July 24, 2024 • 30 mins
The tribute speeches and induction ceremony for 2024 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Medal of Courage recipient Jonathan Koch.
Tribute speakers: Mark Waters and Kyle Klingman. Tribune emcee: Dave Martin. Induction ceremony emcee: Sandy Stevens.
Recorded June 2024.
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Tribute speakers: Mark Waters and Kyle Klingman. Tribune emcee: Dave Martin. Induction ceremony emcee: Sandy Stevens.
Recorded June 2024.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW
Apple Podcasts | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Android | RSS
Contribute
And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:06):
From the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. This is Legends. Is Legends.
I'm Jason Bryant. Prepare for ajourney through wrestling's past, present, and
future. As we'll hear are thegreat stories of wrestling and success from the
true legends of the sport here onHall of Fame Legends. So, without
(00:34):
any more ado, let's go aheadand get started. I might say that
we hope everyone enjoyed the meal andnow it's time for the program to begin.
This is another opportunity for us tolearn more about this special group of
individuals who we are honoring this weekend. We're going to hear from those who
know them the best, and that'stheir family and their friends. Each of
(00:55):
the speakers will be allowed to talkfor five minutes. Unfortunately, there will
be no injury timeouts and we don'thave any time for overtimes. Every year
we have the opportunity to introduce youto our Meddle of the Courage Recipient.
This award is given to a wrestleror a former wrestler who has overcome what
appears to be insurmountable challenges and whosestory provides an inspiration to others. Our
(01:21):
recipient this year is Jonathan Coach.Speaking on behalf of Jonathan is Mark Waters,
one of the first people Jonathan metwhen he moved to Los Angeles and
who has become a great friend.I've known Jonathan for over thirty five years
(01:47):
now, and it is my greathonor to be able to honor him and
to be able to tell you afew things about him. I want to
confess right off the bat that Iam not a wrestler, but I have
become a fan elsely because of hispassion for the sport, which is contagious
and one of the things I lookforward to all year as I fly out.
(02:08):
And we watched the championships together inCalifornia every year. We used to
watch the Super Bowl together, butwe replaced it with wrestling, which is
much better. I don't remember howlong after we first became friends, so
long ago that he told me thathe had been a wrestler, but I
(02:29):
don't remember a time that I didn'tknow that about him. It's always been
very important to him, no matterwhat else he's accomplished in his life in
television and all the amazing ways thathe's been successful, which is an incredible
story all on its own. Beinga wrestler is always one of the things
(02:50):
that I know he's most proud of. Back when we first met, he
talks a lot about wrestling, andI really didn't understand why that was such
a big deal. The more Iwatch, the more I understand as a
spectator, I can't fully know whatit's like to compete as a wrestler from
(03:13):
what I see and I know aboutmy friend and what I watch as I
watch the tournaments, it clearly requiresa special kind of spirit within a person
to become a wrestler in the firstplace. Over the last few years,
I've watched Jonathan endure things so horrificI can't imagine. And it wouldn't even
(03:35):
be appropriate to explain all the thingsthat I've seen him go through here,
but they're terrible. He's had partof every limb severed from his body.
Amazingly, through it all, Idon't remember him ever complaining. He's always
remained the same positive, great natureguy that I've always known. In fact,
(03:59):
if anything, he seemed delighted withhis new found license to make amputee
jokes, which she seemed to delightin. Next came a hand transplant.
A hand transplant I still can't wrapmy brain around that they cut off his
hand and put someone else's hand on, and he had to go through years
(04:24):
and is still really working hard tomake that work and still no complaining.
It's amazing. If anything, he'shappy about. In addition to the amputee
humor, the ability to make jokesabout having to live with another man's hand.
And I won't be repeating any ofthose jokes here. The point about
(04:51):
the jokes is his body has beenbroken, but I have never once seen
his spirit broken. I saw thespirit of a warrior. I saw the
spirit of a wrestler, the kindof person that chooses to compete in a
sport where you have to face youropponent alone, with no one to help
(05:14):
you when you get in trouble,and no one to blame but yourself when
you lose. The kind of personwho understands that at a young age and
still says, yeah, I'll dothat. I want to be a wrestler.
I think that's a unique kind ofperson. Today, my friend is
being honored with the Medal of Couragebecause of what he's overcome, But his
courage goes so much deeper than anyof that. As long as I've known
(05:39):
him, he's been the guy wholooked at every area of his life it
goals that few others would think possible, and challenges most people would collapse under,
and just said, yeah, Ican do that. I'm a wrestler.
No matter the size of the challenge, the risk of failure, the
severity of the pain, failure hasjust never been an eye option for Jonathan.
(06:01):
And by the way, for him, you can multiply all of that
by a thousand if you throw intothe mix a friend in need. There
is no better friend, and thereis nothing that he wouldn't do for a
friend. There's a quote that's widelyattributed to Aristotle, and I think it's
(06:21):
actually a paraphrase, but I likeit anyway, and I feel very smart
when I quote Aristotle. The beautyof the human soul shines when a man
overcomes adversity with composure, not becausehe doesn't feel the pain, but by
enduring it, he reveals his highand heroic character. That's Jonathan. Jonathan
(06:43):
is the bravest man I have everknown, and I think it's fitting that
he's finally getting a medal for it. Thank you, And now we'll hear
more about Jonathan from Kyle Klingman ofFlow Wrestling, who submitted the nomination for
(07:06):
Jonathan to receive the Medal of Courage, got something for me? Oh you're
here, just check it. Howdo you dig yourself out of a hole
and beld a mountain? The lifeof Jonathan Kotch offers insights into a uniquely
(07:27):
courageous path After a life altering setback, he can say with certainty that wrestling
made his life and saved his life. Wrestling prepared Jonathan for a fight he
never knew he would have to endure, and the lessons he learned in a
small high school wrestling room endured longafter his final practice. Anyone who has
wrestled understands the resilience it builds andthe capacity it instills to overcome obstacles.
(07:54):
Wrestling gave Jonathan an advantage he carriedthroughout every phase of his life. After
graduating from sh Shippensburg University, heleft for California with his secret superpower.
California represented the unknown. Pennsylvania washis heart and soul, but he needed
to test himself against the best inthe world. His first week in the
(08:15):
Golden State was brutal. He arrivedwith two hundred dollars to his name,
slept on a park bench, andwent to a pre ranged job at Red
Robin as a waiter. The jobwas no longer available, but as fate
would have it, the Red Robinmascot quit hours earlier. Jonathan Koch was
the new Red Robin mascot during hisfirst day in California, wearing a snug
(08:37):
fitting bird suit. Eventually led towork with the Barbara Cameron Agency and a
meeting with merv Griffin that led tothe creation of Asylum Entertainment with his partner
Steve Michaels. There was a timehe went on hunger strike to get Sharon
Stone to read a script, anoutrageous move in the entertainment industry. Was
a normal week during the wrestling season. Jonathan sold his company twenty fourteen,
(09:00):
but the following year, at theage of forty nine, he went into
septic shock at a producer's conference inWashington, d C. The prognosis was
so grimed that doctors told him thatdeath was imminent and final goodbyes were in
order. Doctors had no idea whatlived inside a wrestler who is never bound
by limitations and he was examined thehuman condition. Perhaps nothing explores it more
(09:22):
thoroughly and more honestly than wrestling.Multiple surgeries took all or part of four
limbs, including his right leg andleft hand. Jonathan was the recipient of
the world's eighty first hand transplant,but he opted out of a second as
a reminder of everything he endured.Most people don't know how to fight against
unthinkable odds, but Jonathan's daily struggleled to his most meaningful work. Today,
(09:46):
he spends his life teaching others howto fight. Jonathan has his own
set of superpowers. He assumes thepower of a friend when he or she
dies. He can feel someone's painin a crowd. Occasionally he wi ask
a stranger, are you all right? Jonathan makes you feel like you can
fly in his presence, but hewon't use a private jet so he doesn't
(10:07):
get detached from his Pennsylvania roots.Jonathan is among those rare and fleeting few
whose words match his actions. Heis completely and fully invested in the success
of others, and in that hehas found success beyond the numbers or gross
sales or a person's public perception standsa human being capable of changing his or
her surroundings. Purpose isn't found throughthe volume of one's work. It's founded
(10:31):
hidden conversations and moments unseen by themasses. One's accomplishments are only as strong
and as meaningful as the person behindthem. People often seek numerical validation as
a measure of one's life. Howmany movies you've made, how many followers
you've obtained, how many halls offame you've entered. More movies, more
(10:52):
famous people, and more fame won'tmake you a better person. The measure
of a man is how he buildsup others around him, and as we
grapple the perplexities of this day andage, Jonathan continues to invest our most
valuable currency each other. Accomplishments arebased on results relationships. Examine who we
are. How you are recognized,ends, how you are remembered, endures.
(11:16):
Remember this about Jonathan kotch What you'reable to do and what you're capable
of doing your two different things.Overcoming obstacles makes a person heroic, and
Jonathan kotch U's wrestling to create amountain where he stands high above the rest.
Thank you for recognizing Jonathan with thishonor. He's the definition of courage.
(11:45):
Good evening, everyone, Welcome,Welcome to the twenty twenty four Hall
of Fame Induction of honorees. We'redelighted to have you here with us this
weekend and this evening. I'm happynow to bring to the podium the Chairman
(12:07):
of the Board of the Governors ofthe National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Tom
Slowey. Good evening, actually,great evening on behalf of the NASHA Wrestling
Hall of Fame. Welcome to theforty seventh Honors Induction ceremony. This evening's
(12:28):
turnout is certainly a testimony through theexceptional individuals we honor this evening, but
also to the fantastic and loyal supportof our wrestling community. So thank you
for being here. The NASA WrestlingHall of Fame is grateful you're with us
to celebrate the class of twenty twentyfour inductees. This is a very special
(12:52):
time as we recognize and enshrine oursports very best and honor their extraordinary achievements.
The class of tenty twenty four inducteesare an inspiration to us all Their
life pass and accomplishments offer positive guidanceand examples to us all, and especially
to our country's youth and future leaders. The National Wrestling Hall of Famer is
(13:15):
privileged to host and celebrate honors weekendwith them. As we all know,
wrestling teaches invaluable lessons. It alsoinstills positive traits that serve us well over
a lifetime. Determination, commitment,perseverance, persistence, and resilience, to
name just a few. And soas we move forward in life, we
(13:41):
are well prepared to manage the challengesand opportunities that we want encounter with purpose
and excellence, and as leaders asan example for others to follow on,
behalf of the sponsors Volunteers, NationalWrestling Hall of Fame Staff, Board of
Governors, Governors Associates. Thank youfor sharing this evening with us as we
(14:07):
proudly celebrate the Class of twenty twentyfour. Thank you, Metal of Courage
recipient Jonathan Kotch. So, I'venoticed wrestlers tend to give the sport credit
for characteristics that they embody. Itend to think people who embody those characteristics
(14:31):
choose wrestling. I mean, certainlyit builds character and people who don't come
to sport with those things, butI do think it is the type of
sport that chases people away who don'thave those characteristics. So yeah, I
mean, certainly, resilience is somethingI mean, John w always had,
but being a part of that programand wanting to win not just for yourself
(14:58):
but for others is just a uniqueexperience. And the selflessness and cutting the
weight. He went through all thatand certainly it helped. But I think,
you know, he wasn't the finishedproduct before the sport took him over,
but he was certainly well in hisway. I'm not an accomplished wrestler
on the mat, but everything thatI've ever accomplished just because of wrestling.
(15:22):
It's because of tenacity. It's becauseof resilience, it's because of strength,
it's because of honoring your commitment toyourself and honoring your commitment to the people
that you even care about. Thatall came from wrestling. Wrestling is really
about the difference between what you're ableto do and what you're capable of doing.
(15:46):
Every wrestler that I know leans towardstheir capability, not their ability.
So I've never lost it. Youknow, I'm more a wrestler today than
I was when I actually competed I'vecarried wrestling with me my entire life.
I really got to become good friendswith John and high school we were on
(16:07):
the same wrestling team. The roomwas about a matt maybe a matt in
a quarter, and we probably hadforty five fifty guys. So you didn't
get to go all the time.You have always you know, you do
shark bright, you can do groupsof three, groups of four. You
know. We never lost a matchfor three years, and that was in
Pennsylvania, so that was quite anaccomplishment. In a paper of the Centaur
(16:30):
Daily Times would cover us extensively,and we had was called Murderers Row and
these were just a group of wrestlersthat they weren't going to lose. And
I remember for a match he wentout and bought hats for every single person.
I found out about the John's diseaseand had we had spoken on the
(16:52):
phone and he just sold his company, Sylum Entertainment. We were like giddy.
I was giddy for him and Iwas like, oh my god.
So it was obviously it did reallywell, and uh and I'd been following
the progress of it, and I, you know, over the movies and
all the things that came out.I just I just I just was I
was more excited for that, andhe was, and he was more excited
(17:12):
for my wrestling career than I was. And and so when he saw it
was a big deal, and heheaded off to DC and he said,
I'll call you when I get back. And I said, all right,
because you're starting to program it.So the U c l A or whatever.
I was just kidding around and Ididn't hear from and I called left
a message and called the fil inlast minutes. I was like, Hey,
(17:33):
what the heck is going on here? Don't big time me all of
a sudden, you know, youknow, and uh, I don't know.
Maybe a couple of weeks later,he calls me and his voice is
very shallow. After I woke upfrom my coma, I could see my
reflection in the faces of the peoplestanding around me that it was really,
(17:55):
really bad. So the doctor's explainedto me what had happened, which was
basically that like frostbite, that Ihad heart failure, kidney failure, lung
failure, liver failure, and thereason that they woke me up from the
coma was to make sure that mybrain was still working. Jennifer literally convinced
(18:15):
the doctors to try to save mewhen they really didn't have a reason to
try based on what they saw medically. She told them that I would fight
really hard and that I would makethem laugh, and you know that it
was worth it, And so theytried. And then the doctors explained to
me that there were going to beamputations. I mean, nobody wants to
(18:38):
hear that we're going to amputate yourfingers, We're going to amputate your toes,
We're going to amputate you below theknee on one side, and then
we're going to have to amputate oneof your hands off. I mean,
that's a really hard truth to take. I said, Okay, it wasn't
whoe me. It wasn't I don'twant to do this. It wasn't a
(19:02):
denial. It's like, okay,when can we do this? Let's move
on. Jennifer and I divided ourmedical team into two parts, the want
twos and the haf tos. Andanybody that had to be there but didn't
want to be there, we askedthem to be replaced on our team because
I needed I run on positive energyand I needed the want twos there.
(19:23):
He knew that we were going todo the transplant, so we did his
amputations with the final transplant in mind, meaning that we kept structures long and
then we could reattach everything ideally togetheran imperfect anatomic alignment. And it was
a team of partnership. It wasn'tthat much different than my wrestling team.
(19:45):
I knew I was capable of doingmuch more for them than I would do
for myself. I just knew thateverybody on that team was counting on me
to do my best, and Iwas counting on them, and the results
really didn't matter, That wasn't it. It was the effort. So I
was trained for that. You knowevery day, you know, when I
(20:06):
think about wrestlers, I have theutmost respect in that you're able to push
yourself to the limits and beyond,and you do this willingly. Nobody's forcing
you to do it. And thatwas Jonathan. It's pushing himself to the
limit every time. And he issuch an incredible passionate person about wrestling that
(20:36):
this was a truly fitting honor tohim. He's chronically positive, He's incredibly
goal and task oriented. He focuseson what he can do, and he
doesn't let anything else get in theway. I still work and produce.
I still train every day. Ijump somewhere, but you know, I
(20:56):
jump a thousand to two thousand ropesevery day. I train as hard as
I can because I know that inmy situation and maybe everybody's situation, that
if you're not climbing or falling,at least that's how I look at it.
So I'm always climbing. Every timehe exercises, he's doing a set,
(21:17):
he takes himself to exhaustion that hethinks he can't do anymore, and
he does a few more, andhe does it for his donor, an
honor of his donor, and hesays, they gave so that I can
be better, and I'm going togive for them. And I established a
scholarship fund for doctors who want toget into this field from all over the
world in his name, the JeffreyBauer Fund. Friends, what an honor
(21:56):
it is to invite Jonathan to comeforward with his presenter, longtime friend and
high school teammate, Rob Cole.Hello, everyone, it's an incredible honor
(23:03):
to be here. I'm not sayingthat because that's what you're supposed to say
when you're up here, I meanit. I love being around this community
more than any other community I've encounteredin my life, and it always feels
like home when I come here orwhen I come and be around you guys.
First and foremost, I want toexpress my deep love and gratitude to
(23:26):
my wife Jennifer, who's watching athome, and my daughter Arianna, who
is also watching at home, andI know they wanted to be here,
but they're always here with me.You know, I'm way more successful than
I am, talented by a lot, and it's not difficult to figure out
(23:48):
why. It's because of what we'veall been taught. You guys are all
made out of exactly the same thingI am. I've just been put in
a situation to take it on ahuge challenge and use the things that we've
learned our entire lives to take iton. And I'm grateful for the opportunity.
There's so many people sacrificed for meto even be standing here in the
(24:12):
first place, you know, allthe way through my life, of course,
all the doctors. But I reallyI don't want to spend my time
thanking everybody, because there are nounspoken words between me and the people that
I love. I tell them howmuch I love and care about them and
appreciate them so much. They're probablysick of hearing it. They're like,
(24:34):
we know you love us and appreciateus, So I'm not going to take
this time. I just want totell you a brief story that's as much
about you as it is about me. Getting sick came out of the blue.
I was really probably at the healthiestpoint in my life as far as
I felt, and one day Ijust didn't feel good. I told my
(24:56):
wife, I felt like I hadbeen hit by a truck. But I
had to go to this conference inWashington, d C. It's like speed
dating between producers and networks and wepitch and it's an important time in our
industry. So I just had togo. And so I went there and
I woke up in the morning.I went downstairs and I was pitching some
(25:18):
show to Discovery Channel, and Iknow there was only one executive there,
but I saw three of her,and I pitched to the one in the
middle because I was pretty sure thatwas the right one. And afterwards I
got up without telling anybody, andI wandered out front of the hotel and
I went to the hospital. Thankfully, they took me at George Washington University
Hospital, which is a teaching hospital, so you start off with doogie howser
(25:42):
and then the more serious things get, you get more experienced doctors. And
I ended up in the presence ofdoctor Abel, who in my mind was
vicious, wicked witch of the Westlook long nails, sharp teeth. I
(26:03):
didn't know at the time, butI didn't have a lot of oxygen in
my body and especially in my brain, so I wasn't thinking straight and I
was saying some terrible things to her, things that are completely out of my
character, and she told me whatthey were afterwards, and I was pretty
horrified. I won't take you throughthe whole thing, but it was a
war, and we all, mywife and my daughter and my friends,
(26:26):
we all took it without any thoughtof why did this happen. We just
always asked the question that I alwaysask which is what do we do now?
And after Jennifer, my wife,convinced those doctors to try to save
me, even though they said thatthere was no reason to try. I
felt very strongly about building a team. You know that each of us had
(26:48):
our jobs, but then we weregoing to do it together, much like
a wrestling team, which what Ilearned about wrestling. So we went through
this whole process. And then asthey were getting ready to transfer me to
a male clinic, all the doctors, all the orderlies, all the nurses,
people who were not even working thatday, they were coming in,
almost like a scene from Rudy.They were just piling into my room and
(27:11):
giving me scarves and hats and whateverand wishing me luck and you know,
but luckily doctor Abel wasn't there,because I was kind of nervous to see
her. I really knew that Iwasn't very nice to her, and I
thought she was mean and vicious.And then suddenly at the door appeared this
(27:34):
five foot one, tiny, sweetlooking blonde woman, and I knew immediately
it was her. I don't knowhow, but I just knew immediately it
was her. And then she askedeverybody to leave, and I knew I
was going to get a talking toabout how I behaved and well deserved.
(27:56):
She closed the door behind after everybodyhad gone, and she turned around and
she had tears rolling down her face, and she walked over to me,
and I had a trache out ofme. I couldn't talk, I couldn't
say anything. So I did alot of listening in that moment, and
she said, you know, you'rethe sickest person that I will ever see
(28:19):
leave this hospital. And you changethe way that I feel about being a
doctor. You change the way weall feel about being doctors. And I
really just I don't know how youdid it. I just can't explain it.
When people ask me why you're stillhere, I can't explain it.
(28:40):
And in that moment, not beingable to generate very many words and no
voice at all, I asked herto come closer, and I whispered in
her ear. I'm a wrestler,and that's how I feel about you guys,
and about all of this, andto being able to be part of
(29:03):
this community has meant the world tome. My high school coach, Lend
Rocky is here. He didn't evenknow how much he meant to me until
I told him. I'm sure itwas shocking because a few things that he
said changed my life forever, andI use those two things to change other
people's lives forever. And so Ijust want to express my gratitude that you're
(29:25):
proud of me as a wrestler,not for my wrestling, but as a
wrestler, and thank you very much. Legends is a presentation of the National
(30:02):
Wrestling Hall of Fame and produced bythe matt Talk podcast network. If you
want to hear more from wrestling's Legends, contribute to the project today by going
to matttalkonline dot com slash contribute.We hope you've enjoyed this look in the
wrestling history. This has been Legends. I'm Jason Bryant,
From the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. This is Legends. Is Legends.
I'm Jason Bryant. Prepare for ajourney through wrestling's past, present, and
future. As we'll hear are thegreat stories of wrestling and success from the
true legends of the sport here onHall of Fame Legends. So, without
(00:34):
any more ado, let's go aheadand get started. I might say that
we hope everyone enjoyed the meal andnow it's time for the program to begin.
This is another opportunity for us tolearn more about this special group of
individuals who we are honoring this weekend. We're going to hear from those who
know them the best, and that'stheir family and their friends. Each of
(00:55):
the speakers will be allowed to talkfor five minutes. Unfortunately, there will
be no injury timeouts and we don'thave any time for overtimes. Every year
we have the opportunity to introduce youto our Meddle of the Courage Recipient.
This award is given to a wrestleror a former wrestler who has overcome what
appears to be insurmountable challenges and whosestory provides an inspiration to others. Our
(01:21):
recipient this year is Jonathan Coach.Speaking on behalf of Jonathan is Mark Waters,
one of the first people Jonathan metwhen he moved to Los Angeles and
who has become a great friend.I've known Jonathan for over thirty five years
(01:47):
now, and it is my greathonor to be able to honor him and
to be able to tell you afew things about him. I want to
confess right off the bat that Iam not a wrestler, but I have
become a fan elsely because of hispassion for the sport, which is contagious
and one of the things I lookforward to all year as I fly out.
(02:08):
And we watched the championships together inCalifornia every year. We used to
watch the Super Bowl together, butwe replaced it with wrestling, which is
much better. I don't remember howlong after we first became friends, so
long ago that he told me thathe had been a wrestler, but I
(02:29):
don't remember a time that I didn'tknow that about him. It's always been
very important to him, no matterwhat else he's accomplished in his life in
television and all the amazing ways thathe's been successful, which is an incredible
story all on its own. Beinga wrestler is always one of the things
(02:50):
that I know he's most proud of. Back when we first met, he
talks a lot about wrestling, andI really didn't understand why that was such
a big deal. The more Iwatch, the more I understand as a
spectator, I can't fully know whatit's like to compete as a wrestler from
(03:13):
what I see and I know aboutmy friend and what I watch as I
watch the tournaments, it clearly requiresa special kind of spirit within a person
to become a wrestler in the firstplace. Over the last few years,
I've watched Jonathan endure things so horrificI can't imagine. And it wouldn't even
(03:35):
be appropriate to explain all the thingsthat I've seen him go through here,
but they're terrible. He's had partof every limb severed from his body.
Amazingly, through it all, Idon't remember him ever complaining. He's always
remained the same positive, great natureguy that I've always known. In fact,
(03:59):
if anything, he seemed delighted withhis new found license to make amputee
jokes, which she seemed to delightin. Next came a hand transplant.
A hand transplant I still can't wrapmy brain around that they cut off his
hand and put someone else's hand on, and he had to go through years
(04:24):
and is still really working hard tomake that work and still no complaining.
It's amazing. If anything, he'shappy about. In addition to the amputee
humor, the ability to make jokesabout having to live with another man's hand.
And I won't be repeating any ofthose jokes here. The point about
(04:51):
the jokes is his body has beenbroken, but I have never once seen
his spirit broken. I saw thespirit of a warrior. I saw the
spirit of a wrestler, the kindof person that chooses to compete in a
sport where you have to face youropponent alone, with no one to help
(05:14):
you when you get in trouble,and no one to blame but yourself when
you lose. The kind of personwho understands that at a young age and
still says, yeah, I'll dothat. I want to be a wrestler.
I think that's a unique kind ofperson. Today, my friend is
being honored with the Medal of Couragebecause of what he's overcome, But his
courage goes so much deeper than anyof that. As long as I've known
(05:39):
him, he's been the guy wholooked at every area of his life it
goals that few others would think possible, and challenges most people would collapse under,
and just said, yeah, Ican do that. I'm a wrestler.
No matter the size of the challenge, the risk of failure, the
severity of the pain, failure hasjust never been an eye option for Jonathan.
(06:01):
And by the way, for him, you can multiply all of that
by a thousand if you throw intothe mix a friend in need. There
is no better friend, and thereis nothing that he wouldn't do for a
friend. There's a quote that's widelyattributed to Aristotle, and I think it's
(06:21):
actually a paraphrase, but I likeit anyway, and I feel very smart
when I quote Aristotle. The beautyof the human soul shines when a man
overcomes adversity with composure, not becausehe doesn't feel the pain, but by
enduring it, he reveals his highand heroic character. That's Jonathan. Jonathan
(06:43):
is the bravest man I have everknown, and I think it's fitting that
he's finally getting a medal for it. Thank you, And now we'll hear
more about Jonathan from Kyle Klingman ofFlow Wrestling, who submitted the nomination for
(07:06):
Jonathan to receive the Medal of Courage, got something for me? Oh you're
here, just check it. Howdo you dig yourself out of a hole
and beld a mountain? The lifeof Jonathan Kotch offers insights into a uniquely
(07:27):
courageous path After a life altering setback, he can say with certainty that wrestling
made his life and saved his life. Wrestling prepared Jonathan for a fight he
never knew he would have to endure, and the lessons he learned in a
small high school wrestling room endured longafter his final practice. Anyone who has
wrestled understands the resilience it builds andthe capacity it instills to overcome obstacles.
(07:54):
Wrestling gave Jonathan an advantage he carriedthroughout every phase of his life. After
graduating from sh Shippensburg University, heleft for California with his secret superpower.
California represented the unknown. Pennsylvania washis heart and soul, but he needed
to test himself against the best inthe world. His first week in the
(08:15):
Golden State was brutal. He arrivedwith two hundred dollars to his name,
slept on a park bench, andwent to a pre ranged job at Red
Robin as a waiter. The jobwas no longer available, but as fate
would have it, the Red Robinmascot quit hours earlier. Jonathan Koch was
the new Red Robin mascot during hisfirst day in California, wearing a snug
(08:37):
fitting bird suit. Eventually led towork with the Barbara Cameron Agency and a
meeting with merv Griffin that led tothe creation of Asylum Entertainment with his partner
Steve Michaels. There was a timehe went on hunger strike to get Sharon
Stone to read a script, anoutrageous move in the entertainment industry. Was
a normal week during the wrestling season. Jonathan sold his company twenty fourteen,
(09:00):
but the following year, at theage of forty nine, he went into
septic shock at a producer's conference inWashington, d C. The prognosis was
so grimed that doctors told him thatdeath was imminent and final goodbyes were in
order. Doctors had no idea whatlived inside a wrestler who is never bound
by limitations and he was examined thehuman condition. Perhaps nothing explores it more
(09:22):
thoroughly and more honestly than wrestling.Multiple surgeries took all or part of four
limbs, including his right leg andleft hand. Jonathan was the recipient of
the world's eighty first hand transplant,but he opted out of a second as
a reminder of everything he endured.Most people don't know how to fight against
unthinkable odds, but Jonathan's daily struggleled to his most meaningful work. Today,
(09:46):
he spends his life teaching others howto fight. Jonathan has his own
set of superpowers. He assumes thepower of a friend when he or she
dies. He can feel someone's painin a crowd. Occasionally he wi ask
a stranger, are you all right? Jonathan makes you feel like you can
fly in his presence, but hewon't use a private jet so he doesn't
(10:07):
get detached from his Pennsylvania roots.Jonathan is among those rare and fleeting few
whose words match his actions. Heis completely and fully invested in the success
of others, and in that hehas found success beyond the numbers or gross
sales or a person's public perception standsa human being capable of changing his or
her surroundings. Purpose isn't found throughthe volume of one's work. It's founded
(10:31):
hidden conversations and moments unseen by themasses. One's accomplishments are only as strong
and as meaningful as the person behindthem. People often seek numerical validation as
a measure of one's life. Howmany movies you've made, how many followers
you've obtained, how many halls offame you've entered. More movies, more
(10:52):
famous people, and more fame won'tmake you a better person. The measure
of a man is how he buildsup others around him, and as we
grapple the perplexities of this day andage, Jonathan continues to invest our most
valuable currency each other. Accomplishments arebased on results relationships. Examine who we
are. How you are recognized,ends, how you are remembered, endures.
(11:16):
Remember this about Jonathan kotch What you'reable to do and what you're capable
of doing your two different things.Overcoming obstacles makes a person heroic, and
Jonathan kotch U's wrestling to create amountain where he stands high above the rest.
Thank you for recognizing Jonathan with thishonor. He's the definition of courage.
(11:45):
Good evening, everyone, Welcome,Welcome to the twenty twenty four Hall
of Fame Induction of honorees. We'redelighted to have you here with us this
weekend and this evening. I'm happynow to bring to the podium the Chairman
(12:07):
of the Board of the Governors ofthe National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Tom
Slowey. Good evening, actually,great evening on behalf of the NASHA Wrestling
Hall of Fame. Welcome to theforty seventh Honors Induction ceremony. This evening's
(12:28):
turnout is certainly a testimony through theexceptional individuals we honor this evening, but
also to the fantastic and loyal supportof our wrestling community. So thank you
for being here. The NASA WrestlingHall of Fame is grateful you're with us
to celebrate the class of twenty twentyfour inductees. This is a very special
(12:52):
time as we recognize and enshrine oursports very best and honor their extraordinary achievements.
The class of tenty twenty four inducteesare an inspiration to us all Their
life pass and accomplishments offer positive guidanceand examples to us all, and especially
to our country's youth and future leaders. The National Wrestling Hall of Famer is
(13:15):
privileged to host and celebrate honors weekendwith them. As we all know,
wrestling teaches invaluable lessons. It alsoinstills positive traits that serve us well over
a lifetime. Determination, commitment,perseverance, persistence, and resilience, to
name just a few. And soas we move forward in life, we
(13:41):
are well prepared to manage the challengesand opportunities that we want encounter with purpose
and excellence, and as leaders asan example for others to follow on,
behalf of the sponsors Volunteers, NationalWrestling Hall of Fame Staff, Board of
Governors, Governors Associates. Thank youfor sharing this evening with us as we
(14:07):
proudly celebrate the Class of twenty twentyfour. Thank you, Metal of Courage
recipient Jonathan Kotch. So, I'venoticed wrestlers tend to give the sport credit
for characteristics that they embody. Itend to think people who embody those characteristics
(14:31):
choose wrestling. I mean, certainlyit builds character and people who don't come
to sport with those things, butI do think it is the type of
sport that chases people away who don'thave those characteristics. So yeah, I
mean, certainly, resilience is somethingI mean, John w always had,
but being a part of that programand wanting to win not just for yourself
(14:58):
but for others is just a uniqueexperience. And the selflessness and cutting the
weight. He went through all thatand certainly it helped. But I think,
you know, he wasn't the finishedproduct before the sport took him over,
but he was certainly well in hisway. I'm not an accomplished wrestler
on the mat, but everything thatI've ever accomplished just because of wrestling.
(15:22):
It's because of tenacity. It's becauseof resilience, it's because of strength,
it's because of honoring your commitment toyourself and honoring your commitment to the people
that you even care about. Thatall came from wrestling. Wrestling is really
about the difference between what you're ableto do and what you're capable of doing.
(15:46):
Every wrestler that I know leans towardstheir capability, not their ability.
So I've never lost it. Youknow, I'm more a wrestler today than
I was when I actually competed I'vecarried wrestling with me my entire life.
I really got to become good friendswith John and high school we were on
(16:07):
the same wrestling team. The roomwas about a matt maybe a matt in
a quarter, and we probably hadforty five fifty guys. So you didn't
get to go all the time.You have always you know, you do
shark bright, you can do groupsof three, groups of four. You
know. We never lost a matchfor three years, and that was in
Pennsylvania, so that was quite anaccomplishment. In a paper of the Centaur
(16:30):
Daily Times would cover us extensively,and we had was called Murderers Row and
these were just a group of wrestlersthat they weren't going to lose. And
I remember for a match he wentout and bought hats for every single person.
I found out about the John's diseaseand had we had spoken on the
(16:52):
phone and he just sold his company, Sylum Entertainment. We were like giddy.
I was giddy for him and Iwas like, oh my god.
So it was obviously it did reallywell, and uh and I'd been following
the progress of it, and I, you know, over the movies and
all the things that came out.I just I just I just was I
was more excited for that, andhe was, and he was more excited
(17:12):
for my wrestling career than I was. And and so when he saw it
was a big deal, and heheaded off to DC and he said,
I'll call you when I get back. And I said, all right,
because you're starting to program it.So the U c l A or whatever.
I was just kidding around and Ididn't hear from and I called left
a message and called the fil inlast minutes. I was like, Hey,
(17:33):
what the heck is going on here? Don't big time me all of
a sudden, you know, youknow, and uh, I don't know.
Maybe a couple of weeks later,he calls me and his voice is
very shallow. After I woke upfrom my coma, I could see my
reflection in the faces of the peoplestanding around me that it was really,
(17:55):
really bad. So the doctor's explainedto me what had happened, which was
basically that like frostbite, that Ihad heart failure, kidney failure, lung
failure, liver failure, and thereason that they woke me up from the
coma was to make sure that mybrain was still working. Jennifer literally convinced
(18:15):
the doctors to try to save mewhen they really didn't have a reason to
try based on what they saw medically. She told them that I would fight
really hard and that I would makethem laugh, and you know that it
was worth it, And so theytried. And then the doctors explained to
me that there were going to beamputations. I mean, nobody wants to
(18:38):
hear that we're going to amputate yourfingers, We're going to amputate your toes,
We're going to amputate you below theknee on one side, and then
we're going to have to amputate oneof your hands off. I mean,
that's a really hard truth to take. I said, Okay, it wasn't
whoe me. It wasn't I don'twant to do this. It wasn't a
(19:02):
denial. It's like, okay,when can we do this? Let's move
on. Jennifer and I divided ourmedical team into two parts, the want
twos and the haf tos. Andanybody that had to be there but didn't
want to be there, we askedthem to be replaced on our team because
I needed I run on positive energyand I needed the want twos there.
(19:23):
He knew that we were going todo the transplant, so we did his
amputations with the final transplant in mind, meaning that we kept structures long and
then we could reattach everything ideally togetheran imperfect anatomic alignment. And it was
a team of partnership. It wasn'tthat much different than my wrestling team.
(19:45):
I knew I was capable of doingmuch more for them than I would do
for myself. I just knew thateverybody on that team was counting on me
to do my best, and Iwas counting on them, and the results
really didn't matter, That wasn't it. It was the effort. So I
was trained for that. You knowevery day, you know, when I
(20:06):
think about wrestlers, I have theutmost respect in that you're able to push
yourself to the limits and beyond,and you do this willingly. Nobody's forcing
you to do it. And thatwas Jonathan. It's pushing himself to the
limit every time. And he issuch an incredible passionate person about wrestling that
(20:36):
this was a truly fitting honor tohim. He's chronically positive, He's incredibly
goal and task oriented. He focuseson what he can do, and he
doesn't let anything else get in theway. I still work and produce.
I still train every day. Ijump somewhere, but you know, I
(20:56):
jump a thousand to two thousand ropesevery day. I train as hard as
I can because I know that inmy situation and maybe everybody's situation, that
if you're not climbing or falling,at least that's how I look at it.
So I'm always climbing. Every timehe exercises, he's doing a set,
(21:17):
he takes himself to exhaustion that hethinks he can't do anymore, and
he does a few more, andhe does it for his donor, an
honor of his donor, and hesays, they gave so that I can
be better, and I'm going togive for them. And I established a
scholarship fund for doctors who want toget into this field from all over the
world in his name, the JeffreyBauer Fund. Friends, what an honor
(21:56):
it is to invite Jonathan to comeforward with his presenter, longtime friend and
high school teammate, Rob Cole.Hello, everyone, it's an incredible honor
(23:03):
to be here. I'm not sayingthat because that's what you're supposed to say
when you're up here, I meanit. I love being around this community
more than any other community I've encounteredin my life, and it always feels
like home when I come here orwhen I come and be around you guys.
First and foremost, I want toexpress my deep love and gratitude to
(23:26):
my wife Jennifer, who's watching athome, and my daughter Arianna, who
is also watching at home, andI know they wanted to be here,
but they're always here with me.You know, I'm way more successful than
I am, talented by a lot, and it's not difficult to figure out
(23:48):
why. It's because of what we'veall been taught. You guys are all
made out of exactly the same thingI am. I've just been put in
a situation to take it on ahuge challenge and use the things that we've
learned our entire lives to take iton. And I'm grateful for the opportunity.
There's so many people sacrificed for meto even be standing here in the
(24:12):
first place, you know, allthe way through my life, of course,
all the doctors. But I reallyI don't want to spend my time
thanking everybody, because there are nounspoken words between me and the people that
I love. I tell them howmuch I love and care about them and
appreciate them so much. They're probablysick of hearing it. They're like,
(24:34):
we know you love us and appreciateus, So I'm not going to take
this time. I just want totell you a brief story that's as much
about you as it is about me. Getting sick came out of the blue.
I was really probably at the healthiestpoint in my life as far as
I felt, and one day Ijust didn't feel good. I told my
(24:56):
wife, I felt like I hadbeen hit by a truck. But I
had to go to this conference inWashington, d C. It's like speed
dating between producers and networks and wepitch and it's an important time in our
industry. So I just had togo. And so I went there and
I woke up in the morning.I went downstairs and I was pitching some
(25:18):
show to Discovery Channel, and Iknow there was only one executive there,
but I saw three of her,and I pitched to the one in the
middle because I was pretty sure thatwas the right one. And afterwards I
got up without telling anybody, andI wandered out front of the hotel and
I went to the hospital. Thankfully, they took me at George Washington University
Hospital, which is a teaching hospital, so you start off with doogie howser
(25:42):
and then the more serious things get, you get more experienced doctors. And
I ended up in the presence ofdoctor Abel, who in my mind was
vicious, wicked witch of the Westlook long nails, sharp teeth. I
(26:03):
didn't know at the time, butI didn't have a lot of oxygen in
my body and especially in my brain, so I wasn't thinking straight and I
was saying some terrible things to her, things that are completely out of my
character, and she told me whatthey were afterwards, and I was pretty
horrified. I won't take you throughthe whole thing, but it was a
war, and we all, mywife and my daughter and my friends,
(26:26):
we all took it without any thoughtof why did this happen. We just
always asked the question that I alwaysask which is what do we do now?
And after Jennifer, my wife,convinced those doctors to try to save
me, even though they said thatthere was no reason to try. I
felt very strongly about building a team. You know that each of us had
(26:48):
our jobs, but then we weregoing to do it together, much like
a wrestling team, which what Ilearned about wrestling. So we went through
this whole process. And then asthey were getting ready to transfer me to
a male clinic, all the doctors, all the orderlies, all the nurses,
people who were not even working thatday, they were coming in,
almost like a scene from Rudy.They were just piling into my room and
(27:11):
giving me scarves and hats and whateverand wishing me luck and you know,
but luckily doctor Abel wasn't there,because I was kind of nervous to see
her. I really knew that Iwasn't very nice to her, and I
thought she was mean and vicious.And then suddenly at the door appeared this
(27:34):
five foot one, tiny, sweetlooking blonde woman, and I knew immediately
it was her. I don't knowhow, but I just knew immediately it
was her. And then she askedeverybody to leave, and I knew I
was going to get a talking toabout how I behaved and well deserved.
(27:56):
She closed the door behind after everybodyhad gone, and she turned around and
she had tears rolling down her face, and she walked over to me,
and I had a trache out ofme. I couldn't talk, I couldn't
say anything. So I did alot of listening in that moment, and
she said, you know, you'rethe sickest person that I will ever see
(28:19):
leave this hospital. And you changethe way that I feel about being a
doctor. You change the way weall feel about being doctors. And I
really just I don't know how youdid it. I just can't explain it.
When people ask me why you're stillhere, I can't explain it.
(28:40):
And in that moment, not beingable to generate very many words and no
voice at all, I asked herto come closer, and I whispered in
her ear. I'm a wrestler,and that's how I feel about you guys,
and about all of this, andto being able to be part of
(29:03):
this community has meant the world tome. My high school coach, Lend
Rocky is here. He didn't evenknow how much he meant to me until
I told him. I'm sure itwas shocking because a few things that he
said changed my life forever, andI use those two things to change other
people's lives forever. And so Ijust want to express my gratitude that you're
(29:25):
proud of me as a wrestler,not for my wrestling, but as a
wrestler, and thank you very much. Legends is a presentation of the National
(30:02):
Wrestling Hall of Fame and produced bythe matt Talk podcast network. If you
want to hear more from wrestling's Legends, contribute to the project today by going
to matttalkonline dot com slash contribute.We hope you've enjoyed this look in the
wrestling history. This has been Legends. I'm Jason Bryant,
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