Continuing its 50th Anniversary celebration, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame is launching "What It Means Wednesdays," a new weekly video series featuring national honorees reflecting on what it means to be recognized by the Hall of Fame.

The series is made possible through a generous gift from longtime wrestling and Hall of Fame supporter Dr. Robert Garrett. 

The first video, featuring 2023 Distinguished Member Rich Bender, will premiere Wednesday, August 5, at 12 p.m. CT across the Hall of Fame's social media channels. 

A new video will be released each Wednesday, with more than 50 national honorees scheduled to be featured throughout the series. 

In addition to Distinguished Members, the series will feature recipients of the Medal of Courage, Meritorious Official, Order of Merit and Outstanding American honors. 

The videos are produced by prominent wrestling content creator Mike Malinconico, who previously created the Hall of Fame's popular series featuring three-time and four-time NCAA champions. A media personality and host of The Athletor podcast, Malinconico uses footage from the Hall of Fame's national honoree videos, produced for many years by Order of Merit recipient Dave "Doc" Bennett and, more recently, by Skooter Schultz. 

The Hall of Fame invites the wrestling community to follow along each Wednesday and celebrate the remarkable individuals whose achievements and contributions have helped shape the sport. 

As it celebrates its 50th anniversary, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame continues its mission to preserve history, recognize extraordinary achievement and inspire greatness while serving as the definitive steward and champion of wrestling history and achievement.