The Bader Show

By Mark BaderSports Wrestling

The Bader Show episodes

April 06 Cesar Alvan | The Bader Show (Ep. 480)
Cesar Alvan captured the hearts of wrestling fans at the 2026 NCAA Wrestling championships when he was relatively unknown and came into the NCAA tournament as the #12 seed. He ended up fourth and attributes a lot of his success to Columbia head coach Donny Pritzlaff and his staff.
0:30 - Who the hell is Cesar Alvan?
3:00 - Loved wrestling and combat sports
5:00 - When Alvan went all-in on wrestling & college opportunities
7:30 - Eyeing the UFC in his future
8:00 - Why Columbia University?
11:30 - Out with the old coaching staff, in with the new
12:40 - Alvan recruited Pritzlaff (you read that right)
17:15 - First practice with Pritzlaff as coach
20:00 - Jumping levels under Pritzlaff
23:00 - Cesar & coaching staff LOVED his draw in the bracket
24:00 - Alvan pins Locket in OT, he was ready
26:40 - Being the Man in the Arena
29:30- Mitchell Mesenbrink
31:30 - Day 3 at NCAAs is NOT about who’s a better wrestler
34:00 - When it all sunk it, balling for an hour
36:00 - Mohammad Ali quote
37:55 - Alvan wants to continue to wrestle for Brazil, maybe RAF
41:00 - Wrestling wizard Jeff Buxton
42:10 - Artificial Intelligence
43:00 - Honey the night before a weigh in
44:00 - Who is Alvan’s all-time favorite wrestler?
45:00 - Wins and whoopins
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50 min
April 03 Gabe Arnold | The Bader Show (Ep. 479)
Gabe Arnold had trouble with communication last summer which lead to trouble with the Iowa program. After thinking he was off the team, Arnold regrouped to help the Hawkeyes secure wins at 174, 184 and 197 this season. He capped it off with by earning All-American honors at 197 after losing his first match at the NCAAs.
0:40 - Gabe’s eventful morning
3:20 - Was Gabe kicked off the Iowa team last summer?
11:00 - Gabe wanted to wrestle 174 at the start of the year
13:30 - Getting to where Arnold was “locked in”
17:00 - Endene left, what did that mean for Gabe?
19:00 - Angelo Ferrari got hurt, Gabe fills in
22:00 - 197 for Big Tens or nah?
25:20 - Confirming with coach Brands on 197
27:40 - Pretending he liked NCAA brackets and seeds
31:45 - Iowa’s challenging season
37:10 - NCAA first round loss and the long road back
44:30 - Overwhelming emotion of earning All-American
49:30 - Gabe will wrestle 79kg at US Open
53:10 - 174 next year for the Hawkeyes
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59 min
March 25 Jax Forrest, Sergio Vega & Landon Robideau | The Bader Show (Ep. 478)
Forrest, Vega and Robideau all just won NCAA titles for Oklahoma State as true freshmen, helping the Cowboys to a second place finish at the NCAA Championships. Jax Forrest and Sergio Vega both finished the season undefeated, which had never been done before in the modern era.
0:55 - Coming home to Stillwater
2:25 - Robideau flipping from Minnesota to Oklahoma State
4:45 - Vega flipped from Cornell to Oklahoma State
8:00 - When Jax knew he wanted to wrestle at NCAAs
9:30 - Culture and development at OSU
14:25 - A lot of freedom at practice
15:30 - Robideau, Mike Meyers - Halloween - walkout
17:40 - Is Robideau a serial killer?
19:05 - When did each guy believe he could win NCAAs?
24:00 - NCAA Championship
26:15 - Robideau on semifinal vs PJ Duke
28:45 - Brock Hardy
31:15 - Jax vs Seidel
32:20 - Vega vs Jesse Mendez
39:25 - Robideau vs Antrell Taylor
45:10 - Jax vs Ben Davino
52:40 - Jax crazy story, got trapped in the arena!
56:10 - Freestyle season
57:10 - Sweat it out
1:02:30 - All-time favorite
1:03:15 - Wins and whoopins
1:08:00 - Final word

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1 hr 13 min
March 18 DJ Hamiti | The Bader Show (Ep. 477)

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47 min
March 11 Tony Robie | The Bader Show (Ep. 476)
Tony Robie just won the ACC Championships for the second straight year as head coach at Virginia Tech and qualified all 10 wrestlers for the NCAA Championships.
1:30 - Robie’s 2009 VT interview on Flo vs VT today
7:25 - Turning points for Robie at VT
11:30 - Likes, challenges and concerns of National Duals Invitational
16:10 - ACC Champions, back to back
17:50 - Aaron Seidel
19:50 - Jax Forrest vs Seidel
23:20 - Eddie Ventresca
26:50 - Free admission to VT wrestling matches
29:45 - Bo Bassett
34:40 - Dealing with the lineup log jam
35:50 - Would Robie consider having a recruit leave high school early
37:20 - How does Robie use AI in his daily life
39:00 - Sweat it out
42:30 - All-Time favorite
44:00 - Wins and whoopins

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51 min
March 03 Keep CBU Wrestling | The Bader Show (475)
It was announced that Cal Baptist University will drop their wrestling program at the end of the season. Senior wrestler Timothy Cowan joins the show to shed some light and share his perspective on the situation.
1:10 - The experience and brotherhood of CBU Wrestling
4:25 - Finding out the program got cut, being blindsided
7:20 - Coach Moore and others talking after finding out
10:30 - What are potential solutions?
12:00 - KeepCBUWrestling.com
13:40 - Wearing singlets inside out. Then being silenced.
16:20 - Senior night and all the drama from meeting with admin
21:15 - The intense 5 minute meeting before the dual
23:40 - Administration silenced them
27:50 - Coby Merill Waving the shirt after winning CA State title
29:40 - Community support
31:30 - Tim’s opinion of CBU
34:00 - Finishing his career is bittersweet
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39 min
February 25 Brock Hardy | The Bader Show (Ep. 474)
Brock Hardy is a 3x NCAA All-America and NCAA finalist from the University of Nebraska and is entering the final stretch of his college career.
0:50 - Brock is youngest of like 20 cousins that wrestled
2:30 - Wrestling clicked against Braxton Amos at Reno Worlds
6:30 - Watching Brock’s 10U, 100lbs Reno finals
9:00 - 4x State Champion
12:00 - Juggling recruiting with potentially taking a 2 year mission
14:40 - Brock’s two year mission in Rio de Janeiro
19:30 - Surround yourself with the right people
21:30 - Back to wrestling after 2 years off the mat
24:25 - Wrestling is completely opposite than the mission, BE selfish
26:25 - How age has impacted Brock Hardy. It’s a mental battle
31:05 - Sergio Vega
36:25 - Jesse Mendez
39:00 - The spladle seen round the world
42:00 - How will experience help Brock in March?
45:25 - What’s next for Brock after graduation?
47:00 - How does Brock Hardy use artificial intelligence?
49:00 - Sweat it out - 5 TRIVIA questions
1:00:00 - All-Time favorite
1:01:15 - Wins and whoopins
1:04:15 - Wrestling is fun.

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1 hr 8 min
February 18 Donny Pritzlaff | The Bader Show (Ep. 473)
Donny Pritzlaff is the head coach at Columbia University, they won the IVY League dual title for the first time since 1982.
0:30 - It’s Pritz-laugh not Pritz-loff
2:00 - Establish mentality and culture
4:45 - Most important time of season is March
6:50 - Highlights from last year, 5 NCAA qualifiers
9:00 - Beat Cornell first time in 40 years
11:25 - Big moments this season
14:20 - Sebastian Rivera, Jeff Buxton and coaching staff
20:10 - Goals and expectations are high
23:10 - Realistic long term goals
25:10 - What AI tool would Donny build?
27:20 - Sweat it out
30:25 - Wins and whoopins
35:18 - Donny Pritzlaff’s all-time favorite wrestler
36:35 - NYC is a unique place to to live

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44 min
February 18 Scott Goodale | The Bader Show (Ep. 472)
Rutgers head coach Scott Goodale has lead the program for 19 years and had one of the biggest wins of that span when they beat Minnesota for the first time in program history last Friday night in front of a big crowd at Jersey Mike's Arena.
1:00 - Big moments over the years for Rutgers
3:15 - Jersey Mikes Arena on Friday night
5:00 - Pep Talk! Let’s go party on these guys!
8:45 - Goodale is obsessive about dual meets, match ups, strategy
10:10 - Second half of Minnesota
11:30 - Halftime routine
12:30 - Momentum
14:20 - Winning the dual at 197
16:05 - Jersey MIke’s Arena went Bananas!
19:06 - Water dumped on coach Goodale
21:25 - - B1G Dual season is a grueling roller roaster
26:00 - Taking Rugers from no fans in a gym to 5,000 fans in an arena
29:40 - Sweat it out
32:15 - Anthony shot him down
33:35 - Wins and whoopins
35:00 - All-time favorite wrestler
36:20 - OneWord

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42 min
February 03 Casey Swiderski From Iowa State To Oklahoma State | The Bader Show (Ep. 471)
Casey Swiderski was an NCAA All-American at Iowa State and transferred to Oklahoma State for this season. He defeated former ISU teammate Jacob Frost last weekend as Oklahoma State beat Iowa State in their Big 12 dual.
0:40 - Casey’s introduction to wrestling and his hard-nosed dad
3:30 - Wrestling Dylan D’Emilio in the blood round
6:30 - Swiderski has swagger and wrestles with a chip on shoulder
7:30 - Looking to get your butt whooped
9:40 - Casey and Frost
10:30 - Why Casey went to Iowa State
11:30 - Why did Swiderski leave Iowa State?
15:25 - From training with dogs to training with wolves
16:30 - How Oklahoma State has helped
18:15 - Casey lost the first four matches of the season
19:30 - Oklahoma State vs Iowa State
22:05 - Pheasant hunting story
23:10 - Looking forward to the NCAA Championships
25:00 - Sweat it out
28:30 - Wins and whoopins
32:30 - Casey Swiderski’s All-Time Favorite Wrestler
34:00 - One Word

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39 min

About The Bader Show

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Mark Bader and friends interview the biggest names in the sport of wrestling. Hear from your favorite wrestlers and coaches about their experiences in life through the sport. Become inspired,…