2017 Distinguished Member Tony Gizoni, Two-Time NCAA Champion 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 | | | | | | Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, . 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? 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/index/show/hoflegends/id/5640444

HOF08: 2015 Order of Merit Recipient Dave Bennett 06/05/2017

HOF08: 2015 Order of Merit Recipient Dave Bennett 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 | | | | | | Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, . 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? 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/index/show/hoflegends/id/5419640

HOF07: 2016 Order of Merit recipient Ron Good of Amateur Wrestling News 05/18/2017

HOF07: 2016 Order of Merit recipient Ron Good of Amateur Wrestling News Episode 7 of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's LEGENDS podcast features 2016 Order of Merit recipient Ron Good of Amateur Wrestling News. His career on the mat ended in high school where he helped John Marshall High School in Oklahoma City capture a state championship. His involvement with wrestling, however, continued and if you’ve read America’s first and oldest national wrestling publication, Amateur Wrestling News, then Ron Good’s name is familiar. Serving as co-editor and editor for almost 40 years and regarded as one of the nation’s top experts on college wrestling, Good is highly respected for his match coverage, feature stories, columns and rankings. Good attended his first NCAA Championships in 1977 as a volunteer for AWN before being hired by the publication that August. He spent five years under the mentorship of the magazine’s founder Jess Hoke, who was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1977. Good, who attended the University of Central Oklahoma where he studied music and participated in intramural wrestling, says that he was impacted by Hoke’s “contagious passion” for the sport. He received the Bob Dellinger Award as the Wrestling Writer of the Year in 1989, and was honored by the National Wrestling Media Association with its Print Journalist of the Year award in 2007. Amateur Wrestling News was selected as the NWMA Publication of the Year in 1992. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW | | | | | | Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, . 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? 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/index/show/hoflegends/id/5369613

HOF06: 1986 Distinguished Member Ben Peterson; NCAA and Olympic champion 11/18/2016

HOF06: 1986 Distinguished Member Ben Peterson; NCAA and Olympic champion Episode 6 of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's LEGENDS podcast features 1986 Distinguished Member Ben Peterson. A high school youngster from Wisconsin, competing in the 1968 Olympic trials, caught the eye of veteran coach Harold Nichols. Ben Peterson would become one of Iowa State's greatest wrestlers, and then one of America's brightest stars. He won nearly 100 collegiate matches, was a three-time Big Eight king and a three-time All-American. He captured NCAA championships in 1971 and '72. Encouraged--you might say pushed--by his friend and teammate, Dan Gable, Peterson blended athletic skills with determination and strong faith. Over the next decade, he won seven national Freestyle titles, placed twice in the World Championships (with a bronze medal in '73), and won gold in the 1975 Pan Am Games. During this era, he was joined by his brother, John, to forge one of wrestling's great family legends. In the '72 Olympics, Ben struggled to a draw with Gennady Strakhov of the USSR. When they emerged as the only survivors at 198 pounds, Ben earned the gold with more falls. John's silver at 180.5 was almost as sweet. The brothers returned to the Olympics in 1976 at Montreal, for equally rewarding but oddly reversed success. Levan Tediashvili, the superb Soviet who had blocked John's bid at Munich, limited Ben to a silver medal. But John captured the gold, and the Peterson brothers became the third and fourth two-time Olympic medalists in U.S. history. Ben made a third Olympic team in 1980, only the fifth American to do that, but was thwarted by the boycott. Faith has been a hallmark of Ben Peterson's life. Since 1976 he has coached and taught at Maranatha Baptist Bible College in Wisconsin, and has directed a summer camp to teach his skills and his way of life to young wrestlers. In 1985, one of Ben's students, Mike Houck, became the first American to win a World Championship in Greco-Roman. As a wrestler of outstanding achievement and as a golden example of sportsmanship and leadership, Benjamin Lee Peterson is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW | | | | | | | Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, . 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? 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/index/show/hoflegends/id/4843875

HOF05: 2015 Distinguished Member Joe Gonzales; NCAA Champion & World bronze medalist 09/07/2016

HOF05: 2015 Distinguished Member Joe Gonzales; NCAA Champion & World bronze medalist Episode 5 of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's LEGENDS podcast features 2015 Distinguished Member Joe Gonzales. The goal of wrestling is to take an opponent off his feet and place him on the mat. Perhaps no wrestler in collegiate wrestling has done it better—or more often—than Joe Gonzales. Gonzales perfected the takedown during his time as a 118-pound wrestler at California State-Bakersfield. His 1980 wrestling season ranks among the finest in collegiate wrestling history. Gonzales’ 55-0 record is the national record for the most wins in a single season with no defeats and no ties. He notched 448 takedowns that year too, also a national record. During his career, CSU Bakersfield was a Division II program, so Gonzales had a unique opportunity to win championships in two different divisions. He won the Division II NCAA tournament on March 1, 1980, with a 28-11 win in the championship finals. Then, just two weeks later, he won the Division I NCAA tourney, scoring 16 points or more in four of the six matches he won during his championship run. His junior season was almost as successful. Gonzales went 44-1 during the 1979 season, winning a Division II championship with a 22-14 win in the finals. He entered the Division I NCAA tournament as the top seed, but dropped a thrilling 16-13 decision to Gene Mills of Syracuse in the finals. Many consider their exhilarating showdown as the most entertaining collegiate match ever. Gonzales also earned a California Junior College state title for East Los Angeles College. Gonzales carried his collegiate success into international competition. He was a five-time National Open freestyle wrestling champion at 114.5 pounds, winning titles in 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, and 1988. “Gonzo” was also a five-time U.S. World Team member, a three-time World Cup champion, a bronze medalist at the 1982 World Championships, and champion at the 1982 Tbilisi tournament—considered by many as the toughest tournament in the world. He was a member of the 1984 Olympic freestyle team as well. After college, Gonzales served as an assistant wrestling coach at Arizona State from 1986-1989. The Sun Devils won the Pac-10 tournament all four seasons he was with the program, and they were crowned NCAA tournament champions in 1988. In recognition of a record-setting wrestling career, Joe Gonzales is recognized as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW | | | | | | Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, . 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? 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/index/show/hoflegends/id/4650291

HOF4: 2016 Distinguished Member Bill Harlow; NCAA champion & World silver medalist 06/28/2016

HOF4: 2016 Distinguished Member Bill Harlow; NCAA champion & World silver medalist Episode 4 of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's LEGENDS podcast features 2016 Distinguished Member William "Bill" Harlow. Thought to be the best wrestler ever to come from Tennessee and one of the greatest big men to wrestle at Oklahoma State University, William B. Harlow was a state champion, a three-time NCAA finalist and a three-time national freestyle champion. When he arrived at Oklahoma State, however, he felt as though he had a lot of catching up to do technically and spent his years in Stillwater as a “human sponge” absorbing everything he could learn. With Distinguished Members Yojiro Uetake, Bobby Douglas, and Gene Davis as teammates during his collegiate career, learning opportunities were scattered throughout the wrestling room. He quickly gained a reputation as a slick and smooth wrestler, using technique rarely seen in a man of his size. Harlow finished second in his first trip to the NCAA finals as a sophomore in 1964. As a junior, he won the Big Eight Conference title, but again finished as runner-up in the national tournament. Finally, as a senior, he moved up to 191 pounds and compiled a 21-0-1 record and won both the Big Eight and NCAA championships. With Uetake and Davis, he led OSU to the national team title, the second of his tenure as a Cowboy. Overall, he finished his collegiate career with a record of 54-5-2. Harlow began his wrestling career as an eighth grader, competing for the high school team at St. Andrews School in Sewanee, Tenn. Over five years, he lost only one match and, as a senior in 1962, won the national prep championship, the state championship and his fifth Mid-South championship, earning Outstanding Wrestler honors at all three tournaments. After leaving Oklahoma State, he concentrated on freestyle, winning three national titles, including being named Outstanding Wrestler in 1974. He represented the USA at the 1970 World Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and won a silver medal, As he continued to train and compete, he began a high school coaching career that would last for almost 50 years, beginning in Illinois. He returned to Oklahoma, coaching at Broken Arrow High School for 16 years while teaching and working as an administrator. He was principal and wrestling coach for three years at Kellyville, Okla., High School before serving eight years in Alaska as an administrator and wrestling coach. He returned to Oklahoma to teach and coach at Sapulpa High School until his retirement in 2013. Harlow received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2010, he was presented The Gallagher Award, given annually to an OSU wrestling alumnus who exemplifies the spirit and leadership eminent in the tradition of champions. In recognition of his achievements as both a wrestler and a coach, William B. Harlow is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW | | | | | | Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, . 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? 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/index/show/hoflegends/id/4476201

HOF03: 1992 Outstanding American John Irving; Writer and Novelist 05/05/2016

HOF03: 1992 Outstanding American John Irving; Writer and Novelist Episode 3 of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's LEGENDS podcast features award-winning writer and novelist John Irving, a 1992 Outstanding American inductee. Throughout his literary career, John Irving has demonstrated his ties to wrestling. In his best-known novel, The World According to Garp, the title character is a wrestling enthusiast. The 158-Pound Marriage, winner of a National Endowment for the Arts Award, features a wrestling coach as a principal character. Irving attended the Universities of Pittsburgh and Vienna and earned degrees at the Universities of New Hampshire and Iowa. He has taught at Windham College, Mount Holyoke, Wellesley College, Brandeis University, Pittsburgh and Iowa. Wrestling captain at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, Irving was a member of the wrestling team at Pitt. He has coached at Phillips Exeter and four other prep schools in Massachusetts and Vermont. He is a member of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club and the New York Athletic Club. His works include Setting Free the Bears, 1968; The Water-Method Man, 1972; The 158-Pound Marriage, 1974; The World According to Garp, 1978; The Hotel New Hampshire, 1981; The Cider House Rules, 1985; and A Prayer for Owen Meany, 1989. He continues to write novels on a regular basis. Irving received the Rockefeller Foundation Award in 1973, a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1976-77, and the O'Henry Prize, for the best American short stories in 1981. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW | | | | | | Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, . 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? 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/index/show/hoflegends/id/4347548

HOF02: Arthur "Bucky" Maughan, Distinguished Member 2003; National Champion wrestler and coach 01/18/2016

HOF01: Dr. Stanley Henson, Distinguished Member 1978; 1937-39 NCAA wrestling champion 10/09/2015

Welcome to Legends by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame 10/08/2015

Legends: National Wrestling Hall of Fame

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