Mike Safo

Latest Episodes:

Mike Safo with former editor of Ring Magazine, Boxing Radio Host, Randy "The Commish" Gordon Oct 25, 2019

Show notes

Joined today by former editor of Ring Magazine, the youngest commissioner in boxing and co-host of “At The Fights” on Sirius/XM radio, Randy Gordon. Randy tells us about the death of Rocky Marciano and how running to Ring Magazine to meet with Nate Fleischer changed his entire life. We hear about his time at the head of Ring magazine. The Commish then talks about his time calling fights for ESPN and how his love for the sport and his integrity cost him his dream job with the worldwide leader. Despite believing it was a prank call we hear about Governor Cuomo handpicking Randy to be the youngest commissioner of boxing in New York State. Obviously we talk about his incredible book Glove Affair, how long it took him to write it and the difficulty of putting himself out there and making the book so emotional. Randy opens up about his lifelong friendship with Muhammad Ali, from their private lunches to revealing how he was going to quit during the Thrilla in Manila and how the Commish finally got Smokin’ Joe Frazier and Ali to shake hands at The Garden. Randy pours out his heart talking about his best friend, referee Wayne Kelly. He tells us his thoughts on the tragic passing of Patrick Day and the current state of boxing. We hear how he got linked up with Gentleman Gerry Cooney and how they are entering in their 11th year as the go to boxing radio show in the world. From his precious memorabilia being stolen to his Howard Cosell impression, the Commish shows what it’s like for a teenage fan in Long Island to grow up and hold every seat in the world of boxing. follow randy here: https://twitter.com/commishrandyg but his book here: https://www.amazon.com/Glove-Affair-Lifelong-Journey-Professional-ebook/dp/B07M5BLH3J

Mike Safo with former New York Yankees outfielder, Slade Heathcott 2 Oct 18, 2019

Show notes

Joined today by former New York Yankees outfielder Slade Heathcott. Slade and I talk about the current ALCS and if the Yankees being down 2 games to 1 means the series is over. We talk about what’s REALLY going on in the clubhouse, what the players are thinking and the pressure that is October baseball. Slade lets us know what he thinks the Yankees should do in the offseason and offers his predictions for the rest of the playoffs. We talk about all the non-profit charity work he’s involved in, especially what he’s doing for the clean-up efforts in the Dominican Republic. Slade tells us about the harsh conditions and pay of a minor league ball player, what can be done to improve it and what happened to him 2 days after “Slade Runner” night when he was playing. We touch on Tyler Skaggs and the tragic opioid epidemic and why his foundation morethanbaseball.org can be the buffer MLB needs. He shares his passion of flying, how he got his pilot’s license and some of his dream destinations. From not being able to get his Yankee memorabilia back, to meeting Derek Jeter and what’s next. All with the former MLB player. Follow Slade on the following platforms. https://www.morethanbaseball.org/ https://twitter.com/heathcott_slade https://www.instagram.com/slade.heathcott/

Mike Safo with NHL and international hockey player, Rob Schremp Oct 11, 2019

Show notes

Joined today by former NHL and international hockey player Rob Schremp. Rob and I talk about the current state of the NHL with all the young players taking over the league, the importance of long term contracts and what players he love to watch. We talk about his illustrious junior career that took him from upstate New York to dominating the OHL at the age of 15. Rob takes us through his 2004 draft day, getting the call up to the NHL and his welcome to the NHL. We talk some travel and Rob’s time playing hockey all over Europe, meeting his wife, and when did he know it was time to hang up the skates. Rob and I talk about his lifelong battle with depression, fighting the demons as a teenager and how he made changes in his life to combat it. He tells us about the new company he’s involved in VEDA (Endocannabinoid Nutrition); how it changed not only his life, but the importance of CBD in fighting the opioid epidemic. From regrets of getting autographs to his thoughts on hockey in Brooklyn, Rob really opens up. Check out Rob’s social media and also Veda here… https://twitter.com/RobSchremp https://vedaecn.com/

Mike Safo with Chess Grandmaster, Sam Shankland Sep 27, 2019

Show notes

Joined today by Chess Grandmaster Sam Shankland. Sam and I talk about the rigorous travel schedule of a chess player, and how he can decompress after a big match overseas. We discuss the pros and cons of the various Chess tournaments in the world, how Saint Louis became the hub of the chess world and what makes him choose a tournament to play in. Sam is one of the rare chess superstars that didn’t start as a very young age so we talk about if that helped or hindered his development, how he balanced school and chess. Sam tells us the moment he chose chess as his profession, why it’s more nerve racking to face a lesser opponent and he finally explains to me what those numbers are next to his name (2705). We talk about arguably the greatest chess player in the world, Magnus Carlsen, their friendship and how they spar together. Sam takes us through his career leading to becoming a Grandmaster. We talk about the 2018 US Championship that he shockingly won and took the chess world by storm. Sam gives us his opinion on the US Olympic team, young players today and why he decided to write a book. From appearing on a reality TV show to his thoughts on how to make chess more mainstream to the physical demands that chess demands, Sam Shankland blew me away with his knowledge and conversation. Follow Sam here: https://samshankland.com/ https://twitter.com/gmshanky

Mike Safo with 5th ranked heavyweight boxer, Adam Kownacki 3 Sep 20, 2019

Show notes

Joined today by the 5th ranked heavyweight boxer in the world, and brand new father Adam “BabyFace” Kownacki. Adam tells us what it’s like being a father to a 20-day year old baby boy, from what scares him to what caused his wife to get mad at him during labor. He shares with us how being a father is making him think a lot about his boxing career. We talk about the UFC fights that are happening in Abu Dhabi as we podcast and which fighter he likes to watch. Adam takes us through his fascination with Bitcoin and how much money he’s making on it. We talk about the WAR that was his fight with Chris Arreola and how he could possibly decompress from that fight, both mentally and physically. Babyface opens up about regrets he might have on passing up the Anthony Joshua fight that led Ruiz to win the title. Adam lets us know about his budding friendship with Polish Legend Andrew Golata, how it feels to fight with the weight of a nation on his back, and more talk about his baby boy Kaz. All this and more with the future heavyweight champion of the world. https://www.akbabyface.com/ https://www.instagram.com/akbabyface/ https://twitter.com/AKbabyface

Mike Safo with Judge, Retired Lieutenant, and author of "Dannemora", Charles Gardener Sep 13, 2019

Show notes

Joined today by former Judge, Retired Lieutenant with the New York State Department of Corrections and author of the book “Dannemora”, Charles Gardener. We talk about the unique perspective he had writing this book, not only as a retired C.O. from Clinton but also as a resident where the escape happened. We delve into the earlier crimes of David Sweat and Richard Matt and then Charles tells us the gruesome and heinous crimes that put Matt and Sweat behind bars for life. Lt. Gardner explains the thin line between prisoners and C.O.’s and how one little favor cost Officer Palmer his freedom and ruined a 27-year career. We talk extensively about Joyce “Tillie” Mitchell and how a schoolgirl crush on the inmates turned into a smuggling story for the ages with weapons being hidden in frozen meat. Lt. Gardner tells us not only about the convicts 3 weeks on the lam in the foothills of the Adirondacks, but also what the citizens were going through during this intense time. We hear his thoughts on the Showtime hit “Dannemora”, murderabelia, and what a typical day in Clinton Correctional is for an inmate. Charles lets us know what he thinks would have happened if Joyce showed up on that fateful evening, why some photo ops by the Governor contaminated the crime scene and what life is like now for the convicted escapee. All this and more as I get to talk about one of my favorite books of the year. Follow Charles here: https://charlesagardner.com/

Mike Safo with UFC Lightweight fighter and inspirational speaker, Jared Gordon Sep 06, 2019

Show notes

Joined today by UFC Lightweight fighter and inspirational speaker Jared “Flash” Gordon. We talk about his recent engagement to his fiancé, how he proposed and also talk about her career as an American Ninja Warrior. We talk about his new hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; the food scene there and how it compares to his hometown of Astoria. Jared tells us about the bro-mance of the decade between him and Belal Muhammed, how it got started and how its evolving. Flash tells us about the call from the UFC that they renewed his contract after tearing his hamstring off his pelvis in a previous fight. We touch on his dominating performance against Daniel Morat in Minneapolis and the decompression time after a fight. Jared, as always, talks openly about his battle with addiction. He continues to speak about his desire to continue the Gordon family legacy and fight at Madison Square Garden in November and who he wants to fight. We hear about Jared’s plan to go to Abu Dhabi with Belal for the Khabib match this weekend, his thoughts on betting in the UFC and why he won’t ever ask for pictures with other UFC fighters. All this and more with the future UFC champion. Follow Jared on all his platforms here: twitter: https://twitter.com/jflashgordonmma website: https://jaredflashgordon.com/ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaredflashgordon/ **SPONSOR** https://www.heshiwear.com/

Mike Safo with American legal commentator and television journalist, Nancy Grace Aug 30, 2019

Show notes

Joined today by the face of true crime reporting, Nancy Grace. Nancy fills us in on a little trick she would do inside the courtroom to get the jury’s attention. We hear why she had to escort her twins to sleepaway camp and how that caused her to get sick. Nancy tells us about her incredible new show “Injustice with Nancy Grace” on the Oxygen channel and why she doesn’t consider it a show. She explains why she handpicked every case on this new show and talks about this week’s show with Shele Danishefsky and the heartbreaking way her daughter had to find her. We talk about the true crime world and what Nancy does to decompress from it. Nancy tells us the inspirational story about how her fiancé’s murder led to her pursuing a law degree and going on to prosecute a ton of cases in Atlanta. The queen of true crime lets us know how she “conceived” her husband to propose, why she is up every morning cleaning gerbil tanks and why she thinks so many women accidently fall in the bathroom. From Nancy’s time as a prosecutor to her distain for “Tot Mom” Casey Anthony. All this and more with Nancy Grace Keep in touch with Nancy Grace here: Crime Online Nancy Grace (@NancyGrace) | Twitter

Mike Safo with World Traveler, Dustin Pfundheller Aug 23, 2019

Show notes

Joined today by one of the youngest people to ever visit every country in the world, plus more, Dr. Dustin Pfundheller. Before we talk travel we hear about Dustin’s upbringing in small-town USA Wisconsin, and how losing a college election as a freshman started his thirst for travel. We hear about him wanting to become a dentist at the University of Florida and how a 6-month job in Singapore turned into years and years of wandering the world while still holding a full time job. He tells us about the difficulty of dentistry in an Asian country, the perks of visiting countries on a 3 day weekend and when he started to count countries. We discuss Instagram travel “influencers” who travel for the wrong reasons, and why he hates loopholes when visiting countries. Dustin shows us how he used the popular app, Tinder to make friends all over the world. We go over how he obtained visas for some of the world’s most difficult countries to visit, and his tips on visiting some unknown countries, like Micronesia, by using miles. From being detained and deported in Israel to working on every single person’s teeth on an island in Pitcairn Island. This podcast is so much more than just travel. Check out his new show “Outside the Truth” and follow Dustin on the following platforms. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wandering_dentist/ Dustin's website: https://www.instagram.com/wandering_dentist/

Mike Safo with 3x World Series Champion, 216 game winner, 6x All-Star, Curt Schilling Aug 16, 2019

Show notes

Joined today by 3x World Series Champion, 216 game winner, 6x All-Star and future Hall of Famer, Curt Schilling. Curt and I talk about the current state of baseball, how much of it he watches nowadays and which players are a must watch for the veteran pitcher. He describes the mentality of pitching and how he had a 67 point checklist when a batter came to the plate. Curt talks about the genius that is Theo Epstein, why clubhouse chemistry is more important than sabermetrics and what makes a good leader. We hear a few good clubhouse stories involving Manny Ramirez, David Ross, Orlando Cabera and others. Curt takes us through the epic, at bat showdown with Soriano in game 7 of the 2001 World Series and how he felt when he saw Mariano Rivera warming up. We hear about his warrior-like performance with the infamous bloody sock in 2004 and when the Red Sox knew they would win the World title. Curt tells us about how a quick comment after the 2004 World Series set him down road to politics, and how President Bush called him to help him campaign in the swing states. We talk about how scary the media can be, why he got fired from ESPN and current divide in this country. Curt tells us about what he thinks of President Trump’s “locker room talk”, who can challenge Donald Trump in the 2020 election and his plans on speaking at college campuses. From his eventual election to Cooperstown, to the suicide of Jeffrey Epstein. All this and much much more with one of the most dominating pitchers of our lifetime. Follow Curt on the following: Twitter:https://twitter.com/gehrig38 Cameo:https://www.cameo.com/curt.schilling Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/curt.schilling.56

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected