Bo and DT

[Truzzcat]

I know there is a lot of speculation that they do not get along. Listening to FRL they were talking about how its better when teams are competitive and he mentioned Iowa and Ohio state having young guys but then made the comment "Oklahoma state has a lot of funds coming in" Just thought it was odd he did not say "they have a great coach now" or something along those lines.

[BruceyB]

  On 3/3/2025 at 6:22 PM, Truzzcat said:

I know there is a lot of speculation that they do not get along. Listening to FRL they were talking about how its better when teams are competitive and he mentioned Iowa and Ohio state having young guys but then made the comment "Oklahoma state has a lot of funds coming in" Just thought it was odd he did not say "they have a great coach now" or something along those lines.

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I haven't listened yet, but Bo seems like a petty guy overall. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't/won't ever give David Taylor credit for his successes. I've never been a Nickal fan. Even back to his earlier days in college he bothered me in interviews.

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

  On 3/3/2025 at 6:48 PM, BruceyB said:

I haven't listened yet, but Bo seems like a petty guy overall. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't/won't ever give David Taylor credit for his successes. I've never been a Nickal fan. Even back to his earlier days in college he bothered me in interviews.

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Lot of fun to watch wrestle.  I have enjoyed him on long form interviews.  In shorter interviews, he often comes off as a jerk  Clearly doesn't seem to be a Taylor fan.  Definitely didn't seem happy to "do the job" for Taylor in 2021 OTT.  There may have also been a business venture that went awry?

[okokzach]

Bo is jealous of Taylor. Despite Bo's unreserved devotion to the cult of Cael, David Taylor is the first name people think of when they think of the Cael era. David had the international success that Bo probably dreamed of all his life. He even blanked him in back-to-back matches and retired Bo from the sport. And then he did something unforgivable in Bo's eyes, he left the cult. Bo's a great athlete, but he's a weird dude.

Edited March 4 by okokzach

[Hammerlock3]

Nickal hates Taylor cause Taylor lied about his injury in order to make sure NIckal stayed at 92k as opposed to dropping down, placing at worlds and getting to sit in the finals of the OTTs. 

[wrestle87]

I’m willing to give Bo exactly 50% of the credit.  I wouldn’t put it past DT to do exactly what Bo is salty at him about.

But, then ultimately that’s on Bo.  He just wasn’t good enough to beat Taylor.  That’s the part that’s petty. “Wah me no like…”  Ok, how about you win your match…

However, I’d bet many significant fortunes that Bo did a lot to make sure Aaron Brooks was ready to rumble this year to take the spot from Taylor.

Also, broadly speaking, anybody working to earn the good graces of Dana White is going to have to be skilled at a pretty gross game.

Edited March 4 by wrestle87

[MPhillips]

  On 3/4/2025 at 6:23 AM, wrestle87 said:

anybody working to earn the good graces of Dana White is going to have to be skilled at a pretty gross game.

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[Bulldog]

Listening to Bo on FRL, he seems far more concerned with being Joe Rogan than anything else...  His description of his podcast was an almost word-for-word rip off of Rogan's description of his own show.  He then went on to talk about big game hunting in the mountains...  I figure he will move into standup and hosting some sort of gross out/extreme stunt game show in the near future too.  

[SocraTease]

I  admire Penn State's wrestling program, but I have to make an exception with Nickal.  He's is often an example of things gone haywire and wrong.

He exudes toxic "bro" culture and exaggerated macho-ness. 

He has a Texas-sized ego that often rivals Ferarri for it's wounded narcissism.  (The two are from the same high school.)

He is blindly ambitious in that sense made famous by Oscar Wilde's line, "Ambition is the last refuge of failure".  

He has no sense of proportion. Listen to the tone of his words as well as the content.  He is hyperbolic and usually self-referential.

He invokes Jesus as some kind of culture warrior, but clearly knows little to nothing about biblical history, the New Testament, or his occasional "hero's"  life and words.  

He hitches a ride off the bluster, blatant jingoism, and authoritarianism of a dangerous politician who will remain unnamed. 

He has athletic talent but imagines he is the second coming of something special in MMA.  He's not. When he gets plastered to the floor in MMA the way Askren got humbled, I expect we will hear a litany of excuses.  

As for his jealousy of David Taylor, Nickal shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence.  

[okokzach]

  On 3/4/2025 at 8:09 AM, SocraTease said:

I  admire Penn State's wrestling program, but I have to make an exception with Nickal.  He's is often an example of things gone haywire and wrong.

He exudes toxic "bro" culture and exaggerated macho-ness. 

He has a Texas-sized ego that often rivals Ferarri for it's wounded narcissism.  (The two are from the same high school.)

He is blindly ambitious in that sense made famous by Oscar Wilde's line, "Ambition is the last refuge of failure".  

He has no sense of proportion. Listen to the tone of his words as well as the content.  He is hyperbolic and usually self-referential.

He invokes Jesus as some kind of culture warrior, but clearly knows little to nothing about biblical history, the New Testament, or his occasional "hero's"  life and words.  

He hitches a ride off the bluster, blatant jingoism, and authoritarianism of a dangerous politician who will remain unnamed. 

He has athletic talent but imagines he is the second coming of something special in MMA.  He's not. When he gets plastered to the floor in MMA the way Askren got humbled, I expect we will hear a litany of excuses.  

As for his jealousy of David Taylor, Nickal shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence.  

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Luckily he doesn't have an ounce of the charisma of That Politician, or Rogan, or even Ferrari, so when he's done getting his face smashed in in the UFC, he'll quickly fade from the public eye 

[1032004]

  On 3/4/2025 at 3:05 AM, Hammerlock3 said:

Nickal hates Taylor cause Taylor lied about his injury in order to make sure NIckal stayed at 92k as opposed to dropping down, placing at worlds and getting to sit in the finals of the OTTs. 

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Was that before or after the American Top Team gym was built in the parking lot of M2?

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

  On 3/4/2025 at 3:05 AM, Hammerlock3 said:

Nickal hates Taylor cause Taylor lied about his injury in order to make sure NIckal stayed at 92k as opposed to dropping down, placing at worlds and getting to sit in the finals of the OTTs. 

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Bo also seemed as if was prob asked to "do the job" at OTT.

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

  On 3/4/2025 at 8:09 AM, SocraTease said:

 

He hitches a ride off the bluster, blatant jingoism, and authoritarianism of a dangerous politician who will remain unnamed. 

 

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Your president? 

 

[Spencerlee]

  On 3/3/2025 at 6:22 PM, Truzzcat said:

I know there is a lot of speculation that they do not get along. Listening to FRL they were talking about how its better when teams are competitive and he mentioned Iowa and Ohio state having young guys but then made the comment "Oklahoma state has a lot of funds coming in" Just thought it was odd he did not say "they have a great coach now" or something along those lines.

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Hate Bo, but what has DT done to prove he’s a “great coach”?

[BloodRound]

BoJob Nickal, as I have affectionately called him for years, will have his day of humbling/humiliation.  I don't worry about that.  

  On 3/4/2025 at 2:57 AM, okokzach said:

And then he did something unforgivable in Bo's eyes, he left the cult

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This is kind of the part that always rubs me the wrong way with these Penn State guys though.  What becomes of the likes of Starocci and Brooks who take their cues from Bo and his generation of guys in the program?  How does that spill over into the next crop when more of these guys stick around the program?  ugh.

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

  On 3/4/2025 at 2:42 PM, BloodRound said:

BoJob Nickal, as I have affectionately called him for years, will have his day of humbling/humiliation.  I don't worry about that.  

This is kind of the part that always rubs me the wrong way with these Penn State guys though.  What becomes of the likes of Starocci and Brooks who take their cues from Bo and his generation of guys in the program?  How does that spill over into the next crop when more of these guys stick around the program?  ugh.

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  On 3/4/2025 at 2:57 AM, okokzach said:

And then he did something unforgivable in Bo's eyes, he left the cult. Bo's a great athlete, but he's a weird dude.

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I mean they seem ok with Cenzo, Mark Hall, Molinaro, RBY...

[Truzzcat]

  On 3/4/2025 at 2:14 PM, Spencerlee said:

Hate Bo, but what has DT done to prove he’s a “great coach”?

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Nothing aside from his youth stuff. Being he was at PSU for a decade + I figured rather than saying they are up and coming because they have money, he may say something about the new staff though.

[RandolphTJones]

Every good storyline needs a heel!

[Hammerlock3]

  On 3/4/2025 at 12:55 PM, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

Bo also seemed as if was prob asked to "do the job" at OTT.

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whats that mean.

[VakAttack]

  On 3/4/2025 at 5:54 PM, Hammerlock3 said:

whats that mean.

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Pro wrestling term that means "lose to your opponent."

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

  On 3/4/2025 at 5:54 PM, Hammerlock3 said:

whats that mean.

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Pro wrestling terminology.  Lose the match to "put someone over."

[Hammerlock3]

  On 3/4/2025 at 5:59 PM, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

Pro wrestling terminology.  Lose the match to "put someone over."

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any reason to think this was the case?

[VakAttack]

I wonder how Penn State fans feel about this obvious rift among their guys?  It mainly seems to be between Taylor and everyone else, which is weird since Taylor is likely the "face" of the Cael Era.

[Hammerlock3]

  On 3/4/2025 at 6:16 PM, VakAttack said:

I wonder how Penn State fans feel about this obvious rift among their guys?  It mainly seems to be between Taylor and everyone else, which is weird since Taylor is likely the "face" of the Cael Era.

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I don't think they care. Most PSU fans aren't dumb enough to buy into all the "fun" talk. 

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

  On 3/4/2025 at 6:14 PM, Hammerlock3 said:

any reason to think this was the case?

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It was all just a really weird look.  Bo didn't look to be trying to generate offense.  Maybe because he knew how it was going to play out, but it is also possible that something else was going on.

There's no way that at least one NLWC status wasn't hiding Taylor's injury status from Bo during the previous WTT situation.  Someone on the staff had to know, and let Bo think Taylor was going to be wrestling at Worlds.  No one told Bo, he didn't get a chance to medal and therefore didn't get the prefereinal spot in OTT.

If a staff is pulling these type of internal shenanigans, I think it is also possible that some of their stable is being used as "enhancement talent."