The Bader Show

What is this CLAW Wrestling League all about? Eric Brugel was an All-American at Penn State and is one of the founders of the professional wrestling league CLAW. 0:45 - World Championships & Penn State talk 2:00 - How CLAW got started 3:45 - Modified rules 4:50 - Pylon on the mat 7:40 - Matches are four rounds, every point counts 9:00 - Match points and team points 12:35 - We call stalling FAST 14:20 - All dual meets, willing to explore new concepts “Half ton challenge” 19:00 - CLAW draft 19:40 - Upcoming events 21:00 - Athletes getting paid 22:00 - How to make CLAW sustainable 24:15 - Dual meets are exciting 27:20 - General managers 28:30 - Adapt innovate Market (AIM) 31:25 - Fantasy wrestling 34:00 - 15% in NCAA pins come from top/bottom wrestling 38:40 - More action, more scoring, more strategy #TheBaderShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Max McEnelly was 3rd at the NCAAs as a freshman this year for Minnesota. He recently won Gold at the UWW U20 World Championships at 86kg. He will start off the NCAA season ranked #1 at 184. 0:50 - Quit hockey to start wrestling 2:10 - Football was Max’s favorite sport 3:10 - Winning Fargo put wrestling at #1 4:45 - 7th & 8th grade state qualifier 6:15 - Huge jump in weight 7:35 - Freshman state champ 8:55 - Expectations going into college 9:40 - Minnesota all the way 12:00 - Carter Starocci 15:40 - NCAA Semifinals atmosphere 16:35 - Watching his semifinal vs Parker Keckeisen 18:50 - Battle back for third 21:30 - Won Fargo in his 3rd freestyle tournament 22:38 - Setting a goal to be world champion 23:55 - Watching U20 Gold medal match 34:40 - Rolling back into the college season 36:05 - Angelo Ferrari 38:30 - Wins and whoopins 40:25 - All-time favorite wrestler #TheBaderShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Luke Stanich just won a U20 World title at 65kg. He was an All-American for Lehigh University and has three years of eligibility left. 1:00 - Introduction to wrestling 5:00 - Taking wrestling to the next level 7:30 - Stages of goal setting 10:00 - Recruiting and going to Lehigh 13:05 - Really good at re-attacks 15:10 - Freestyle wrestling 16:55 - Stanich was confident he would make the team and win worlds 18:30 - Wrestling overseas 20:15 - Climbing a ski slope in Bulgaria 21:30 - Huge comeback from down 8-0 at Worlds! 35:00 - Luke has his own custom shoes! 36:05 - Bunch of funny tattoos 38:30 - Wins and whoopins 40:50 - All-time favorite wrestler #TheBaderShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

American Top Team's head MMA coach Mike Brown was a state champion in Maine, wrestled in college at Norwich University before beginning his MMA career where he became the WEC Featherweight Champion. 1:10 - Mike Brown wrestled and LOVED it, hs state champ, college wrestler 3:55 - UFC tape brought Mike to college wrestling 6:20 - MMA training and his first fight 10:10 - Mike didn’t fight growing up, but was fascinated by it 12:10 - Becoming the champion 16:35 - After you’re not the champion anymore 18:15 - Time to retire 19:30 - We had to fight for the money 20:00 - Coach Mike Brown 21:20 - Steve Mocco 24:30 - Bo Nickal 29:25 - Askren-Masvidal and coaching teammates 33:45 - NCAA Wrestlers not as dominant in MMA 38:50 - How to become the best MMA fighter from a young age 40:00 - Aaron Pico 41:00 - The evolution of the MMA industry 42:40 - This SHOULD be the biggest sport in the world 45:30 - Mike Brown the wrestling fan 47:10 - Wins and whoopins 53:00 - All-Time favorite wrestler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Troy Nickerson was and NCAA Champion at Cornell then coached the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club in Ithaca. From there he went on to be an assistant at Iowa State before becoming the head coach at Northern Colorado. This summer he was announced as the new head coach at Army West Point. 0:45 - Troy just moved in to his new house 1:30 - Co-head coach of Finger Lakes Club at Cornell 5:00 - Time and dedication it takes to be a good coach, 80-90 hours a week 6:25 - Differences between Cor nell and Iowa State, scholarships 9:10 - Importance of donor relationships 10:20 - Kyven Gadson losing his father 13:30 - Originally was not interested in UNC head job 15:20 - Early mistakes at UNC 18:55 - Troy heard from Associate AD at West Point 20:00 - What makes West Point different? 21:25 - Don’t want to work for the man, want to be the man. Set up for life 25:30 - Setting goals 27:35 - Military training during the summer 30:00 - West Point is the original NIL 32:00 - Wins and whoopins 34:40 - All-time favorite wrestler 35:30 - HS senior photo and frosted tips! 37:05 - BEAT NAVY #TheBaderShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Izzy Martinez is working with Real American Freestyle to bring their first card to Cleveland, OH on August 30. 1:00 - RIP Hulk Hogan 3:00 - Izzy meets Hulk, then Chad Bronstein 10:40 - How can RAF avoid pitfalls of other pro leagues 14:30 - Showmanship 15:30 - Belt and champion system and match ups 19:20 - Two small freestyle rule changes 22:25 - Match bonuses 26:00 - Jordan Burroughs? 27:15 - Ben Askren 31:30 - Future RAF events 33:00 - Measuring success 38:45 - Main event 40:00 - Real American Beer and an after party #TheBaderShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zahid Valencia beat Kyle Dake at the US Open and then again in two straight matches at Final X and will wrestle for Team USA at the World Championships. 1:25 - Simple life in Stillwater, OK and Cowboy RTC 3:30 - Deepest waters Zahid goes to in training 4:30 - DT, coaching and training partners 7:20 - The mental game and tactics 9:20 - Wrestling Dake in 2018 at Final X 12:00 - Keeping it light 15:30 - Zahid vs Dake at Final X 2025 23:45 - 2018 vs 2025 26:00 - Focus on wrestling at practice, but not a lot otherwise 27:40 - Preparing for the rest of the world 29:20 - The great wrestling minds meet at the Olympic Training Center #TheBaderShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Bader gives an update on Ben's current situation from going into the hospital in Nevada, to getting transported back to Wisconsin and eventually getting on the transplant list. It's time for the wrestling community to rally around a man who has given so much to this sport. DONATE - https://t.co/IAfq4TwPM0 Rudis Shirts | All proceeds go to medical and transplant costs - https://t.co/CaYDn0Fkh7 0:55 - Going into the hospital in Nevada 8:00 - Transport flight 10:20 - Wisconsin hospital 12:25 - Ben woke up! 14:45 - Ben is listed 17:00 - Astronomical costs associated with lung transplant 25:30 - Share your Ben stories #BenAskren #TheBaderShow #AskrenStories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vito Arujau won a world title in 2023 and was bronze in 2024 at 61kg. He will wrestle Jax Forrest in a delayed Final X wrestle-off on July 14 in Fargo, ND. 1:00 - Vito’s reaction to Final X results 5:55 - Long layoff since 2024 World Championships 9:15 - Delaying Final X series with Jax Forrest 12:55 - Being the hunter vs hunted 16:10 - Preparing for Jax Forrest 18:50 - Training with Anthony Knox 20:00 - Masanosuke Ono 26:00 - Trying to win second NCAA title and now second World title Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jax Forrest recently won the US Open in the men's senior division as just a junior in high school. He will wrestle Vito Arujau in a best of three series on July 14 with the winner to represent the United States at the World Championships this fall. 0:30 - Started wrestling at 5 years old 1:40 - Jax called his own pin 2:40 - Relationship with dad hooked him on wrestling 5:30 - How does Jax develop so quickly? 7:30 - Wrestling at restaurants and odd places 8:30 - Bishop McCort 10:20 - College recruiting process 14:00 - Slowing things down on the mat 15:20 - Folkstyle vs freestyle 16:00 - 2025 US Open 20:40 - Jax watches US Open finals vs Seth Gross 31:50 - What if…. U20’s? 33:10 - Lee Roper 34:30 - Vito is up next 37:20 - Vito series pushed back a month 39:40 - Wins and whoopins 42:50 - Jax all-time favorite wrestler #TheBaderShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trent Hidlay was a 2x NCAA runner-up for NC State. In April he won the US Open at 92kg and will be wrestling Josh Barr at Final X. 1:30 - Becoming a wrestling commentator 5:10 - Being a wrestler vs being a fan of wrestling 6:45 - A lot more free time with wrestling freestyle full time 9:45 - Trent likes freestyle better 12:15 - You can’t just gas out the foreigners 13:45 - Wrestling with emotion 15:20 - It’s cool care so much you give your max effort 17:35 - Trent needs to lay off the intensity sometimes 20:20 - Moving up to 92kg 26:00 - Trent breaks down his US Open finals match 35:50 - When Trent thought US Open title was possible 37:45 - Watching the World Team Trials and Josh Barr 40:45 - Difference between environments at US Open vs Pan Ams 44:10 - Real American Freestyle 46:35 - Trent’s all-time favorite wrestler 48:45 - Trent would fight his brother Hayden at practice #TheBaderShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yianni Diakomihalis is a 4x NCAA Champion from Cornell, he was a 2022 World Silver medalist and will be wrestling PJ Duke at Final X on June 14, 2025. 1:00 - Yianni’s dad has coached him forever 3:05 - Dad fell ill Yianni's senior year of college 8:40 - Toughest parts of dad being sick 12:35 - 2024 Olympic Trials and weight issues 16:10 - Did Yianni consider retiring? 20:00 - Bumping up to 70kg 23:05 - PSA about the advantage/disadvantages of cutting weight 27:27 - Takatani told Yianni “I just didn’t want to lose weight” 29:00 - Yianni vs James Green at the US Open 38:15 - PJ Duke 42:45 - A lot of turnover in USA Wrestling this year 48:44 - Yianni’s all-time favorite wrestler 51:07 - Practicing a different style 53:20 - Yianni’s takes on Vito vs Jax and Dake vs Zahid 55:08 - Carr vs Mesenbrink 57:10 - Real American Freestyle - Hulk Hogan, call Yianni! #TheBaderShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nahshon Garrett didn't start wrestling until high school and was a 4x All-American and NCAA Champion for Cornell. in 2018 he won Final X at 61kg and just recently announced his retirement from the sport. 1:20 - Early career 2:40 - 103 pound Nahshon match video 5:40 - Expectations and confidence 8:50 - Wrestling at Beat The Streets in 2014 11:50 - Nahshon’s FloFilm 18:00 - Becoming an NCAA Champion 24:15 - 2018 Final X vs Joe Colon 31:20 - What will Nahshon chase next? 33:50 - Going to finally live with his wife 37:20 - Retirement was premeditated 41:20 - Nahshon on Jax Forrest 43:00 - Nahshon vs Jax Forrest 48:20 - Nahshon on Vito vs Jax at Final X 51:20 - Folkstyle or freestyle? 53:50 - What’s next for Nahshon 58:00 - All-time favorite wrestler 1:00:00 - Memorable win, whoopins and opponents 1:13:30 - The Usual Suspects: Gross, Gilman, Megaludis, Ramos, Colon etc. #TheBaderShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nico Megaludis was a 4x All-American and NCAA Champion at Penn State. He went on to have a solid senior level career and just retired after the US Open last weekend. 0:55 - Feeling of retirement 1:55 - Nico’s first match ever 5:00 - Nico’s amazing coaching and training situations 10:00 - Cael to PSU caught Nico’s eye 13:50 - Cael’s “cheesy” daily speech, are actually meaningful 17:55 - The year Penn State red shirted everyone 21:50 - Pressure of never having won it going into senior year 26:20 - Nico knew this would be his last year competing 29:50 - Nico has trained with Jack Forrest a bunch 34:10 - Nico’s favorite wrestler of all-time 36:30 - Favorite/memorable/good/bad matches over a career 42:45 - Talking through competitors: Delgado, Gilman, Gross, Nahshon, 45:00 - Spencer Lee, teammate and then competitor 52:00 - What is Nico most proud of from his career 53:45 - Nico punished himself with a workout after losing at Nittany Lion Open 56:40 - What wrestling has taught Nico Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iowa's Kennedy Blades names Women's College Wrestler of the Year! 2:05 - The 8 finalists for Women’s College Wrestler of the Year 3:00 - And the winner is….. Kennedy Blades, University of Iowa 4:25 - Kennedy’s reaction to winning 6:40 - Going from Olympics to college 8:50 - Kylie Welker from rival to teammate 11:30 - Decision to go down to 68kg 16:30 - Traveling with college team vs traveling internationally 18:40 - Iowa coaching influences 22:00 - Being a role model 24:30 - Kennedy Blades’ all-time favorite wrestler 28:30 - Kennedy Blades will be at the US Open on April 24-25 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vince Robinson won an NCAA title as a freshman at NC State #thebadershow 0:30 - Transfer Portal News! 1:50 - Harvey Twisters 5:48 - Getting hooked on wrestling 8:15 - Losing state finals in 9th grade 11:15 - Harvey Twisters can change lives 13:30 - Recruiting to NC State 16:00 - Adjusting to college life 17:30 - Two T-bone steaks before U23, whoops! 21:00 - Expectations for start of last season 24:00 - 2025 NCAA Championships 29:00 - Winning semifinals then cutting weight 32:15 - Wrestling Troy Spratley in the finals 35:38 - Watching clip vs Spratley in the finals 38:15 - Backflip celebration 41:40 - Got a tattoo sleeve right before NCAAs (close up look at it) 44:00 - Vince Robinson all-time favorite wrestler 45:44 - Wins and whoopins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wyatt Hendrickson just upset Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson in the NCAA finals. It was one of the greatest upsets in NCAA history. 1:15 - Shaved the mustache 2:15 - 2022 NCAAs, over confident 6:20 - 2023 NCAAs 8:48 - Rate of improvement in a world class program 10:50 - Roles have reversed vs Coach Taylor 12:20 - Controlled chaos 14:40 - Zero focus on Gable or Kerkvliet 17:00 - Being an “iPad kid” ignoring the environment 19:00 - Approach for Gable and Kerkvliet 20:50 - Wyatt during Hamiti’s final 24:20 - Mindset to beat Gable Steveson 25:40 - Gable crowding Wyatt before the match 28:55 - Watching the final takedown over Gable Steveson 31:50 - The gravity and history of the upset 34:15 - Cinderella Story and the President of the United States 36:30 - Life changed overnight 38:30 - Merchandise forthcoming 39:20 - Wyatt will be at the US Open, eyes 2028 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sammy Sasso recently retired from college wrestling. He was a 2x NCAA runner up for Ohio State who suffered a gunshot wound in 2023. He made a comeback this season but wasn't able to get back to his prime form. 1:10 - Back in the wrestling room 2:30 - Progression from PT to wrestling 5:30 - The nerve damage was the toughest part 7:45 - Belief he will be back 10:25 - Getting back in the Buckeye line up 11:45 - Deciding to hang it up 13:38 - Freestyle in the future? 17:05 - Having good perspective 18:20 - Tough times 19:35 - Reflecting on time in the hospital 22:30 - NCAA Championships 24:10 - Watching Mendez win NCAAs 26:00 - Sasso wants to coach college 27:26 - Sasso’s coaching attributes 29:40 - Struggle and growth 32:12 - All time favorite Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2x NCAA Champion and U20 World Champion David Carr joins the show after his recent win over reigning Olympic silver medalist Daichi Takatani of Japan. 1:58 - Nate Carr story 5:35 - First NCAA’s as a fan 6:30 - 1st NCAA Championships 9:50 - Target on back, being scouted 11:55 - Adversity presents you to yourself 13:03 - The Keegan O’Toole rivalry 23:40 - Freestyle only focus now 26:45 - Prepping for Takatani 27:45 - David Carr vs Daichi Takatani 38:15 - US Open and beyond  39:20 - All-time favorite Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2022 World Team member and 2018 NCAA Champion Seth Gross joins the show to talk about his upcoming match against Austin DeSanto at FloWrestling Night In America on February 26. 1:50 - Seth Gross update, Mat Pack wrestling club 4:30 - Teaching new kids vs college kids 8:36 - Seth’s unorthodox style 11:40 - Seth’s training, like mma fight camp 14:05 - College vs senior level, patience 19:15 - Austin DeSanto 21:10 - Watching 2023 vs DeSanto 32:00 - Lee vs Ono 35:40 - Injury right before 2024 Olympic Trials 37:15 - Seth Gross’ all-time favorite wrestler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices