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I interview local and regional (PA/NJ) high school and college wrestlers, coaches, officials, and sportswriters, allowing listeners to find out a little more about what makes these outstanding athletes, and people, tick...
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Bob Matthews turns wrestling results into candid accounts of preparation, injury, ambition, and the work required to return to the mat.
Bob Matthews builds Takedown Talk around direct, attentive conversations with wrestlers and coaches. He starts with how guests entered the sport, then follows their careers through state championships, injuries, difficult losses, weight decisions, and the move from high school…
A tech-fall loss becomes next year's homework, if you like your wrestling with the reset button visible.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A state champion reflects on nerves, losses, and the work still ahead after the medal.
Bob Matthews opens a shortened Takedown Talk by speaking with Pennsylvania's new PIAA-sanctioned state champion at 118 pounds, Savannah Witt, and the focus quickly settles on what followed the title.
Ryan Crookham's comeback undercuts the longer recovery estimates.
Bob Matthews steers this Takedown Talk through Ryan Crookham's path from starting wrestling at four in the Langhorne-Chamounix area to a Lehigh University commitment built on major Pennsylvania honors.
A state title story shaped by family, injury, and a hard return to the mat.
Brett Unger's wrestling story anchors this piece, and Bob Matthews keeps the focus on the people and setbacks that shaped it: two older brothers who wrestled before him, a father who wrestled a little in high school, a long injury pause, and the work of returning after a left…
Jordan Cutler turns a first-guest podcast spot into a clear look at weight, work, and what comes next.
Bob Matthews opens Takedown Talk with first guest Jordan Cutler, and the conversation settles on a familiar wrestling truth: points help, but falls matter more when conference and nationals are on the line.
Bo Bassett says “the more pressure, the better I compete,” after winning a 2021 world title and reaching a 54-0 record.
Lehigh's Darian Cruz tells Bob Matthews that his father's rule, 'you shouldn't lose to anybody because you're not in shape,' shaped his approach from age four.
Bob Matthews speaks with Savannah Witt, Pennsylvania's new PIAA-sanctioned state champion at 118 pounds.
Bob Matthews welcomes Ryan Crookham, a three-time district, regional, and state champion in Pennsylvania who is committing to Lehigh University for the next four to five years.
Bob Matthews interviews Notre Dame High School wrestling coach Matt Veers about building a top-tier program and competing against the best teams in the country.
Bob Matthews sits down with two-time state champion Brett Unger of Notre Dame High School at Green Pond.
Host Bob Matthews interviews high school wrestler Lily Scherer about her start in jiu-jitsu and transition to wrestling.
Host Bob Matthews interviews two high school wrestlers about their friendship, training, and a tough district final loss.
Bob Matthews opens Takedown Talk with Jordan Cutler, Lehigh University's two-time All-American and soon to be three-time All-American, with a national title still in view.