On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews one of the most innovative and welcome developments in boxing, the Super Six World Boxing Classic, a round-robin, six-fighter tournament in the super middleweight division featuring the best fighters in the world at that weight.

Competing in this tournament are the unbeaten WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch (25-0, 20 KOs) of England, the WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler (41-1, 31 KOs) of Denmark, the former undisputed middleweight world champion Jermain Taylor (28-3-1, 17 KOs) of Little Rock, Ark., the now-former and still-unbeaten IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (30-0, 24 KOs) of Germany, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist and unbeaten WBC number one contender Andre Ward (19-0, 12 KOs) of Oakland, Calif., and the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist and unbeaten WBC number two contender Andre Dirrell (18-0, 13 KOs) of Flint, Mich.

The winner of this tournament is certain to be regarded as the true super middleweight champion of the world.

The opening round will have three fights, beginning this fall, on dates and at locations to be announced. Carl Froch will face Andre Dirrell, Mikkel Kessler will face Andre Ward, and Arthur Abraham will face Jermain Taylor.

At the kickoff news conference at Madison Square Garden in New York this Monday for this history-making event, we had a chance to speak with fighters Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham, and Andre Dirrell about this tournament and their fights. We also spoke with promoters Lou DiBella and Dan Goossen, with boxing writer and television analyst Steve Farhood, and with Ken Hershman, senior vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports, which is the key force behind this tournament and will televise it in the U.S.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our correspondent Bob Carson, who is also the host of the Carson's Corner podcast.

Bob had the misfortune of having viewed the latest Zuffa spectacle, UFC 100, this past Saturday night, July 11. The atmosphere and the direct imitation of the fake pro "wrestling" left him and many others, as he put it, "outraged." He requested to be come on No Holds Barred to explain just why, and we were more than willing to oblige him.

So sit back and listen to UFC 100 be deconstructed, to hear how and why the Zuffa owners are treating their fans like marks, and to learn why we advise people not to watch or report about their events anymore.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with two skaters from the Gotham Girls Roller Derby, Beatrix Slaughter of the Bronx Gridlock and Hard Anya of the Brooklyn Bombshells.

Their two teams had a bout Sat., July 11, in which Bronx won, 131-58, after the score was tied 40-40 towards the end of the first half. With this victory, the Bronx Gridlock, the 2007 Gotham Girls Roller Derby league champions, clinch a berth in the 2009 league championships against the Manhattan Mayhem. Bronx will also play Manhattan on August 8 in the last regular season matchup for both.

Right after the bout, we spoke with both Beatrix Slaughter and Hard Anya. Although they had just been competing hard against each other, they spoke with us together, once again showing the deep camaraderie which is embedded in the world of roller derby, the fastest-growing sport in America.

We spoke with them both about this game, the return to skating by Beatrix after an injury last season, the June 19 come-from-behind 84-76 victory by the Gotham Girls All-Stars over the legendary Texas Rollergirls, why roller derby is still so much fun, and more.

As a league, the Gotham Girls Roller Derby won the 2008 Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) national championship, and are still undefeated and ranked number one in the U.S. The 2009 WFTDA Nationals Tournament will take place November 13-15 in Philadelphia, PA.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

Eddie Goldman of No Holds Barred was a guest on Wrestling 411 Radio this week.

Among the numerous topics discussed with host Jason Bryant were wrestling's use and misuse of the media, the role mixed martial arts plays in wrestling and vice versa, Brock Lesnar, what mixed martial arts organizations to watch if you're a wrestling fan, wrestling's relation to roller derby, what wrestling can learn from roller derby, and more.

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman focuses on two of the good stories in boxing, the Joseph Agbeko-Vic Darchinyan IBF bantamweight title fight taking place Saturday, July 11, and the July 4 victory by American heavyweight contender Eddie Chambers over previously-unbeaten Alexander Dimitrenko of Ukraine in Hamburg, Germany.

This Saturday night, July 11, in what should be a spectacular fight and a potential fight of the year candidate, the always-exciting IBF bantamweight champion Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko (26-1, 22 KOs) of Accra, Ghana, and now fighting out of the Bronx, NY, puts his belt on the line against top ten pound-for-pound fighter Vic Darchinyan (32-1, 26 KOs), of Sydney, Australia, and originally from Armenia. The explosive knockout artist Darchinyan, the best in the world at super flyweight (115 lbs.), is moving three pounds north to try to capture a world title in his third weight division. This fight takes place at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida, and will be televised by Showtime in the U.S. and on pay-per-view in Australia.

We had a chance to get the comments of both the champion and the challenger, Joseph Agbeko and Vic Darchinyan, on a recent media conference call. You do not want to miss this fight, and you do not want to miss this preview and their comments.

American heavyweight contender Eddie Chambers of Philadelphia, PA, went to Hamburg, Germany, on July 4 with an arduous task. He had to face the previously-unbeaten, six-foot, seven-inch Alexander Dimitrenko of Ukraine on what was essentially his foe's home turf. But Chambers trained hard and smart for this fight, coming in at just over 208 pounds, 15 pounds lighter than when he faced Samuel Peter in an unimpressive win earlier this year, and the lightest he had been in about six years.

When the 12 rounds of action were over, Chambers had scored two knockdowns, dominated the action with power shots which broke through the defense of the much taller Dimitrenko, and done what many American fighters before him had been unable to do, secure a well-deserved victory on the scorecards. Although one judge managed to remind us about boxing in Germany by scoring it a draw, Chambers easily won on the other scorecards, 117-109 and 116-111, to resuscitate his career and earn a WBO mandatory title shot against champion Wladimir Klitschko. He also had won one of the better and more exciting heavyweight fights in recent memory. Dimitrenko's record fell to 29-1 with 19 KOs, while Chambers is now 35-1 with 18 KOs.

The outcome of this fight sparked so much interest that a media conference call with Eddie Chambers was organized this week. On that call, we had a chance to speak with Eddie Chambers about what was key to his victory and his future plans, as well as with his promoter, Dan Goossen. We also spoke with his trainer and manager, Rob Murray Sr., who revealed some of the old school training methods he had utilized to inspire Eddie Chambers and get him into proper fighting shape for this fight.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reviews what many regard as the greatest fight in UFC history, the showdown between Frank Shamrock and Tito Ortiz at UFC 22, held September 24, 1999, at the Lake Charles Civic Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

We spoke about this fight with the man who won that fight with a come-from-behind, fourth-round TKO, the mixed martial arts legend himself, Frank Shamrock.

Not surprisingly, the current owners of the UFC have been trying to rewrite history by staging an online poll for fans to choose the best fights ever in UFC. Along with Spike TV, they presented a list of 181 UFC fights from which to choose. Absent from that long list was the Frank Shamrock-Tito Ortiz fight at UFC 22, and any fights involving Frank Shamrock, even though true historians and honest commentators of mixed martial arts regarded Frank Shamrock as the top mixed martial arts fighter in the world in the decade of the 1990s.

To set the record straight, and to counter the propaganda of those who want to keep their fans ignorant, simple-minded, and obedient, we spoke at length with Frank Shamrock about this fight itself, why it was so important and significant, and how it was received before the present bunch bought UFC. We also discussed the possibility of a long-awaited rematch between Frank Shamrock and Tito Ortiz.

A video of this fight might still be found by searching for it online.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with two more of the fighters who won their eight-man tournaments to become Bellator Fighting Championships champions, welterweight Lyman Good and middleweight Hector Lombard.

Lyman Good and Hector Lombard took different paths to becoming champions in mixed martial arts.

After growing up in a rough part of East Harlem in New York City, Lyman Good was on the verge of taking the dark path of the streets. But his mother got him to enroll, along with her, in a martial arts program at Tiger Schulmann's MMA. Now, besides being an instructor there, he is 10-0 in mixed martial arts and holds the Bellator Fighting Championships welterweight title. "It saved me," he said, as both he and the fans are reaping the rewards of his participation in the combat sports and martial arts.

Hector Lombard was a member of the 2000 Cuban Olympic judo team. He then moved to Australia, and began competing in mixed martial arts in 2004. After fighting in Australia and Japan, he now trains with the world-famous American Top Team in Florida, and made his American debut this year by winning the Bellator Fighting Championships eight-man middleweight tournament to become their first champion at that weight.

We had a chance to speak with both Lyman Good and Hector Lombard this past week. In separate and candid interviews, they discussed how they became involved with mixed martial arts, their development as fighters, their fights in the Bellator tournaments, the mental and physical benefits of training in martial arts and combat sports, their plans for the future, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with one of the most exciting and versatile fighters in mixed martial arts, and the new Bellator Fighting Championships lightweight champion, Eddie Alvarez.

We had a chance Wednesday afternoon to conduct a lengthy telephone interview with Eddie Alvarez about his life, his career, and his family. We discussed the importance of his family to him, how and why he got involved with mixed martial arts, and how his upbringing in Philadelphia has affected his fighting career. We discussed his victory in the eight-man tournament to capture the Bellator Fighting Championships lightweight title, winning all his fights with submissions, over Toby Imada, Eric Reynolds, and Greg Loughran. We analyzed his style, which effectively combines boxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and muay Thai. We discussed his fights last year in the Dream organization in Japan against Joachim Hansen, Tatsuya Kawajiri, and Shinya Aoki. And we talked about his plans to fight in the future for the Bellator Fighting Championships after taking a very well-deserved rest.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our correspondent Matthew Kaplowitz of Fight Nerd Radio, a new mixed martial arts podcast.

With just its third episode in production, Matthew Kaplowitz is creating a formula for his show which combines interviews, fight reports and discussion, analysis of the broader scene in mixed martial arts, and, of course, steady doses of nerdy humor.

We had a chance to sit down to talk with him both for his show, which you will hear on Fight Nerd Radio, and our show.

On No Holds Barred, we focused the most on the rise of the Bellator Fighting Championships, which just completed their first season of 12 shows. Matthew covered two of their cards live, and gave his impression of how these shows came off in person, as well as discussing what Bellator needs to do to parlay the success of their first season into making their promotion even stronger than it is now.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with mixed martial arts fighter Joe Soto, who became the featherweight (145-pound) champion of the Bellator Fighting Championships by winning an eight-man tournament.

Although he is undefeated as a fighter, the 22-year-old Joe Soto was not the favorite heading into this tournament. That distinction went to the better-known Wilson Reis, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, who was also undefeated and had gained notoriety by winning the EliteXC bantamweight title in 2008.

When Joe Soto and Wilson Reis met in the featherweight semifinals on May 8, 2009, however, it was Soto who emerged victorious, winning a three-round unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 30-27. Soto then went on to dominate and defeat Yahir Reyes with a rear naked choke in the second round of their championship fight on June 5, 2009, and become the first Bellator featherweight champion.

We spoke with Joe Soto about his emergence as a new, young, rising star in mixed martial arts. We discussed his background as a wrestler at Iowa Central Community College, his transition from wrestling to mixed martial arts, his training and skills in both boxing and jiu-jitsu, his crucial victory over Wilson Reis, his plans for the future, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman focuses on the role of women in the combat sports, and in particular grappling and mixed martial arts.

Kathy Brothers was the first American woman to earn a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She has also been a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion and a two-time Pan American Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion, as well as a World Free-Fighting champion and a World Pancration Council champion. She currently is a martial arts instructor in the Dallas, Texas, area.

After an absence of about eight years, Kathy Brothers will be returning to competition this coming Saturday, June 27, at the Grapplers Quest All-Star Pro tournament in Morristown, New Jersey. She also will be competing in a Grapplers Quest tournament the weekend of July 10-11 at the UFC Fan Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In a lengthy interview, we spoke with Kathy Brothers about her return to competition. We discussed how and why she decided to begin training in the martial arts, her rich experience in grappling, her desire to fight at a high level in mixed martial arts, how she has overcome the opposition of some to women competing and training in combat sports, and much more.

Also, as bonus coverage, we play an excerpt from a media conference call with mixed martial arts stars Gina Carano and Cris "Cyborg" Santos, who fight each other August 15 in the main event of a Strikeforce card in San Jose, Calif., which will be telecast live in the U.S. on Showtime.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague and correspondent, Charles Farrell.

In a spirited and lengthy discussion, we review Wladimir Klitschko's predictable TKO victory over Ruslan Chagaev on Saturday, June 20, in Germany in a fight for several alphabet heavyweight belts. We critique this fight and the performance of both fighters, as well as the entire woeful heavyweight division.

We also discuss the disgraceful state of boxing journalism today, and why we do not take seriously what we read in The Ring magazine, including their recognition of Wladimir Klitschko as their "heavyweight champion of the world". And we lament the danger both to fighter safety and public health that this fight entailed, since Chagaev had tested positive for the hepatitis B antigen, and would not have been allowed to fight in many countries.

But we also explain why we do see hope for boxing in many other weight divisions, and especially outside the U.S.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with noted ringside physician Dr. Joseph Estwanik about the controversy involving the June 20 fight in Germany between Wladimir Klitschko and Ruslan Chagaev for several heavyweight boxing belts.

Chagaev had been scheduled to face Nikolai Valuev May 30 in Finland, but that fight was cancelled after a prefight blood test found Chagaev to be positive with the hepatitis B antigen. The next week, when David Haye pulled out of a scheduled June 20 fight with Wladimir Klitschko because of a training injury, Chagaev was chosen to replace Haye as Klitschko's opponent.

Yet, according to the standards of the American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians, on whose Board of Directors Dr. Joseph Estwanik serves, "If a fighter is Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Positive (reactive), they have Hepatitis B and cannot fight as they are infectious." Nonetheless, the Klitschko-Chagaev fight is being permitted to proceed in Germany.

In our commentary on this fight, we discuss why it is yet another disgrace for boxing. We detail how and why most of the boxing media are once again failing to expose this disgrace and are actually trying to benefit from this fight, including The Ring, which has announced that they will recognize the Klitschko-Chagaev winner as their "heavyweight champion of the world". And we stress the need to support the independent boxing media.

In our lengthy discussion with Dr. Joseph Estwanik, the issues of what is hepatitis B and why fighters who have it should not be allowed to fight are examined in depth. This is the type of candid and thorough discussion with a leading and veteran ringside physician which you will not be able to find in almost all the other media covering boxing, but it is our pleasure and privilege to be able to present it to you right here on No Holds Barred.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by commenting on some recent issues in mixed martial arts. We applaud the wise contract negotiations by Mirko Cro Cop with the UFC and Dream, and condemn the absurd fight between former top heavyweight boxer Ray Mercer and former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia, won by Mercer with a one-punch knockout.

This past Saturday, June 13, the ADCC East Coast Trials were held at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, New Jersey. The winners of the five weight classes contested all earned berths in the 2009 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship, which will be held September 26-27 in Barcelona, Spain.

Right after his match, we had a chance to speak with Chris Weidman of Serra Jiu-Jitsu, who defeated James Brasco (Pablo Popovitch) by anaconda choke in the middleweight finals. We spoke about this match, what it means for his career, his wrestling background, and his plans in both grappling and mixed martial arts.

At this event was the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, grappling, and mixed martial arts legend Renzo Gracie. As always, Renzo had some very poignant comments about the importance of what we had just witnessed.

We also spoke with our old colleague Luca Atalla of Gracie Magazine. Luca has covered all the ADCC world championships, so his comments about these East Coast Trials were particularly insightful.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman focuses on several issues involving the battle for mixed martial arts to become organized like a true sport.

After over a decade of opposing the sport, the New York State Legislature is now in the process of considering legislation to legalize mixed martial arts and place it under the regulation of the New York State Athletic Commission. While a bill to that effect was recently passed in a key Assembly committee, the exploding political crisis in the New York State Senate, which was actually closed down this week due to spiraling in-fighting among the politicians, has jeopardized the passage and enactment of that, and all, legislation.

To get some perspective on what would be required by the New York State Athletic Commission to regulate mixed martial arts, we spoke with its chairperson, Melvina Lathan.

We also outline some of the key ups and down in the checkered history of this commission, as well as explain why the failure of combat sports promoters, then and now, to work together to self-regulate their own events made intervention by the politicians inevitable.

This Friday night, June 12, the Bellator Fighting Championships has its eleventh show in its 12-week series, with this one being held at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. It will be televised in the U.S. the following night, June 13, on the Spanish-language ESPN Deportes network.

The main event features the two finalists in the Bellator eight-man welterweight tournament, Lyman Good and Omar De La Cruz, fighting for the Bellator welterweight title. On the undercard, another member of the legendary Gracie family, Igor Gracie, takes on a fellow Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Vagner Rocha.

We had a chance to speak with Igor Gracie Wednesday afternoon at the Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in New York, where he is a lead instructor and also trains. We spoke about this upcoming fight as well as his plans to compete regularly in mixed martial arts.

In addition, we offer commentary on some of the positive and negative lessons of the first season of the Bellator Fighting Championships, as well as criticize those in the so-called mixed martial arts "media" who have either downplayed or plain ignored this important organization.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews the fight between WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto (33-1, 27 KOs) and challenger Joshua Clottey (35-2, 21 KOs), which takes place Saturday, June13, at Madison Square Garden in New York. This fight will be telecast by HBO in the U.S.

We had a chance at the kickoff news conference for this fight to get comments from both Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey. We also discussed the stakes in this fight with television host Kristal Hart.

Also, we explain why, along with continuing all our other coverage, there will be expanded boxing coverage on No Holds Barred, and why Eddie Goldman has stopped producing and hosting SecondsOut Radio. We invite listeners of that show to come aboard No Holds Barred.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins a series of shows which will focus on the health crisis, particularly in America. We offer some ideas about what people can do to live a healthier lifestyle while also fighting the profiteers who provide poor but increasingly expensive health care.

Key to a healthy lifestyle are diet and exercise.

For the issue of exercise, we spoke with Rolles Gracie, who is the lead instructor at the new Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Holmdel, New Jersey. This facility not only offers top-notch instruction in combat sports including jiu-jitsu, but also some general training facilities for everyone from beginners to world champions.

For the issue of diet, we spoke with Holt Richardson of the North American branch of the Japanese-based Ito En company, which manufactures and distributes green tea beverage products as well as numerous other beverages. We spoke with him at the Japan Day 2009 celebration in Central Park in New York on May 31, 2009. Japan, it should be noted, has, according to the United Nations, the longest life expectancy of any country in the world.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with our colleague Kid Peligro, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, a senior editor of the ADCC News, and a correspondent on our show.

Our main topic is the 2009 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, also known as the Mundials, which take place Thursday, June 4, through Sunday, June 7, at the Pyramid at California State University Long Beach.

We also discuss the recently completed West Coast Trials for the 2009 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, and the East Coast Trials, which take place the weekend of June 13-14 at J. Collins Arena at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, New Jersey. These Trials are qualifiers for 2009 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, which takes place the weekend of September 26-27 in Barcelona, Spain.

In a lengthy interview, we discuss who will compete at these events and who are the favorites to win. We go through the history and significance of these events. We also analyze what they need to do in order to advance to the next level of popularity among the legions of grappling, jiu-jitsu, wrestling, and combat sports aficionados around the world. And as always, we highlight the many benefits and positive values grappling and jiu-jitsu offer to both their competitors and fans.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the fourth and final show in our series reviewing the historic Art of War 12 mixed martial arts card, which we covered live from Beijing, China, Saturday, May 23, 2009.

For this show, we had the pleasure of having a lengthy discussion with Ricardo Liborio, the founder and head instructor of the American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, and the National Coach for USA Grappling, the grappling program of USA Wrestling. This chat took place on an airplane headed back from China to the U.S. following Art of War 12.

Liborio has been spending a lot of time on airplanes of late, arriving in China directly from the Netherlands, where he was part of a crowd of about 25,000 people who witnessed the May 16 It's Showtime kickboxing card. That card was headlined by a fight between two of the top heavyweights in K-1, Badr Hari and Semmy Schilt, with Hari scoring a stunning knockout of Schilt in just 45 seconds of the first round.

So on our trip back from China, we had a lot of time to discuss many topics. We spoke of the phenomenon of the It's Showtime card and kickboxing in Europe, and the potential of kickboxing around the world to grow as a sport. We analyzed the Art of War 12 card, and the potential of the Art of War Fighting Championship to grow and become one of the most popular mixed martial arts promotions in the world. We evaluated the top fighters in Art of War, including Wu Hao Tian and Rolles Gracie, and where they stand right now as fighters and what their potential is, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the third in our series of shows reviewing the historic Art of War 12 mixed martial arts card, which we covered live from Beijing, China, Saturday, May 23, 2009.

Todd Hester, the veteran mixed martial arts and grappling journalist, who first trained with the Gracies over 20 years ago, and covered the first UFC live, was also in Beijing for Art of War 12. He is now the editor and publisher of Gladiator Magazine, as well as a correspondent on this show and an old friend and colleague.

We had a chance to speak with him at length while we were in Beijing. We began with an interesting discussion about our observations about China as a society, refuting some common misconceptions held primarily in the West about it. We then reviewed the Art of War 12 card, discussed star fighters Wu Hao Tian and Rolles Gracie, analyzed the potential for the Art of War Fighting Championship to become as popular and successful as the Pride Fighting Championships were in their heyday, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the second in our series of shows reviewing the historic Art of War 12 mixed martial arts card, which we covered live from Beijing, China, Saturday, May 23, 2009.

We begin by commenting on some aspects of the international economic situation which affect the growth of the Art of War Fighting Championship, in which the economy of China is rising while those of the West and elsewhere are declining. We also comment on some positive and helpful suggestions which have been made to the Art of War Fighting Championship about making their fight videos and information more available online.

Right after the Art of War 12 card concluded at the National Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in Beijing, we had a chance to speak with Carlos Santos, the head coach of the Emirates Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Team, about this card.

We spoke with the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu star and now mixed martial arts fighter Rolles Gracie of Brazil and the U.S. about his first round victory over Baga Agaev of Russia on this card by rear naked choke.

And, at the postfight banquet, we spoke with the top star of this show, the 22-year-old phenom from China, Wu Hao Tian, who defeated Yutaka Kobayashi of Japan by TKO in the first round.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins a series of shows reviewing the historic Art of War 12 mixed martial arts card, which we covered live from Beijing, China, Saturday, May 23, 2009.

The night after the show, we had a roundtable discussion in Beijing with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and mixed martial arts legend Renzo Gracie; Rolles Gracie of Brazil, who defeated Baga Agaev of Russia by rear naked choke in the first round of their fight on Art of War 12; Andy Pi, the co-founder of the Art of War Fighting Championship; and the veteran journalist Luca Atalla of Gracie Magazine.

In this lengthy and lively discussion, we examined what happened on this card, the rules, the prospects for the Art of War Fighting Championship to become a world-class promotion, the relation of grappling and mixed martial arts, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague and correspondent, the award-winning boxing writer and musician Charles Farrell.

We began our lengthy discussion by focusing on the curious case of matchmaking in the title fight taking place May 26 in Shanghai, China, between the veteran WBC flyweight champion Daisuke Naito (34-2-3, 22 KOs) of Japan and the inexperienced Xiong Zhao Zhong (12-1-1, 8 KOs) of China. This is reported to be the first time a boxer from China will fight for a world belt from a major sanctioning body. Xiong, however, has only one win against a fighter with a winning record, who was just 1-0, and lost a regional light flyweight title fight in November to a 13-6 fighter. Nonetheless, once Naito agreed to fight in China, Xiong was given this world flyweight title shot. Welcome to the world of professional boxing, People's Republic of China!

We also discussed fights in Europe and America including the July 18 fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas and their media tour this week, the June 13 welterweight fight in New York between Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey, the June 20 heavyweight fight in Germany between David Haye and Wladimir Klitschko, the little-anticipated May 30 heavyweight fight in Finland between Nikolai Valuev and Ruslan Chagaev, the May 16 fight in California between super middleweights Andre Ward and Edison Miranda, and more.

We also read an e-mail about the "One World Champion" video sent by none other than former heavyweight champion of the world, George Foreman. And we comment on the recent writing awards announced by the Boxing Writers Association of America, and how the woeful state of boxing journalism hurts the sport.

This will be the last edition of No Holds Barred until after the May 23 Art of War Fighting Championship mixed martial arts card in Beijing, China, which we will be attending, so now is a good time also to catch up on those episodes of the show where we discussed this important event.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with skater Em Dash of the Manhattan Mayhem of the Gotham Girls Roller Derby.

Before a sellout crowd Saturday night, May 16, at Hunter College in New York City, Em Dash set a new individual league scoring record by racking up 81 points as Manhattan won their opening bout of the 2009 season, 121-93, over the Brooklyn Bombshells.

We spoke with Em Dash shortly after her record-setting performance. We discussed what was key to her scoring record, the role of her whole team, the prospects of the Manhattan Mayhem in 2009, and more.

In addition, we comment on the cultural appeal of roller derby which has made it the fastest-growing sport in America, and the international growth of roller derby, now with over 400 leagues around the world, including the beginnings of the new Abu Dhabi Roller Derby in the United Arab Emirates.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with two of the most important figures in the world of grappling, Ricardo Liborio and Gary Abbott.

Ricardo Liborio is a legend in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. A black belt under the late, great Carlson Gracie, in 1996 Ricardo was one of the first winners of the Mundial, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world championships, where he also was voted the most technical fighter. Besides being a Brazilian national champion in both jiu-jitsu and judo, he placed second in 2000 at the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) Submission Wrestling World Championship and third in 1999. He co-founded the Brazilian Top Team, and then became the founder and head instructor of the American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, where he still is located. He was voted coach of the year by the North American Grappling Association (NAGA) in 2005, and is a member of the NAGA Grappling Hall of Fame. He is regarded as one of the top coaches of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, mixed martial arts, and grappling in the world. He will also be one of the many international guests at the May 23 Art of War Fighting Championship mixed martial arts card in Beijing, China.

After wrestling at Boston University, Gary Abbott has served for two decades at USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the U.S. and a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee. He is the Director of Communications for USA Wrestling, and is one of the key people who is tirelessly working to popularize the sport of wrestling and striving to make sure it is more widely covered in the media.

Now these two noted people from these two different styles of grappling will be working together. Ricardo Liborio has been named the National Coach for USA Grappling, which is the grappling program of USA Wrestling. This is an important step forward in the cooperation between different styles of grappling, and represents an acknowledgement of the essential unity between all styles of grappling, as well as all styles of the combat sports.

It was thus a quite lively and informative discussion that we had for No Holds Barred. We spoke about the journey Ricardo had made from the worlds of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Vale Tudo in Brazil, to mixed martial arts, and now to USA Grappling. We discussed all these styles and rules. We stressed the connection of all these styles of grappling, and all the combat sports. We analyzed the prospects for grappling becoming an Olympic sport. And we discussed with Gary the 2009 U.S. World Team Trials, which take place May 30-31 in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to determine the U.S. world teams for men's and women's freestyle wrestling and for Greco-Roman wrestling.

In addition, the 2009 Grappling World Championships will take place in the U.S., at the Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, Dec. 12-13. We discussed the importance of this international event being held in U.S.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with "The Fight Professor", the veteran broadcaster, actor, and musician Stephen Quadros.

In a lengthy interview and analysis, we discussed the upcoming May 23 Art of War Fighting Championship mixed martial arts card in Beijing, China, and the prospects of the Art of War Fighting Championship becoming as popular worldwide as were the Pride Fighting Championships. We discussed the fighters on this card, the rules, what they need to do to become a major world-class promotion, and more. We will both be attending this card in Beijing.

Plus, we also discussed the Strikeforce Challengers mixed martial arts card which will take place this Friday, May 15, at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., and which will be telecast live in the U.S. on Showtime, with the announcing being done by Mauro Ranallo, Stephen Quadros, and Pat Miletich. This card will feature a lightweight fight between Billy Evangelista (9-0) and Mike Aina (11-6-1), and a bout between Meisha Tate (6-1) against Sara Kaufman (8-0, 8 TKOs).

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by outlining the history leading up to the present logjam in boxing's storied light heavyweight division. While IBF light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson remained unbeaten this past Saturday night, May 9, by winning a unanimous decision in his rematch with Antonio Tarver, his performance failed to win many accolades or lay the groundwork for a fight with other top light heavyweights such as Bernard Hopkins or Glen Johnson. Once again, boxing's politics have driven this division into the quicksand.

On May 30, one of the rising stars of the welterweight division, 25-year-old WBC champion Andre Berto (24-0, 19 KOs), will defend his belt against the 28-year-old reigning IBF junior welterweight champion, Juan Urango (21-1-1, 16 KOs). This fight will take place in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, and be shown live in the U.S. on HBO.

At a recent prefight news conference at the new Yankee Stadium, we had a chance to discuss this fight with Andre Berto, Juan Urango, and Urango's trainer, Evangelista Cotto. You can hear that all right here on No Holds Barred.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with wrestling legend Kevin Jackson, who has just been named the head wrestling coach for the Iowa State Cyclones. Kevin Jackson has been an Olympic and world champion wrestler, as well as a mixed martial arts fighter in UFC and Extreme Fighting.

We had a lengthy and in-depth discussion about his new position as well as many issues facing the sport of wrestling. Among the topics were the importance to him of returning to coach at Iowa State, where Kevin was an All-American wrestler and a member of the 1987 team, the last time Iowa State won an NCAA team championship; the storied rivalry between the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and the Iowa State Cyclones; what Iowa State can do to recapture an NCAA title; the ongoing support of wrestling from the Iowa State fans and supporters, known as Cyclone Nation; Cyclone wrestling history and culture; the plans to enhance the training of college wrestlers in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling; some of the problems with the ever-changing rules of international wrestling; why many college wrestlers have been turning to mixed martial arts; how college wrestling can better market and promote itself; the important role of African-American wrestling coaches; and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

Eddie Goldman of No Holds Barred and videographer, musician, and teacher Ian Carpenter were guests on the nationally-syndicated "Joey Reynolds Show" late Monday night/early Tuesday morning, May 4/5. Eddie Goldman is also the boxing correspondent for the "Joey Reynolds Show".

We had another fast-paced and lively discussion with Joey covering numerous topics. We discussed and critiqued the new documentary film on Mike Tyson, and the "One World Champion" video produced by Eddie and Ian. Ian spoke about his own background. Also among the topics we touched on were the movie business; why so much media today is so short; the Art of War Fighting Championship mixed martial arts event coming up May 23 in Beijing, China; boxer John Duddy; the wonderful Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight of May 2; boxing and martial arts; the continuing appeal of Muhammad Ali; and, of course, roller derby.

The "Joey Reynolds Show" is a national radio broadcast in New York on WOR 710 AM and on 100 other stations via the WOR Network. The show airs live beginning at midnight ET and runs to 5 AM ET. For more information on the "Joey Reynolds Show," click here.

For more information on show producer Myra Chanin, go to http://motherwonderful.com.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
No Holds Barred

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with boxing writer, historian, and former boxer Frank Lotierzo about the crushing second-round knockout victory by Manny Pacquiao over Ricky Hatton Saturday night, May 2, in Las Vegas.

In a lengthy and pointed interview, we discuss the Pacquiao-Hatton fight itself, the historical significance of Pacquiao's victory, whether Pacquiao can be considered an all-time great, the return to boxing of Floyd Mayweather Jr., the July 18 Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez fight, a potential Mayweather-Pacquiao showdown, what fights of note are coming up in the next few months, and much more about the always intriguing and often perplexing world of boxing.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Konrad Pi, the co-founder of the Art of War Fighting Championship and president of the Adoria Entertainment Group in Beijing, China.

The next show for the Art of War Fighting Championship, scheduled for May 23 at the National Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in Beijing, will feature a full card of mixed martial arts fights, headlined by a main event with rising Chinese star Wu Hao Tian facing the up-and-coming Japanese fighter, Yutaka Kobayashi. Also fighting on this card will be Rolles Gracie Jr. of Brazil, as well as Malik Mawlayi of Sweden taking on Fransino Tirta of Indonesia, and many other fighters from Asia and around the world.

This event will also be an international "coming out party for the Art of War Fighting Championship," said Mr. Pi in our lengthy interview. According to the Art of War, this show is being held "under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates." There is expected to be in attendance "a delegation of over 300 students, athletes, press representatives and martial arts fans from the United Arab Emirates."

In addition, there will be a reunion of the first family of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the Gracies, who are also of course mixed martial arts pioneers. So far listed as confirmed to attend are Rickson Gracie, Royce Gracie, Renzo Gracie, and Royler Gracie. Other notables scheduled to attend this event are Demian Maia, Fabricio Werdum, Ricardo Liborio, Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro, Bas Rutten, Josh Barnett, Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Tim Sylvia, Jeremy Horn, referees Yuji Shimada and Big John McCarthy, Stephen Quadros, Michael Buffer, Todd Hester, Luca Atalla, and yours truly, Eddie Goldman.

The organizers of the Art of War Fighting Championship hope to use this event to begin to establish their promotion as not only the leading mixed martial arts company in China, the most populous country in the world, but also as one of the top world-class mixed martial arts events in the world. Accomplishing that, they are well aware, will take time, but this event is a major early step along that path.

In a lengthy interview with Konrad Pi, we discussed this May 23 event, the overall plans for the Art of War Fighting Championship, the top fighters on this card, and the rules of this event, which are similar to the old Pride rules. We also discussed the role of martial arts in Chinese history and culture, the importance of both grappling and striking to the Art of War Fighting Championship, the growth of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in China, cultural differences and perceptions between many people in China and the West which cause them to look at many aspects of the combat sports in differing ways, the relationship of the Art of War Fighting Championship organization to the government of the People's Republic of China, prefight medical testing required by the Art of War Fighting Championship, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with two rookie skaters for the Gotham Girls Roller Derby, Anaïs Ninja of the Queens of Pain and Rat-A-Tat Kat of the Bronx Gridlock.

The intraleague season opener for the Gotham Girls Roller Derby was held Saturday, April 25, at the Hunter College Sportsplex in Manhattan, New York, between the Bronx Gridlock and the Queens of Pain. Da Bronx avenged their only loss of the 2008 season, which was to Queens in the 2008 league championship bout, by outscoring Queens by a comfortable margin, 121-78. These are two of the best individual teams in the U.S., as the Gotham Girls Roller Derby won the 2008 Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) national championship, and the Queens and Bronx teams were the best in the best league.

The halftime entertainment included an electrifying performance by world champion trick roper, performer, and singer Chris McDaniel, which drew a loud and enthusiastic reaction from this largely New York crowd.

Right after this game, we spoke with Anaïs Ninja and Rat-A-Tat Kat about their first official league games, why they have become derby girls, what the appeal of this sport is to them, and much more. Anaïs Ninja also told us about her transition from martial arts and boxing to roller derby.

Roller derby is considered by many to be the fastest-growing sport in America, so make sure to keep up with what is going on in this fun, sexy, and exciting sport. The next Gotham Girls Roller Derby game is Saturday, May 16, between the Brooklyn Bombshells and the Manhattan Mayhem, also at Hunter College in New York.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our newest correspondent, Bob Carson, about the present state of mixed martial arts. Bob is also the host of the Carson's Corner podcast.

We had an animated and lengthy discussion about the degeneration of mixed martial arts in the era of Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC. We discussed the recent controversy stemming from the Anderson Silva- Thales Leites fight at UFC 97, which many fans booed. We explained how the Zuffa bosses prefer their fights to be brawls, and how this is related to the overall decline of technique in UFC, as well as its positioning by Zuffa as a vulgar spectacle similar to the fake pro "wrestling" but with real fights. We confirmed the importance of supporting the efforts of the Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association, and also opposing and exposing those Zuffa shills and wannabe shills in what laughingly calls itself the mixed martial arts media. We discussed the prospects for several other mixed martial arts promotions around the world, and why fans of combat sports should watch the many great fights taking place in the king of combat sports, boxing. You will not want to miss this discussion.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Carlos Santos, the head coach of the Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Team.

The latest project of Carlos is the inaugural World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Cup, which takes place May 1 and 2 in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

In our interview with Carlos Santos, we discuss the birth of the World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Cup, the role played by Sheik Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi in supporting this event and jiu-jitsu, the rules of the competition, the prospects for the expansion of professional jiu-jitsu, the development of the International Professional Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IPJJF), why jiu-jitsu can have a fan base as a spectator sport, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our newest correspondent, Ian Carpenter.

The main subject of our discussion is the short video which has just been released called "One World Champion". This video was produced by Ian and Eddie, and focuses on the present absurd situation where there are four heavyweight boxing champions of the world. We discuss this video, the need for just one recognized heavyweight boxing champion of the world, the importance to all the combat sports of the martial art of boxing, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by briefly commenting on the breaking news about the defamation suit filed by attorney Rob Maysey, who is the founder of the Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association, against CraveOnline, the parent company of the Sherdog.com web site. We expect to have more on this story shortly.

In a follow-up to our last show, we have a new interview with Dr. Margaret Goodman, a neurologist and former chairman of the Medical Advisory Board of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, who is now also the medical correspondent for No Holds Barred. We discuss two major controversies in mixed martial arts and boxing: the seven-pound weight discrepancy between Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos and Hitomi Akano in their April 11 Strikeforce mixed martial arts fight in San Jose, Calif., and the ongoing scandal involving the hand wraps trainer Javier Capetillo attempted to place on Antonio Margarito for his Jan. 24 boxing match with Shane Mosley, which have since been found to have contained the ingredients used to make plaster of Paris. Dr. Goodman tells it like it is on these important issues.

Next, we go into the No Holds Barred e-mailbag to hear what the listeners of this show think about the issues that have been raised here. Particularly addressed is the recent video blog rant by BLAF aka UFC president Dana White, which was filled with misogynistic, homophobic, and other anti-social and negative epithets.

As expected, we received numerous intelligent, witty, and socially conscious comments, and you can hear those here as well.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Dr. Margaret Goodman, a neurologist and former chairman of the Medical Advisory Board of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Dr. Goodman is now also the medical correspondent for No Holds Barred, and we are very proud to be associated with her.

This lengthy interview, conducted March 12, first was posted on SecondsOut Radio in two parts. Here we have it in its entirety.

The topics include why certain substances such as steroids and marijuana are dangerous to the health of fighters and are thus banned in the combat sports. We also discuss many other issues related to the health and safety of fighters, especially what can be done to improve the health and safety measures in the combat sports, and what role a national boxing commission in the U.S. should play.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by discussing the theme of the 2007 article "Can There Be Decency and Tolerance in Mixed Martial Arts?" in light of the recent scandal involving the homophobic, misogynistic, and feeble-minded remarks of "U"FC president Dana White in a video blog. Our conclusion is that in virtually any other sport or even area of society, White would have been fired on the spot. We therefore must call for him to be immediately fired. We also criticize those journalists, including some who have come under White's fire, who are still incredibly arguing that he has "done a tremendous amount of good" and even "great things" for mixed martial arts, even though he led the "U"FC down the path of imitating the dangerous and disgraceful spectacle of the fake pro "wrestling".

Next we get the comments of a real mixed martial arts legend, Frank Shamrock, who fights Saturday, April 11, against Nick Diaz in the main event of a Strikeforce mixed martial arts card at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. This card will be televised live in the U.S. on Showtime. We spoke with Frank on a media conference call this past week.

In our main interview, we speak with our colleague Kid Peligro about the 2009 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship, which was held March 27-29 in Carson, California. Kid is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, a senior contributing editor at the ADCC News, and a correspondent on this show.

In a lengthy interview, we discuss the rising star of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Antonio Braga Neto, who won both the super heavyweight and absolute black belt divisions, as well as the rest of the results at this tournament. And we discuss what is the latest in both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and grappling, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Ted Rybka, Director of Sports Media of Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). After UFC president Dana White issued a video blog with a rant including homophobic and sexist slurs, and after GLAAD received numerous complaints about this, Ted contacted UFC and White. An apology by White has since been posted on YouTube.

In our interview with Ted, we spoke about why such slurs can be so harmful to the very well-being of people perceived as being gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender. We discussed White's apology, and what further contact GLAAD will have with UFC. We also discussed the efforts of GLAAD to educate both the media and the people about homophobia and sports.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

Eddie Goldman of No Holds Barred and SecondsOut Radio was joined by Scoop Malinowski, author of Heavyweight Armageddon: The Tyson-Lewis Championship Battle, Sean Sullivan, editor of Boxing Digest, and boxing aficionado Glenn Leslie as guests on the nationally-syndicated "Joey Reynolds Show" late Monday night/early Tuesday morning, March 30/31. Eddie Goldman is also the boxing correspondent for the "Joey Reynolds Show".

What ensued was a lively and poignant discussion about a sport which all of us love, boxing, but which is enormously troubled today. We talked about numerous topics including the state of the heavyweight division, which recent fights and fighters have been the most noteworthy, the confusing existence of more than one champion in each weight class, the role of women's boxing, the role of the media, and much more, including the topic of Scoop Malinowski's book, the 2002 heavyweight title fight between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson.

The "Joey Reynolds Show" is a national radio broadcast in New York on WOR 710 AM and on 100 other stations via the WOR Network. The show airs live beginning at midnight ET and runs to 5 AM ET. For more information on the "Joey Reynolds Show," click here.

For more information on show producer Myra Chanin, go to http://motherwonderful.com.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
No Holds Barred

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with the legendary mixed martial arts fighter, Frank Shamrock.

The next fight for Frank is on Saturday, April 11, against Nick Diaz in the main event of a Strikeforce mixed martial arts card at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. This card will be televised live in the U.S. on Showtime. This fight will be at a catch-weight of179 pounds.

In another lengthy interview, we discuss what to expect in this fight with Nick Diaz, the role and level of striking in mixed martial arts today, why Frank desires to move on from MMA to professional boxing, the possibility of a long-awaited rematch with Tito Ortiz, his experiences in Pancrase, the appeal of the art of that style, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reports from the season opener of the WFTDA national champion Gotham Girls Roller Derby, whose all-star team defeated the Boston Massacre 188-44 in Brooklyn, New York.

After the game, we spoke with Polly Gone, one of the newer members of Gotham Girls Roller Derby, about this bout and her own attraction to the fastest-growing sport in America, roller derby. To highlight the growth of this new sport's media, we spoke with Bone Crawford of Derby News Network, who was there covering this event.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with one of pioneers in the sport of grappling, Kipp Kollar, president of the North American Grappling Association (NAGA).

NAGA will be hosting their 2009 World Championship on Saturday, April 4, and Sunday, April 5, at the Essex County College in the main gym at 303 University Avenue, in Newark, New Jersey. NAGA will award 100 championship belts in all their divisions, making this event the largest grappling tournament in the world.

In a lengthy interview, we spoke with Kipp about the history and development of NAGA, the 2009 World Championship, the role and future of grappling as a sport, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with one of the hottest rising stars in mixed martial arts, King Mo Lawal. Mo just upped his pro record to 4-0 by taking a lopsided unanimous decision over Ryo Kawamura, who is also the light heavyweight King of Pancrase, at the Sengoku card, held March 20 in Tokyo.

In a lengthy interview, we discuss the injuries to Mo's knee and hand which necessitated a change of strategy in his latest fight, how he will likely undergo surgery to repair his knee, how long he will probably be unable to fight because of this surgery, his plans to incorporate submissions into his repertoire, his training in boxing and kickboxing, why he has adopted this entertaining King Mo persona, how he feels about sportsmanship in mixed martial arts, his plans for an eventual return to wrestling where he was a three-time U.S. national freestyle champion, his views on college wrestling compared to the international styles of wrestling, how he likes fighting in Japan and for the Sengoku organization, whether he would consider fighting in the U.S., his relations with the fans in Japan, his Queens who accompany him in Japan, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

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EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses two events which were held this past weekend which showcased some of the best aspects of the combat sports.

We begin by discussing the Sengoku 7 mixed martial arts card, which was held in Tokyo, Japan, Friday, March 20. Among the featured fights was the fourth straight win in the young professional career of three-time U.S. national freestyle wrestling champion King Mo Lawal. Despite several injuries, he dominated his fight and won a three-round unanimous decision over Ryo Kawamura, who is also the light heavyweight King of Pancrase. The first round of the Sengoku featherweight tournament was highlighted by the submission clinic put on another rising star, Hatsu Hioki, who defeated Chris Manuel by an arm bar submission in the first round of their fight. There were several other good fights on this card as well, which overall displayed a very high level of technique for mixed martial arts.

The 2009 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships are now in the books, and this event, held March 19-21 in St. Louis, proved to be one of the most exciting, evenly-matched, and important of its kind. While Iowa won their second straight national team title, they had no individual champions. Instead, wrestlers from ten different schools won these honors in the ten weight classes contested in college wrestling. One of the most historic upsets took place in 149-pound finals, as Darrion Caldwell of North Carolina State dominated the top-seeded and unbeaten Brent Metcalf of Iowa, 11-6. We also discuss the incredible story of Anthony Robles, the Arizona State wrestler who was born with only one leg, and placed fourth in the nation at 125 pounds in this tournament to win All-American status.

We discuss this amazing tournament, and what it all means for wrestling, with our correspondent Bob Mayeri, who was matside in St. Louis for this event.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by explaining why no tears should be shed for the decline of the mainstream media, and in particular the newspapers, largely due to new technology making their business models obsolete. We also discuss the mainstream media, especially in America, their abject failure in covering the combat sports, and the need to support independent media.

We next focus on the rarity coming up this weekend, when boxing and wrestling will be featured back-to-back on both Friday and Saturday nights on the ESPN networks in the U.S.

The always-exciting semifinals of the 2009 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships will be shown on ESPN2 Friday night, March 20, beginning at 7 PM EDT, followed by Friday Night Fights.

On Saturday, March 21, the WBC heavyweight title fight between champion Vitali Klitschko and challenger Juan Carlos Gomez will be shown live from Germany on ESPN beginning at 5 PM EDT. At 6:30 PM EDT, the finals of 2009 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships will be shown live on ESPN. There is also an assortment of other telecasts and webcasts this weekend in the combat sports, some more worthy than others.

We discuss these telecasts and webcasts, analyze the Klitschko-Gomez fight, and make some recommendations about how to allocate your viewing time this busy weekend.

Also, we discuss the rapid growth of social media, including Twitter, where somehow one ranking service almost inexplicably stated, "Eddie Goldman is ranked 1st in their location on twitterholic! (by followers in 'New York NY USA')" Maybe, maybe not, but you can join the party at http://twitter.com/nhbnews.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our correspondent, veteran wrestling journalist and photographer Bob Mayeri, with our annual preview of the NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships. This event takes place from Thursday, March 19, to Saturday, March 21, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

We discuss the clear favorite to capture yet another national championship, the unbeaten Iowa Hawkeyes. We preview the title race both for the teams and for the ten weight classes, listing who the favorites seem to be. And we discuss the new qualifying system put in place this year by the NCAA to avoid some of the inequities of past years.

There will be extensive live television and online video coverage in the U.S. of the 2009 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships.

The finals start Saturday, March 21, at 6:30 PM EDT, and will be shown live both on TV on ESPN and online at ESPN360.com. Here is the entire schedule, with all times EDT:

Fri., Mar 20
11 a.m. - Quarterfinals – Live on ESPNU HD / ESPN360.com
7 p.m. - Semifinals – Live on ESPNU HD / ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com

Sat., Mar 21
10:30 a.m. - Championship Medal Round - Live ESPNU HD / ESPN360.com
6:30 p.m. - Finals – Live ESPN HD / ESPN360.com

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Robert Drysdale, one of the most accomplished practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the world.

He has won numerous world, national, and regional championships in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, as well as winning the absolute division at the 2007 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships, and by submission.

From March 16 to March 26, the first annual Drysdale Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu All-Star Camp will take place at the Robert Drysdale Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada. This camp, which consists of ten days of intense BJJ training, is open to the public and to participants at all levels, from beginners to experienced fighters and black belts.

We spoke with Robert Drysdale about this Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu All-Star Camp, the role of grappling and BJJ in the combat sports and mixed martial arts, the future of BJJ and grappling, where he plans to compete next both in grappling and mixed martial arts, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins the fourth year of this show as a podcast by speaking with the legendary matchmaker, promoter, announcer, and martial artist, and our senior correspondent on this show, John Perretti.

This past Saturday night, March 7, there were two live televised fight cards on at the same time. One was an HBO boxing card featuring a TKO victory by unbeaten, rising junior middleweight James Kirkland over Joel Julio. The other was another UFC pay-per-view.

In a lengthy discussion, we explain why we both chose to watch the boxing over the UFC (and it was not because of the price of the pay-per-view). We discuss the training methods used by James Kirkland, who is under the tutelage of former boxer Ann Wolfe. We also discuss why, despite excellent fights and fighters, televised boxing often comes off looking so lame, tired, and old. And we touch on many more issues in both boxing and mixed martial arts, including fighter safety.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the mixed martial arts fighter, grappler, and political activist, Jeff Monson.

Jeff is involved in numerous fights, both in and out of the combat sports. He will be fighting fellow MMA heavyweight Roy Nelson March 21 at the Pensacola Civic Center in Pensacola, Florida, on a joint boxing-MMA card headlined by boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. taking on veteran Omar Sheika. This event will be shown on pay-per-view in the U.S.

Outside of the ring, Jeff is involved in a legal and political battle stemming from a photograph which was published in ESPN The Magazine showing him allegedly spray-painting an anarchist symbol and anti-war and anti-poverty slogans on the Capitol Building in Olympia, Washington. He was later arrested and charged with a felony, first-degree malicious mischief, which has a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

In a lengthy interview, we discuss with Jeff Monson all these issues and more. We talk about why he allegedly painted those slogans, why such stiff penalties are being sought for such a relatively harmless and non-violent act, and what he expects to happen with this case. We talk about his upcoming fight with Roy Nelson, boxing and mixed martial arts, why he was unable to fight on a recent MMA card in Russia, his hopes of competing this year in the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship (in which he has already been a champion), his background in both combat sports and politics, and much, much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the legendary matchmaker, promoter, announcer, and martial artist, our old friend and colleague John Perretti. Beginning with this show, John will be a senior correspondent on No Holds Barred and appear frequently.

In a lengthy discussion, we begin by analyzing the awesome and beautiful fight held this past Saturday involving lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz. We then branch out to discuss boxing technique in general, how most of the commentary on televised boxing shows fails to explain this technique properly, the role of Bruce Lee, the techniques and cultures of boxing and mixed martial arts, the technical deterioration of mixed martial arts, how mixed martial arts is not run like a sport should be, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

Eddie Goldman of No Holds Barred and SecondsOut Radio and comedians Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling, Dan Nainan, Ross Bennett, and Rick Younger were guests on the nationally-syndicated "Joey Reynolds Show" late Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning, February 24/25. Eddie Goldman is also the boxing correspondent for the "Joey Reynolds Show".

The quartet of jokesters provided luscious samples of their schtick, while Eddie focused on what has been going on in the sports of boxing, including the Madison Square Garden show of Feb. 21 featuring wins by Miguel Cotto and John Duddy, and the fastest growing sport in America, roller derby. Eddie even got a few jokes of his own in throughout the show. Also discussed was the Lifetime Journalism Achievement Award presented by Gladiator Magazine to Eddie Goldman.

The "Joey Reynolds Show" is a national radio broadcast in New York on WOR 710 AM and on 100 other stations via the WOR Network. The show airs live beginning at midnight ET and runs to 5 AM ET. For more information on the "Joey Reynolds Show," click here.

For more information on show producer Myra Chanin, go to http://motherwonderful.com.

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No Holds Barred

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the veteran martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and instructor, Renato Tavares, who is one of the founders and the president of the North American Fight Association (NAFA).

Besides offering training in the combat sports and martial arts, NAFA emphasizes "the fundamental core values of integrity, honor, respect and courage."

NAFA is organizing the Abu Dhabi World Pro North and Central America Trials in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This event will be held Saturday, February 28, 2009, at the Brevard Community College Melbourne Campus, Building # 6, in Melbourne, Florida. This is a qualifying event for the first-ever World Professional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Cup, which will take place May 1 and 2 in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

These events aim to establish an international professional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu circuit. The North and Central America Trials are also the kickoff event for NAFA, which plans follow this up with the NAFA 2009 U.S. Grapplers Cup Series.

We had a chance to speak with Renato Tavares about all these important events, the growth of grappling and Jiu-Jitsu, the potential for a professional Jiu-Jitsu league, the need to emphasize positive values in the martial arts and combat sports, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses a wide variety of topics linked together by emphasizing that the average people (i.e., most of us) need a warrior culture.

In what is to become yet another controversial commentary, discussed are what the U.S. government believes is its greatest threat, why that assessment by the government is actually a threat to (most of) you, why you thus need a warrior culture, and how the combat sports are related to developing that culture. We discuss some battles going on involving the use of the Internet right now, and how some in the combat sports are using the Internet in a positive way, including the North American Fight Association (NAFA) and the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) Facebook discussion group.

We also tie in the need to support all the combat sports, and hear comments from Ken Hershman of Showtime and the legendary mixed martial arts fighter Frank Shamrock about boxing and mixed martial arts. And we hear comments from Miguel Cotto and the legendary trainer and cutman Miguel Diaz about Cotto's return to action Feb. 21 in Madison Square Garden against Michael Jennings, his first fight since suffering his first pro loss to the controversial Antonio Margarito in July 2008.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Rob Maysey, the founder of the Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association (MMAFA). This organization seeks to establish an association of mixed martial artists and their trainers, similar to other such organizations which already exist in many professional sports.

We spoke at length with Rob Maysey about the goals of the MMAFA, its progress so far, what impact it has already had on mixed martial arts, how fighters can become involved with MMAFA, how this organization has been received by those calling themselves members of the mixed martial arts media, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman comments on the implications of the latest major scandal in boxing, involving former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito and his trainer, Javier Capetillo.

Both Margarito and Capetillo had their licenses revoked for at least a year on Feb. 10 by the California State Athletic Commission after the commission found that Capetillo had placed pads in Margarito's hand wraps which reportedly contained a hard, plaster-like substance, before his Jan. 24 fight with Shane Mosley. These pads were discovered by Mosley's trainer, Naazim Richardson, during a prefight inspection, and then removed. Mosley, an underdog, then went on to dominate Margarito and scored a ninth-round TKO victory.

In this commentary, we discuss what are really the only two alternatives for the sport of boxing: tougher regulation by the often incompetent and ineffective bodies which are supposed to control the sport, or abolition of the sport itself.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Scott Coker, the founder and CEO of the mixed martial arts company Strikeforce.

Strikeforce announced Thursday, Feb. 5, that they had purchased key assets from ProElite, the parent company of EliteXC, including the contracts of numerous of their top and best-known fighters. EliteXC stopped running shows in October 2008. Strikeforce will also run live events to be televised in the U.S. on Showtime, with the first one being April 11 in San Jose, Calif. There are also plans for up to four live televised shows on CBS. Both Showtime and CBS had previously been airing EliteXC shows.

In a lengthy interview, we discussed the status of the fighter contracts which were purchased by Strikeforce, which fighters Scott expects will fight for Strikeforce, their plans for the April 11 show and beyond, their deals with Showtime and CBS, their continuing weekly show on NBC, what to expect regarding the issue of EliteXC and Strikeforce champions, what has happened to kickboxing, the evolution of mixed martial arts as a sport, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by commenting on the controversy which arose at the recent UFC event in the fight between Georges St-Pierre and BJ Penn. According to numerous reports, St-Pierre's corner had to be stopped by officials from the Nevada State Athletic Commission from continuing to grease his body between rounds. This controversy is discussed in the context of the exposures of widespread cheating in the sports world in general, and also, of course, in society.

In our main interview, we speak with Bjorn Rebney, the founder and CEO of the Bellator Fighting Championships. This new mixed martial arts company will air its shows on the Spanish-language ESPN Deportes network in the U.S. for 12 consecutive Saturday nights, beginning April 4.

In a lengthy interview, we discuss the vision and positioning of the Bellator Fighting Championships, which is primarily targeting a Latino audience. We discuss the fighters they have signed so far, their extended tournament format, the rules, the plans for both live events and televised shows, how they want to approach the non-Spanish-speaking audience, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this special edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague Kid Peligro about the life and philosophy of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Grandmaster Helio Gracie, who passed away January 29, 2009, at age 95. Kid is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, a senior contributing editor at the ADCC News, and a correspondent on this show. He also is the author of The Gracie Way, and worked with Helio and Royler Gracie on the book Gracie Submission Essentials.

In a lengthy interview, we discuss the legacy and philosophy of Helio Gracie, the main lessons from his long and productive life, what he believed was most important about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, its role in both self-defense and sports, how Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu revolutionized the martial arts and combat sports and remains the foundation of mixed martial arts, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Jay Larkin, the former head of the Showtime boxing program, and more recently the CEO of the International Fight League (IFL) mixed martial arts company. Once the second most popular mixed martial arts company in America, the IFL stopped running shows in 2008 after losing millions of dollars, and is no longer in business.

In a lengthy, candid, and spirited interview, we discuss the rise and fall of the IFL, some of the mistakes that company made, the status of mixed martial arts in America, the role of grappling in mixed martial arts, how MMA compares to boxing, the media bias which the IFL faced, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Jacqui Snow, our correspondent and the technical consultant for No Holds Barred. She is also a moderator of the very popular MySpace Boxing Forum, which has over eight thousand members.

For almost two weeks, No Holds Barred was unable to be produced because of an attack by viruses and adware gotten from a pop-up ad on a sleazy boxing web site.

In a lengthy and animated interview, we discuss just what happened with this virus and adware attack, what steps can be taken to avoid and prevent such attacks, and why certain web sites stoop to trying to make money by such predatory practices.

We also discuss the growing importance of social media sites such as MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter, and how they are transforming the way fans of the combat sports get information and communicate with each other. We also comment on the continuing, pathetic ignorance of and resistance to social media by most of the boxing establishment, along with many other issues.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Art Davie, a co-founder of the UFC who is now the CEO of XARM.

XARM is a new, hybrid combat sport, which combines kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, and arm wrestling.

While some of the commentaries on XARM have been quite superficial, in a lengthy interview, we discuss with Art Davie the concept behind XARM, how it plans to fit into the combat sports world, what the criticisms of it have been, how it has already evolved and will likely continue to evolve, what are the plans to develop the sport, how it is related to the growth of both the Internet and mobile technology, and more. We also touch on some of the many problems facing mixed martial arts, from its formative days to the present.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague Jason Bryant of Wrestling 411. Jason is co-host with Kyle Klingman of the Wrestling 411 Internet radio show and a major contributor to all aspects of their web site.

In a lengthy interview, we discuss what is going on in the most popular form of wrestling in America, college wrestling. We discuss what has been happening in the early part of the 2008-09 season, the availability of live wrestling coverage on television and online and the need for more of that coverage, the upcoming National Duals tournament, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman wraps up 2008 and introduces 2009 by speaking with our colleague and correspondent Charles Farrell. We ring in the new year by wringing the necks of those ruining the action in the ring.

Our lengthy and hot conversation includes what is right and what is wrong with boxing, with the latter unfortunately requiring more attention than the former, especially in the U.S. The greedy, seedy, shortsighted men of the TV networks and promotional companies are given no free pass this New Year's Day, and neither should they be, any day of this or any other year. Plus, we critique the role played by many in the boxing media.

Despite the best efforts of those who are running the sport directly into the ground, there are some rising and usually overlooked young stars of boxing which all fight fans should watch. We conclude our discussion by focusing upon some of them.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our Internet radio and podcasting colleague, Bob Carson, host of Carson's Corner.

In a lengthy conversation, we offer a highly critical analysis of the latest UFC show and UFC in general, and why and how this company, under its current ownership, is presenting a version of mixed martial arts which is a disgusting and vulgar product modeled after the fake pro "wrestling". We discuss the state of mixed martial arts and the major promotional companies in America and the world, and go after the many UFC shills in the media. We also comment on how the boxing industry has completely blown an opportunity to attract younger fans who are now watching MMA. We discuss other events and sports which are emerging, such as roller derby and XARM, which tries to combine arm wrestling with kickboxing and jiu-jitsu. And, as expected, we hold nothing back.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by commenting on the recent deaths of mixed martial arts fighters Justin Eilers and Justin Levens, and what this might possibly reflect about that sport. We also raise some major criticisms of the Sengoku 7 mixed martial arts card, which takes place Sunday, January 4, 2009, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, near Tokyo. Fighting on that card will be heavyweight Antonio Silva, even though he is currently under suspension by the California State Athletic Commission for steroid use.

In our main interview segment, we speak with three-time U.S. national freestyle wrestling champion and now a mixed martial arts fighter with a record of 2-0, King Mo Lawal. Mo, a light heavyweight, will next be fighting veteran Yukiya Naito on that same Sengoku 7 card.

In a lengthy interview, we discussed what Mo knows about Yukiya Naito, how Mo prepared for this fight by training in Brazil, his plans to continue competing in wrestling and also to become a boxer, the role of freestyle and folkstyle wrestling in mixed martial arts, his attitude towards submissions, his King Mo persona in Japan and his Queens, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with one of the most well-rounded masters in grappling, Teimoc Johnston-Ono.

Teimoc's numerous accomplishments include being a member of the 1976 U.S. Olympic judo team, serving as head judo coach at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, being the only person to win the prestigious World Masters competition in both judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and holding black belts in both judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Among his various instructional duties, he is now teaching both judo and submission grappling at the Five Points Academy in downtown New York City five nights a week.

We had a chance this week to speak with Teimoc at length right after one of his classes at the Five Points Academy. We discussed what he teaches his students, the key role of grappling in the combat sports and martial arts, the role and changing nature of judo, why the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship is the most important grappling event in the world, the downplaying of the role of grappling by many mixed martial arts companies, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Ana Bollocks, a member of the 2008 Women's Flat Track Derby Association national champion Gotham Girls Roller Derby. Ana is a blocker for the Queens of Pain, which also won the Gotham Girls Roller Derby league championship this year.

At a party and fundraiser for the league in New York, we spoke with her about her career, why 2008 was so successful for the Gotham Girls Roller Derby, why the sport of roller derby is growing so rapidly and has become the fastest-growing sport in America, what to expect in 2009, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the legendary mixed martial arts fighter Frank Shamrock.

Frank has just revamped his web site, FrankShamrock.com, and added numerous user-friendly, social networking features, where one can sign up for free as a member.

We had a wide-ranging discussion beginning with the web site, and covering his view of his fight with Cung Le this past March, what his next fight may be, the prospects of a mixed martial arts fight with his brother Ken Shamrock, what has happened to EliteXC, his role in that company, the state of mixed martial arts, the need for a fighters' union in MMA, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses an important development in the combat sports: the revival and resurgence of numerous important events in various styles of grappling.

As has been reported on the ADCC News, not only are plans moving forward for the 2009 Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championship, which will likely be held in late summer at a site to be determined, but there also has been an announcement that a new International Professional Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IPJJF) will start running events in 2009. The World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Cup will take place in April 2009, with trials in Brazil, the U.S., Canada, Japan, Europe, and Australia. More information on that will also be announced shortly.

In college wrestling in the U.S., a new all-time attendance record was set Saturday, December 6, when 15,955 fans jammed into Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City to see the top-ranked University of Iowa Hawkeyes defeat their intrastate rivals, the second-ranked Iowa State Cyclones, by a score of 20-15. That broke the old record of 15,646, set on Feb. 1, 2002, when Minnesota hosted Iowa at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

In the sport of sumo wrestling, a new professional company called the International Sumo League plans to run a tour of the U.S., starting Sunday, April 5, 2009, at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, and culminating with a planned championship tournament in Madison Square Garden Saturday, November 7, 2009. Organized by some of the same people who ran the World Sumo League in 2005 and 2006, they are in talks with CBS Sports about televising their shows.

Taken together, it is clear that there is a grappling revival going on, and that is what we discuss on this edition of No Holds Barred.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

Eddie Goldman of No Holds Barred and SecondsOut Radio and boxing historian and author Mike Silver were guests on the nationally-syndicated "Joey Reynolds Show" late Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning, December 9/10. Eddie Goldman is also the boxing correspondent for the "Joey Reynolds Show".

Mike Silver has a new book out entitled The Arc of Boxing: The Rise and Decline of the Sweet Science.

Our discussion focused on the theme of this book. We talked about the many problems in boxing and how the sport has fallen from being one of the most popular and technical in the world to one in which mediocrity, at best, rules.

The "Joey Reynolds Show" is a national radio broadcast in New York on WOR 710 AM and on 100 other stations via the WOR Network. The show airs live beginning at midnight ET and runs to 5 AM ET. For more information on the "Joey Reynolds Show," click here.

For more information on show producer Myra Chanin, go to http://motherwonderful.com.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
No Holds Barred

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins with some comments on the new college wrestling season, and the important development of the formation of the College Wrestling Network, a joint effort of several wrestling media outlets designed to expand the coverage of college wrestling on the Internet and to promote the sport.

In the main segment of this show, we speak with the legendary mixed martial arts matchmaker, promoter, and commentator, John Perretti.

Among the many topics covered in this spirited and frank discussion were why the Brock Lesnar-Randy Couture fight at UFC 91 was a "debacle", why UFC is a "fossil" in terms of what is once was, the devolution of mixed martial arts, the importance of people like Wallid Ismail to the sport, the recent controversy over the promotion by UFC of anti-social behavior on "The Ultimate Fighter" television series, the issue of sportsmanship, and what the combat sports ought to be about.

In addition, we both openly and enthusiastically endorsed the need for the formation of a fighters' union for mixed martial arts.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Ricardo Lois, co-host of Boxing Confidential Radio. The main subject is the controversial fight between Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao, which will take place Saturday, December 6, in Las Vegas, and will be shown in the U.S. on HBO Pay-Per-View. Pacquiao, who has fought at featherweight and super featherweight in recent years, and just moved up to lightweight in June, will be fighting the much larger De La Hoya at welterweight.

In a lengthy interview, we discuss our criticisms of the De La Hoya-Pacquiao fight, why it is not good for boxing, how it is related to the decline of boxing in the U.S., the ethics of watching pay-per-views such as this one online on sites which do not hold their copyrights, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague Kid Peligro, a senior editor of the ADCC News and a correspondent for our show, about the plans and preparations for the 2009 Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championship. This event is by far the most important and prestigious grappling tournament in the world.

We discuss the regional qualifying tournaments going on right now for this tournament, the rules of this grappling event, the likelihood of many champion mixed martial arts fighters competing in this event including top heavyweight and pound-for-pound fighter Fedor Emelianenko and Dream middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by discussing the important role of women in the combat sports and the need for them to have equal opportunity with men.

In the main interview segment on this show, we speak with actress, model, and performer Amber Lee Ettinger. She has recently gained much notoriety for her performance as Obama Girl in the wildly popular music video "I Got a Crush on Obama". This video, by the way, was not affiliated with the campaign of now-President-elect Barack Obama.

We discuss with Amber her experience in playing Obama Girl, the impact this video had on the American presidential election, her previous experiences as a ring card girl at numerous boxing cards, what her current and future plans are, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by commenting on the controversy around the November 15 mixed martial arts fight between Brock Lesnar and Randy Couture at UFC 91. We go to the No Holds Barred e-mail bag for an insightful analysis by a listener about how this fight may have symbolized "The Day That MMA Died", and then critique a number of so-called "experts" writing in the mainstream media defending the UFC promoters for handing the inexperienced Lesnar this title shot and inflating what his real athletic credentials are.

In the main part of this show, we speak with our long-time colleague, Todd Hester, the publisher and editor-in-chief of Gladiator Magazine. Todd is also a correspondent on this show.

In its November 2008 edition, Gladiator Magazine announced that it has presented its first-ever Lifetime Journalism Achievement Award to Eddie Goldman. In an article in its November 2008 issue, Eddie Goldman was also named the "Conscience of the Combat Sports".

In a lengthy interview, we discuss why this award was given, and then, as is befitting on a show called No Holds Barred, jump into explaining and analyzing some of the pressing problems in the combat sports of mixed martial arts, boxing, and wrestling.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

Eddie Goldman of No Holds Barred and SecondsOut Radio and comedian Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling were guests on the nationally-syndicated "Joey Reynolds Show" late Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning, November 18/19. Eddie Goldman is also the boxing correspondent for the "Joey Reynolds Show".

While Jackie provided a healthy dose of his edgy humor, Eddie focused on some serious problems facing boxing which are far from a joke, but are turning that sport into one. Joey and Eddie discussed the continuing problems with the treatment of the media at the Nov. 8 fight between Joe Calzaghe and Roy Jones Jr. at Madison Square Garden, as well as other problems plaguing that sport. But we also had a little time to discuss some good sports news, the revival of roller derby.

The "Joey Reynolds Show" is a national radio broadcast in New York on WOR 710 AM and on 100 other stations via the WOR Network. The show airs live beginning at midnight EDT and runs to 5 AM EDT. For more information on the "Joey Reynolds Show," click here.

For more information on show producer Myra Chanin, go to http://motherwonderful.com.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
No Holds Barred

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with journalist, photographer, and web designer Matthew Kaplowitz. He is also a correspondent for this show.

Matthew recently visited Japan, and we spoke to him about that trip. We discussed the Sengoku 5 and Dream 6 mixed martial arts cards, which he covered, his visit to the world-famous Kodokan Judo Institute, and his trip to the Grabaka Gym, where he met its founder, the mixed martial arts and grappling master Sanae Kikuta.

He also will soon be launching soon a new web site called TheFightNerd.com.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Chica Loca, the marketing chair for the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). She is also a skater with the Sacred City Derby Girls of Sacramento, California. This show is part of our continuing coverage of the exciting sport of roller derby, the fastest-growing sport in America.

Our main topic is the Northwest Knockdown, which is the 2008 WFTDA National Championship. This three-day tournament will be held Friday, November 14, though Sunday, November 16, at the Portland Expo Center in Portland, Oregon.

The eight teams competing in the Northwest Knockdown, which include the four top teams from both east and west regions, are: the Texas Rollergirls (Austin, TX), the Gotham Girls Roller Derby (New York, NY), the Duke City Derby (Albuquerque, NM), the Philly Roller Girls (Philadelphia, PA), the Rat City Rollergirls (Seattle, WA), the B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls (San Francisco, CA), the Carolina Rollergirls, (Raleigh, NC), and the Windy City Rollers (Chicago, IL).

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by commenting on the election of Barack Obama as the first African-American president of the United States. Discussed are both the significance of this for the combat sports of boxing, wrestling, and mixed martial arts, and, of course more importantly, the people.

On Election Day in the U.S., November 4, we conducted an interview with three-time U.S. national freestyle wrestling champion and mixed martial arts fighter, King Mo Lawal. Mo just had his second TKO victory in as many fights in his new MMA career, stopping Chute Boxe fighter Fabio Silva in the third round at the Sengoku 6 card in Japan on Saturday, November 1.

Our lengthy discussion with Mo Lawal focused on his latest victory in the ring, his training in technique, his plans, his views on the worsening problems facing USA Wrestling, and much more.

His latest victory can be seen here.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the legendary mixed martial arts matchmaker John Perretti.

In a lengthy interview, we discuss his recent trip to Japan where he watched a sumo tournament, wrestling and grappling and mixed martial arts, the art of matchmaking, boxing commentators, UFC commentators, the decline of technique and striking in mixed martial arts today, the sport of roller derby, the prospects for his new sport based on Florentine football, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Turi Altavilla, a vice president of EliteXC until the very recent demise of that mixed martial arts company. Turi also was formerly a vice president of the Pride Fighting Championships.

In a lengthy interview, we get a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how EliteXC operated, and discuss what led to EliteXC closing its operations, the controversy stemming from the Kimbo Slice-Seth Petruzelli fight, what direction mixed martial arts should take, what his plans are now, and much, much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman continues our discussions about the fastest-growing sport in America, roller derby, and the dumbest sport in America, mixed martial arts, and their interrelationship.

This past Saturday, October 25, the Gotham Girls Roller Derby held their 2008 season championship bout at Hunter College in New York. In an upset and a surprising rout, the former league champions, the Queens of Pain, toppled the defending champions, the Bronx Gridlock, by a score of 161-113.

After the game, we spoke with Haulin' Cass, a blocker for Queens, about their victory, and what is coming up in the post-season.

The Gotham Girls All-Stars are ranked number one in the East by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), and will be competing in the 2008 WFTDA Championship Tournament, November 14-16, in Portland, Oregon.

Next, we discuss some of the e-mails we received regarding our last show, which was entitled, "Has Mixed Martial Arts Become the Dumbest Sport in America?" We answered in the affirmative, and we got an overwhelmingly positive response from many people who have grown disgusted with the present direction of MMA in general, and UFC in particular.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the devolution of mixed martial arts into becoming one of the dumbest, if not the dumbest, sports in America.

Among the issues raised in this no holds barred commentary are how this sport was once a brilliant laboratory and school where discussion of technique was the order of the day, the imitation of the vulgar fake pro "wrestling" by UFC, the hatred of grappling by EliteXC which eventually led to the self-destruction of that company, the preposterous idea by Affliction of a creating a "reality" show to find an opponent for top heavyweight and pound-for-pound MMA fighter Fedor Emelianenko, the continued reliance on the technologically obsolete pay-per-view television model, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

It was a night of fun, facts, and firsts, as four members of the Gotham Girls Roller Derby made their first guest appearances on the nationally-syndicated "Joey Reynolds Show" late Monday night/early Tuesday morning, October 20/21. Joining this animated discussion were Eddie Goldman of No Holds Barred, who is also the boxing correspondent for the "Joey Reynolds Show", and attorney Albert Wunsch.

Representing the Gotham Girls Roller Derby were Dainty Inferno and Lemony Kickit of the Bronx Gridlock, and Dinah Party and Haulin' Cass of the Queens of Pain. Their two teams will meet for the 2008 season championship this Saturday, October 25, at the Hunter College Sportsplex on Lexington Avenue and 68th Street in Manhattan.

Joey led this lively, open-ended discussion, which included the girls explaining how and why they got involved with roller derby, the history of the sport, its culture, the basic rules and league structure, how it is a do-it-yourself, skater-owned and -operated venture, and more. We also found some time to discuss a little boxing, including the victory this past Saturday night by Bernard Hopkins over Kelly Pavlik, and how most of the people running boxing are also ruining it.

The "Joey Reynolds Show" is a national radio broadcast in New York on WOR 710 AM and on 100 other stations via the WOR Network. The show airs live beginning at midnight EDT and runs to 5 AM EDT. For more information on the "Joey Reynolds Show," click here.

For more information on show producer Myra Chanin, go to http://motherwonderful.com.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
No Holds Barred

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Steve Nelson, who fought in and ran the Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation (USWF) in the 1990's in Amarillo, Texas.

Our focus on this show is the debut mixed martial arts card being held Friday, October 24, in Amarillo, of Shark Fight Promotions.

This card, which will take place at the Amarillo National Center on the Tri-State Exposition grounds right near Interstate 40, will also be available on an Internet pay-per-view. Steve will be the lead commentator for this Internet pay-per-view.

Besides the fight card, there will also be a tribute on this show to Amarillo native, the late Evan Tanner. One dollar of every pay-per-view purchase will be donated to the Evan Tanner Scholarship Fund.

In a lengthy interview, we discuss the debut of Shark Fight Promotions in Amarillo, this fight card and which fighters to watch most closely, mixed martial arts and wrestling in Amarillo and Texas, and more.

We also open the show with some comments on the masterful performance of Bernard Hopkins this past Saturday night, Oct. 18, in defeating Kelly Pavlik by a lopsided unanimous decision.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents our final preview of the fight taking place this coming Saturday, October 18, between Kelly Pavlik (34-0, 30 KOs) and Bernard Hopkins (48-5-1, 32 KOs). The undefeated Pavlik, still the middleweight champion, will step up to light heavyweight to face Hopkins, the former middleweight and light heavyweight champion, in a 12-round fight at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and on HBO Pay-Per-View in the U.S.

At the final news conference held in New York Tuesday, October 14, we got the comments of both Kelly Pavlik and Bernard Hopkins about the historical importance of this fight and what to expect in it. We also have the comments of their trainers, Jack Loew, who trains Pavlik, and Naazim Richardson, who trains Hopkins.

In addition, we have comments about how the current economic crisis is affecting boxing and mixed martial arts from Melvina Lathan, chairperson of the New York State Athletic Commission, and promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank, which promotes Pavlik.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the legendary mixed martial arts promoter, matchmaker, and commentator, John Perretti.

In another lengthy interview, we discuss one of the biggest scandals in U.S. mixed martial arts history, the controversy revolving around the Oct. 4 Kimbo Slice-Seth Petruzelli EliteXC fight, and the degree to which the promoters may or may not have tried to protect Kimbo by having Petruzelli avoid taking down Kimbo. We discuss the roles of striking and grappling in the mixed martial arts and their evolution since the early days of the sport. Plus, we discuss John's plans for developing his new combat sport, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague and correspondent, Todd Hester, who is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Gladiator Magazine.

The tables are turned, however, as Todd conducts an in-depth interview with Eddie about Eddie's background, how he got into covering the combat sports, what they represent to him philosophically and historically, what his plans are now, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with three-time U.S. national freestyle wrestling champion and now mixed martial arts fighter, King Mo Lawal. Mo made his successful fighting debut this past Sunday, September 28, defeating veteran Travis Wiuff in the first round by TKO with a ground-and-pound attack, at the Sengoku 5 show in Tokyo, Japan.

That fight can be seen here.

In a lengthy discussion, we talk about Mo's entry into the world of mixed martial arts, his victorious first fight, his plans for the future, his criticisms of USA Wrestling and whether or not he will continue wrestling, his views on a number of upcoming major boxing fights, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by reviewing the new documentary film "JC Chavez", which focuses on the life and career of the legendary Mexican boxer and icon, Julio Cesar Chavez. After a 25-year professional career which included numerous world championships in the super featherweight, lightweight, and light welterweight divisions, Chavez retired in 2005 with a record of 107-6-2, with 86 KOs. This worthwhile documentary, directed by Diego Luna, provides a telling look at both Chavez the man and Chavez the fighter.

We next hear from EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields, who defends his title against Paul Daley Saturday, Oct. 4, at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., on the CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights mixed martial arts card. We spoke with both Jake Shields and Paul Daley on a recent media conference call.

On a cultural note, the quintessential dive bar, Yogi's, located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, is closing its doors on Saturday, Oct. 4. This bar has become yet another victim of the growing gentrification of New York foisted upon the public by the real estate interests, the banks, and their handmaidens, the politicians.

We discuss why this bar was so important and loved, both by people in and out of the combat sports. And to put this into perspective, we speak with author Kevin Fitzpatrick, founder and editor of the New York City Bartenders and Patrons web page.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman takes on the world, and discusses the world of combat sports, around the world.

Among the many international topics broached in this no holds barred presentation are: the latest news in the case of Swedish Olympic wrestler Ara Abrahamian against those who allegedly denied him the opportunity to wrestle for a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics; the continuing vulgarization of mixed martial arts and particularly the UFC in America; the successful title defense this past Saturday in Argentina by WBO flyweight champion Omar Narvaez; the junior middleweight fight coming up this Saturday, Sept. 25, between Shane Mosley and Ricardo Mayorga; and the Oct. 4 mixed martial arts fight between Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock. We also hear questions and answers with Mosley and Mayorga, and Kimbo and Shamrock, from recent media conference calls.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman is joined by Steve Nelson, founder of the Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation (USWF) of Amarillo, Texas, to talk about the passing of mixed martial arts and wrestling champion Evan Tanner.

Evan Tanner, a native of Amarillo who was living in Oceanside, Calif., was a USWF heavyweight champion, a two-time Texas high school state wrestling champion, a UFC middleweight champion, and a Pancrase Neo-Blood Tournament champion. The 37-year-old Tanner was found dead Sept. 8 after he had been reported missing while on a camping trip in southern California.

In this interview, we discuss how Steve, who knew Evan for about 20 years, watched him progress from being a successful high school wrestler to become a champion in professional shoot wrestling and mixed martial arts. We discuss Evan's life, his legacy, his strengths and weaknesses, his unending search to find meaning for what he did, and, to use Evan's own words, his attempt to influence children positively by opposing "the message of self-glorification and disrespect" and being "the ultimate gentleman, honorable and respectful."

There will be a public memorial meeting for Evan Tanner Saturday, September 27, beginning at 2 PM CDT, at the Amarillo Civic Center in that building’s auditorium, at 401 S. Buchanan Street, in Amarillo. The memorial meeting is called "Evan Tanner - Celebration of Life - Memorial". Steve Nelson will be a featured speaker at this memorial.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by discussing why the new deal for Golden Boy Promotions and Affliction Clothing to run joint boxing-mixed martial arts cards on pay-per-view television is a long shot at best, and what it means for both boxing and mixed martial arts. As usual, this is a no holds barred analysis.

In the second part of this show, we return to discussing the Gotham Girls Roller Derby league, a skater-owned and operated organization based in New York City. They have just completed their regular season, and are preparing for their postseason competition. The Gotham Girls Roller Derby is currently ranked second in the U.S., and first in the east, by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association, the national organization of roller derby leagues.

Right after their last regular season game this past Friday night, Sept. 12, where the Manhattan Mayhem routed the Brooklyn Bombshells by a score of 146-91, we spoke with Ginger Snap aka Natily Blair, the president of the Gotham Girls Roller Derby. She also skates for the Bronx Gridlock, the defending league champions, who will face the Queens of Pain Sat., Oct. 25, at Hunter College in Manhattan in their 2008 championship game.

We discussed Friday's game, what to expect in the postseason, the structure of the regional and national postseason events, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by noting the untimely passing of mixed martial arts fighter Evan Tanner. We also discuss the rescheduling of the Affliction mixed martial arts card and what this says about their marketing, advertising, and pay-per-view strategies. And we comment upon the possible entry into mixed martial arts of boxing promoter Don King.

This coming weekend, September 13-14, the USA Grappling World Team Trials will take place at Sierra College in Rocklin, Calif. This event is organized by USA Wrestling, the national governing body for the sport of wrestling. This is a qualifying event for the 2008 Grappling World Championships, which will be held in Lucerne, Switzerland, December 20-21.

Jeff Monson is an athlete known for his success in both grappling and mixed martial arts. A former ADCC submission wrestling world champion, and Pride and UFC veteran, he was both a world and U.S. champion in grappling in 2007. He will be competing at the Grappling World Team Trials this weekend in hopes of repeating.

We conducted a lengthy interview this Wednesday with Jeff Monson, discussing grappling, its future, how he compares grappling and fighting, his career, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman is joined by our correspondent, the award-winning boxing writer Charles Farrell. Eddie and Charles are also the editors of The Boxing Standard.

In a lengthy, candid, and animated discussion about fights this past weekend and those scheduled for next weekend, we comment on the knockout loss of Chuck Liddell by Rashad Evans at UFC 88 and what it says about mixed martial arts fighters and MMA, the 54-second knockout of British lightweight boxer Amir Khan by little-known Breidis Prescott and what it says about both fighters, the victory of former lightweight champion Juan Diaz over Michael Katsidis, the much-anticipated Joel Casamayor-Juan Manuel Marquez and Nate Campbell-Joan Guzman lightweight title bouts, the prevailing anti-technology culture in boxing, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins the first part of this show by commenting on the return of Randy Couture to the UFC and how this is a major setback for the battle for the rights of fighters in the mixed martial arts. We also discuss the further devolution of the UFC, some of the main reasons for the continuing failures of their rival mixed martial arts promotions, and the need for a grassroots coalition to advance the struggle for fighters' rights.

In the second part of the show, we turn to the sport of wrestling.

Two of the more pleasant stories coming out of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games were the gold medal victory in men's freestyle wrestling at 55kg by Henry Cejudo, and the bronze medal victory in women's freestyle wrestling at 63kg by Randi Miller. Both were in New York for a series of media appearances this week, and we caught up with them.

Henry Cejudo discusses his Olympic victory, how he views both freestyle and folkstyle, wrestling in comparison to boxing and mixed martial arts, and his plans.

Randi Miller discusses her Olympic victory, her style of wrestling, women's wrestling and the importance of girl's high school wrestling programs, and her plans.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the legendary mixed martial arts promoter, matchmaker, and commentator, John Perretti.

For the past several years, John Perretti has been involved in attempting to launch a new, professional combat sport. It will be based on the ancient sport known as calcio storico (historic football) or calcio fiorentino (Florentine football). This sport is a sort of combination of boxing, wrestling, martial arts, and football (soccer). It has existed in various forms for centuries in Florence, Italy, and now John Perretti wants to introduce it to the world.

In a lengthy interview, we discuss this new sport, as well the mixed martial arts and other issues.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Steve Nelson, who fought in and ran the Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation (USWF) in the 1990's in Amarillo, Texas. This organization, which was one of the most successful local promotions of its time, held fights under what were called shootfighting rules, with only open hand strikes allowed, but with all submissions as well as kicks and knees permitted.

Steve was also a headliner in the company's most famous fight, when he took on Ralph Gracie, who had defeated him in under a minute in 1996 under no holds barred rules in Extreme Fighting 2 in the Mohawk community of Kahnawake near Montreal. The rematch took place August 22, 1998, at a USWF show in Amarillo.

This fight was my selection as the 1998 Fight of the Year in mixed discipline combat sports.

A video of most of this fight can be seen here.

In a lengthy interview, we spoke with Steve about the USWF and its history, his fights with Ralph Gracie, some of the fighters from the USWF who became notable in mixed martial arts, the movement to establish a wrestling team at West Texas A&M University, the accomplishments of the boy's and girl's wrestling teams at Palo Duro High School in Amarillo, where Steve is the head coach, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the controversy regarding Swedish Greco-Roman wrestler Ara Abrahamian, who had his bronze medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games stripped by FILA, the international wrestling federation.

In the second period of the 84kg semifinal match with Andrea Minguzzi of Italy, the eventual gold medal winner, Ara Abrahamian, who had lost the first period, received a warning by the referee. However, it was only after the match was over that a point was assessed against him, thus giving Minguzzi a win in the period, and thus the entire match. Requests to file a protest and for a video review of the match were denied by FILA.

Ara Abrahamian, along with the Swedish National Olympic Committee, then filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport over the way FILA handled these requests. He also returned the bronze medal he later won, leaving it on the mat and walking out of the media ceremony. Abrahamian was later stripped of the medal, and vilified by almost all the mainstream media as a sore loser.

The hearing was held Friday, August 22, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport agreed with Abrahamian and the SNOC that FILA was wrong in how they handled this and that FILA had violated both the Olympic Charter and their own rules.

Their decision said, "FILA is required by the Olympic Charter and its own internal rules, to provide a procedure in its rules for an appeal jury (or some equivalent) to hear promptly claims by athletes or others affected that in a competition the relevant officials have not complied with FILA rules and procedures."

On this edition of No Holds Barred, we discuss this case in depth, and what it means for the sport of wrestling.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Wade Schalles, a two-time NCAA wrestling champion, a champion or All-American in folkstyle, freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling and in sombo and judo, and a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Wade is now working with Media Sports Productions to promote wrestling through developing a weekly TV show called Wrestling 411.

In a lengthy discussion, we touch on both the progress of this project and what is happening in the wrestling at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. We discuss both the good and the bad, including the incredible performances by 21-year-old, first-time Olympic gold medalist freestyle wrestler Henry Cejudo of the U.S., and 33-year-old, three-time Olympic gold medalist freestyle wrestler Bouvaisa Saitiev of Russia.

We also explain some of the controversies revolving around the current rules in international wrestling, And we discuss the context, which has largely been unreported in the media, about the controversy over the returning of his bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics by Swedish Greco-Roman wrestler Ara Abrahamian.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

Eddie Goldman of No Holds Barred and SecondsOut Radio was a guest on the nationally-syndicated "Joey Reynolds Show" early Tuesday morning, August 12. Eddie is the boxing correspondent for this show.

It was certainly a contrast of content, styles, and taste, as the other guests were comedian Rick Younger and Joshua Neuman, editor and publisher of Heeb Magazine, who was discussing something called the Heeb Olympics. But Eddie stuck to his game plan, focusing on the huge, positive, worldwide reaction thus far to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, some problems in the Olympics, and what is going on in Olympic and pro boxing.

The "Joey Reynolds Show" is a national radio broadcast in New York on WOR 710 AM and on 100 other stations via the WOR Network. The show airs live beginning at midnight EDT and runs to 5 AM EDT. For more information on the "Joey Reynolds Show," click here.

For more information on show producer Myra Chanin, go to http://motherwonderful.com.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
No Holds Barred

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Gary Abbott, Director of Communications and Special Projects of USA Wrestling, who is in Beijing, China, for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

In a lengthy discussion, we preview the wrestling competition which will take place at the 2008 Olympics. We discuss both whom to watch on the American team, and who are the gold medal favorites in the various weights classes and styles.

The wrestling at the 2008 Olympics begins Tuesday, August 12, with three days of Greco-Roman wrestling. Women's freestyle wrestling takes place August 16 and 17. Men's freestyle wrestling takes place August 19-21. Each weight class will start and conclude each day, meaning that there will be gold medal finals each and every day of the wrestling competition. All the wrestling will be held at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium on China Agricultural University's East Campus in Beijing.

TheMat.com, the web site of USA Wrestling, has set up an indispensable special event coverage section for the wrestling competition at the 2008 Olympics.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents a dialectical look at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, which begin Friday, August 8.

We examine the various aspects of the Olympics, including the contradiction between, on the one hand, the rampant commercialism and corruption in the Olympics, and, on the other hand, the sporting aspect of this event. We conclude, at least for the combat sports, that the Olympics are worth watching because the sporting aspect remains the principal aspect in them.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, we focus on discussing the article "Punch Drunk Love. How boxing explains John McCain" by Michael Crowley in The New Republic, which quotes me extensively about McCain's obsessive campaign against mixed martial arts in the 1990's. We also discuss the significance of those views of McCain for today.

In addition, we also discuss the EliteXC show on CBS this past Saturday, the monumental drop in ratings from their May 31 show, and other issues including the future of the IFL, MMA coming to New York, and the flawed pay-per-view model for combat sports.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

IFL, the International Fight League. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S. and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman focuses on the appointment of longtime boxing judge Melvina Lathan as head of the New York State Athletic Commission.

We start with a commentary on the significance of this appointment, and what it means for the sports of boxing and mixed martial arts in New York.

At a ceremony held Friday, July 25, at the Police Athletic League in Harlem, New York, officially announcing her appointment, we got comments from Melvina Lathan about her new job, boxing, and MMA. We have the statements both she and New York Governor David Paterson made at this ceremony. We also asked Governor David Paterson about his attitude to MMA coming to New York. And we got the very positive comments of Larry Hazzard, former head of the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, and Randy Gordon, former head of the New York State Athletic Commission and now co-host of the show Fight Club on Sirius Satellite Radio, about the appointment of Melvina Lathan, and boxing and MMA.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

IFL, the International Fight League. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S. and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our correspondent Matthew Kaplowitz about the debut Affliction "Banned" mixed martial arts card, which was held Saturday, July 19, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Matthew was in the arena covering it live.

In a lengthy discussion, we present a very nuanced analysis of the positives and negatives of the Affliction show, including the lessons of the 36-second blowout by Fedor Emelianenko, the top heavyweight and pound-for-pound MMA fighter in the world, over former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia.

Eddie also opens the show with another commentary on the problems facing those promoters reliant on the pay-per-view TV model, the growing availability of fights from around the world online and for free, and the inconclusive ending of the Dream lightweight MMA tournament in Japan.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

IFL, the International Fight League. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S. and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses with our colleague Kid Peligro, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, a senior editor of theADCC News, and a correspondent for our show, the origins and history of the renowned Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championship.

We also speak with Matthew Kaplowitz, the newest correspondent for our show, who is on location in Anaheim, Calif., for the Affliction mixed martial arts card this Saturday, July 19, at the Honda Center, and on pay-er-view. He was at the weigh-ins Friday, and we discuss them and the atmosphere there.

And we continue our discussion of the role of peer-to-peer streaming video sites and the pay-per-view model.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

IFL, the International Fight League. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S. and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by explaining, once again, how the pay-per-view business model of many boxing and mixed martial arts companies is flawed due to numerous factors, including the growth of streaming on peer-to-peer networks, the declining economy, and more. In particular, the pay-per-view model of the Affliction MMA promotion is critiqued.

In our main interview, which was originally played on SecondsOut Radio, we spoke with the award-winning boxing writer and author, Thomas Hauser of SecondsOut.com.

Recently he wrote a lengthy and sharp critique called HBO: 2008, which called into question the direction being taken by HBO, the most important television network in boxing.

That article has been widely discussed, and we continued that discussion, both about HBO and the state and future of boxing, on our show this week.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

IFL, the International Fight League. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S. and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague Todd Hester, who is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Gladiator Magazine.

Todd is someone who has been immersed in the combat sports for many years. He started training with the Gracies in the late 1980's, covered the first UFC in 1993, and has been ringside or cageside for countless MMA events all around the world.

Now, in a provocative new editorial called "Redemption and Transformation", in the current edition of Gladiator Magazine, he argues that MMA has lost its soul.

Commenting on what grappling, jiu-jitsu, and mixed martial arts are really about, he wrote, "it isn't about the fighting." He also argued, "fighting for the sake of pure violence is basically immoral."

In a lengthy interview, we discuss the transformation of mixed martial arts from, as he called it, the "cerebral" sport it once was, to its current state which celebrates "mindless, juvenile violence." We also discuss what can be done to change the sport of mixed martial arts into something which plays a more positive role.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

IFL, the International Fight League. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S. and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague Todd Hester, who is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Gladiator Magazine.

Todd is someone who has been immersed in the combat sports for many years. He started training with the Gracies in the late 1980's, covered the first UFC in 1993, and has been ringside or cageside for countless MMA events all around the world.

Now, in a provocative new editorial called "Redemption and Transformation", in the current edition of Gladiator Magazine, he argues that MMA has lost its soul.

Commenting on what grappling, jiu-jitsu, and mixed martial arts are really about, he wrote, "it isn't about the fighting." He also argued, "fighting for the sake of pure violence is basically immoral."

In a lengthy interview, we discuss the transformation of mixed martial arts from, as he called it, the "cerebral" sport it once was, to its current state which celebrates "mindless, juvenile violence." We also discuss what can be done to change the sport of mixed martial arts into something which plays a more positive role.

The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

IFL, the International Fight League. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S. and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague Kid Peligro, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, a senior editor of the ADCC News, and a correspondent on our show.

In a lengthy and candid interview, we discuss numerous topics, including the victory by Xande Ribeiro in the absolutes at the 2008 World Jiu-Jitsu Championships, the crossover of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes to MMA, how Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the foundation of MMA, how the current overall direction of MMA reflects a bias towards striking over grappling, the opposing values which are predominantly promoted by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA, the next Fury Fighting Championship MMA event July 12 in Rio de Janeiro, the connection between Fury FC and the Japanese MMA promotion Dream, which member of the Gracie family might become the next big star in MMA, why the Japanese MMA promoters seem more interested in the Gracies than the American promoters, and more.

You can also watch Kid Peligro's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu video interviews on the KidPeligroBJJNews on YouTube.

The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

IFL, the International Fight League. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S. and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com