NO HOLDS BARRED

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Dan Kanagie of the North American Catch Wrestling Association.

Their first event, held in conjunction with Scientific Wrestling, will be on Saturday, August 31, during Labor Day weekend, and is called the 1st Annual Liberty Bell Classic East Coast King of Catch Tournament.

The location is the Norcom Community Center at 10980 Norcom Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19154.

The rules for this competition are very straightforward. You can only win by pin or submission. Basically all submissions are allowed, but no striking of any type is allowed. Matches are best of three falls, with a 12-minute time limit per fall. There are no judges or points, but there are weight classes and weigh-ins. There will be competition for both men and women, with the women's divisions based on the number of entrants in the event.

There will also be an absolute division, and winner of that division will be awarded the Frank Gotch Memorial Award and named the East Coast King of Catch 2013.

We spoke with Dan Kanagie by phone Monday about this event and the continued growth and revival of catch wrestling.

"Right now catch is still definitely in its infancy in the modern day. It's still a very small community. We're all pretty tight, and most people know each other right now," he said.

"It's about getting the name out there, getting the brand out there, and letting people who possibly haven't heard of it, which is a lot of people out there, that we're here and this sport does exist."

The potential is there for catch wrestling to attract competitors from all styles and disciplines.

"It's a great style of grappling that's open for all different styles, from amateur wrestling to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, sambo, it doesn't matter. It's a great ruleset for everybody," he added.

We discussed the rules and format of this event, why basic wrestling technique is the foundation of catch wrestling, the potential for catch wrestling to redevelop into a popular spectator sport, the need for all the catch wrestling organizations to work together, and much more.

The 1st Annual Liberty Bell Classic East Coast King of Catch Tournament on August 31 in Philadelphia has all the earmarks of a groundbreaking event, so try to be there.

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Labels: Dan Kanagie, Eddie Goldman, Frank Gotch, grappling, Liberty Bell Classic East Coast King of Catch Tournament, No Holds Barred, North American Catch Wrestling Association