The Mental Takedown Podcast

Our first full episode will  premiere on our YouTube Channel tomorrow at 10 AM CST. If you haven't figured out already I'm very blunt when it comes to discussing things. For a first episode on 72 hours notice, this honestly could have turned out 10 times worse than it did. If you get past the fact that my voice kinda sounds like I am yelling at the beginning and that I was extremely nervous throughout the whole episode, I actually think Micky does offer some great insight into what it is like to have something that you love taken away from you for a pretty extended period of time, and something we can all learn, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless whether we wrestle or not, is to cherish the things we love and enjoy so much because we never truly know when it will be taken away from us. As I mentioned in the intro, Micky is extremely well spoken and honestly is a great ambassador to the sport. IN OTHER NEWS- Episode 2 will drop on our YouTube on Wednesda...

Remind me not to record 2 episodes on the same day, got a little cocky that I could pull off 2 interviews back to back..... In other news, I'm working on getting the audio files of the episode uploaded onto all your favorite podcast platforms. This is a tedious process and my skill level for technology is mediocre at best, so please bare with me :) In the meantime, follow our socials for updates and highlights Instagram Twitter

"There's nothing the man can't do!" In the second episode, I sit down with Travis Piotrowski and we talk everything from his illustrious 4 year career at Illinois, to how he plans to transition from athlete to advisor/coach. Did I mention he did this whole interview while driving? Damn. Best of luck next season as a coach! Full interview will be up on Wednesday.  #illini

What a day! I told myself I wasn't going to be nervous, but my heart was pounding when the interview started. I didn't realize this until after the interview, but my voice ain't the most angelic to say the least. Oh well it is what it is, Sigh. It became quickly apparent during the interview that Micky was extremely well spoken and insightful. Full interview will be up on Monday. Best of luck this season Micky! #h2p

Let´s get this show on the road! The first two episodes are tentatively scheduled to be released next Monday and Wednesday. Our first 2 episodes feature a pair of 133-pound studs that were right in the thick of things for a national championship and almost certainly would have been All-Americans had the NCAA tournament happened. Thanks to Micky Phillippi of Pittsburgh and Travis Piotrowski of Illinois for coming on. I´m super stoked to start the podcast off with a bang, and can´t wait to release more details soon. Last but not least, a huge shoutout to Cam Kramer for his wonderful photos. Subscribe to the blog so you don´t miss a thing!                                                                                                    ...

Hey everyone! My name is Daniel, and full disclaimer, I don't wrestle at all. I am a self- proclaimed nerd that enjoys chess and debate, the literal antithesis to wrestling. One of the greatest mysteries that I still haven't quite solved yet, is why I enjoy watching college wrestling so much.  Why would a nerd who is literally clueless about wrestling technique and the physical element of wrestling start a wrestling podcast. There is a problem throughout sports, not just throughout wrestling, we interview people literally minutes, maybe sometime even just seconds to process a match that just happened before we stick a microphone in their face while they're still gasping for air and ask them generic questions such as "How did this match feel?" or "What did you do to maintain composure in the 3rd period to keep calm?". These generic questions can be used in a pinch, but over time they are dry and don't provide any insight as to the actual emotions...