On this episode of the Full Tilt Podcast, Jim McCarthy 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

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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

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Hatch sits down with wrestling legend Lee Kemp to unpack his journey from adopted kid and benched basketball player to three-time NCAA champion and three-time World Champion. Lee tells how he discovered wrestling almost by accident, became obsessed with Dan Gable at a 1972 camp, and then shocked the sport by beating Gable at 18 years old.

He shares stories of turning Wisconsin into a national powerhouse, surviving brutal World Team Trials, winning his first World title, and the lifelong impact of the 1980 Olympic boycott on his identity and purpose. This is a raw, honest look at obsession, mental toughness, and the cost of chasing greatness.

If you care about wrestling, mindset, or what it really takes to chase greatness, this episode is a masterclass.

0:00:00 – Opening stories, Full Tilt intro, and why Lee Kemp is a wrestling legend

0:08:00 – Adoption, move from Cleveland to rural Chardon, outsider experiences, and accidentally finding wrestling after riding the bench in basketball

0:20:00 – The 1972 Dan Gable camp: obsession with Gable, copying his training, and deciding to go “all in” on wrestling

0:32:00 – High school breakthrough: upsetting the defending state champ, building belief, and the win that changed his career trajectory

0:45:00 – College years: almost going to Michigan State, choosing Wisconsin, and helping turn the Badgers into a national contender with multiple NCAA champs

0:58:00 – From NCAA star to World Team contender: the OW “snub,” getting talked into the World Team Trials, and battling Joe Carr and Dave Schultz in the mini-tournament

1:10:00 – Making the 1978 World Team: nine matches in four days at altitude, brutal Gable-led training camps, and the lead-up to Mexico City Worlds

1:20:00 – Winning his first World title, international rivalries, and how a deeper sense of purpose drove Lee beyond medals and records

1:30:00 – The 1980 Olympic boycott: feeling like a death in the family, losing the chance to become Olympic champion, and learning to live with a “stolen” dream as a three-time World Champion

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