The Full Tilt Podcast

Michael Hatcher
  • 4.8 (57)
  • Wrestling

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.

  1. 1d ago

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

    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 setup00:01:10 Alan Freed, Oscar Wood, and forgotten high school greatness00:03:14 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 was00:10:41 Brands vs Colat, Ironside wars, and life inside the Iowa room00:15:04 Why Fargo is still the real national championship00:18:38 The case for Sean Hage as the greatest high school wrestler ever00:22:26 Antonio McKee’s legendary room stories and the “did he beat John Smith?” question00:29:48 Is John Smith the greatest American wrestler of all time?00:31:26 How Smith innovated technique and changed wrestling forever00:39:45 Dave Schultz, lost golds, and the “this is for the Olympic title” story00:43:26 Tom and Terry Brands: villains from afar, heroes up close00:50:30 Kale Sanderson vs the field: dominance, D1 resumes, and the 2009 comeback01:07:19 Les Gutches, the toughest guy Chael ever felt01:16:58 High school and college coaches as culture builders and fundraisers01:36:40 Chael’s unconventional par terre defense and demo in the Iowa room01:42:53 Inside RAF: big production, big matchups, and building a real pro league01:50:01 Bo Bassett, Jax Forrest, and the future of American wrestling01:56:22 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

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

  2. Jul 16

    Cary Kolat - Navy Wrestling Architect :: Ep 21 The Full Tilt Podcast

    Wrestling legend Cary Kolat sits down with Hatch to unpack a lifetime on the mat—from Western PA youth phenom and world medalist to program builder at Campbell and the U.S. Naval Academy. Kolat goes deep on mindset, training, the 2000 Olympic controversy, building Kolat.com, and what it really takes to develop champions today. Timed Highlights:0:00 Opening: Hatch & Custom Community spot; setting the tone for Full Tilt0:50 The “hate era” of 90s wrestling and how social media might’ve changed everything3:00 Western PA roots, early beatdowns, AAU title, and discovering Dan Gable5:25 Carl Adams books, takedown machine, and building skill without video8:45 Pennsylvania wrestling culture, PJWs, Hershey, and pressure from age 813:40 Work ethic, coal country toughness, and learning to love hard training19:20 Freestyle summers, TOSS club, Soviets, and why he skipped Fargo for Foxcatcher25:45 Midlands as a high-schooler: petitions, JUCO hammers, and battling back for third31:10 College choices: Clarion, Minnesota, and why he ultimately picked Penn State36:50 Training with Jamil Kelly, Alan Freed, Chris Bono, and what those rivals exposed46:30 Best domestic opponents, learning from John Fisher, and solving difficult styles51:00 First Worlds, style shock, and the infamous Iranian shoelace final in 19971:03:00 1998–1999 Worlds: bad calls, protests, separated shoulder, and still forcing his way into the finals1:11:20 Terry Brands’ injuries, missed weight, and the reality behind those world teams1:17:40 Sydney 2000: feeling at his absolute peak, clinch rules, and living with the outcome1:25:40 The two performances he’s proudest of and what they taught him about grit1:31:00 Building Colat.com: from DVD headaches to a thousand-technique online library1:37:00 Strength training then vs now, and why he thinks max lifting is wrecking wrestlers’ bodies1:41:30 Training with Lincoln McIlravy and John Smith: pace, pressure, and brutal honesty1:55:40 Taking over Campbell: tiny budget, no tradition, and building belief from an hour a day2:03:40 Campbell’s rise, the hotbox duals, and turning a “nowhere” program into a national story2:08:15 Why Navy: debunking Academy myths and explaining the 70/30 lifestyle2:18:00 Day-in-the-life of a Navy wrestler: training windows, academics, and built-in support2:23:30 Honor, accountability, and why Naval Academy grads don’t job hunt like everyone else2:35:00 Wild international stories from Cuba, Krasnoyarsk, Macedonia, and Iran’s wrestling-crazy fans 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

    Cary Kolat - Navy Wrestling Architect :: Ep 21 The Full Tilt Podcast

  3. Jul 9

    Brent Metcalf - Heart On The Line :: Ep 20 The Full Tilt Podcast

    Brent Metcalf joins the Full Tilt Podcast for a deep dive into one of wrestling’s most respected minds. He walks through the legendary Davidson, Michigan room with Roy Hall, his undefeated high school career and Fargo dominance, the Virginia Tech-to-Iowa transfer storm, Carver-Hawkeye showdowns, wild overseas trips to Russia, Dagestan, and Iran, and why he believes in “chasing losing” to become the best. Metcalf also breaks down his relationship with Jordan Burroughs, what he’s learned from Kevin Dresser, coaching David Carr, and his vision for turning Iowa State into a world-level factory. Timed Highlights: 00:49 New Cyclone head coach Brent Metcalf joins the show 02:12 How a public school in Michigan built three NCAA champs 06:37 Seventh grader in high school practice and free open rooms 09:11 Six Fargo titles, chasing tough brackets, and never protecting a record 15:24 Big Ten battles with Dustin Schlater 16:04 Following Tom Brands, Virginia Tech days, and transfer controversy 19:12 Losing a year, going overseas, and realizing he could beat world champs 22:31 Why getting beat can be the best thing for young wrestlers 27:25 Culture and accountability inside the Iowa room 33:18 Training with Borschel, Morningstar, Montell and others 35:34 Carver-Hawkeye roar vs World Cup in Iran 47:20 The reality of his international career: big wins, no medals 53:15 Beating Sidakov, wrestling Yaminitsu, and getting schooled by Gadzalov 58:06 The Iran World Cup: 15,000 fans, drums, and staying through intermission 1:09:03 Sketchy trips to Dagestan and early overseas experiences 1:16:18 Turning down other college jobs to support his wife’s PhD 1:19:26 The call from Kevin Dresser that brought him to Ames 1:27:03 What Metcalf learned from Dresser about building programs and fanbases 1:30:57 His vision for Cyclone Wrestling and putting guys on the world wall 1:38:30 Coaching David Carr and “failing forward” at the senior level 1:40:48 Roy Hall, his parents, and the legacy he wants his wrestlers to build 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

    Brent Metcalf - Heart On The Line :: Ep 20 The Full Tilt Podcast

  4. Jul 2

    Jeff McGinness - From Mat Rat To Mastermind :: Ep 19 The Full Tilt Podcast

    Jeff McGinness sits down to go full tilt on his journey from Iowa City mat rat to Hawkeye legend, and how that path eventually led him to build a powerhouse women’s program at Simpson College. From brutal 90s Iowa room stories to modern sports science, NIL, and recruiting women in a fast-changing landscape, this is a deep dive into what greatness really looks like in wrestling. Timed highlights: 01:00 – Reuniting in the studio and early days in the Iowa room04:30 – Training under Gable, Brands, J Rob, and the “old torture equipment”09:45 – Late-blooming greatness: when wrestling finally “clicked” for Jeff17:15 – Cadets, Juniors, and winning Junior Worlds at 1623:30 – Freestyle vs Greco, learning to throw, and why Greco guys are different31:00 – Iowa high school culture, hazing, leadership, and growing up fast39:10 – The pressure of chasing perfection and how weight cutting nearly broke him46:20 – Midlands war stories, massive cuts, and learning the hard way54:00 – Strategy vs athleticism: beating better athletes by being smarter1:03:20 – Abe, Henson, Cunningham, and Jeff’s toughest college rivals1:12:10 – Life after Iowa: law school, senior-level runs, and walking away too early1:20:40 – Finding coaching again, loss in the family, and saying yes to Simpson1:27:30 – Why Jeff chose women’s wrestling and the trust-over-respect difference1:34:30 – Building a non-scholarship winner in a scholarship world1:43:10 – NIL, transfer portal, and why loyalty is disappearing from college sports1:51:40 – The wild 90s: Russian saunas, boxing gloves, and stories you couldn’t tell today1:59:30 – The people, the fans, and the legacy Jeff wants to leave in women’s wrestling 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

    Jeff McGinness - From Mat Rat To Mastermind :: Ep 19 The Full Tilt Podcast

  5. Jun 25

    Kenny Monday - Wrestling’s Quiet Assassin :: Ep 18 The Full Tilt Podcast

    Olympic gold medalist and three-time Olympian Kenny Monday sits down to go full tilt on a lifetime in wrestling. From getting beat up as the smallest kid in the Tulsa YMCA room to conquering the brutal Tbilisi tournament and winning Olympic gold, Kenny breaks down the mindset, rivalries, and turning points that shaped his career. He shares inside stories on his legendary battles with Nate Carr and Dave Schultz, what it took to finally crack the “Russian code,” and how he’s now rebuilding Division I wrestling at Morgan State, an HBCU with deep history in the sport. We also get personal: raising wrestling sons, coaching in today’s NIL era, and why this is the best time ever to be a wrestler. 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 Timed highlights:  0:00 Custom Community ad and Full Tilt intro0:49 Why Kenny Monday was a “must have” guest2:20 Growing up in North Tulsa and discovering wrestling at the YMCA5:19 Getting beat up daily as the smallest kid – and the power of “don’t quit”9:11 His mother’s belief and building a lifelong belief system10:25 Oklahoma as a wrestling hotbed and the Park System dual meets13:16 Junior Olympics/Tulsa Nationals and early rivalries22:10 Winning Junior Nationals as a freshman and high school dominance26:20 The only blemish in high school and rivalry with Mike Sheets28:47 Choosing Oklahoma State over Oklahoma and early college struggles39:12 The worst beating he ever took in a practice room44:40 The Kenny Monday vs Nate Carr rivalry – 11 matches and mutual respect55:45 Learning freestyle and getting humbled in Russia58:52 Surviving and then winning the brutal Tbilisi tournament1:20:35 Beating world and Olympic champions: Variev, Fadzaev, and others1:35:12 The politics, weigh‑in controversy, and World Team trials gauntlet1:43:57 Hyperextending his elbow days before the 1992 Olympics1:49:41 Which year was “peak” Kenny Monday?1:56:25 Training with John Smith and the evolution of the low single2:06:55 Rebuilding Morgan State wrestling and joining the EIWA2:15:06 Coaching his sons and the pressure of being “Monday’s kids”2:25:18 The Copenhagen nightclub dance contest story #Wrestling #KennyMonday #FullTiltPodcast #Olympics #MorganState #NCAAWrestling #NateCarr #DaveSchultz #WrestlingHistory

    Kenny Monday - Wrestling’s Quiet Assassin :: Ep 18 The Full Tilt Podcast

  6. Jun 18

    Barry Davis - From Prairie Mats to Olympic Mats :: Ep 17 The Full Tilt Podcast

    Barry Davis is a three-time NCAA champion, Olympic silver medalist, and one of the most beloved figures in American wrestling. But before the medals and banners, he was a kid at the YMCA in Cedar Rapids getting hooked on the sport — and grabbing wall charts at youth tournaments. In this episode of the Full Tilt Podcast, Barry and I go back 47 years: from Prairie High School rivalries and the infamous dungeon wrestling room, to the legendary Iowa rooms with Dan Gable, brutal weight cuts to 118, international travel behind the Iron Curtain, and the mindset that carried him through world championships and the Olympics. We also dive into his coaching career, his faith, and why he believes wrestling should be the model sport for character and leadership. Timestamps:0:49 How Barry helped start my wrestling journey3:41 YMCA practices and the early Iowa kids’ tournaments8:45 The fourth-grade dream: wanting to be like Dan Gable12:15 Getting pounded in high school, then flipping the switch18:16 Prairie’s infamous dungeon wrestling room21:23 Metro rivalries: Prairie vs Jefferson, Washington, Kennedy24:10 Scouting opponents before streaming and social media28:09 Where Barry’s passion and intensity came from35:14 The Zaleski brothers and the Prairie–Iowa pipeline42:00 First shocks in the Iowa room and learning mat wrestling49:23 The moment everything “clicked” and Barry took off1:02:36 Why keeping your work ethic after you get good is everything1:19:25 The Hy-Vee story: almost walking away at Big Tens1:49:06 Balancing college wrestling with World and Olympic teams2:01:14 Olympic battles, Soviet greats, and the 1984 silver2:08:11 Coaching, faith, and being a role model in the sport2:16:16 WWTO and helping young athletes become leaders in life 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

    Barry Davis - From Prairie Mats to Olympic Mats :: Ep 17 The Full Tilt Podcast

  7. Jun 4

    Jamil Kelly - Wrestling The Odds :: Ep 16 The Full Tilt Podcast

    Jamil Kelly’s wrestling story doesn’t follow the usual script. He wasn’t a blue‑chip recruit. He didn’t win an NCAA title. But he did become an Olympic silver medalist and one of the most respected coaches in the sport. In this episode of the Full Tilt Podcast, we cover Jamil’s entire arc: – Growing up in Atwater, CA and getting pulled into wrestling as a late starter– Learning from VHS tapes, “How Low Can You Go,” and studying the greats– JUCO life at Lassen with future D1 and international stars– Transitioning to Oklahoma State under John Smith and battling the mental side of confidence– Wrestling Lightner, Guerrero, Ironside, Schmidt and living through the Bedlam era– Training with Colet and the 2000 Olympic Team and realizing the Olympics were possible– Beating Lincoln McIlravy, qualifying for Athens, and winning Olympic silver– Coaching at Harvard, Stanford, Arizona State, UNC, and in the corner for world champion Trent Hidlay It’s a masterclass in belief, persistence, and what it really takes to “know what it looks like” at the highest level of wrestling. Timestamps: 04:15 – Growing up in Atwater, CA and getting “talked into” wrestling as a 4'11" freshman football player12:40 – VHS tapes, “How Low Can You Go,” and learning wrestling by rewinding John Smith a thousand times21:10 – From non‑power high school to California state podium and finding JUCO powerhouse Lassen College32:00 – Life at Lassen: TJ Williams, Reggie Wright, Belarusian hammers, and turning JUCO into a D1 factory41:30 – The Oklahoma State visit during World Cup, choosing the Cowboys, and first reality check in the OSU room53:00 – Mental battles in college: wrestling not to lose, Lightner stories, and what held Jamil back at NCAAs 1:03:30 – How training with Colet, Terry Brands, and the 2000 Olympic Team made the Olympics feel possible1:13:00 – Beating Lincoln McIlravy at the 2004 Trials, game-planning the Russian, and winning Olympic silver1:22:00 – Coaching chapter: Harvard culture shock, building trust with athletes, and the “odd couple” partnership with Trent Hidlay1:25:30 – What Jamil wants wrestlers and coaches to take away about belief, preparation, and “knowing what it looks like”  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

    Jamil Kelly - Wrestling The Odds :: Ep 16 The Full Tilt Podcast

  8. May 28

    Nate Carr - Faith, Family, Wrestling :: Ep 15 The Full Tilt Podcast

    Three-time NCAA champion and Olympic medalist Nate Carr joins Full Tilt to share how a house of 16 kids, a pastor dad, and a wrestling-obsessed family forged one of the greatest legacies in American wrestling. Nate breaks down his classic battles with Kenny Monday, the influence of Coach Nichols and the Gatsons, and what he learned competing against Soviet greats on the world stage. He also goes deep on mindset, visualization, and faith, revealing the mental tools he used to win and how he now uses them to coach the next generation, including his son and NCAA champion David Carr. This is a masterclass in building champions in sport and in life. Timed Highlights: 00:00 Growing up in a 16-kid wrestling family in Erie, PA06:30 Family rivalry, All-Americans, Olympians, and broken furniture stories13:30 Setting goals to become the best wrestler in the family and a national champion19:00 Why Nate chose Iowa State over Iowa and the power of winning over mom in recruiting25:30 Coach Harold Nichols, legendary workout rooms, and tough practice stories33:00 Classic Iowa vs Iowa State battles and early college rivalries38:30 Scott Trizzino, Jay Robinson, and fueling the Iowa–Iowa State rivalry44:00 Kenny Monday rivalries, overtime NCAA finals, and epic trash talk52:00 Making the World Team, 1984 Olympic Trials heartbreak, and coming back for 198859:00 Wrestling Soviet legend Arsen Fadzaev and what made the Russians different1:06:00 What Americans learned (and missed) from Soviet training systems1:11:00 Coaching philosophy: purpose-driven practice, mindset, and self-talk1:18:00 The visualization exercise Nate used before wrestling Kenny Monday1:24:00 Coaching David Carr, raising seven kids, and being a “professional encourager”1:28:00 Faith, purpose, and why failure does not make you a failure 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

    Nate Carr - Faith, Family, Wrestling :: Ep 15 The Full Tilt Podcast
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Hatcher
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    The Full Tilt Podcast

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