World champion, Olympic medalist, and finance executive Bill Scherr joins the show for a deep dive into one of the most fascinating careers in wrestling history. Bill shares how baling hay in rural South Dakota built his strength, why Randy Lewis changed what South Dakota kids believed was possible, and how Nebraska went from “death’s door” to national trophy contender.

He breaks down Soviet dominance, Iranian passion for the sport, training under legends like Dan Gable and Jay Robinson, and the brutal art of “Red Flag Days.” Bill also talks about his success in both freestyle and Greco, moving up to 220 for the good of Team USA, coaching the women’s national team, and chairing the global effort that brought wrestling back into the Olympic Games.

If you love old-school war stories, high-level strategy, and big-picture thinking about the future of wrestling, this one’s loaded front to back.

Timestamps:

02:13 Growing up in Mobridge, South Dakota, big family, farm work

05:34 South Dakota wrestling culture, influence of Randy Lewis

07:52 Rapid City dual: Randy pins Alexiev, arena explodes

10:09 How youth wrestling has evolved with better training and media

13:52 Choosing Nebraska, Lewis family connection, rebuilding the program

16:20 “Murderers Row” at Nebraska and comeback dual wins

17:29 College rivals: Pete Bush, Ed Banach, classic matches

21:13 Dan Gable stories and the congratulatory letter after 1985 worlds

22:18 Dave Schultz’s curiosity, learning from everyone, Book of Five Rings

25:48 Jay Robinson, visualization, and “fatigue is your friend”

27:39 Red Flag Days and training to get tired

32:03 1981: four national finals in a few weeks (AAU vs USWF)

38:24 Greco success, Frazier, Hauck, and choosing freestyle

47:11 Wrestling the Soviets: strength, systems, regional styles

52:03 Iranians, politics, and the 1985 world final medal stand story

55:57 Moving up to 220 so his brother and Mark Schultz could all make teams

58:28 Never cutting weight and advice to parents on weight cutting

1:07:07 Goodwill Games buzzer-beater and immediate jump to Goldman Sachs

1:13:08 Coaching at Indiana and Northwestern, Herbert and Fox

1:14:21 Coaching the U.S. women’s team and early growth of women’s wrestling

1:18:15 Tricia Saunders’ impact and resistance to women wrestling

1:24:58 Chairing the effort to save Olympic wrestling (CPOW)

1:27:52 How wrestling got dropped and then brought back to the Olympics

1:33:19 What wrestling must fix: rules, challenges, TV product

1:38:36 Funny Mark Manning story: selling blood for spring break

If you enjoy this episode, hit subscribe, drop a comment with your favorite story, and tell us which wrestling legend you want to hear from next!

www.thefulltiltpodcast.com

UFC Hall of Famer and Olympic Greco-Roman standout Randy “The Natural” Couture sits down for a deep-dive into the journey behind the legend. From wrestling for the U.S. Army in the Cold War era to battling on the NCAA stage, chasing Olympic dreams, and pioneering MMA game-planning, Randy shares the untold stories that shaped his career and life. He talks about discovering Greco by accident, training alongside icons at Oklahoma State, wild international tours in communist Europe and Cuba, the infamous “experiment” Alexander Karelin, transitioning into the UFC, and why wrestling is still the ultimate foundation for fighting.

If you’re into wrestling, MMA, or high-performance mindset, this is a masterclass in resilience, problem-solving, and trusting the process.

Timed Highlights
00:00 – Cold open
03:30 – Joining the Army, becoming an air traffic controller, and rediscovering wrestling
10:00 – Accidentally entering Greco and winning his first Greco tournament
17:00 – Making the All-Army team and discovering how big combative sports are in the military
24:00 – The wild 1988 military worlds in Palermo and armored-car rides through Sicily
32:00 – Choosing Oklahoma State, recruiting visit with Sheets and coon hunting in Stillwater
40:00 – Big duals, Iowa–Oklahoma State rivalries, and wrestling Don Frye for a lineup spot
47:30 – World-level Greco years, rivalries with Mike Foy and Steve Klock, and Pan Am stories
56:00 – Training and living with Marines, Navy, and Army wrestlers; real poverty in Cuba
1:03:00 – Discovering the early UFC on VHS and recognizing Don Frye in the cage
1:10:00 – Working with Rico Ciparelli and RAW, integrating wrestling into MMA game plans
1:18:00 – Why Greco is the best base for MMA and learning to fight off the cage
1:26:00 – The James Toney fight, reviving the low single, and using “John Smith” tactics in MMA
1:34:00 – How setbacks (NCAA and Olympic trials) led to a bigger path than he imagined
1:42:00 – Faith, timing, mentors, and the small “corner” that really matters

If you enjoy this episode, hit subscribe, drop a comment with your favorite story, and tell us which wrestling legend you want to hear from next!

www.thefulltiltpodcast.com

Doug Schwab joins the Full Tilt Podcast for a deep dive into Iowa wrestling culture, his days under Dan Gable, the brutal “I quit” practices, making World and Olympic teams, and building the Panther Train at UNI. Doug shares real coaching gold on culture, competition, and what it means to raise tough, grounded kids in the sport.

From small-town Osage roots and legendary rivalries, to Iowa’s dynasty rooms and the Olympic stage, Doug opens up about faith, failure, loyalty, and how he’s now guiding the next generation—including his own sons.

Timed Highlights
0:00 Opening story: the infamous “I quit” practice with Ironside
1:11 Full Tilt intro and welcoming Doug Schwab
1:27 Doug on living the wrestling lifestyle year-round
2:02 UNI’s wrestling room and making the most of what you have
4:39 Growing up Schwab in Osage, Iowa
5:23 What Iowa high school wrestling and “the Barn” felt like
8:23 Small-town rivalries and heated New Hampton–Osage battles
13:33 Transitioning into the Gable–Zalesky era at Iowa
15:03 First Iowa practice: getting destroyed by Ironside
18:10 Life inside the Iowa practice room and “rite of passage” beatdowns
20:18 The toughest guys Doug ever wrestled in the room
23:38 Real Pro Wrestling era and battles with Chris Bono
26:01 Learning to use rivals and emotions as fuel, not poison
29:50 Why relationships matter more than wins and losses
32:16 Taking over at UNI: coming in “hot and hard” as a young head coach
34:01 Early Panther guys who bought in and changed the program
38:18 How UNI built All-Americans and national champs like Drew Foster
40:39 Coaching philosophy: loyalty, development, and culture over credentials
42:39 The West Gym to MAT Club transition and keeping the team together
47:39 Filling McLeod, embracing growth, and honoring the West Gym
50:30 Doug as a dad: raising wrestlers without burning them out
56:33 Gap years, emotional maturity, and long-term development
1:02:03 Letting kids struggle and not “rescuing” them too early
1:08:30 Balancing dad vs. coach and playing the long game
1:18:04 Parker Keckeisen’s work ethic and impact on UNI
1:24:39 Building a staff that truly aligns with program values
1:33:18 What Doug wants his athletes to leave UNI with
2:03:40 Doug on pouring back into the sport and being in Iowa
2:08:30 Closing: friendship, gratitude, and the future of Panther Train

If you enjoy this episode, hit subscribe, drop a comment with your favorite story, and tell us which wrestling legend you want to hear from next!

www.thefulltiltpodcast.com

Ben Askren sits down in his Wisconsin home to unpack how he reinvented wrestling, from basement mats and reluctant partners to NCAA dominance and world‑level technique. He breaks down scrambling’s evolution, the balance between family and coaching, why passion beats early results in recruiting, and how to keep kids hungry for the sport without burning them out.

Chapters

2:00 – The birth of the PNL league during COVID and its purpose

3:40 – No year‑round clubs, basement mats, and inventing “funk” out of necessity

6:30 – Letting partners almost score and teaching himself to scramble

8:40 – Illegal off‑season training with his high school coach and leveling up

10:20 – Why scrambling may decline and the rise of clean, efficient attacks

11:50 – Suits, briefcases, message boards, and antagonizing the crowd

13:40 – Chasing the takedown record and turning hate into fuel

18:20 – Building multi‑step systems and staying two moves ahead

22:20 – Updating his game today and importing new techniques for his athletes

23:50 – Coaching Evan Wick: stubbornness, cardio, and fixing real weaknesses

27:10 – Practice as a puzzle, not a script, and keeping kids engaged

31:30 – Empowering athletes to figure things out on their own

35:20 – The problem with year‑round youth grind and over‑coaching

37:30 – Who should really go Division I and why love for the sport matters most

39:40 – Choosing Missouri, buying into Coach Smith, and building a contender

41:50 – Dominant NCAA runs and being obsessed with bonus points

44:10 – Calling out lazy recruiting: results vs. passion and trajectory

50:40 – The best wrestlers Ben ever felt and the hidden training partner who beat him up

If you enjoy this episode, hit subscribe, drop a comment with your favorite story, and tell us which wrestling legend you want to hear from next!

www.thefulltiltpodcast.com

Hatch sits down with Greco-Roman legend Dennis Hall for a raw look at one of the most intense careers in American wrestling. Hall talks about walking away from a full-ride at Wisconsin to chase Greco, going from 0–5 at early World events to World Champion, and the mindset work that helped him handle doubt, pressure, and pain.

He opens up about losing his brother and how that tragedy fueled his run to a 1995 World title, the heartbreak of the 1996 Olympic final in Atlanta, grinding through construction work and Home Depot while chasing another team, and the now-legendary 17-minute overtime war with Brandon Paulson at the 2004 Olympic Trials.

If you care about Greco, toughness, or what it really takes to chase greatness, this episode is for you.

Timed Highlights:
0:00 Opening story and intro to Dennis Hall
2:03 Why US Greco is struggling and who dominates it worldwide
8:47 Leaving Wisconsin and going all-in on Greco
15:20 Early World struggles, 0–5 start, and Dan Chandler’s mindset talk
24:41 First World medal in 1994 and learning to “take it out of the refs’ hands”
39:57 1995 World title run and winning gold on criteria
47:39 Losing his brother, quitting wrestling, and coming back for him
52:31 Building toward the 1996 Olympics and training with foreign hammers
1:02:42 Atlanta matches, rib injury, and making the Olympic final
1:08:30 1996 Olympic final, controversial lift, and living with silver
1:20:55 Working construction and staying elite while broke
1:22:06 Home Depot, John Bartis sponsorship, and one last Olympic push
1:28:21 Dropping a weight for 2004 and proving doubters wrong
1:36:53 17-minute overtime war with Brandon Paulson at the 2004 Trials
1:40:03 The winning takedown, celebration, and respect between two rivals

If you enjoy this episode, hit subscribe, drop a comment with your favorite story, and tell us which wrestling legend you want to hear from next!

www.thefulltiltpodcast.com

In this episode of the Full Tilt podcast, Hatch sits down with Iowa State head coach Kevin Dresser for a deep dive into old-school Iowa wrestling culture, program building at every level, and how the sport has evolved from the 1980s to the NIL era.

Dresser shares raw stories from the legendary Iowa room under Dan Gable, from three-a-days and brutal live wrestling to work-hard-play-hard social life. He walks through building dynasty-level programs at Grundy and Christiansburg High Schools, turning Virginia Tech into a national contender, and rebuilding Iowa State into a top-tier Division I power.

They cover toughness versus talent, the impact of RTCs, how NIL has changed recruiting, and what it really takes to be elite as an athlete and a coach.

Timestamps:
2:49 Dresser arrives at Iowa and enters the Gable era
4:07 Inside a dynasty: Iowa’s NCAA title expectations
9:09 First Iowa beatdowns at Jay Robinson’s camp
11:15 The double fish hook story with Lenny Zaleski
16:15 What “old school” really was: three-a-days and nine workouts
24:58 Why wrestlers get hurt more now than in the 80s
28:31 The common trait of Dresser’s best guys: loving live wrestling
33:11 Squaring hips vs rolling around: toughness and ACLs
35:00 Old-school weight cutting vs today’s two-hour weigh-ins
43:32 Jay Robinson camps, road trips, and wild stories
49:47 Building Grundy and Christiansburg into high school powerhouses
53:42 How bingo funded a national-level high school program
1:02:39 Taking over Virginia Tech and starting from dead last
1:12:09 The 2016 Virginia Tech trophy team
1:15:36 Moving to Iowa State with an all-Hawkeye staff
1:18:22 NIL, rev share, and “street value” of college wrestlers
1:25:00 Bringing Cuban stars to Iowa State
1:28:06 Gable’s “Dressler” joke and earning the name Dresser
1:33:26 Dresser’s advice to young coaches: know exactly what you want

If you enjoy this episode, hit subscribe, drop a comment with your favorite story, and tell us which wrestling legend you want to hear from next!

www.thefulltiltpodcast.com

On this episode of the Full Tilt Podcast, Hatch sits down with heavyweight legend Steve Mocco for a deep dive into one of the most unique careers in American wrestling. From judo roots and Blair Academy super-teams to wrestling under the lights in Carver-Hawkeye and Gallagher-Iba, Steve shares the stories, rivalries, and training methods that shaped a generational heavyweight.

They cover his transition from Iowa to Oklahoma State, the real reason behind that move, life at the Olympic Training Center, wild trips to Russia and Ukraine, and what it’s like now running a club and coaching his own sons. Along the way, you’ll hear about training with icons like Terry Brands, John Smith, and Henry Cejudo, plus some unforgettable behind-the-scenes stories.

0:00 Ferrari, Japanese signs, and Iowa–Oklahoma State talk
0:55 Full Tilt intro with Steve Mocco
1:19 Being on the heavyweight Mount Rushmore
3:39 Kidney issue, swimming, and discovering judo
5:39 How judo shaped Mocco’s wrestling style and foot sweep
9:22 “Stand up and fight” judo tournament and Buxton banning judo
11:05 Inside Blair Academy’s super teams and Buxton’s training
24:09 Why Mocco chose Iowa and the first Carver-Hawkeye experience
33:46 Why he transferred from Iowa to Oklahoma State
35:00 Season on the Mat cameras and life inside the Iowa room
56:35 Following Terry Brands to the Olympic Training Center
1:05:43 Manitou Incline and brutal altitude workouts
1:13:36 Winning the Yarygin and beating world champs
1:18:38 Getting shorted on prize money in Russia
1:21:23 Riots, tire fires, and sneaking back into the city
1:30:01 Transition to coaching and starting his Florida club
1:43:00 Balancing dad and coach with his own kids
1:46:44 Who he’d teach his famous foot sweep to

If you enjoy this episode, hit subscribe, drop a comment with your favorite story, and tell us which wrestling legend you want to hear from next!

www.thefulltiltpodcast.com

On this episode of The Full Tilt Podcast Hatch sits down with the Olympic gold medalist and legendary Iowa coach Dan Gable for a long-form conversation about wrestling, life, and legacy in his fabled cabin. His personal home wrestling room used for training.

They go deep on:

• Growing up under West Waterloo’s Coach Siddens
• Building dynasties at Iowa State and Iowa
• Losing to Larry Owings and how that loss transformed him
• Beating the Russians, training with Chris Taylor, and chasing Olympic gold
• Near-wrist and armbar torture sessions in the Iowa room
• The mindset it takes to get back to the top and rebuild after you fall off
• NIL, the transfer portal, and the future of college wrestling
• Family, grief, and why his grandkids carry his name forward

If you are a wrestling coach, athlete, or just a fan of elite performance, this is two hours of pure gold in a location few get access to.

Chapters:

0:00 Iron Sheik stories and pro wrestling crossover
0:50 Full Tilt intro and Hatch’s over-the-top excitement
1:41 Gable flips the script and starts interviewing Hatch
2:26 Hatch’s path: from Iowa kid to coaching across the country
4:28 Falling in love with South America and the idea of a wrestling club there
5:36 Pan Am Games in Colombia and beating a tough Cuban
6:37 Cubans, Russians, Iranians, and politics in world wrestling
9:23 The grind at Iowa and why Gable’s guys could not play another sport in-season
11:11 Hatch starts coaching youth while still wrestling for Iowa
13:08 Gable admits losing discipline between titles and rebuilding the Hawkeye dynasty
19:14 What it was like coming into Iowa behind Brands, Ironside, Haddock, Hogan
20:16 The Big Ten story: Kevin Hogan, Kent and Doug Strayer, and saving the title streak
28:27 Phase 2 of Iowa dominance: Brands, Steiners, Ryans, Pfisners, Ostendorp
32:34 What Gable learned from legendary high school coach Bob Siddens
39:40 The Marty Dickey weight-cut story and back-to-back West Waterloo champs
42:17 How Siddens and Nichols shaped Gable’s wrestling and coaching styles
47:11 Freshman Gable gets pushed in the Iowa State room and decides to “upgrade”
52:59 When did Gable get good enough to wrestle everyone in the room (including heavies)?
56:18 The Larry Owings loss, the newspaper headline, and a turning point
1:00:00 Learning to finish takedowns the right way and “make wrestling easier”
1:03:54 The slap from his mom that broke the mental fog after the Owings loss
1:07:03 Wrestling Chris Taylor, broken ribs, and competing hurt
1:10:21 Beating the Russians in Tbilisi and training with “Beat the Russians” on his wall
1:12:14 Why Gable tightened his focus and cut out distractions like pre-match media
1:20:16 Confronting the Iron Sheik at the 1996 Olympics about “beating Gable”
1:22:05 The 22 minute go and how Gable structured his own training at Iowa State
1:24:38 Hatch explains why wrestling Gable was worse than wrestling the Brands
1:26:19 Near-wrist defense and how swimming the arm changed everything
1:28:48 Social director Hatch, women’s teams in the stands, and getting pinned in front of them
1:32:45 Why Gable hates the phrase “I loved being a backup”
1:34:45 Parenting, pressure, and moms calling Gable about their sons’ roles
1:36:45 NIL, the transfer portal, and the risk of losing Division I wrestling programs
1:41:20 Marriage, sacrifice, and what it really takes to sustain a program
1:43:40 Gold as an athlete vs. gold as a coach: which meant more to Gable
1:45:16 How a murder in his family shaped his drive and why family matters most now

If you enjoy this episode, hit subscribe, drop a comment with your favorite story, and tell us which wrestling legend you want to hear from next!

www.thefulltiltpodcast.com