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The Full Tilt Podcast

The Full Tilt Podcast

By: Michael Hatcher
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The Full Tilt Podcast is a show about elite athletic performers who refuse to operate at half speed. Hosted for competitors, coaches, and high achievers, this show dives deep into the mindset, discipline, recovery, sacrifice, and obsession required to perform at the highest level. From pro athletes and Olympians to elite trainers and sports scientists, we unpack what it really takes to go all in. From "oh Sh**" stories to unique experiences... No shortcuts. No excuses. Just performance — at full tilt.2026 Combat Sports & Self-Defense Wrestling
Episodes
  • Ben Peterson - Farm Boy To Olympic Legend :: Ep 24 The Full Tilt Podcast

    Ben Peterson - Farm Boy To Olympic Legend :: Ep 24 The Full Tilt Podcast
    Aug 6 2026

    Olympic champion Ben Peterson sits down with Full Tilt to unpack a lifetime on the mat: from a Wisconsin dairy farm to Iowa State’s glory years, brutal training sessions with Dan Gable, winning Olympic gold during the Cold War, and how faith and family shaped every step of his journey.

    Ben shares vivid stories of surviving “meat-grinder” rooms at Iowa State, outworking the world with Gable and his brother John, his rivalry and later friendship with Russ Hellickson, the heartbreak and perspective of the 1980 Olympic boycott, and the truth behind the famous Peterson roll. He also opens up about a life-changing injury at 12 years old and how it forged his faith.


    Perfect for wrestlers, coaches, and anyone who wants a masterclass in work ethic, resilience, and purpose.


    Timed highlights:
    0:49 Meet Ben Peterson and the Gable connection
    1:50 Childhood on the farm and learning to work
    4:45 Meeting Carl Adams and redefining “hard work”
    7:19 Becoming co-captains at Iowa State during a turbulent era
    10:18 Learning to handle 425-pound Chris Taylor
    12:26 How the Peterson brothers found wrestling
    14:11 Inside Iowa State’s golden era and coaching staff
    22:20 Practice-room culture: getting broken without being belittled
    30:40 What it was like wrestling Dan Gable multiple times a week
    34:43 Transitioning to freestyle and chasing the Olympics
    38:12 Beating Russ Hellickson and making the 1972 Olympic team
    48:05 Battling Levan Tediashvili and building respect with Soviet greats
    52:34 Ben’s perspective on the 1980 boycott and the fall of the USSR
    1:02:41 The accident, the broken leg, and how it deepened his faith
    1:16:20 The state finals loss that taught him about position and family
    1:27:40 Why he calls his medals “Cold War medals”
    1:35:32 Backyard boxing rings, homemade fields, and a basement weight room
    1:50:46 Who was the toughest wrestler he ever faced?
    1:54:16 The Peterson roll origin story
    2:03:45 Why he still loves being around kids at tournaments like Fargo



    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


    Produced by:
    ItsYourShow.co
    Show More Show Less
    2 hrs and 6 mins
  • USA Wrestling’s Rich Bender: Saving Olympic Wrestling, Fargo Legends, and the Golden Age of the Sport :: Ep 23 Full Tilt Podcast

    USA Wrestling’s Rich Bender: Saving Olympic Wrestling, Fargo Legends, and the Golden Age of the Sport :: Ep 23 Full Tilt Podcast
    Jul 30 2026
    Wrestlers, coaches, and fans are going to eat this one up.Live from Fargo, the Full Tilt Podcast sits down with USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender to unpack how girls’ and women’s wrestling exploded, how wrestling got kicked out of the Olympic Games and clawed its way back in, and why the sport’s future has never looked brighter.Rich walks through his journey from small‑town Wisconsin kid to the most influential administrative seat in American wrestling, the politics inside the IOC, what really happened behind the “wrestling dropped from the Olympics” headlines, and the critical role that clubs, RTCs, and state leaders play in building the sport from the ground up.If you care about Fargo, the Olympic movement, or just love great wrestling stories from Iran to Atlanta to Paris, this episode is your blueprint for where the sport has been and where it’s going.Timed Highlights:3:05 – 1988: Rich’s first USA Wrestling internship and the first women’s world team4:35 – Early headwinds: girls wrestling boys, culture, religion and growing to scale5:40 – Hiring Terry Steiner: how USA Wrestling landed the perfect women’s coach7:10 – Steiner’s impact and becoming the top women’s coach on the planet8:40 – The Steiner brothers, North Dakota roots and the Teddy Roosevelt Award10:45 – National team coaches in the RTC era: relationships, trust and humility13:20 – How RTCs changed everything for elite training in the U.S.16:00 – Building around personal coaches instead of stealing the spotlight16:47 – Women’s wrestling enters the Olympics in 2004 and the strategy behind it18:00 – Why Olympic status came before NCAA and high school recognition19:40 – Technical jump in women’s wrestling and why it’s no longer “junior high” level20:22 – Club culture, private academies and the professionalization of wrestling21:13 – From taboo to business: making a living in wrestling without apologizing22:20 – Specialization, youth clubs and the balance between opportunity and burnout23:19 – Donors, business success and why ex‑wrestlers give back so hard24:19 – Rich’s origin story: small‑town Wisconsin, three‑sport athlete and “wrestling, wrestling, wrestling” report card26:14 – From old‑timer tournaments to landing a USA Wrestling internship27:56 – Showing up in Colorado Springs only to be told “we’re not having an intern”30:31 – How one phone call and a Wisconsin connection saved his career31:35 – Working up from events intern to Executive Director33:07 – USA Wrestling’s near‑collapse in the early 90s and what turned it around35:35 – Enter Jim Scherr: hard cuts, tough calls and rebuilding the organization36:00 – Bill Zadick, leadership, and getting wrestling back on the Olympic program36:47 – Inside story: how wrestling got voted off the Olympic program in 201339:00 – Governance failures, disrespecting the IOC and the perfect storm40:32 – Strategy shift: making the IOC look good instead of fighting them41:45 – Forcing the re‑vote and getting back in the race with other sports43:13 – Overhauling rules, officiating and athlete representation44:40 – How new leadership at the international federation changed everything44:53 – Why having someone “in the room” at the IOC matters47:21 – Global reach: wrestling and medal distribution across the world48:20 – Rules, reviews and finally cleaning up bad officiating49:53 – The Kerry McCoy 1997 Tehran heartbreaker and a world title lost in protest54:03 – From back‑room protests to video review and real accountability55:56 – Integrity, COVID and why wrestling wasn’t a super‑spreader57:36 – Running large events safely during the pandemic and surprising data59:46 – Being around legends: Gable, Schultz, John Smith, Steiner and more1:00:02 – John Smith and Rich: same birthday, very different paths1:01:18 – Funniest, most charismatic personalities in USA Wrestling1:02:01 – Dave Schultz stories and the “when life gives you a lemon, you eat it” line1:02:58 – Overseas chaos: travel in Russia, sketchy airports and getting to worlds1:05:01 – Rulon vs Karelin in Sydney: the true story behind the overturned call1:07:25 – Kyle Snyder beating Sadulaev in Paris and the aftermath1:08:29 – Weddings and funerals: how wrestling tournaments feel emotionally1:11:00 – Back in Fargo: juggling state chair duties, club coaching and podcasting1:12:31 – Why Fargo changes kids, even if they go 0–21:14:15 – Data that connects Fargo and Junior Nationals to NCAA and world success1:16:34 – Tennessee’s growth: from a dozen kids to a three‑digit delegation1:17:46 – Cleveland, Tennessee shoutouts and Greco finalists from the state1:18:29 – Traveling to Iran: hospitality, security and wrestling as diplomacy1:20:48 – The first U.S. team back in Iran after the revolution1:22:21 – Jordan Burroughs as a global superstar and fan reactions abroad1:23:12 ...
    Show More Show Less
    2 hrs and 5 mins
  • Chael Sonnen - Stories They Never Tell On TV :: Ep 22 The Full Tilt Podcast

    Chael Sonnen - Stories They Never Tell On TV :: Ep 22 The Full Tilt Podcast
    Jul 23 2026

    Chael Sonnen sits down with Hatch for a nonstop tour through American wrestling history and culture. From overlooked legends like Oscar Wood and Sean Hage to the mythology of John Smith, Kenny Monday, and the Brands brothers, this episode is wall-to-wall stories, rivalries, technique talk, and behind-the-scenes moments you’ve never heard before. They dive into Fargo, the Iowa room in the 90s, real pro wrestling leagues, RAF, and why some of the greatest careers were built on heartbreak instead of gold medals.


    Timed Highlights:
    00:00:00 Hatch Custom Community intro and Full Tilt setup
    00:01:10 Alan Freed, Oscar Wood, and forgotten high school greatness
    00:03:14 Oscar Wood’s Olympic run, head pinch, and making the team “without training”
    00:06:45 Kerry Colat, stolen medals, and the lawsuit that never was
    00:10:41 Brands vs Colat, Ironside wars, and life inside the Iowa room
    00:15:04 Why Fargo is still the real national championship
    00:18:38 The case for Sean Hage as the greatest high school wrestler ever
    00:22:26 Antonio McKee’s legendary room stories and the “did he beat John Smith?” question
    00:29:48 Is John Smith the greatest American wrestler of all time?
    00:31:26 How Smith innovated technique and changed wrestling forever
    00:39:45 Dave Schultz, lost golds, and the “this is for the Olympic title” story
    00:43:26 Tom and Terry Brands: villains from afar, heroes up close
    00:50:30 Kale Sanderson vs the field: dominance, D1 resumes, and the 2009 comeback
    01:07:19 Les Gutches, the toughest guy Chael ever felt
    01:16:58 High school and college coaches as culture builders and fundraisers
    01:36:40 Chael’s unconventional par terre defense and demo in the Iowa room
    01:42:53 Inside RAF: big production, big matchups, and building a real pro league
    01:50:01 Bo Bassett, Jax Forrest, and the future of American wrestling
    01:56:22 Closing: why wrestling needs big stories, big leaders, and big stages


    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

    Produced by: ItsYourShow.co
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 57 mins
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