No Holds Barred with Eddie Goldman

No Holds Barred: King Mo on Strikeforce, Weekend Previews of Fedor-Rogers, Dawson-Johnson 2, and More

Eddie Goldman — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:48:09 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by commenting on some of the latest dirty business in the combat sports. We discuss the lawsuit filed by top mixed martial arts heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko and his M-1 promotional company against Affliction over the cancellation of the August 1 Affliction card and the subsequent closing of the Affliction mixed martial arts promotion, along with the simultaneous renewal of a sponsorship deal of Affliction with UFC. We also comment on some of the latest but typical nonsense emanating from the WBC and WBO, two of boxing's major sanctioning bodies. We next discuss the incredibly busy weekend of important fights in both mixed martial arts and boxing taking place around the world. On Friday, November 6, two separate boxing cards in Northern Ireland will feature popular light welterweight Paul McCloskey against Daniel Rasilla for a European belt, and heavyweights Sam Sexton against Martin Rogan in a rematch of their fight in May when Sexton stopped Rogan in eight rounds. Two former boxing world champions, Zab Judah and Joel Casamayor, return to action in separate bouts on a pay-per-view from Las Vegas. And the Strikeforce Challengers mixed martial arts series on Showtime features unbeaten lightweight Billy Evangelista facing veteran Jorge Gurgel on a card in Fresno, Calif. The action continues Saturday, November 7, with the Sengoku 11 mixed martial arts card from Tokyo, Japan, headlined by a featherweight fight between Hatsu Hioki and Michihiro Omigawa. The seven-foot Russian giant, WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev, will defend his belt against the former cruiserweight champion, David Haye of the UK, in Nuremburg, Germany. The Strikeforce-M-1 Global mixed martial arts card will be televised live in the U.S. on CBS Saturday, November 7, from the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, near Chicago. It will of course be headlined by the showdown between the top mixed martial arts heavyweight in the world, Fedor Emelianenko, and the unbeaten Brett Rogers. The televised card is also scheduled to include bouts between heavyweights Antonio Silva and Fabricio Werdum, light heavyweights Gegard Mousasi and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, and a middleweight title fight between Jake Shields and Jason "Mayhem" Miller for Shields's belt. Also this very busy Saturday night, November 7, two of the top light heavyweight boxers in the world, Chad Dawson and Glen Johnson, have a rematch of their April 2008 fight, won by Dawson by a highly-disputed unanimous decision. This takes place at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, and will be televised live in the U.S. on HBO. We discuss all these events, as well as give some advice to those who would like to see them online through various streaming video sites and services. We spoke with both Chad Dawson and Glen Johnson on a media conference call to get their views on what to expect this Saturday night. We also spoke with Strikeforce promoter Scott Coker about how the Fedor-Rogers fight has been marketed. You can hear those discussions on this edition of No Holds Barred. Last but not least, we have an in-depth preview of the November 7 card with the undefeated mixed martial arts fighter and freestyle and college wrestling champion, "King" Mo Lawal. He joins us to analyze the four main fights on that Strikeforce card, plus discuss wrestling, boxing, and mixed martial arts technique. He is also scheduled to make his Strikeforce debut December 19 against an opponent to be named. 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: BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. 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/. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Fedor Emelianenko, Brett Rogers, Frank Shamrock

Eddie Goldman — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:46:31 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews the showdown between the top mixed martial arts heavyweight in the world, Fedor Emelianenko, and the unbeaten Brett Rogers. This fight takes place Saturday, November 7, at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, IL, near Chicago, as the main event of a card jointly promoted by Strikeforce and M-1 Global. It will be televised live in the U.S. on CBS. This will be the debut fight for Fedor Emelianenko in Strikeforce, on CBS, and in a cage rather than a ring. We spoke with both Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers on a media conference call to get their evaluations of the techniques and action we can expect this coming Saturday night. One of the CBS announcers for this fight will be mixed martial arts legend Frank Shamrock. We spoke at length with Frank about what to expect in this fight, what type of chance the underdog Brett Rogers has in it, what is the best strategy to use against Fedor, how Fedor can be beaten if at all, how he would fight Fedor, his plans and when he wants to return to fighting, 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: BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. 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/. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Rich Clementi and Patrick Mooney of Cage Wars, Crissy Linzy of US Grappling

Eddie Goldman — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:23:20 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the final set of interviews conducted at the MMA World Expo, held Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25, in New York City. One of the mainstays of the mixed martial arts scene for many years has been the UK-based Cage Wars Championship. Their next card, entitled Nightmare, will be held Sunday, November 29, at Kings Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The main event will feature veteran American fighter Rich Clementi facing local favorite Chris Stringer in a three-round super fight. To preview that show, and to discuss the state of Cage Wars and mixed martial arts in the UK, Europe, and the world, we spoke with Rich Clementi and Patrick Mooney, the creative operational officer of Cage Wars. One of the growing number of circuits which run Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and submission grappling tournaments is US Grappling. They have tournaments coming up December 5 in Ashland, Virginia, near Richmond, and December 12 in Henderson, North Carolina. To learn more about US Grappling, we spoke with Crissy Linzy. 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: BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. 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/. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Future of MMA Panel, Day Two, and Re-Legalization of MMA in New York

Eddie Goldman — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 04:00:10 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the second day of the "Future of MMA" panel, held Sunday, October 25, at the MMA World Expo in New York City. The panelists on the second day of this two-day event and discussion were attorney Michael Kim, who has been active in the legislative battle to re-legalize mixed martial arts in the State of New York; MMA journalist Jim Genia; and Eddie Goldman. The discussion was moderated by Keisha Morrisey. The audio from the first day of this panel has already been posted. The second day of this panel discussion picked up where we left off, and allowed us to elaborate on many new topics. Besides reviewing the history of the struggle to re-legalize MMA in New York, and to overturn the regressive 1997 law banning it, which still stands today, we discussed such topics as the dangers of unregulated, underground fights, who has been against mixed martial arts in New York and why, and much more. Clarity on these types of issues is important if this battle to re-legalize MMA in New York is to be successful, which it thus far has not been. 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: BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. 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/. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com. 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

No Holds Barred: Joseph Agbeko-Yonnhy Perez Preview; Jens Sejer Andersen of Play the Game on Corruption in Sport

Eddie Goldman — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:39:26 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins with a preview of the IBF bantamweight title fight between champion Joseph Agbeko (27-1, 22 KOs) and unbeaten mandatory challenger Yonnhy Perez (19-0, 14 KOs), which will be held Saturday, October 31, in Las Vegas, and televised on Showtime in the U.S. We spoke about this fight with both Joseph Agbeko and Yonnhy Perez on a media conference call. We next turn to the persistent issue of corruption in sport, including in the combat sports, with Jens Sejer Andersen, the Director of Play the Game. Play the Game is an international organization based in Denmark which, according to its web site, "aims to strengthen the basic ethical values of sport and encourage democracy, transparency and freedom of expression in world sport." They have recently issued a "Call for action against all forms of corruption in sport", which has been signed by numerous leading sports figures and journalists from around the world. "Corruption in sport is seemingly endemic," Jens Sejer Andersen told us, and we thus had a lengthy discussion about how to fight it. We examined what Play the Game is doing to help this struggle against corruption in sport both in the Olympic movement and in professional sports, why so many who do so end up receiving negative reactions, problems in Olympic boxing and wrestling, and the role of gambling in spreading corruption. We also discussed the "Call for action against all forms of corruption in sport" and the need for the establishment of an international agency to fight corruption in sport, similar to what the World Anti-Doping Agency has done to fight doping. And we explained what fans, athletes, media, and everyone else around the world can do to fight corruption in sport. Once again, you will not find this kind of discussion about the fight against corruption in sport in most places in the media, but focusing on these issues is precisely what you can expect at 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: BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. 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/. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com. 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

No Holds Barred: Larry Hazzard on the Continuing Evolution of MMA and Boxing

Eddie Goldman — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:39:13 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Larry Hazzard Sr. about the development of the combat sports of mixed martial arts and boxing. Serving for over two decades as commissioner of the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, Larry Hazzard played a key role in the establishment of unified rules for both boxing and mixed martial arts. He is now a senior official at the IBF (International Boxing Federation), with the title Personal Assistant to the President and Chairman of Officials Education, Development and Supervision. He also is the founder of C.O.M.B.A.T.T. - Community Organization Making Boxing Alternatives Today for Tomorrow, in Newark, New Jersey, which provides both boxing and fitness training along with educational and recreational activities for at-risk and inner-city youths. With such a long history of accomplishments and being a pioneer in so many aspects of the combat sports, our discussion blended history with current analysis about boxing and mixed martial arts together. Among the many topics in this lengthy discussion, we spoke about the key role he played in developing the unified rules for mixed martial arts in 2000 and 2001, and convincing the Nevada commission to sanction the sport in 2001. We discussed his role at C.O.M.B.A.T.T. and the importance of training in the combat sports for youth. We analyzed many of the problems in boxing which have led to its diminution into a niche sport. We talked about the issue of fighter safety in both sports, as well as his innovation in bringing instant replay to the combat sports. After numerous other topics, our discussion ended with a breaking news story. The major boxing sanctioning organizations are seriously preparing for a summit to address jointly the problems in boxing and see if they can finally work together to start to solve them. The plan is now for this summit to be held in January 2010, and probably in Mexico, where the WBC is headquartered. As a top official in the IBF, Larry Hazzard stated that the IBF gives their full support to this effort, and that boxing "has to be fixed by us." We will definitely closely follow these important developments. This is the kind of discussion which any real aficionado of the combat sports will really love, where we approach the issues in the combat sports of boxing and mixed martial arts together. They are much more interrelated than many people realize, and the contributions of Larry Hazzard to both sports are but one more example of that. It thus was one of the most enlightening discussions ever 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: BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. 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/. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com. 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

No Holds Barred: Future of MMA Panel, Day One, and Re-Legalization of MMA in New York

Eddie Goldman — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:38:05 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the main part of the "Future of MMA" panel held Saturday, October 24, at the MMA World Expo in New York City. The panelists on the first day of this two-day event and discussion were Melvina Lathan, chairwoman of the New York State Athletic Commission; attorney Michael Kim, who has been active in the legislative battle to re-legalize mixed martial arts in the State of New York; and Eddie Goldman. The discussion was moderated by Keisha Morrisey. We will post the audio from the second day of this panel shortly. This is the discussion which just about everyone in the mixed martial arts and combat sports has been anticipating, since the sanctioning and return of mixed martial arts to New York would obviously be so important to the growth and health of the sport. But we also delved into the history of the incredible and complex struggle to legalize MMA, and to overturn this regressive 1997 law banning MMA in New York, which still stands today. We also voiced many criticisms of the structure of mixed martial arts today, while remaining firm in our support for its sanctioning in New York. 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: BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. 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/. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com. 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

No Holds Barred: Mark Schultz, Rhadi Ferguson, Reviews of MMA World Expo, Dream, UFC

Eddie Goldman — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:29:55 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins with a commentary on the MMA World Expo, the first such event in New York City, which was held Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25, at the Javits Center. This event was deemed a success by just about everyone involved, and you will get an idea why. We then continue our commentary by discussing and comparing the levels of technique, action, and drama in the Dream and UFC mixed martial arts events of this past weekend. If the pursuit of happiness, a goal in life espoused for millennia, from Aristotle to the United States Declaration of Independence, is our measure, Dream was the certain winner in this respect. We next present two of the several interviews we conducted at the MMA World Expo, with more to come. We spoke with wrestling legend Mark Schultz, a 1984 Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion in freestyle wrestling for the U.S., and a three-time NCAA Div. I wrestling champion at Oklahoma. He is also 1-0 in mixed martial arts, and he explained why some records which indicate otherwise are inaccurate. We discussed wrestling, the role of grappling, MMA, and more in a candid interview. And we spoke with Dr. Rhadi Ferguson, a 2004 U.S. Olympian in judo, and a motivational speaker, trainer, and coach. We discussed the role of grappling in mixed martial arts, his approach to grappling, 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: BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. 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/. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com. 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

No Holds Barred: King Mo Lawal Signs with Strikeforce

Eddie Goldman — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:44:16 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the undefeated mixed martial arts fighter and freestyle and college wrestling champion, "King" Mo Lawal. With a record of 5-0 in mixed martial arts, last week "King" Mo signed a four-fight deal to compete in Strikeforce over the next 18 months. In another comprehensive interview, Mo Lawal spoke with us about mixed martial arts, boxing, and a little wrestling. He explained why he signed with Strikeforce and when he is likely to fight next. We discussed his options about fighting as a heavyweight or light heavyweight, and how he believes he matches up with top fighters including top heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, and Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi. We again discussed the sport of boxing, including the Carl Froch-Andre Dirrell and Arthur Abraham-Jermain Taylor fights from the first round of the super middleweight tournament this past Saturday, October 17. He discussed his love of Japan as a place to fight, and commented on the unwarranted negative views some people have of mixed martial arts fighters who are not in the UFC, and of those fighters who are past their primes. He reiterated his desire to compete in pro boxing, analyzed the reason for the longevity of the boxing career of 44-year-old Bernard Hopkins, and explained that he has no plans to return to wrestling now. He also talked about the plans to popularize Team Thirsty, which includes himself, Daniel Cormier, Rashad Evans, and Shawn Bunch, 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: BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. 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/. MMA World Expo, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com. 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

No Holds Barred: Bjorn Rebney of Bellator Fighting Championships on Upcoming Seasons Two and Three

Eddie Goldman — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:22:55 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bjorn Rebney, the founder and CEO of the mixed martial arts company, the Bellator Fighting Championships. After a successful 2009 debut season on the Spanish-language ESPN Deportes network, it was announced Tuesday, October 20, that Bellator would be returning for their second and third seasons in 2010, on an alliance of Fox Sports Net, NBC, and the Spanish-language Telemundo network, in the U.S. Beginning Thursday, April 8, 2010, Fox Sports Net will telecast a 12-week series of live Bellator fight shows in prime time in each market. Each Saturday night in the overnight time slot, NBC will air a 30-minute highlight show from the live fights of that week. Telemundo will also air a highlight show every Saturday night, from midnight to 1 AM local time. The third season for Bellator is scheduled to commence in August 2010. In a lengthy interview, we discussed with Bjorn Rebney this step forward for Bellator. We examined the media aspects in depth, including when and how each network would telecast these shows, as well as their Internet strategy, including possible posting of fights on the NBC-Fox video site Hulu. We discussed the return of their champion fighters for the next seasons, the continuing use of the tournament format to determine number one contenders for their titles, why Bellator is very open to co-promoting events with other mixed martial arts companies, the likeliest locations for their 2010 events, and much more. This new deal for seasons two and three solidifies the position of the Bellator Fighting Championships in the mixed martial arts world, and this interview analyzes all the main points about this important development. 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: BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. 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/. MMA World Expo, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com. 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

No Holds Barred: Charles Farrell Reviews Abraham-Taylor, Froch-Dirrell, and Rachael Cordingley

Eddie Goldman — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:16:16 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague and correspondent Charles Farrell, the award-winning boxing writer and fight manager, about the somewhat disappointing first round of fights in the super middleweight tournament known as the World Boxing Classic, held Saturday, October 17. In those fights, undefeated former middleweight titleholder Arthur Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) won with a brutal twelfth-round knockout of former undisputed middleweight world champion Jermain Taylor (28-4-1, 17 KOs) at the O2 World Arena in Berlin, Germany, while WBC champion Carl Froch (26-0, 20 KOs) won an ugly split decision over previously unbeaten Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs) at the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, England. We discussed these fights themselves; why Abraham emerged as the clear winner of all the fighters Saturday night; why the devastating knockout of Taylor, the third in his last five fights, should signal the end of his career as a boxer; how both Froch and Dirrell gave dismal performances, and the supposed controversy over the outcome of their fight; an evaluation of the next fight in this tournament, when Mikkel Kessler faces Andre Ward November 21 in Oakland, Calif., as well as the second and third rounds of this tournament; why, despite its less-than-inspiring start, the tournament could still be successful; how potential dropouts in the tournament could endanger it; why so many people remain so cynical and negative about everything in boxing, as happens in the last stages of a dying romantic relationship; and why so much of the boxing public is instead talking about Carl Froch's girlfriend, Rachael Cordingley. 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: BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. 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/. MMA World Expo, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com. 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

No Holds Barred: Why Boxing Is A Bad Lover; Arthur Abraham-Jermain Taylor, Carl Froch-Andre Dirrell World Boxing Classic Previews

Eddie Goldman — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:50:15 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by lamenting how the abject failure of the boxing establishment to adapt to the latest online video technology has made this sport the hardest combat sport to love. The October 10 Juan Manuel Lopez-Rogers Mtagwa fight is widely being hailed as a Fight of the Year candidate, but was only televised on an independent pay-per-view in the U.S. It is now available for free on YouTube, although it was not posted by the promoters. Thus, as we explain, for fight fans to watch the great fights from around the world and to be able to afford to do so, they must be able to use sites like YouTube, SopCast, DeliCast, WWITV, TVU, Livestation, KeyHoleTV, and the MyP2P and AllP2P forums. We list the top fights around the world remaining for this season, and encourage fans to learn how to use the existing technology, even if the boxing promoters continue on their path to extinction. This coming Saturday, October 17, the two opening fights in the highly-anticipated Super Six World Boxing Classic take place. This round-robin tournament pits six of the top super middleweights against each other, including the two top belt holders, four undefeated fighters, and three Europeans and three Americans. The winner will no doubt be recognized as the champion of the world in the super middleweight division. On that date, undefeated former middleweight titleholder Arthur Abraham (30-0, 24 KOs) of Berlin, Germany, will face former undisputed middleweight world champion Jermain Taylor (28-3-1, 17 KOs) of Little Rock, Ark., at the O2 World Arena in Berlin, Germany. WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch (25-0, 20 KOs) of Nottingham, England, will fight Andre Dirrell (18-0, 13 KOs) of Flint, Mich., from the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, England. These fights will be televised on Showtime in the U.S., Primetime pay-per-view on Sky in the UK, and ARD in Germany. We spoke with these four fighters, Carl Froch and Andre Dirrell, and Arthur Abraham and Jermain Taylor, on recent media conference calls to get their views on their careers and what to expect in their fights October 17. 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: BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. 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/. MMA World Expo, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com. 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

No Holds Barred: Tyron Woodley

Eddie Goldman — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:53:34 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the unbeaten mixed martial arts fighter and two-time All-American wrestler and Big 12 wrestling champion from the University of Missouri, Tyron Woodley. While many champion wrestlers have been competing in the mixed martial arts, few have become complete fighters who have mastered the major grappling and striking techniques which are the foundation of the mixed martial arts. In only four professional fights, however, Tyron Woodley has demonstrated that he is taking a different path. This former college wrestling star is striving not only to avoid submissions while adding striking to his wrestling, but also to be a total fighter. In his most recent fight, on the September 25 Strikeforce Challengers show in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and televised in the U.S. on Showtime, Tyron Woodley faced a veteran mixed martial arts fighter, Zach Light, who also had a notable wrestling background. A native of the great wrestling state of Iowa, Zach Light had been a two-time high school state wrestling champion there as well as an All-American at Ellsworth Community College. But the night belonged to Tyron Woodley, as he dominated the fight before ending it with an arm bar submission at 3:38 of the second round. His record now stands at 4-0, with all four wins coming by submission. We spoke with Tyron Woodley about his latest victory, his transition from wrestling to mixed martial arts, and why he stopped wrestling. We discussed his positive experience with Strikeforce as a fighter. He explained why he believes that he was not chosen for "The Ultimate Fighter" television show: because he would not act like a "moron". We discussed his training with the world-renowned American Top Team, as well as at St. Charles MMA in St. Charles, Missouri, near where he lives. We also spoke about his graduate studies and his goals outside of combat sports, 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: BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. 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/. MMA World Expo, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com. 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

No Holds Barred: Juan Manuel Lopez-Rogers Mtagwa Fight of the Year Candidate Review

Eddie Goldman — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:28:42 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses what was supposed to be a sleepy weekend for boxing filled with one-sided showcase fights, which ended up featuring top candidates for the upset of the year and the fight of the year -- neither of which, however, were easily accessible on television. Super featherweight Jorge Linares of Venezuela, called by many the "future of boxing", had recently signed with Golden Boy Promotions after being based in Japan, and was supposed to have a final showcase fight in Tokyo Saturday, October 10, with Juan Carlos Salgado of Mexico before starting to spend most of his time in the ring in America. Salgado went into this fight unbeaten, but had never faced a top fighter like Linares. Nonetheless, a Salgado left hook early in the first round caught Linares flush and dropped him hard. While he was able to get up, he was badly hurt, and Salgado resumed the fight by rushing across the ring to end the job. It was over in just 1:13 of the first round, with the unbeaten record and title belt of Linares gone, and his own future in doubt. On the other side of the world, also on Saturday, October 10, Juan Manuel Lopez of Puerto Rico, another fighter already anointed the "future of boxing", was slated for a showcase fight at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, to defend his 122-pound title against scrappy journeyman Rogers Mtagwa, originally from Tanzania and now from Philadelphia. A tough fight was expected, as Mtagwa was already in a 2008 Fight of the Year candidate when he came back from almost being stopped in the ninth round to knock out Tomas Villa in the tenth. The idea was for Lopez to win, and later move up to featherweight to face 2004 Olympic gold medalist Yuriorkis Gamboa of Cuba and Miami, who is also unbeaten as a pro and was also in a showcase fight on this card. The Lopez-Mtagwa fight, however, turned into a brawl far wilder and closer than either Lopez of his promoters, Top Rank, had anticipated. While Lopez won the earlier rounds, Mtagwa kept throwing and landing bombs, and more effectively as the fight proceeded. Mtagwa almost had Lopez out in the 11th round, and dominated in the 12th round. Lopez survived, but when the unanimous decision in his favor was announced, many in what had been a pro-Lopez crowd booed the decision. After the fight, we had a chance to get the comments of both Juan Manuel Lopez and Rogers Mtagwa. We also got postfight comments from other fighters on this card, including Yuriorkis Gamboa, who scored a fourth-round TKO over Whyber Garcia of Panama; heavyweight Odlanier Solis of Cuba, who knocked out Monte Barrett of New York in the second round; super welterweight Pawel Wolak of Poland and now New Jersey, who stopped Carlos Nascimento of Brazil after five rounds; and middleweight John Duddy of Ireland and New York, who won a unanimous decision over Jorge Munoz of Kansas. Plus, right outside the Garden after the fights, we summed up the evening with New York television host Kristal Hart. 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: BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. 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/. MMA World Expo, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com. 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

No Holds Barred: Juan Manuel Lopez-Rogers Mtagwa Fight of the Year Candidate Review

Eddie Goldman — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:45:07 GMT

No Holds Barred: Daniel Lerwell, Cage Fighting Drag Queen

Eddie Goldman — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 23:17:03 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Daniel "Lion Heart" Lerwell, one of the two self-described cage fighting drag queens from Swansea, Wales, who received international notoriety after beating back an attack by two thugs on August 30. When Daniel Lerwell, his friend James Lilley, and a group of their friends went out socializing the night of August 30, the night before a national holiday in the UK, they decided to have some fun by dressing in drag, as women. However, Lerwell and Lilley was attacked by two men, described in the UK media as drunken "yobs", who apparently thought that these men dressed in drag were easy targets. They soon found out otherwise, as they were quickly dropped by Lerwell and Lilley, and later arrested by the police. Daniel "Lion Heart" Lerwell and James "Lights Out" Lilley, it turns out, are both mixed martial arts fighters who train at the Predator Gym, which is affiliated with the legendary Gracie Barra Academy. Lilley is also a professional boxer. So while these two yobs might have thought that they were in for an easy night of gay-bashing or drag queen-bashing, they ended up in jail, bruised and battered from the effective self-defense of their would-be victims. The video of the attack was captured on closed circuit cameras, and has become a major hit on YouTube. There is also a Facebook group about all this, called Done By Men In Drag. We had a chance Friday morning to speak by phone with Daniel "Lion Heart" Lerwell about this attack, its lessons, and his fighting career. He has been besieged by mainstream media requests, but took the time out to speak with us 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: BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. 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/. MMA World Expo, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com. 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

No Holds Barred: Fight against Corruption in Sport; Paul Paone of MMA World Expo

Eddie Goldman — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:21:20 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins with a discussion of the "Call for action against all forms of corruption in sport" issued by the Play the Game organization and signed by numerous major sports figures and journalists from around the world. It is obvious that such a struggle against corruption is particularly urgent in the combat sports, and we thus urge all honest fans, media, athletes, and anyone else in the combat sports world to support it. There will be an important event for the mixed martial arts on October 24 and 25 in New York, where this sport, thanks to the politicians of all species and the mainstream media, is still illegal. The MMA World Expo takes place those dates at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City, and will offer hands-on instruction from top trainers and athletes in the combat sports. There will also be discussion panels, including one each day on the future and history of mixed martial arts, at which I will be one of the speakers. There will be numerous exhibits from mixed martial arts vendors. And this will be a great place to network and meet with people from this sport. To preview this event, we spoke with Paul Paone, the creator and event director of the MMA World Expo. 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: BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. 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/. MMA World Expo, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com. 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

No Holds Barred: Daniel Cormier, 1-0 in MMA

Eddie Goldman — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:06:34 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Daniel Cormier, the two-time U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestler who was victorious in his mixed martial arts debut September 25 with a second-round TKO over Gary Frazier on a Strikeforce card in Tulsa, Oklahoma. While fighting professionally in mixed martial arts may be new to Daniel, competing in combat sports certainly is not. We discussed how his extensive wrestling experience prepared him for this fight, both in terms of technique and also entering a cage for this fight. We analyzed the fight itself, and what lessons he drew from it. We also commented on the recent World Wrestling Championships, and the overall disappointing performance by the American wrestlers at it. We learned of his desire to return to the mat for several upcoming major freestyle wrestling tournaments, while also preparing to fight again before this year is over. Among many other topics, he also told us about the coming launch of a Team Thirsty web site with Mo Lawal, Shawn Bunch, and Rashad Evans. And we concluded our lengthy interview with some comments about the upcoming Showtime super middleweight boxing tournament. So there you have it: mixed martial arts, wrestling, and boxing, all with Daniel Cormier, and only 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: BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. 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/. MMA WORLD EXPO, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA WORLD EXPO takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com. 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

No Holds Barred: Juan Manuel Lopez, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Odlanier Solis, More Boxing Self-Destruction

Eddie Goldman — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:44:48 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by discussing the continuing failure of the boxing establishment to provide the fans with the fights they want, and to make the videos available to them when they want and where they want. Some of the latest examples from this past weekend are the John Murray-Jon Thaxton lightweight fight in the UK, the David Tua-Shane Cameron heavyweight fight in New Zealand, and the Prizefighter heavyweight tournament in the UK won by Audley Harrison, all of which are or were available for free online, either live or on sites like YouTube. This is another hard-hitting exposition about the mess that has been dragging down boxing, especially in the U.S. This coming Saturday, October 10, boxing returns to Madison Square Garden in New York with a card headlined by three exciting undefeated fighters. This show will be telecast on pay-per-view in the U.S. WBO junior featherweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez (26-0, 24 KOs) of Puerto Rico fights Rogers Mtagwa (26-12-2, 18 KOs) of Tanzania and Philadelphia, who won a 2008 Fight of the Year candidate against Tomas Villas with a 10th-round TKO. WBA featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa (15-0, 13 KOs), originally from Cuba and now fighting out of Miami, and a 2004 Olympic gold medalist, takes on veteran Whyber Garcia (22-6, 15 KOs) from Panama. Heavyweight prospect Odlanier Solis (14-0, 10 KOs), also originally from Cuba and now fighting out of Miami, and also a 2004 Olympic gold medalist, takes on former title challenger Fres Oquendo (31-5, 20 KOs). We spoke with these three fighters, Juan Manuel Lopez, Yuriorkis Gamboa, and Odlanier Solis, at the kickoff news conference for this show at Madison Square Garden about their upcoming fights, their careers, 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: BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. 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/. MMA WORLD EXPO, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA WORLD EXPO takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com. 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

No Holds Barred: Kid Peligro Reviews 2009 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championships

Eddie Goldman — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:55:49 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reviews the 2009 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championships, which took place September 26-27 in Barcelona, Spain, with our colleague Kid Peligro, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, a senior editor of the ADCC News, and a correspondent on our show. The ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club) tournament is an invitation-only event which takes place every two years to determine the best no-gi grapplers in the world. We discuss the performance of the many stars who competed in this event, including Braulio Estima, who won both the Absolute and under 88kg divisions, and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, who decisioned Robert Drysdale in the Superfight. We evaluate the significance of this event, which Kid said is "getting bigger and bigger," why its future is "bright," the growing role of the ADCC Regionals in North America which are qualifiers for the 2011 ADCC tournament, the problem of athletes training for both grappling and mixed martial arts at the same time, 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/. MMA WORLD EXPO, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA WORLD EXPO takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Vitali Klitschko Triumphant, with John Perretti

Eddie Goldman — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:50:08 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman and our senior correspondent John Perretti review the one-sided tenth-round TKO victory by WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (38-2, 37 KOs) over Chris Arreola (27-1, 24 KOs). This fight took place Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. After covering this fight live from the arena, John declared that it was a one-sided mismatch, and one of the worst in history. We discuss this fight in-depth, objectively and soberly. We analyze how and why Klitschko was able to neutralize any offense attempted by the previously unbeaten Arreola, and why his own attack was so effective that Arreola's own corner had the fight stopped after the tenth round. We also examine why Arreola seems still to be a marketable heavyweight and a sympathetic figure, despite his lack of world-class skills. We also discuss what John called "delusional" reactions to this fight, both by many fans and members of the media. John shares with us the highlights of his postfight discussions with Oscar De La Hoya, James Toney, and Mike Tyson. We consider what this lopsided victory by Vitali Klitschko does for the state of the heavyweight division. And we make a few comparisons between the sports of boxing and mixed martial arts. Plus, towards the end of our discussion, we raise the question whether or not the two top fighters in the heavyweight division today, the brothers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, ought to fight one another. 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/. MMA WORLD EXPO, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA WORLD EXPO takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Vitali Klitschko-Chris Arreola Preview with John Perretti, Larry Merchant

Eddie Goldman — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:14:32 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman and our senior correspondent John Perretti preview the WBC heavyweight title fight between champion Vitali Klitschko (37-2, 36 KOs) and challenger Chris Arreola (27-0, 24 KOs). This fight takes place this Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, and will be telecast in the U.S. on HBO. We open with an interview John conducted with HBO commentator Larry Merchant about this fight. Then Eddie and John have an in-depth discussion about it, as John critiques what he calls "antiquated" training methods used in particular by the Klitschko camp. We both evaluate these two fighters, and explain the difficulties Arreola faces in winning the belt from Klitschko. But we also discuss what Arreola must do, even if he loses, to preserve his career. We next hear interviews conducted by John with unbeaten super featherweight John Molina (17-0, 13 KOs), who fights veteran Efren Hinojosa (30-6-1, 17 KOs) on this undercard, and 2008 U.S. Olympian super middleweight Shawn Estrada (6-0, 6 KOs), who also is on this undercard. And we hear heavyweight prospect Manny Quezada (28-4, 18 KOs), a late bloomer who knocked out prospect Travis Walker (31-3-1, 25 KOs) in the first round in July. You can also order tickets for the 2009 ADCC World Championship, which will be held September 25-27 in Barcelona, Spain, through Ticketmaster. 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/. MMA WORLD EXPO, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA WORLD EXPO takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Al Yu Previews Art of War 14

Eddie Goldman — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:56:05 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Al Yu of the Chinese mixed martial arts promotion, the Art of War Fighting Championship. Art of War 14 will be held Saturday, September 26, in Macau SAR, China, at the Cotai Arena in the Venetian Hotel. The main event will feature former UFC fighter Andy Wang against Japanese Shootboxing fighter Atsuhiro Tsuboi. Another rising star from the legendary Gracie family, Rolles Gracie, will face former K-1 fighter Peter Graham in what is expected to be a popular style vs. style match of grappler vs. striker. And 2008 heavyweight Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion, Antonio Braga Neto, fights Rodney Glunder, who has victories over Cheick Kongo, Valentijn Overeem, Cyrille Diabate, and Melvin Manhoef. Many people from around the world will be following these and the other fights on this 12-fight card very closely. We thus discussed this card at length with Al Yu, as well as the significance of Art of War running a show in Macau, which is often called the Las Vegas of Asia. You can also order tickets for the 2009 ADCC World Championship, which will be held September 25-27 in Barcelona, Spain, through Ticketmaster. 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/. MMA WORLD EXPO, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA WORLD EXPO takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: John Perretti, Mayweather-Marquez and Belfort-Franklin Reviews, and Decline of American Civilization

Eddie Goldman — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 01:50:36 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reviews with our senior correspondent, John Perretti, the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Juan Manuel Marquez and Vitor Belfort-Rich Franklin fights from this past Saturday, September 19, and what they both say about boxing and mixed martial arts. We both praise the tremendous skills which Mayweather demonstrated in his return to the ring after a break of almost two years. But we also lambast HBO for turning the postfight interview with him into a train wreck which not only disrespected this world-class talent, but also resembled something lifted from a script commonly used in the trash heap known as pro "wrestling". We then tie in this crude, imitative stunt to a general decades-long decline in American culture and civilization, including music, placing what happens in the combat sports as part of larger social, cultural, and political trends. You can also order tickets for the 2009 ADCC World Championship, which will be held September 25-27 in Barcelona, Spain, through Ticketmaster. 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/. MMA WORLD EXPO, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA WORLD EXPO takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: John Perretti on Mayweather-Marquez, Klitschko-Arreola, Offensive Promoters, and More

Eddie Goldman — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:13:04 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again discusses boxing and mixed martial arts with the legendary former UFC and Extreme Fighting matchmaker, promoter, announcer, and martial artist, and our senior correspondent on this show, John Perretti. We opened with a preview of the September 19 Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Juan Manuel Marquez fight. We worked in a preview of the September 26 heavyweight fight between WBC champ Vitali Klitschko and Chris Arreola. We commented on the latest series of bigoted, offensive, ignorant, and intentionally provocative remarks by promoters Bob Arum and Dana White. We explained how promoters in both boxing and mixed martial arts regularly utilize racism, nationalism, and homophobia to promote their events and make money for themselves. We discussed the issue of Juan Manual Marquez drinking his own urine, and how the Mayweather-Marquez fight has been built. We noted how what is happening in the combat sports is reflective of the overall decline of American civilization, and much more. No one else will interweave such seasoned analyses of all these combat sports with these types of societal commentaries, so all thinking fight fans and combat sports aficionados will find it worthwhile to listen to our discussion and send in comments. You can also order tickets for the 2009 ADCC World Championship, which will be held September 25-27 in Barcelona, Spain, through Ticketmaster. 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/. MMA WORLD EXPO, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA WORLD EXPO takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling Previews 2009 World Wrestling Championships

Eddie Goldman — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 05:11:52 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Gary Abbott, the Director of Communications of USA Wrestling. In this discussion, we preview the grand prize this year in the sport of wrestling, the 2009 World Wrestling Championships. This event takes place Monday, September 21, through Sunday, September 27, in Herning, Denmark. There will be virtually unprecedented coverage of the World Wrestling Championships this year. Universal Sports in the U.S. will provide television coverage with one-hour primetime shows with highlights of the top matches at 7 PM ET nightly from Thursday, October 1, through Sunday, October 4. Also, beginning at 1:30 PM ET Monday, September 21, there will be free, live online streaming video of all the medal-match finals in each weight class, at UniversalSports.com. USA Wrestling will also have a special section on the World Championships on TheMat.com. Our interview previewed this event by discussing many of the top wrestlers from around the world in the three styles which will be contested, men's and women's freestyle wrestling, and Greco-Roman wrestling. We also discussed the U.S. entries this year, which include many wrestlers making their first appearance at a World Championship. If you've got wrestling under your skin like we do, then use your mentality, wake up to reality, and listen to this edition of No Holds Barred. You can also order tickets for the 2009 ADCC World Championship, which will be held September 25-27 in Barcelona, Spain, through Ticketmaster. 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/. MMA WORLD EXPO, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA WORLD EXPO takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Freddie Roach on Pacquiao-Cotto, Paul Johnson on Boxers Organizing Committee

Eddie Goldman — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:00:24 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by discussing why upcoming fights like Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto, and the Showtime super middleweight tournament certainly do feature worthy matchups, they still are far from enough for boxing to shed its designation as the "red light district of sports". With highly controversial decisions happening seemingly every week, such as in the August 22 Paulie Malignaggi-Juan Diaz fight in Texas and the John McDermott-Tyson Fury fight in England September 13, perhaps that designation should be modernized so that boxing would become known as the "spam of sports". There is some movement, however, to attempt to reverse the decline of boxing, particularly in the U.S. While what role in all this the newly-formed Boxing Promoters Association will play remains to be seen, their second meeting, held September 14 in New York, did mark a step forward in at least one respect. A special presentation was made by Paul Johnson, head of the Boxers Organizing Committee, which has been seeking to form a union for boxers for several years. He stated that such a union and the establishment of collective bargaining in boxing would not only provide much-needed security, insurance, etc., for the fighters, but would also help build the credibility of the sport, and thus improve its marketability. Right after that meeting, we spoke with Paul Johnson about what the goals of the Boxers Organizing Committee are, how his presentation was received by the boxing promoters he addressed, what the election of Rich Trumka as president of the AFL-CIO at their convention this week might mean for boxers, what the fans can do to assist this process, and more. At the news conference last Thursday, September 10, at Yankee Stadium for the November14 Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight in Las Vegas, we joined several members of the media is speaking with Freddie Roach, who trains Pacquiao. We discussed what strategy Pacquiao is likely to use in this fight, why he believes that Cotto is such a dangerous opponent for Pacquiao, why this will be the toughest fight of Pacquiao's career, the issue of fighters drinking their own urine, the effect of fighting Cotto at a catch weight of 145 pounds, why they will begin their training for this fight in the Philippines, and much more. You can also order tickets for the 2009 ADCC World Championship, which will be held September 25-27 in Barcelona, Spain, through Ticketmaster. 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/. MMA WORLD EXPO, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA WORLD EXPO takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Robert Drysdale on ADCC Superfight with Jacare

Eddie Goldman — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:08:08 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and grappling world champion, Robert Drysdale. The winner by submission of all his fights in the absolute division of the 2007 Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) Submission Fighting World Championships, Robert Drysdale now has earned a place in the featured Superfight in ADCC 2009, September 25-27, in Barcelona, Spain. His original opponent, however, Roger Gracie, the 2007 Superfight winner and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion many times over, was forced to withdraw from this match because of an injury. It was just announced Friday by the ADCC Committee that the new opponent for Robert Drysdale in the Superfight will be the exciting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and mixed martial arts star, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza. In his last appearance at ADCC, in 2005, Jacare won the 88 kg division but lost in the absolute finals to Roger Gracie. We spoke with Robert Drysdale by phone about all this Friday evening. In this interview, we discussed the late change of opponent, how this affects his preparations for the Superfight, and what we can expect in this match with Jacare. He explained his ideas about the need for grappling to be entertaining, as well as better popularized. He also talked about his desire to fight regularly in mixed martial arts, as well as a recently publicized disagreement he had with mixed martial arts star Anderson Silva. We also covered many more topics, so stay tuned for a spirited and enlightening discussion. You can also order tickets for the 2009 ADCC World Championship, which will be held September 25-27 in Barcelona, Spain, through Ticketmaster. 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/. MMA WORLD EXPO, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA WORLD EXPO takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Kid Peligro Previews 2009 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championships

Eddie Goldman — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:06:49 GMT

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. Our subject is a preview of the most prestigious grappling tournament in the world, the 2009 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championships, which take place this year in Barcelona, Spain, September 25-27. The ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club) tournament is an invitation-only event which takes place every two years to determine the best no-gi grapplers in the world. In this interview, we discuss the significance and history of this event, the favorites this year in each weight class, updates on who will be competing, why many top mixed martial arts fighters understand the crucial role of grappling in that sport, and much more. You can also order tickets for the 2009 ADCC World Championship, which will be held September 26-27 in Barcelona, Spain, through Ticketmaster. 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/. MMA WORLD EXPO, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA WORLD EXPO takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Jacqui Snow on Internet Video and Combat Sports

Eddie Goldman — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:19:59 GMT

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. With a glut of major and minor boxing and mixed martial arts pay-per-views on television, a continuing worldwide economic crisis, and the explosive growth of technology like Internet video and audio, the issue of how people watch combat sports events is still being debated. The boxing business in particular has tried to resist the inexorable march of technology. More and more people are watching these sports online, whether on legal sites, unauthorized videos on sites like YouTube, or on a mushrooming collection of so-called "pirate" sites. In our discussion, we explain the necessity for these sports to change their business models to conform to these new technologies. They must, as Jacqui Snow insisted, "Adapt or die." We also discuss the issue of piracy, both by legal business like the shrinking group of boxing promoters and television networks which try to line their pockets with expensive pay-per-views which only enrich a handful of people, and by those sites on which live streams or videos of fights appear in violation of copyright laws. And we name names, discussing the key sites, both legal and otherwise, involved in live streaming video, including SopCast, DeliCast, WWITV, TVU, Livestation, and KeyHoleTV, as well as the forums which link to these sites such as the MyP2P and AllP2P forums. This is the kind of information which most of the combat sports media either shies away from delivering or wants to keep concealed. But you will hear the truth and the whole truth, right here on No Holds Barred. You can also order tickets for the 2009 ADCC World Championship, which will be held September 26-27 in Barcelona, Spain, through Ticketmaster. 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/. MMA WORLD EXPO, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA WORLD EXPO takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Labor Day Special on Rights of Fighters, with Stewart Acuff of AFL-CIO

Eddie Goldman — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:24:50 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman focuses on the need for fighters in sports like boxing and mixed martial arts to unite and struggle together to protect and expand their rights. We open discussing story about a lawsuit filed by the sports licensing group Fighters Inc., alleging that Electronic Arts (EA) used the names and likenesses of various professional boxers in a video game in violation of a group licensing program which Fighters Inc. claims to have established. We then go on to discuss how various attempts to organize boxers in a union over the past decade have failed, and how the media covering combat sports has generally reflected the views of the promoters and not the fighters. We next go on to hear an important excerpt of a discussion we had with Stewart Acuff, AFL-CIO Director of Organizing, and Bob Carson. We spoke about the need to organize fighters in sports like boxing and mixed martial arts, and what role the AFL-CIO might play in that. You can also hear the entire interview, which focused on the current direction and tasks of the labor movement in America, on the Carson's Corner political show. Next, we continued our series of media appearances as a guest Sunday on The Boxing Truth Radio. We ripped HBO for how it presented the issue of fighter Juan Manuel Marquez drinking his own urine on their Mayweather-Marquez 24/7 infomercial, lambasted the obsolete pay-per-view business model, and more. You can also hear the entire September 6 edition of The Boxing Truth Radio here. Last but not least, we discuss the mismanagement of televised boxing cards this past weekend and next, as the networks and promoters stubbornly persist in business models which provide the least exposure and income for most fighters, while lining the pockets of the shrinking group of executives at networks which still telecast boxing. We discuss the replay of the Roy Jones Jr.-Jeff Lacy fight and the bout between 19-year-old phenom Marvin Sonsona and Jose Lopez last weekend, as well as the glut of premium and pay-per-view fights all scheduled for the same time this coming Saturday, September 12. You can also order tickets for the 2009 ADCC World Championship, which will be held September 26-27 in Barcelona, Spain, through Ticketmaster. 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/. MMA WORLD EXPO, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA WORLD EXPO takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Renzo Gracie, Scott Coker, Vadim Finkelchtein, Joost Raimond

Eddie Goldman — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:37:31 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman continues our series of shows on the co-promotional alliance between mixed martial arts companies Strikeforce and M-1 Global, and why this is a positive development for this sport and business. Last week, at a news conference in New York featuring top heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter Fedor Emelianenko, we once again spoke with Scott Coker, CEO of Strikeforce, about the upcoming fight between Fedor and the unbeaten Brett Rogers, and what the plans of Strikeforce are. At that same event, we spoke with two key executives from M-1 Global, Vadim Finkelchtein, the M-1 Global president, and Joost Raimond, the M-1 Global operations manager. In quite direct terms, they explained the pyramid structure M-1 Global uses to recruit new fighters and then have the best advance to the top, how and why M-1 Global reached an agreement with Strikeforce to co-promote shows, why the negotiations for a similar agreement with UFC failed, and much more. Later that afternoon, we spoke with the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, grappling, and mixed martial arts legend Renzo Gracie, whose New York academy Fedor was visiting. We discussed his views on Fedor and the technique he uses, what his own views and plans are in both mixed martial arts and grappling, and much more. You can also order tickets for the 2009 ADCC World Championship, which will be held September 26-27 in Barcelona, Spain, through Ticketmaster. 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/. MMA WORLD EXPO, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA WORLD EXPO takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

Meldrick Taylor, Eddie Goldman, Gumersindo Vidot on Joey Reynolds Show

Eddie Goldman — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:12:59 GMT

Former Olympic and world champion boxer Meldrick Taylor, Eddie Goldman of No Holds Barred, and Gumersindo Vidot, the publicist for Meldrick Taylor, were guests on the nationally-syndicated "Joey Reynolds Show" late Monday night/early Tuesday morning, Aug. 31/Sept. 1. Eddie Goldman is also the boxing correspondent for the "Joey Reynolds Show". In the first half of our segment, Joey Reynolds and Eddie Goldman discussed a number of topics including the continuing controversy over the decision in the August 22 Paulie Malignaggi-Juan Diaz fight, the need for a rematch, how many of the people running boxing in America are ruining it, and also the growth and role of technology, especially in the media. We were then joined by Meldrick Taylor and Gumersindo Vidot. The discussion turned to one of the most controversial fights in boxing history, the March 17, 1990, 140-pound title unification bout between two unbeaten champions, Meldrick Taylor and Julio Cesar Chavez, in Las Vegas, NV. As the fight headed into the 12th and final round, Meldrick Taylor was well ahead on two of the scorecards. But in the closing seconds of that round, Chavez launched a final assault that sent Taylor to the canvas. With time running out, Taylor arose at about the count of six. While Taylor was standing straight up, however, referee Richard Steele stopped the fight -- with just two seconds remaining. Chavez stayed unbeaten and unified the belts, while Taylor suffered his first defeat in a stoppage which is still hotly debated today. Meldrick Taylor's autobiography, "Two Seconds From Glory", has also been published. It is available through his web site at http://www.meldricktaylor.com. The Chavez-Taylor fight of March 17, 1990, can be seen on YouTube. 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 1 AM 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

No Holds Barred: Paulie Malignaggi, Argenis Mendez, Joan Guzman, Lou DiBella, Lords of Boxing

Eddie Goldman — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 01:45:32 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by explaining how the lords of boxing completely blew an opportunity this past weekend to showcase a number of top fights and fighters to large audiences on free television, while another event, the UFC, was having another expensive pay-per-view. If you were one of the few to have viewed the Brian Viloria-Jesus Iribe fight, for example, you were in select company, although for now this fight is available on YouTube. The battle for boxing to maintain whatever little credibility it has left by having a rematch between Paulie Malignaggi and Juan Diaz, in New York, and with neutral officials, continues. While the lords of boxing are trying to salvage business models based on obsolete technology, the real boxing fans are utilizing current mass technology to organize against the injustice which occurred August 22 when Diaz was awarded a lopsided unanimous decision over Malignaggi in a fight which the vast majority of observers thought that Malignaggi had comfortably won. You can now make your voice publicly heard by signing an online petition demanding a Malignaggi-Diaz rematch. We discussed this fight, and what we can do to fight for a rematch, with Paulie Malignaggi this past Wednesday night, when he was attending the latest Broadway Boxing card at the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York, where he also was a television announcer. On this card, 23-year-old super featherweight prospect Argenis Mendez (14-1, 9 KOs) looked impressive in his first Broadway Boxing main event by scoring a fifth-round TKO over veteran Anthony Napunyi (14-7, 7 KOs). We spoke with him right after his fight, along with his training partner, unbeaten lightweight and former WBO super featherweight and super bantamweight champion Joan Guzman (29-0, 17 KOs). And we also spoke with promoter Lou DiBella about what he is doing to secure a rematch for his fighter, Paulie Malignaggi, with Juan Diaz, who is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions. You can also order tickets for the 2009 ADCC World Championship, which will be held September 26-27 in Barcelona, Spain, through Ticketmaster. 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/. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: King Mo Lawal

Eddie Goldman — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 06:58:50 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the freestyle and collegiate wrestling champion, and undefeated mixed martial arts fighter, "King" Mo Lawal. Mo made his American fighting debut Friday night, August 28, with a 25-second TKO victory over the veteran Mark Kerr on the M-1 Global: Breakthrough card at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. Shortly after his victory, we reached Mo by phone. He discussed this fight, his strategy, the technique he utilized, the level of wrestling on which he has competed, and how he is still a free agent with no set plans. And, of course, he also asked about the results of the ESPN2 boxing card which was going on the same time as his fight, and we obliged him on that. So listen up to the hottest free agent in mixed martial arts, right here on No Holds Barred. You can also order tickets for the 2009 ADCC World Championship, which will be held September 26-27 in Barcelona, Spain, through Ticketmaster. 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/. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Fedor Emelianenko, Brett Rogers

Eddie Goldman — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 04:11:32 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the best fighter in mixed martial arts today, and the man who plans to conquer him in his next fight. Fedor Emelianenko holds the distinction of being both the best heavyweight and top pound-for-pound fighter in mixed martial arts today. He also is the top mixed martial arts fighter of this decade, and many would add the best heavyweight and even the best overall MMA fighter of all time. After defeating a virtual who's who of the heavyweight division, Fedor will now have another confident challenger as he takes on the unbeaten Brett Rogers. This will be on a Strikeforce-M-1 Global card this fall at a date and location which will be shortly finalized. This card will be shown in the U.S. on Showtime. We had a chance to conduct interviews with Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers this Thursday evening while they were in New York on a whirlwind media tour. When you listen to these interviews, you will learn not only how both fighters are approaching this fight, but also life. You can also order tickets for the 2009 ADCC World Championship, which will be held September 26-27 in Barcelona, Spain, through Ticketmaster. 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/. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Daniel Cormier, from Olympic Wrestling to MMA

Eddie Goldman — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:07:23 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestler Daniel Cormier, who has recently begun training to become a mixed martial arts fighter. As Daniel is also a big boxing fan, our discussion seamlessly went from one combat sport to another, including boxing, wrestling, and mixed martial arts. He explained that he still has a lot to learn before fighting professionally, but that we also may see him back on the wrestling mat this fall. We also discussed many topics and personalities in the various combat sports, so this all-encompassing interview with such a gifted and articulate athlete is a must for all aficionados of the combat sports. You can also order tickets for the 2009 ADCC World Championship, which will be held September 26-27 in Barcelona, Spain, through Ticketmaster. 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/. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Lou DiBella on Malignaggi-Diaz Robbery, and What To Do About It

Eddie Goldman — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:42:04 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with promoter Lou DiBella about the in-ring robbery of his fighter, Paulie Malignaggi, in his August 22 fight with Juan Diaz in Houston, Texas, which was telecast in the U.S. on HBO. Diaz, who is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, was awarded a unanimous decision victory. As usual, DiBella is outspoken in his outrage over what happened this past Saturday night. He criticizes not only the judges in the Malignaggi-Diaz fight, but especially the attitude of the Texas commission and the HBO announcers to Malignaggi and this decision, and the structure of boxing itself where judges are still paid by promoters. He also called for an online campaign for Paulie Malignaggi to have a rematch with Juan Diaz, in New York, with, of course, neutral officials. Here is a message which you post wherever you can: We demand that Golden Boy and HBO agree to a rematch between Paulie Malignaggi and Juan Diaz, in New York, with neutral officials. You can post this on the HBO Boxing Facebook page, and send it to the HBO Boxing Twitter page. You can also post this on the Golden Boy Promotions Facebook page, and send it to the Golden Boy Promotions Twitter page. And you can also post this on the MySpace Boxing Forum. You can also order tickets for the 2009 ADCC World Championship, which will be held September 26-27 in Barcelona, Spain, through Ticketmaster. 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/. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Charles Farrell and Frank Lotierzo on Diaz-Malignaggi Robbery, and What It Means for Boxing

Eddie Goldman — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:50:46 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague and correspondent Charles Farrell, and veteran boxing journalist and former fighter Frank Lotierzo. We start by analyzing the August 22 junior welterweight fight between Paulie Malignaggi and Juan Diaz, won by Diaz by a unanimous decision which most observers have described as being unfair at best and a robbery at worst. Then, in a lengthy and lively discussion, we proceed to examine the repercussions of this hotly disputed decision for the sport of boxing, try to assess just how much damage it has caused to this already declining sport, and consider what, if anything, can be done to restore some credibility to boxing. Plus, we also discuss the rivalry between boxing and mixed martial arts. This is an unbiased and brutally frank discussion at the highest level, so make sure to check it out in its entirety. You can also order tickets for the 2009 ADCC World Championship, which will be held September 26-27 in Barcelona, Spain, through Ticketmaster. 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/. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: John Perretti on Cyborg-Carano, Fighter Safety in MMA, and More

Eddie Goldman — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:31:21 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with the legendary former UFC and Extreme Fighting matchmaker, promoter, announcer, and martial artist, and our senior correspondent on this show, John Perretti. In a landmark discussion, a critical look at the level of technique in the Cris "Cyborg" Santos-Gina Carano mixed martial arts fight on the August 15 Strikeforce card is offered. Cyborg dominated that fight and scored a TKO victory at 4:59 of the first round. But there are deeper issues as well, as John explains what the role of a matchmaker should be, both in evaluating fighters and finding new ones. We discuss what happens to fighters as they age, both in mixed martial arts and boxing, and the effect on them of the accumulation of blows. We also reopen a longstanding controversy by revisiting the question of which sport is safer for its fighters, mixed martial arts or boxing. Most people in mixed martial arts have long argued that it is safer than boxing, but changes in both the technique and matchmaking in mixed martial arts have led to many changes in that sport. The current opinion of John Perretti, a pioneer in mixed martial arts who in both Extreme Fighting and later in the UFC came up with the basic structure of modern mixed martial arts, might surprise many people. You can also order tickets for the 2009 ADCC World Championship, which will be held September 26-27 in Barcelona, Spain, through Ticketmaster. 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/. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Scott Coker and Bob Carson on Cyborg-Carano and Strikeforce

Eddie Goldman — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 03:58:19 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reviews the August 15 Strikeforce mixed martial arts card in separate interviews with Strikeforce founder and CEO Scott Coker, and with our colleague and correspondent Bob Carson, who is also the host of the Carson's Corner podcast. In the main event of a thrilling card, and the most important fight in the history of women's mixed martial arts, Cris "Cyborg" Santos scored a brutal TKO over Gina Carano at 4:59 of the first round before a packed, enthusiastic crowd of 13,524 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., and shown in the U.S. on Showtime. Cyborg thus won the new Strikeforce women's 145-pound belt. Also on that card, Gegard Mousasi, in his U.S. debut, won his 13th consecutive fight and the Strikeforce light heavyweight title by destroying defending champion Renato "Babalu" Sobral at just 1:00 of the first round by a TKO. We discussed with Scott Coker what at this early stage we can expect the next moves of Strikeforce to be with their star fighters, including Cris "Cyborg" Santos and Gegard Mousasi, and the top heavyweight and pound-for-pound mixed martial arts fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko. We next analyzed with Bob Carson the fights on this card, and explained why Strikeforce does such a good job as a mixed martial arts promotion. We also criticized the coverage of the August 15 Strikeforce card by much of the so-called mixed martial arts "media", which approached it largely like it was a version of the fake pro "wrestling" or some type of beauty pageant involving female fighters Cris "Cyborg" Santos and Gina Carano. And we emphasized that despite more limited resources than some others, Strikeforce now has the top men's mixed martial arts fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko, the top women's mixed martial arts fighter in the world, Cris "Cyborg" Santos, and the top rising star mixed martial arts fighter in the world, Gegard Mousasi. Both these interviews are candid and direct, and you do not want to miss them. 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/. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Fisti Cuffs of Gotham Girls Roller Derby, Women Gains and Setbacks in Combat Sports

Eddie Goldman — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 21:42:32 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again discusses the sport of roller derby, the fastest-growing sport in America, and speaks with Fisti Cuffs, co-captain of the Manhattan Mayhem of the Gotham Girls Roller Derby. In a brutal bout with numerous penalties and ejections held Saturday night, August 8, at Hunter College in New York, the Bronx Gridlock topped the Manhattan Mayhem by a score of 99-75. This was the final regular season game for both teams, with Bronx finishing with a record of 3-0 and Manhattan 2-1. These two teams will meet once again in the Gotham Girls Roller Derby league championship November 21. The final 2009 regular season league game will be on September 26, when the Brooklyn Bombshells take on the Queens of Pain. We spoke with Fisti Cuffs at the conclusion of this game. We begin the show by discussing a number of other stories involving women in the combat sports. The International Olympic Committee has officially announced that women's boxing will be included in the 2012 London Olympics, and we discuss the significance of that. We talk about the many obstacles facing the expansion of women's wrestling in the Olympics, where only four weight classes are contested. And we also discuss a report of a complaint filed by numerous American women wrestlers against USA Wrestling alleging abuses, injustices, and discrimination against them which led them to leave the Olympic Training Center. 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/. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Gina Carano, Cris Cyborg Santos, Scott Coker, Jay Hieron, Kristal Hart

Eddie Goldman — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:03:59 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews the historic fight between Gina Carano and Cris "Cyborg" Santos, which headlines a Strikeforce mixed martial arts card at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., this Saturday, August 15. This fight, which will be for the new Strikeforce145-pound women's title, will mark the first time a women's fight has been the main event of a major mixed martial arts card featuring male fighters. This card will be televised live in the U.S. on Showtime. We begin by discussing some of the slow but steady gains for women in the combat sports of boxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, grappling, and mixed martial arts. We note the historical importance that two of the most prestigious teams in mixed martial arts, Xtreme Couture with Gina Carano and the Chute Boxe Academy with Cris "Cyborg" Santos, will be represented in this historic fight. And we also note the continued misogyny of those in the combat sports like UFC and HBO who still prevent the participation of women fighters on their shows. At a New York news conference at Madison Square Garden for the August 15 card, we had a chance, along with our colleague, television host Kristal Hart, to speak with Gina Carano and Cris "Cyborg" Santos. We also discussed with Kristal Hart what to expect in this fight. And we spoke with Strikeforce promoter Scott Coker about this card as well. And, on a media conference call this week, we spoke with Jay Hieron, a late addition to the card, who will be facing Jesse Taylor. In addition, we discuss the prevailing drug culture in the mixed martial arts, as evidenced once again by the failure of fighter Nick Diaz to appear for a prefight doping test. Diaz had to be scratched from this card. And we relate this to the woefully ineffective regulation of international combat sports like mixed martial arts and boxing by the various state athletic commissions 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/. GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.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

No Holds Barred: Fedor Emelianenko, Vadim Finkelchtein, and Strikeforce

Eddie Goldman — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:44:12 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman returns after an unplanned hiatus due to a major computer problem, but that is all repaired now and we are back bigger, faster, stronger, and more No Holds Barred than ever. We start by catching up on some recent developments in mixed martial arts, most notably the signing of the top heavyweight and pound-for-pound fighter in that sport, Fedor Emelianenko, with Strikeforce. We explain why he made the correct choice for him, and why this is also a good move for the sport. We counter the double standard many fans and supposed members of the media have taken to Fedor, as opposed to their attitudes to Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar. This past week, Fedor Emelianenko and Vadim Finkelchtein, the president of M-1 Global, of which Fedor is also part, participated in a media conference call to discuss this historic signing with Strikeforce. We had a chance to ask questions of both men, and you can hear that unedited on this edition of 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/. Gracie Magazine, with news, commentaries, analysis, and photographs from around the world, from the masters of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and grappling. Gracie Magazine is published in English and Portuguese, and is also online at GracieMag.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

No Holds Barred: King Mo Lawal

Eddie Goldman — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 02:15:04 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the freestyle and collegiate wrestling champion, and now undefeated mixed martial arts fighter, "King" Mo Lawal. After four straight victories in Japan in the Sengoku/World Victory Road organization, Mo makes his American mixed martial arts debut August 28 when he fights the mixed martial arts legend and veteran, and also a former college wrestler, Don Frye. This will be the main event on the debut show of the M-1 Breakthrough fight series, to be held in Los Angeles, Calif. This show will be televised in the U.S. live on HDNet. We spoke with Mo at length about numerous topics Sunday afternoon, July 26, but our discussion had to start with a tribute to Vernon Forrest, the great boxing champion who was murdered during an attempted carjacking in Atlanta Saturday night, July 25. Mo is also a serious boxing fan, so we opened with our comments on the life and contributions of Vernon Forrest. The many hot topics we discussed with Mo included his thoughts on facing Don Frye and what to expect in that fight; his King Mo persona; his recovery from his recent injuries; how he views the top heavyweight and pound-for-pound mixed martial arts fighter Fedor Emelianenko; why he likes the 1997 fight between Pernell Whitaker and Diosbelys Hurtado so much; his views on UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar; his status as a free agent and why he signed to fight on this M-1 Breakthrough card; his thoughts on Sengoku; his training in the many different techniques of combat sports; whether or not there is a double standard in the treatment of Black fighters in mixed martial arts; the real story of his dispute with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and his criticisms of him; his plans to return to competing in wrestling as well as starting pro boxing; the entrance into mixed martial arts of U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestler Daniel Cormier; his own use of the Internet and sites like Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace; and 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

No Holds Barred: Bob Carson on Demise of Affliction, and UFC Deal

Eddie Goldman — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 12:20:51 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our correspondent Bob Carson. Bob is also the host of the Carson's Corner podcast. In a lengthy discussion, we focus on the cancellation of the August 1 Affliction mixed martial arts pay-per-view, the subsequent collapse of the Affliction mixed martial arts promotion, the renewal of an Affliction Clothing-UFC deal, and the implications of these developments. As usual, we stand up for the rights of the fighters, and take a highly critical view of the machinations of these promotions and the direction they have taken mixed martial arts in America. 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

No Holds Barred: Johnny Bos on the Cruel Business of Boxing

Eddie Goldman — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:07:20 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the legendary fight agent and boxing personality, Johnny Bos. There are few if any people alive who know more about boxing than Johnny Bos. But instead of prospering from that knowledge and wisdom, last year Johnny Bos, the quintessential New Yorker, had to leave this faded but still sometimes active center of boxing for a town not known for being a pugilistic capital: Clearwater, Florida. The main reason was that he could no longer find work in this alleged sport. Johnny's fortunes in boxing seemed to head swiftly downhill after an incident whose consequences, ironically, brought him back to the Big Apple this week. His fighter, former world champion Joey Gamache, was slated to fight the late Arturo Gatti in Madison Square Garden Feb. 26, 2000. At the weigh-in the day before, however, Bos and many others said that Gatti hopped on and off the scale without making the contracted weight of 141 pounds. While he objected to this, officials from the New York State Athletic Commission declared that Gatti had indeed made weight, and that the fight was on. Gatti, who reportedly weighed 160 pounds on an unofficial HBO scale the day of the bout, proceeded to score a brutal second-round knockout. Gamache had to be taken to a hospital after it, nearly died there that night, and suffers from permanent brain damage. His career, of course, was over, although he does still train fighters. Gamache then sued the New York State Athletic Commission for negligence for allegedly permitting Gatti to fight well over the contracted weight. After years of legal wrangling, that case was finally heard this past week, and this was why Johnny Bos returned to New York, in an unusual role as a witness on behalf of Joey Gamache. We had a chance while he was still in New York, and after the trial itself was over, to speak with Johnny Bos. (A verdict by the trial judge is expected in several months.) In our lengthy discussion, Johnny explained what went on at this botched weigh-in, how it affected the Gatti-Gamache fight, and what it all indicated about the quality of the regulation of boxing. He also gave us some ideas on what major changes are needed in boxing, and just who may be starting to make them. And, as always, he did so in a style and tone reflective of the long gone glory days of boxing in America. So join us on this edition of No Holds Barred for a rare behind-the-scenes look at what really goes on in the world of boxing. 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

No Holds Barred: Dream 10 Review

Eddie Goldman — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:25:58 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman goes solo in discussing the results of the Dream 10 mixed martial arts card, which was held Monday, July 20, in Saitama, Japan. Among the highlights of this exciting card were the finals and semifinals of the Dream welterweight Grand Prix, which were won by underdog Marius Zaromskis. We discuss the results of this card, as well as compare it to mixed martial arts in America. 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

No Holds Barred: Carlos Diaz and Brett Boyce on ADCC Regional Championships

Eddie Goldman — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 13:55:24 GMT

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman continues our coverage of the worldwide grappling revival by focusing on the ADCC Regional Championships. Three events are scheduled in the coming weeks in the U.S. on this newly-created circuit, which uses the same rules as those of the Abu Dhabi Combat Club's Submission Fighting World Championships. On Friday, July 24, and Saturday, July 25, the ADCC Texas Championships will take place at the Legends Sports Complex in Spring, Texas, near Houston. The first day will feature a free seminar for registrants with ADCC standout and two-time finalist Pablo Popovitch, as well as weigh-ins and registration. After a rules meeting and late weigh-ins and registration, the tournament will begin Saturday at 9:30 AM. The following weekend, Friday, July 31, and Saturday, August 1, the ADCC Las Vegas Championships will take place at Bally's Event Center. There is a similar format, with a free seminar for registrants that Friday evening with two-time ADCC champion Jeff Monson. On August 14 and 15, the tournaments move north, as the ADCC Northeast Regional Championships take place at the Richard J. Codey Arena in South Mountain, New Jersey, near West Orange. Registrants will also have a free seminar with three-time ADCC champion Marcelo Garcia. To introduce us to this important and innovative series of events, we spoke with Carlos Diaz and Brett Boyce of the ADCC Regional Championships. They explained the origin and goals of these events, how and why they are different from other grappling tournaments, precisely what the format for them will be, what their plans for future tournaments are, 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

No Holds Barred: World Boxing Classic Preview with Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham, Andre Dirrell, Ken Hershman, Steve Farhood, Lou DiBella, Dan Goossen

Eddie Goldman — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 06:27:21 GMT

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

No Holds Barred: Bob Carson Deconstructs UFC 100

Eddie Goldman — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:38:35 GMT

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

No Holds Barred: Beatrix Slaughter & Hard Anya of Gotham Girls Roller Derby

Eddie Goldman — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 20:13:04 GMT

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 Talks MMA and Wrestling with Jason Bryant on Wrestling 411

Eddie Goldman — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 01:35:09 GMT

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.

No Holds Barred: Vic Darchinyan, Joseph Agbeko, Eddie Chambers, Rob Murray Sr.

Eddie Goldman — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:47:51 GMT

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

No Holds Barred: Frank Shamrock and the Greatest Fight in UFC History

Eddie Goldman — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:49:32 GMT

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

No Holds Barred: Bellator Champions Lyman Good and Hector Lombard Tell Their Stories

Eddie Goldman — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:45:48 GMT

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

No Holds Barred: Eddie Alvarez, Bellator Lightweight Champion

Eddie Goldman — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:45:02 GMT

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

No Holds Barred: Matthew Kaplowitz of Fight Nerd Radio

Eddie Goldman — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:34:12 GMT

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

No Holds Barred: Joe Soto, Bellator Featherweight Champion

Eddie Goldman — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:17:23 GMT

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

No Holds Barred: Kathy Brothers and Women in Combat Sports

Eddie Goldman — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:47:16 GMT

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

No Holds Barred: Charles Farrell Reviews Klitschko-Chagaev Fight and Awful State of Heavyweight Boxing

Eddie Goldman — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 03:06:16 GMT

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

No Holds Barred: Wladimir Klitschko-Ruslan Chagaev Hepatitis B Controversy with Dr. Joseph Estwanik

Eddie Goldman — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:04:08 GMT

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