New Jersey Mat Chat

The #1 video podcast and content provider for New Jersey high school wrestling. Up close, in depth and uncensored.

New Jersey Mat Chat is a sports podcast hosted by Peter Normandia, with 83 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Peter Normandia hosts New Jersey Mat Chat, a sports show with 83 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #84

  084: Orlando Cáceres

  Oct 4, 202638 minS2

  Orlando Cáceres didn't grow up expecting to become an Olympian. Born in Puerto Rico to an Air Force family, Orlando eventually landed in Pemberton, New Jersey and started wrestling in seventh grade. He considers himself an average young wrestler. Then he got tired of losing. What followed became one of the great — and often overlooked — stories in New Jersey wrestling history. Orlando became: 2X New Jersey State Champion Pemberton wrestling legend Trenton State wrestler Puerto Rican National Team member 1984 Olympian Two points away from an Olympic bronze medal In this New Jersey Mat Chat Legends episode, Orlando takes us back to a completely different era of wrestling. Orlando Cáceres Pemberton High School 2X NJ State Champion Trenton State 1984 Puerto Rican Olympic Team Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat as we document the wrestlers, coaches and legends who built New Jersey wrestling. Watch 'The Godfather of MMA' Now available now on Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0HHCGGT6S 00:00 The Godfather of MMA 01:06 Meet NJ Legend Orlando Cáceres 01:52 From Puerto Rico to Pemberton 02:48 How Orlando Started Wrestling 03:06 Why His Parents Wouldn’t Let Him Wrestle Varsity 04:35 Going From Average to Obsessed 05:17 Running Two Miles Before Practice 06:08 Wrestling in the 1970s 06:21 “Go Wrestle Every Bearded Man You See” 07:05 The Pemberton Wrestling Powerhouse 07:42 Becoming a Dark Horse NJ State Champion 08:32 State Final vs. Dale Mills 09:59 The Jump From Junior to Senior Year 10:14 Wrestling Grown Men in Open Tournaments 10:37 Training at Fort Dix With NJ Champions 11:13 Darryl Burley’s Influence 11:39 The 1980 State Final vs. Joe Duca 12:46 The Weight Cutting Mistake 13:09 Getting Recruited by Wrestling Powers 15:14 Becoming Pemberton’s First 2X State Champion 15:51 Why He Backed Out of Iowa 17:09 Choosing Arizona 17:30 Arizona Drops Its Wrestling Program 17:42 Coming Home to Trenton State 18:42 Struggling at Arizona 19:46 Why He Hated Collegiate Wrestling 20:18 Falling in Love With Freestyle 21:25 Coach Milt Schisler’s “Computer Match” 22:44 Why Wrestling Kept Him in College 23:04 Chasing Team USA & Puerto Rico 23:33 Missing the Plane to the USA Trials 24:23 Going Toe-to-Toe With Barry Davis 25:05 Wrestling in the 1984 Olympics 25:48 Orlando’s Olympic Run 26:34 Facing a World Champion From Japan 26:52 Two Points From an Olympic Bronze Medal 27:53 Life After the Olympics 28:36 The NJ Legends Orlando Helped Develop 29:09 Coaching Pat Lynch 29:46 Coaching at Peddie 31:39 Walking Away From Wrestling 32:28 Does an Olympian Have an Obligation to Give Back? 33:03 Gary Remembers Wrestling Orlando 34:07 Why Orlando Stepped Away From Coaching 35:20 Would He Have Made His Son Wrestle? 36:21 Greatest NJ High School Wrestler Ever? 37:38 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

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  Episode #83

  083: Chris Bolletino

  Sep 30, 202631 minS2

  At just 26 years old, Chris Bolletino is taking over the wrestling program he once competed for. The Haddonfield alum is the new head wrestling coach at Haddonfield High School — making him one of the youngest head coaches in New Jersey wrestling. But Bolletino isn't walking into the job without experience. He grew up wrestling in South Jersey, trained under coaches including Johnny Johnson and Mark Grey, became a three-time NJ State qualifier at Haddonfield, wrestled Division I at Franklin & Marshall, and spent last season coaching at Ramapo. Now he's coming home. Guest: Chris Bolletino Haddonfield Memorial High School Haddonfield Alum Franklin & Marshall Wrestling Head Wrestling Coach — Haddonfield Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat for conversations with the wrestlers, coaches and legends shaping New Jersey wrestling. Watch 'The Godfather of MMA' available now on Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0HHCGGT6S?ref_=atv_dp_share_cu_r 00:00 The Godfather of MMA 01:06 Meet Haddonfield’s New Head Coach Chris Bolletino 01:53 Becoming a Head Coach at 26 03:04 Building His Coaching Staff 04:21 Choosing Wrestling Over Football 05:02 His Haddonfield Wrestling Career 05:27 Wrestling at Franklin & Marshall 05:40 Learning From Mark Grey & Johnny Johnson 06:08 His Vision for Haddonfield Wrestling 07:18 Building Mental Toughness 08:03 Wrestling Tougher Competition 09:14 Training vs. Competing 10:11 Why the Number of Weigh-Ins Matters 11:40 The Shortened NJ Wrestling Season 13:00 Haddonfield’s Legendary Wrestling Gyms 14:59 Coaching at Ramapo 16:51 Can a 26-Year-Old Connect Better With Wrestlers? 18:02 What Older Coaches Can Still Teach Young Coaches 19:02 The Biggest Challenge of Coaching at 26 20:52 Why Multi-Sport Athletes Still Matter 21:36 Building Haddonfield Wrestling From the Youth Level 22:26 Is Haddonfield a Wrestling Town? 22:56 Understanding NJ Wrestling Power Points 23:35 What Happened to the Old District Rivalries? 25:21 Why Coaches Need to Understand the Rulebook 27:26 Wrestling’s Most Confusing Rules 28:17 Should Head Coaches Have to Pass a Referee Test? 30:14 Greatest NJ High School Wrestler Ever? 30:59 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

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  Episode #82

  082: Johnny Johnson

  Sep 27, 20261h 6mS2

  Are we developing better wrestlers — or just creating more opportunities to win matches? Johnny “J-Rock” Johnson has spent more than three decades thinking about that question. A Moorestown graduate, 3X NCAA All-American at Trenton State and founder of RAW 241, Johnson has coached generations of wrestlers and developed a philosophy built around takedowns, conditioning, international wrestling and preparing athletes for the highest levels of the sport. And he has some strong opinions about where NJ wrestling is today. Guest: Johnny “J-Rock” Johnson Moorestown Trenton State / TCNJ 3X NCAA All-American Founder: RAW 241 Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat for conversations with the wrestlers, coaches and legends who built — and continue to build — New Jersey wrestling. 'The Godfather of MMA'. Now on Amazon Prime. https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detai ... 00:00 The Godfather of MMA 01:06 Meet Johnny “J-Rock” Johnson 02:19 Growing Up in Baltimore & Moving to Moorestown 03:34 How Basketball Accidentally Led Him to Wrestling 04:29 Winning His First-Ever Wrestling Match 05:34 Becoming One of NJ’s Best Wrestlers 06:43 Why He Chose Trenton State 08:19 Getting a D1 Experience at a D3 Program 10:09 Wrestling Training in the Offseason 11:05 Learning Directly From John Smith 12:49 The Iowa State Opportunity 14:22 What Would J-Rock Change About His Career? 15:29 “If You’re That Guy, You’re That Guy” 16:40 Becoming a 3X NCAA All-American 17:02 Discovering Freestyle Wrestling 19:03 How Starting Late Made Him a Better Coach 19:49 The Birth of RAW 241 20:09 Brett Matter: J-Rock’s First Student 22:40 How RAW 241 Got Its Name 24:32 The Philosophy Behind “Two For One” 25:03 Building the Human Takedown Machine 26:21 The Wrestler Who Validated His Style 28:22 Why Conditioning Is Everything 29:20 The Early NJ Wrestling Club Scene 31:12 How RAW 241 Exploded 32:55 What Happened to South Jersey Wrestling? 33:56 Have South Jersey’s Standards Dropped? 34:45 Why 100 Career Wins Means Nothing 36:12 What Actually Matters in Atlantic City 37:04 Can You Still Play Three Sports? 37:39 Wrestling 365 Days — But Are You Improving? 39:19 Are Wrestling Clubs Actually Developing Kids? 40:06 Why Some NJ State Champs Struggle in College 41:13 Why Wrestlers Need to Learn How to Lose 43:25 What College Coaches Should Really Recruit 44:15 J-Rock Defines Wrestling Greatness 46:53 Who Is America’s Freestyle GOAT? 47:45 John Smith vs. Jordan Burroughs 50:53 How to Build a Successful Wrestling Club 51:54 Every Wrestling Club Needs an Identity 52:30 Development vs. Making Money 54:14 J-Rock’s Biggest Problem With NJ Wrestling 56:32 King for a Day: How He’d Fix Wrestling 57:56 Is It Time to Get Rid of Stalling? 59:22 Greatest NJ High School Wrestler Ever? 01:00:00 Andrew Campolattano’s Incredible Career 01:01:07 The Case for Damien Hahn 01:05:17 Final Thoughts 01:05:21 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

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  Episode #81

  081: Liam Suydam

  Sep 23, 202622 minS2

  Liam Suydam didn't wrestle a single match his freshman year. Before his first high school season even got started, the Moorestown wrestler suffered an injury that put him in a metal cast and ended his entire season. At the time, it was a huge setback. Looking back? It may have changed the direction of his wrestling career. Unable to compete, Liam started watching wrestling. A LOT of wrestling. College matches. Technique videos. Wrestling clips online. He'd study moves and even shadow wrestle them in his basement. More importantly, sitting on the sidelines made him realize how badly he actually wanted to wrestle. By his sophomore year, Liam was a District placer. As a junior, he made another jump: District Champion 4th at Regions ️ First trip to the NJ State Championships in Atlantic City Now he's entering his senior season believing there's another big jump coming. Guest: Liam Suydam Moorestown High School District Champion ️ NJ State Qualifier Class of 2027 Subscribe to New Jersey Mat Chat for conversations with the wrestlers, coaches and legends shaping New Jersey wrestling. #LiamSuydam #NJWrestling #NewJerseyMatChat #MoorestownWrestling #NJHighSchoolWrestling #HighSchoolWrestling Watch 'The Godfather of MMA'. Now on Amazon Prime. https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detai ... 00:00 The Godfather of MMA 01:06 Meet Moorestown’s Liam Suydam 01:35 Missing His Entire Freshman Season 02:17 From Injury to Districts & Atlantic City 03:09 How Liam Got Into Wrestling 04:11 Why He Chose Wrestling Over Other Sports 05:01 How the Injury Changed His Wrestling Career 05:47 Fixing His Training & Weight Cut 06:21 Training at Different NJ Wrestling Clubs 07:03 The Partners Who Helped Him Improve 07:24 Liam’s “Unexpected” Wrestling Style 07:48 Competing at the NJ Wrestling Showcase 08:34 Inside Moorestown Wrestling 09:40 Why Club Training Became So Important 10:15 How Nutrition Changed His Wrestling 11:55 Wrestling Friends in Big Matches 13:00 Wrestling Owen Boyle 13:36 College Wrestling Plans 14:04 Liam Wants to Become a Pilot 15:57 Preparing for His Senior Season 16:30 Neutral vs. Top Wrestling 17:02 Expectations for Moorestown 17:32 Coaching the Next Generation 18:25 Advice for Young Wrestlers 19:35 The Wrestlers Liam Studies 20:25 The Positive Side of Missing a Season 21:18 The People Behind His Success 21:52 What Weight Will He Wrestle? 22:04 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

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  New Jersey Mat Chat

  080: Eric Morley

  Sep 20, 202647 minS2

  Eric Morley didn't grow up as a wrestling phenom. In fact, he didn't start wrestling until high school. His freshman record? 0-8. Today, he's the head wrestling coach at Middletown North and has helped build a program producing state champions, state qualifiers and wrestlers who have gone on to succeed at the Division I level. But Morley's definition of successful coaching goes well beyond wins. In this episode of New Jersey Mat Chat: Coach's Corner, Morley gets into the realities of building a high school wrestling program in one of the toughest wrestling areas in the country. 00:00 The Godfather of MMA 01:07 Meet Middletown North Coach Eric Morley 01:20 How He Became Middletown North’s Head Coach 02:18 Going 0-8 in His First Year Wrestling 03:28 Coaching Soccer AND Wrestling 04:07 Why Wrestling Never Really Turns Off 05:12 Coaching Soccer Players vs. Wrestlers 06:05 Why Wrestling Builds Something Bigger 07:05 The Middletown North Wrestling Culture 08:12 Coach Morley’s Wrestling Philosophy 09:18 Breaking Opponents Mentally 09:50 Are High School Wrestlers Competing Too Much? 11:02 Why Kids Need More Time in the Wrestling Room 12:26 What Makes the Shore Conference Different 13:21 Building an Atmosphere at Middletown North 14:14 Why Teams Avoid Wrestling Each Other 14:37 Taking Middletown North to Beast of the East 15:14 The Brotherhood Between Wrestling Coaches 16:03 When Should Coaches Start Thinking About Weight? 17:38 Team Season vs. Individual Season 18:24 Developing State Champions — and Everyone Else 19:42 Wrestling Has Very Little to Do With Wrestling 20:42 Tyler Klinsky’s Journey to NCAA All-American 23:20 The Problems With NJ Wrestling’s Constant Changes 25:00 Scheduling Around Districts & Regions 26:32 Why Coaches Avoid Tough Competition 26:41 Are 100 Career Wins What They Used to Be? 27:02 Why Middletown North Schedules Tough 28:31 Sometimes You Need to Get Your Butt Kicked 29:17 Coaching Two Sports With a Growing Family 31:12 The Best Wrestling Gyms in New Jersey 32:15 How Many Weight Classes Should Wrestling Have? 33:52 Stop Avoiding the Big Matchups 34:36 Why Losing Before States Can Make You Better 36:44 Finding Tough Matches Within Dual Meets 38:13 Why Eric Morley Wouldn’t Let Jackson Fearon Quit 40:18 The Victories Nobody Sees 42:07 Could Eric Morley Become a Wrestling Official? 44:05 Greatest NJ High School Wrestler Ever? 45:03 What Actually Makes a Wrestler Great? 46:33 New Jersey Mat Chat Outro

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