AJ Buckley Show

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Justin Melnick: From Canine Officer to SEAL Team, Dita's Legacy & The Heart of the Beast Nov 03, 2026

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What happens when a canine officer who had never owned a dog, never acted, and never imagined Hollywood gets a phone call that changes everything? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Justin Melnick, the man behind Brock Reynolds on SEAL Team, whose journey from Truckee to New Orleans with $200,000 worth of gear, a Belgian Malinois named Dita, and zero acting experience became one of the most beloved stories in television history. This conversation is raw, emotional, and packed with wisdom about dogs, fatherhood, loss, and what it means to show up for the men and women who serve this country.

Justin opens up about the call from Matt Bissonnette and Tyler Grey in 2017, the moment he realized they were talking about the same project, and the decision to ship all of his equipment overnight from New York to New Orleans for the SEAL Team pilot. He shares the story of flying to New York, packing eight giant Husky cases with $200,000 worth of real Special Operations gear, jumping back on a plane to LA, grabbing Dita, and driving straight to New Orleans within 48 hours. Justin walks AJ through his first day on set, the moment AJ told him to stop talking when they called action, and Ed Redlich walking up to him and saying, you look like a Navy SEAL, you look like a movie star, we're making you the dog handler.

Then comes the Dita story. Justin shares how Dita fell into his lap when his roommate, a city canine handler, had to get rid of her due to domestic issues, and Justin said forget that, I'll take her even though he didn't have a car and had never owned a dog in his life. He talks about learning everything from scratch, traveling the world to train with different units, and discovering that Dita was the most intuitive dog he'd ever seen, knowing what he wanted her to do before he gave the command. Justin reflects on how Dita played herself for eight years on SEAL Team with no stunt doubles, no rehearsals, and no bullshit dog tricks, and why she became the highest testing character in the pilot, crushing every actor.

Justin walks AJ through working on The Heart of the Beast with Brad Pitt and David Ayer, reading the script on vacation and crying his face off, and spending time in New Zealand driving on the wrong side of the road through roundabouts. He opens up about fatherhood, why his wife Whitney is his North Star, and why he wants to freeze his son at five years old forever. Justin also shares the story behind the Dita Fund, feeding retired Special Operations dogs adopted by active duty service members, and why we owe everything to the men and women who have kept the fight over there so our families can eat in cafes without suicide vests.

00:00 Intro: Dita, The Hair Missile That Stole America's Heart
04:30 Meeting Justin Melnick: The Call That Changed Everything
05:14 From Tahoe to New Orleans: Shipping $200K of Gear Overnight
07:47 First Day on Set: The Guy Who Didn't Know How to Act
23:43 How Dita Fell Into My Lap: The Dog I Never Planned to Have
24:45 Learning Everything: From Zero Dog Experience to Elite Handler
27:00 Dita's Superpower: The Most Intuitive Dog in Hollywood
29:47 The One Dog Show: How Dita Played Herself for Eight Years
36:25 Season Four: When Dita Didn't Want to Work Anymore
40:50 Saying Goodbye: The Night Dita's Stomach Flipped
49:19 The Heart of the Beast: Working with Brad Pitt & David Ayer
52:35 Driving the Wrong Side: New Zealand & The Roundabouts
56:07 Fatherhood: My Wife Is My North Star
1:02:00 Giving Back: Why We Owe Everything to Our Veterans
1:08:12 The Dita Fund: Feeding Retired Special Operations Dogs

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Grayson Russell Talladega Nights, Faith, Family & Hollywood Nov 01, 2026

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Grayson Russell takes it from the Listening Room in Pigeon Forge “redneck Disneyland by Dollywood to the moment a brutal, true line hit him in Walmart by the salmon. He shares the family truth his dad revealed, why his mom didn’t know, and how it became the song Turned Out Good,” played for crowds from 100 to 30- 40,000 then bringing his dad on stage as the evidence.
They also hit old soul songwriting, Irish ballads, touring, opening for Grammy winners, and the episode’s closing stretch on kids, purpose, and life on the road.
Timestamps:
0:00 Guest: Grayson Russell
3:51 The callback audition
7:51 Miraculous healing story
12:00 Got saved during rehearsals
31:06 “Find who you are”
52:24 Never forced to cross beliefs
58:02 Pigeon Forge listening room
1:00:20 Dad’s childhood abuse revealed
1:01:56 Song: Turned Out Good
1:08:20 Faith is the evidence
1:12:12 Being a dad matters most
1:16:44 Grayson Russell on Spotify
1:17:14 Like, subscribe, follow

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#GraysonRussell #AJBuckley #TalladegaNights #DiaryOfAWimpyKid #ChildActorStory #HollywoodPodcast #ActorInterview #FaithJourney #TurnedOutGood #TrueStorySong #BillyBobThornton

Cory Gregory: The Coal Miner Who Built a $170M Brand, Lost It All & Started Over Oct 27, 2026

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What happens when a fourth generation coal miner who shoveled coal 600 feet underground, eight miles in, decides to walk away from the only life his family has ever known to chase a dream that doesn't even exist yet? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Cory Gregory, the fitness entrepreneur who built Muscle Farm from $1 million to $170 million in sales, lost it all, and came back to build something even more authentic. This conversation is packed with raw honesty, brutal wisdom, and the kind of discipline that only comes from working underground with your back rubbing the ceiling for 93 hours a week.

Cory opens up about growing up in a coal mining family in Ohio, his great grandfather Joseph who died in a coal mine explosion in 1935, and his grandfather who taught him how to lift weights at 12 years old. He shares the story of working underground at 18, shoveling coal on his knees for six to eight hours straight, and the W2 moment when he saw his mom's annual salary and thought, I'm going to make that in a month. Cory talks about the pain of watching his mom struggle to pay $150 rent on a trailer with a caving roof, the decision to save every paycheck and move to Columbus to become a personal trainer, and why Rich Dad Poor Dad and the Abraham Lincoln quote about believing in the unseen changed his life forever.

Then comes the Muscle Farm story. Cory walks AJ through meeting his business partner Brad in 2008, starting with protein, pre workout, and amino acids, and doing $1 million in sales the first year. He shares the moment they did $4 million the next year, then $20 million, then $70 million, and why he thought he could build a $20 million company when he had no idea where that number even came from. Cory talks about raising capital, going public on the OTC, signing UFC fighters at UFC 96, and the lime green and black rebrand that made Muscle Farm look like the Nike of supplements.

Then comes the story of Muscle Island. Cory walks AJ through finding a 1.5 acre island on Zillow that had been untouched since 1866, swimming over to it after seeing it from another island, and standing in the middle of the vines and 100 year old poison ivy asking himself, is this me? He shares the two questions he asked: could you be okay if five years from now someone else did it, and what could this be? Cory talks about buying it in two weeks with part owner financing, getting two of the three utilities under the water in four months, and building a shipping container house and gym with four 40 foot containers and two 20 foot containers.

00:00 Intro: Arnold's Office, Life-Size Predator & The Magazine That Changed Everything
06:20 Ireland, Guinness on Tap & The Culture of Being Present
09:47 Pain From Regret or Pain From Discipline: Lessons From Dad
11:38 Four Generation Coal Miner: The Family Legacy Underground
15:43 600 Feet Down, 8 Miles In: What It's Really Like Underground
26:55 The W2 Moment: I'm Going to Make That in a Month
30:09 Mastering Your Emotions: The Hothead Athlete's Biggest Challenge
1:02:32 The Anabolic Fasting Protocol: How Corey Stays Shredded at 48
1:06:41 The Pump 30 Workout: Why 30 Minutes Is All You Need
1:18:06 Building Muscle Farm: From $1M to $170M in Sales
1:28:32 The Arnold Pitch: Pumping Iron, Bodybuilding.com & 100 Million People
1:32:23 What Arnold Taught Me: No Cap in This Life
1:42:02 Fatherhood: What My Kids Taught Me & The Time That Matters Most
1:44:59 Rachel: The Kindergarten Teacher Who Believed From Day One
1:51:01 Muscle Island: Swimming to an Untouched Island & Trusting Intuition
2:01:10 The Next Level: Coaching Entrepreneurs & Being the Mentor I Never Had
2:01:57 Papa: The World War II Vet Who Taught Me to Lift at 12 Years Old
2:03:59 The Rally Day: 30 Minutes With My Grandfather Before He Died
2:08:23 AI, Analog & Why the Heartbeat Can't Be Replicated

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Discipline, Health and Transformation - Ethan Benard’s Journey for His Future Oct 25, 2026

Show notes

26-year-old Ethan Benard went from 660 lbs to losing over 200 pounds, surviving intubation, beating food addiction, and rebuilding his life for something bigger—his future wife and kids. In this Real Fake Seal episode, Ethan shares his full journey: childhood struggles, gaming escape, Twitch growth, Valorant streams, and the near-death moment that changed everything.
Thank you to everyone who has supported Ethan on his journey—his Twitch community, the gaming fans from League of Legends, Valorant, and Riot’s playtests, and all who’ve encouraged him along the way.
A special thank-you to Chris Pratt, Jocko Willink, Jelly Roll, and Bert Kreischer for taking the time to send Ethan well-wishes. Your kindness truly meant a lot and helped fuel his transformation.
*Timestamps:*
00:00 – They Finally Meet in Person & Talk Future Family
01:28 – “If I Fail, I Fail My Future Family” – Mindset Shift
03:25 – 660 lbs, Self-Hate & Realizing Life Could Be Enjoyed
06:16 – Small-Town Michigan, Antique Jewelry & EMT Dad
08:44 – Only Child, Video Games, Isolation & Early Obesity
16:43 – Danny: A 21-Year Friendship & Lifelong Support
20:40 – From YouTube to Twitch: Renting an Office to Stream
22:40 – The 90-Second Riot Games Trailer That Changed His Career
25:30 – 4,000 Live Viewers, Twitch Rivals & Esports History
27:56 – Twitch Partner Email & Sudden Health Collaps
29:38 – COVID, Pneumonia, Intubation at 580 lbs & Surviving
42:32 – Post-Hospital Depression, Losing Everything & Relapse Cycles
47:24 – “I’ve Lost 200 lbs as an Addict” & Dealing with Online Critics
53:42 – AJ Reaches Out, Coaching, Burnout & Jocko Fuel Partnership
1:01:54 – “I Can’t Fail My Future Family” – Discipline, Mental Health & The Future

Tu Lam: Escaping Vietnam at 3, Becoming a Green Beret & The Journey That Led Him to Christ Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

What happens when a three year old boy escapes Vietnam on a wooden fishing boat, drifts for 30 days left for dead in the South China Sea, survives refugee camps in Indonesia, lands in Fayetteville, North Carolina surrounded by Green Berets, and grows up to become a Special Forces warrior who fights for the oppressed before finding Christ and walking away from everything to share his story? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Tu Lam, the former Green Beret, author of The Way Ronin, and the man whose journey from genocide to grace is packed with raw emotion, brutal honesty, and the kind of wisdom that only comes from dying to your ego and surrendering to God.
Tu opens up about escaping Vietnam at three years old when his family paid a fishing boat to smuggle them out after the fall of South Vietnam in 1974, the 30 days drifting in the South China Sea when their ship broke down, the tropical storm that washed them further out into the ocean, and the Russian supply boat that picked them up and dropped them off at refugee camps in Southern Indonesia. He shares the story of living in a grass hut in the jungle, sleeping on a dirt floor, witnessing murders and survival at four years old, and his uncle who was an American Special Forces Green Beret sponsoring their paperwork to get to the United States after a year and a half.
Tu walks AJ through landing in Fayetteville, North Carolina at five years old, growing up surrounded by Green Berets and Vietnam era warriors, getting picked on and spit on in a predominantly black school, and the moment at 10 years old when he saw a samurai documentary that changed everything. He talks about the power of Bushido, the way of the warrior, Miyamoto Musashi and the Book of Five Rings, and why a broken refugee boy needed that image of discipline and strength. Tu reflects on turning his eyes toward his stepfather at 13 years old and realizing this is the warrior's path, the Special Forces motto de oppresso liber meaning to free the oppressed, and why God put him in a family of Green Berets to understand the mission and give him the tools to go back and fight for the oppressed.
00:00 Intro: Escaping Vietnam at 3 on a Wooden Fishing Boat
00:46 Meeting Tu Lam: From Refugee to Green Beret Warrior
05:35 The Three Minds: Understanding Thought, Heart & Gut
06:48 The Ripple Effect: Life Is Here & Expands Outward
09:04 Letting Go of Thought: The Nine Year Journey
16:25 Childhood Trauma: Refugee Camps & The Subconscious Mind
26:07 From Oppressed to Free: The Special Forces Mission
27:16 Fayetteville & The Samurai: Finding the Warrior's Path at 13
37:32 PTSD & The Enemy's Greatest Weapon: Shame
39:06 God Wakes His Warriors First: The Spiritual Battle
48:53 Psychedelics & Plant Medicine: The Four Year Journey
53:55 Accepting Death: The Light & The Tunnel
57:05 Reincarnation vs. Christ: The Dalai Lama & The Warrior's Death
59:04 The Nine Year Death: Confronting the Shadow
1:08:19 Surrender & The Morning Routine: Feeding Spirit vs. Flesh
1:12:41 Breath Is Reality: Yahweh & The Wisdom in Stillness
1:33:02 The Vessel: Let Your Will Be Done, Father
1:33:57 Your North Star: Wife, Family & Walking with Christ
1:47:08 Emotional Regulation: Conscious of the Subconscious
1:50:40 The Warriors Are Coming: God's Army & AJ's Journey

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Josh Peck: From Child Star to Sobriety at 21 & Finding Peace in Fatherhood Oct 18, 2026

Show notes

What happens when a child star who grew up in front of the world opens up about the real growth that happened when no one was watching? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Josh Peck, the actor, father, YouTuber, entrepreneur, and author whose journey from Drake and Josh to sobriety at 21 and finding peace in fatherhood is packed with raw honesty, brutal wisdom, and the kind of vulnerability that only comes from surviving Hollywood and coming out the other side as a better man.
AJ and Josh dive deep into the reality of being a lifer in this business, the salmon run of surviving 30 years in Hollywood, and why the only true touchstone of who someone is comes from time in the game. Josh reflects on the chaos of show business, the constant struggle of never being comfortable, and why he loves the unpredictability of a career that never makes sense. He talks about the importance of saying no to protect family, the power of no involved with every yes, and why turning down a 12 hour day for a four hour gig was one of the most important decisions he's ever made as a father.
Josh also opens up about his addiction, getting sober at 21, and the principle that changed his life: esteemable acts build self esteem. He shares the wisdom he learned in recovery about being self centered whether you think you're the greatest or the worst, the importance of doing things for other people, and why he spent his entire 20s trying to be a good man. Josh talks about the difference between being defined by your work and being defined by your character, the virtue of storytelling as a way to distract people from their hard lives, and why he's still sitting in acting class at 38 getting notes on his forward energy.
Josh also reflects on his time on Turner and Hooch, shooting for eight months in Vancouver at the height of COVID, and the responsibility of being the lead who sets the tone for the entire set. He talks about showing up prepared, showing up relaxed, making the mistakes his and the wins everyone else's, and why if the lead knows their lines, everyone else will too. Josh shares the story of getting cast in Oppenheimer, sending in a two page monologue audition in November, getting the text that Nolan liked his tape, and surviving three months of callbacks before finally getting the role. He opens up about spending two months in New Mexico for 90 seconds of screen time, working with Killian Murphy who was the sweetest guy on set, and watching Christopher Nolan care about everything from the number 30 on the call sheet to shooting on 70 millimeter IMAX film.
Josh also opens up about life after being the peak, the danger of thinking you've arrived, and why he auditioned the same way at 18 after Drake and Josh as he did at 38 after Oppenheimer won the Academy Award. He talks about the importance of being a worker amongst workers, going to acting class, and staying humble even after 25 years in the game. Josh reflects on the hardest thing emotionally he had to deal with growing up in the spotlight, the need to be honored as a human being instead of just for his achievements, and why he tells his son Max that the thing that makes him the happiest is when a teacher says he's kind, sweet, and listens.

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Zachary Bell Veteran with a Sign: The Call That Changed Everything & Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

What happens when a kid from Memphis who grew up in the cycle of poverty gets deplowed by the Marines two days after his first daughter is born, deploys to Afghanistan without calling home for 90 days, loses his first friend to suicide in 2011, and turns a piece of cardboard into one of the most powerful veteran advocacy platforms in the world? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Zachary Bell, the creator of Veteran with a Sign, whose journey from combat Marine to viral content creator is packed with raw emotion, brutal honesty, and the kind of wisdom that only comes from breaking generational curses and refusing to let another veteran die alone.
Then comes the story that will break you. Zach opens up about getting out in 2011, working night shift at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital while going to school during the day, sleeping in his car, and getting the call that his first friend had taken his life. He talks about going back through old text messages, realizing they were both struggling but too scared to have a real conversation, and the moment he decided this shit stops with me. Zach reflects on the three years he spent stacking little wins, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, magnets on his head, men's groups, whatever he could find to help himself and his friends, and why he open sourced everything so no one would have to figure it out alone.
Zach also shares the origin story of Veteran with a Sign, the moment during COVID when he thought what if I was a veteran holding up a piece of cardboard, the first 90 days of brutal comments about his tattoos and why he wears the same thing every day, and the Captain Crozier post that changed everything. He talks about walking off his ship to a standing ovation after getting relieved of command for trying to help his sick sailors, the moment Zach's post went viral with 10,000 followers in a week, and why he realized the creative had finally found him again. Zach opens up about meeting the Unsub guys, Fat Electrician, Brandon Herrera, and finding his creative community, the podcast journey from After Action to Underwhelming, and why doing it alone is impossible.

00:00 Intro
00:55 Meeting Veteran with a Sign: From Trailer Parks to Movie Premieres
04:28 The Fat Electrician, Unsub & Finding Your Creative Community
05:54 The Podcast Journey: After Action to Underwhelming
09:39 Jimmy Grimes: The Coolest Thing I've Done & The Power of Community
14:28 Veteran with a Sign Origin: Captain Crozier & The Post That Changed Everything
19:16 September 11th & Enlisting: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty
22:07 The Cycle of Poverty: No One Gives a Shit About Poor White People
30:03 Boot Camp: The Double Rations Kid Who Gained 30 Pounds
35:37 First Deployment: Two Days After Daughter's Birth to Afghanistan
45:23 The French Reporter Story: Finding Out Your Daughter Was Born
50:46 Fatherhood: Dad Stuff & Being Present for Every Moment
56:25 Getting Out in 2011: When Your First Friend Takes His Life
1:11:35 Depression, Faith & Finding God Again After 12 Years
1:14:32 Community Over Everything: Why You Can't Do This Alone
1:15:46 Brandon Herrera: The Man Running for Governor & Why He's Different
1:17:47 North Star: My Wife Saw Something in Me I Didn't Know Existed
1:21:44 Legacy: It Stopped With Me & Shoot for the Moon
1:23:40 Final Words: Just Do It & Stop Chasing the School of Fish

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Travis Wester: The Ghost Facers Origin Story & Why They Were Supernatural's Longest Characters Oct 11, 2026

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What happens when two actors who created one of the most beloved comedy duos in television history reunite to pull back the curtain on Ghost Facers, the show that almost was, and the friendship that changed everything? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Travis Wester, the actor who played Ed Zedmore on Supernatural and became AJ's comedic soulmate in what they call space docking, a chemistry so rare it only happens once in a lifetime.
Travis opens up about meeting AJ at the Warner Brothers audition for Supernatural, rubbing his sides on the desk to get the nerves out, and the slow motion moment they locked eyes in the wardrobe trailer in Vancouver like the chariots of fire were playing. He shares the story of shooting their first scene together in knee deep mud with goggles on, the English director asking if they knew each other, and the instant realization that they had synced up like a double dock. Travis reflects on the rare gift of being granted authorship as guest stars, the freedom to improvise and riff, and why Phil Sgriccia was the champion who allowed them to play.
AJ and Travis dive deep into the birth of Ghost Facers, the moment Travis got on the plane with Brittany Ishibashi and realized he hadn't read the script, the panic of turning every page and seeing his character on every single one, and the improv session with Austin Basis and Dustin Milligan where they answered Phil's questions and built out who these characters were. Travis talks about the magic of shooting eight or nine pages in one take with 15 cameras rolling, Phil planting surprises like rats and spider webs, and the day they finished shooting by lunch because the comedy was flowing so fast the crew went outside to play hockey.
Then comes the story of the meeting at Warner Brothers where they thought they were getting a cease and desist order, walking into the conference room with Eric Kripke and six or seven executives, and being told we're thinking about building a show around you guys. Travis shares the surreal moment of crashing the Supernatural panel at Comic Con, the GMA ghost martial arts bit they came up with at Phil's house, and the Misha Collins video they shot with the whole squad at McG's office. He also opens up about the UK Facers trip to York, running around with no permits at three in the morning, and the moment he slipped on wet stone steps and went nipple deep into the river called the ooze while everyone stayed in character.
AJ and Travis also open up about the final Ghost Facers episode, the director who told AJ his Hebrew tattoo about laying his father to rest on the rock of Calvary was wrong right after AJ's dad had just died, the combativeness that erupted on set, and the apology Travis had to give to the entire crew for a joke he made during rehearsal. They reflect on the heartbreak of how it ended, the new showrunner who didn't understand their characters, and why they were never invited back for the Supernatural finale. AJ gets emotional talking about wishing he could go back in a time machine and change that one experience, the gratitude for the fans who kept Ghost Facers alive, and why Ed Zedmore is one of his two favorite characters he's ever played.
This conversation is raw, hilarious, nostalgic, and packed with wisdom about chemistry, comedy, friendship, loss, and what it means to create something magical with your best friend. If you grew up watching Ghost Facers, if you're an actor searching for your comedic partner, or if you just want to hear two brothers talk about the best years of their lives, this episode will make you laugh, cry, and believe in space docking.
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Dee Jay Silver: The 11 Minutes That Changed Everything & His Son's Room Next to the Vegas Shooter Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

What happens when a DJ finishes one of the best sets of his life in Las Vegas and 11 minutes later finds himself in the middle of the most tragic mass shooting in American history with his one year old son in a hotel room next to the active shooter? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Dee Jay Silver (John Perdue), the DJ who played Route 91 Harvest Festival the night everything changed, whose story of survival, faith, and fatherhood will leave you shaken to your core.
This story that will break you. John walks AJ through Route 91 Harvest Festival, the perfect weekend in Vegas, his wife Jenna and one year old son Wake coming to town, and the moment he walked off stage after playing one of the best sets of his life. He shares the relief of sitting down, the sound he thought was fireworks, and the 11 minutes that changed everything when the shooting started. John opens up about grabbing Jenna and Brittany Aldean and running, hiding under the bus that got shot 15 times, and the text message that said shooter 32nd floor, the same floor where his son Wake was sleeping in a room connected to the active shooter.
John takes AJ through the chaos, the screaming, the helicopters and the ricochets off the ground. He shares the moment he told his wife the safest place was the hotel when he knew his son was five feet from the first window that was busted open, the evacuation of Mandalay Bay, and the terror of tearing through buses looking for his kid. John also opens up about the nanny who kept checking on Wake, the door that was left ajar, and the security guard who got shot responding to that door alarm and was dragged into her room.
John also shares the four days of questioning, the Homeland Security interrogation, the pictures of him walking down the hall with the shooter, holding the elevator door, at the House of Blues, at Katsuya, and the realization that the shooter had followed him for three days. He talks about the notepad by the bed with his entire family's names and his schedule, the tick from Benghazi who told him he'd drop to the ground for the rest of his life, and the breakfast in Montana where he finally met Officer William Matchick, the man who saved his son.

00:00 Intro: The 11 Minutes That Changed Everything
01:35 Meeting DJ Silver: Nashville Life & The Bass Pro Connection
08:44 Growing Up in Church: Preachers, Pews & Star Wars Toys
10:07 The Man Who Raised Four Kids That Weren't His
12:27 Music, Barry Manilow & The Guitar That Connects Generations
13:09 Watching Your Heroes Decline: Parents & Health Struggles
15:20 Fatherhood: Secret Handshakes, Daddy Wakey Days & Being Present
32:41 Route 91 Festival: The Perfect Weekend Before Tragedy
36:22 The Shooting Starts: Fireworks or Gunfire?
37:30 My Son Is Next to the Shooter: The Text That Changed Everything
38:25 Chaos & Carnage: Hiding Under Buses & The Lady with Her Head Shot Off
39:55 Tearing Through Evacuation Buses: Every Parent's Worst Nightmare
45:04 The Door Alarm: How Wake Saved Thousands of Lives
46:29 The Interrogation: Pictures with the Shooter for Three Days
1:00:47 Meeting Officer William Matchick: The Man Who Saved Wake
1:06:40 Gratitude, Grace & Good Humans: Wake Up and Live

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Ryan Bader: I Knocked Out Fedor in 35 Seconds, The Wrestling Mindset & Brutal Weight Cuts Oct 04, 2026

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What happens when a two-division MMA champion who played Mark Coleman in The Smashing Machine sits down to talk about wrestling mindset, brutal weight cuts, and fighting Fedor twice? This week on The AJ Buckley Show, AJ sits down with Ryan "Darth" Bader, the former Bellator Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Champion whose journey from small-town Idaho to fighting legends in Japan is packed with wisdom about discipline, competition, and what it means to push through pain when everything is on the line.
Ryan opens up about growing up in St. Mary's, Idaho, moving to Reno at a young age, and working construction with his dad and grandpa every summer starting at seven years old. He shares the story of his father's go go go mentality, never sitting still, always building something or hunting or fishing, and how that work ethic shaped everything he became. Ryan talks about falling into wrestling at seven years old, the love hate relationship with the sport, and why he loved that there was nobody to blame but yourself when you lost.
AJ and Ryan dive deep into the wrestling mindset, the mental fortitude it takes to cut weight every single week in high school and college, and why that generation of wrestlers like Chad Mendes and Cain Velasquez came into MMA with a different type of grit. Ryan reflects on his time at Arizona State University, training alongside Cain Velasquez who was the heavyweight on the team, and watching four guys from that one squad end up in the UFC. He talks about Cain's unbelievable gas tank, the pressure he brought in every fight, and the heartbreaking story of what happened with his son and why Cain is still in prison fighting for parole.
Ryan walks AJ through the moment after college when he realized he still needed competition, working a desk job for four months and knowing he couldn't do it, and the decision to start training MMA. He shares the story of his first fight on the res with Tommy Morrison as the main event, throwing punches and manhandling a guy at 185 pounds, and walking out thinking he was the greatest fighter in the world. Ryan also opens up about fighting in a bullfighting ring in Mexico, getting on The Ultimate Fighter with a video submission, and the moment CB Dalloway put in a good word that changed his life.
Then comes the Fedor story. Ryan walks AJ through the pressure of fighting Fedor in the finals of the heavyweight Grand Prix, sitting in the cage for 10 minutes during the Russian and American national anthems, and the internal monologue he had to fight to not put the pussy on a pedestal. He talks about studying Fedor's fights, finding the line where Fedor would blitz with four punches, and the 34 second knockout that made him a two-division champion. Ryan also shares the pressure of fighting Fedor a second time when it was Fedor's retirement fight, the matchmaker joking that he better not lose, and why that fight had more pressure than the first one.

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