The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum announced that the Legends interview with award-winning writer and novelist John Irving, who received the Outstanding American award in 1992, can now be heard on the Mat Talk Podcast Network.

The show can be heard for free at halloffamelegends.org/2. It is also available via iTunes at halloffamelegends.org/itunes, Stitcher, Spreaker, and Soundcloud as well as an RSS link for use in other third-party podcasting applications like Downcasts, BeyondPod and Podcast Republic.

Irving, who competed as a wrestler for 20 years and coached wrestling until he was 47, has demonstrated his ties to wrestling throughout his literary career. In his best-known novel, The World According to Garp, the title character is a wrestling enthusiast while The 158-Pound Marriage, winner of a National Endowment for the Arts Award, features a wrestling coach as a principal character.

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Dan Gable, who was inducted as a Distinguished Member in 1980, catches John Irving with a foot sweep during a workout in the Iowa wrestling room in 1973.[/caption]

Irving attended the Universities of Pittsburgh and Vienna and earned degrees at the University of New Hampshire and the University of Iowa. He has taught at Windham College, Mount Holyoke, Wellesley College, Brandeis University, Pittsburgh and Iowa.

Wrestling captain at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, Irving was a member of the wrestling team at Pitt. He has coached at Phillips Exeter and four other prep schools in Massachusetts and Vermont. He is a member of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club and the New York Athletic Club.

The interview is the third in the series of interviews with the greatest names in wrestling. Created to preserve the memory and legacy of the most influential individuals in wrestling, the Legends series is funded entirely from donations, which can be made at www.patreon.com/mattalkonline. If donations exceed production costs, additional funds will be donated to the NWHOF.

Legends interviews with Dr. Stanley Henson, who was inducted into the NWHOF as a Distinguished Member in 1978, and Arthur "Bucky" Maughan, who was inducted as a Distinguished Member in 2003, can still be heard at www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/legends.

Mat Talk will be providing copies of the Legends interviews to the NWHOF for its archives.

Jason Bryant of the Mat Talk Podcast Network created the Legends interview concept, and also serves as the host and producer of the interviews. Bryant is president of the National Wrestling Media Association and has been honored for his work as both a broadcaster and writer, including the Bob Dellinger Wrestling Writer of the Year award.

The NWHOF reopened in June following a $3.8 million renovation that included a complete demolition and rebuild of the interior, following a renovation of the entryway and roof in 2015. As America’s shrine to the sport of wrestling, the museum now features interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day.

Located on the corner of Hall of Fame Avenue and Duck Street, the museum is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults, $3 for students and $15 for a family. Children 5 and under are free. For more information, visit www.nwhof.org or telephone (405) 377-5243.

National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum
America’s shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation and now features interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. It also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.