NO HOLDS BARRED

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with grappler DJ "The Kimura Kid" Jackson.

He will be grappling in the superfight at the ADCC New York Nationals 2014, which will take place Sunday, April 6, at Queens College in the Fitzgerald Gymnasium (South Gym), at 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, New York 11367.

His opponent will be Garry Tonon of Brunswick BJJ, in a match held under ADCC rules.

There are also many divisions at this event, which will be open to all ages and skill levels, including no-gi grappling under ADCC rules, followed by a BJJ gi tournament. There will be both professional and amateur divisions, and men's and women's as well.

To register or for more information about the ADCC New York Nationals, click here.

We spoke with DJ Jackson by phone Thursday.

"You can expect a super-exciting match," he said.

He and Garry Tonon have met on the mat before, although not under ADCC rules.

"All three matches were real tight, none of them decided by more than four points, I think, and the one I won the most by. And I won all three of them." he said.

"But thanks to the ADCC rules, since there's no advantage or anything like that, you have to win more decisively. So I'm excited," he added, "to fight him under those rules."

We also discussed his transition from college wrestling to grappling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, his fighting in amateur MMA, why the ADCC rules are the "best" ruleset for grappling and more spectator-friendly than other sets of grappling rules, how he got the nickname "Kimura Kid", and more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

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

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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/.

Labels: ADCC, BJJ, DJ Jackson, Eddie Goldman, Garry Tonon, grappling, jiu-jitsu, Kimura Kid, New York Nationals, No Holds Barred, no-gi, Queens College, rules, World Submission Fighting Championships, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Carlos Carvalho, the executive officer of the USA ADCC Federation.

Our main topic was the ADCC New York Nationals 2014, which will take place Sunday, April 6, at Queens College in the Fitzgerald Gymnasium (South Gym), at 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, New York 11367.

There are many divisions at this event, which will be open to all ages and skill levels, including no-gi grappling under ADCC rules, followed by a BJJ gi tournament. There will be both professional and amateur divisions, and men's and women's as well.

The main event will be a superfight under ADCC rules between grapplers Garry Tonon of Brunswick BJJ and DJ Jackson of Team Lloyd Irvin.

To register or for more information about the ADCC New York Nationals, click here.

We spoke with Carlos Carvalho by phone Thursday.

In our discussion, he explained how the ADCC Federation is getting more active in North America, in both the U.S. and Canada. "We have a series of tournaments," he said, with the first one this year in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on February 22.

"The second right now is in New York on April 6," he said. "This one is going to be a great one. We have a great superfight lined up, and a lot of pre-registrations already coming in. We're looking to be a big show."

We discussed how these events can showcase grapplers when selections are made to compete in qualifiers for the ADCC World Championships, the growing presence of the ADCC Federation in North America, how the ADCC rules encourage action and thus are liked by the athletes, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

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

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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/.

Labels: ADCC, BJJ, Carlos Carvalho, Eddie Goldman, grappling, jiu-jitsu, New York Nationals, No Holds Barred, no-gi, Queens College, World Submission Fighting Championships, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman comments upon the AMC network arm wrestling "reality show" called "Game of Arms", and it's not pretty. The presentation of arm wrestling not as a sport but as a spectacle, the typical "reality TV" emphasis on disrespect and trash talk among the athletes, and the absence of any serious discussions about the structure and rules of this sport, all have essentially made this a stupid show and have given a negative and false image to arm wrestling, even though the show has garnered more publicity for the sport than it has received in many years. In addition, the collapse in the show's ratings, which have dropped by about half in the U.S. from the first to the fifth episode, is analyzed. Also discussed is the setting up of a separate and exclusive arm wrestling league by the show's producers, which competes with existing arm wrestling organizations. Still, there is hope for arm wrestling, as discussed is that other TV shows are planned for this year which will likely present it as the exciting and compelling sport that it is.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

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

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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/.

Labels: AMC, arm wrestling, Eddie Goldman, Game of Arms, No Holds Barred, reality TV show

(Photo of Ed Ruth of Penn State defeating Jimmy Sheptock of Maryland in 2014 NCAA Div. Wrestling Championship finals, by Bob Mayeri.)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman comments upon the grand drama and historical lessons of the 2014 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships. This event took place March 20 through March 22 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with ESPN telecasting both the finals and semifinals live in the U.S. Among the topics discussed are the lessons of this event for all styles of wrestling including catch wrestling, what it signifies for college wrestling in the U.S., wrestling and the media, some of what needs to be done to market and promote wrestling, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

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

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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/.

Labels: 2014 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships, Alex Dieringer, college, David Taylor, Delgado, Ed Ruth, Eddie Goldman, ESPN, Gwiazdowski, J'den Cox, No Holds Barred, Penn State, Perry, Ramos, Stieber, Tsirtsis

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with lifelong martial artist, former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker, TV commentator, and our senior correspondent, John Perretti, and Raul Ramirez of the Catch Wrestling Alliance.

They met in the Los Angeles area Wednesday, March 19, to discuss the Catch Wrestling Alliance International Invitational: The Rebirth. This event will be held Saturday, June 7, in Collins Court in the John Wooden Center on the campus of UCLA, at 221 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, California 90095-1612.

We spoke with both John Perretti and Raul Ramirez by phone right after their meeting.

"As I perceive it now, I think he's got some great ideas," said John Perretti, "actually some continuations of some things that I thought about with 'The Contenders'."

"The Contenders" was John Perretti's pioneering submission wrestling event held October 11, 1997, pitting a team of various martial artists, mainly from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, against a team of elite U.S. wrestlers. In that event, victory in each match could come by submission or, if there was none, judges' decision. There was no striking permitted, and the matches were held in a cage. In the June 7 catch wrestling event, however, the rules are different.

"I love his idea of a one twenty-minute round and that there's no need for judges," John Perretti said. "I think that you have to win by submission or a pin." He also said he likes the mat surface which will be used, and the ability of the wrestlers to wear shoes.

Speaking about how the preparations are going for the June 7 event, Raul Ramirez said, "Basically, we just have to create value. We got to put on a great show and we got to have the great wrestlers."

He noted, "We already have that. We're already working with the best schools in the world who are dedicated catch wrestling schools." He added, "We have a good value product that people are going to want to see."

In the works will be a presentation of an award in John Perretti's name at the Catch Wrestling Alliance International Invitational, with details still being finalized.

We also discussed how wrestlers from other styles and practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and no-gi grappling can adapt to these rules, why pins will eliminate boring guard pulls, the evolution of catch wrestling, safety issues, how the absence of striking increases the appeal of this combat sport, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

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

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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/.

Labels: BJJ, catch wrestling, Contenders, Eddie Goldman, grappling, John Perretti, No Holds Barred, pin, Raul Ramirez, submission

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with our long-time colleague and wrestling correspondent, Bob Mayeri.

In our discussion, we previewed the 2014 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships.

This event will take place Thursday, March 20, through Saturday, March 22, at the Chesapeake Energy Arena at 100 West Reno Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102.

There will be extensive live coverage of all six sessions in the U.S. both online and on television on the ESPN networks and web site, including a live telecast on ESPN of the finals on Saturday, March 22.

Here is the complete schedule for ESPN live coverage of the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships:

Date Time (ET) Session Number of Mats Network

Thu, March 20

Noon – 3:30 p.m. First Session Eight Mats ESPNU/ESPN3

7 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Second Session Eight Mats ESPNU/ESPN3

Fri, March 21

11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Third Session – Quarterfinals Eight Mats ESPNU/ESPN3

8 p.m. – 11 p.m. Fourth Session – Semifinals Six Mats ESPN/ESPN3

Sat, March 22

11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Fifth Session – Medal Round Three Mats ESPNU/ESPN3

8:00 p.m. – 11 p.m. Sixth Session – Championship Finals One Mat ESPN/ESPN3

For more information on ESPN's coverage, including direct links to the webcasts, go here.

We spoke with Bob Mayeri by phone Sunday.

We discussed the favorites in each of the ten weight classes as well as the team race, where Penn State is the favorite to capture their fourth straight team title.

"I think that goes without saying. Penn State is the favorite," he said. He even cited Tom Brands, head coach of Iowa, which finished second in the Big Ten Conference championships to Penn State, as saying at a press conference about two or three months ago, "They're in a league of their own."

However, the winners will be, as usual, decided in one place -- on the mat. And that is where the seeding and matchups come into play.

"That doesn't mean Iowa can't upset them. And here's where the seeding may really work to Iowa's benefit," he noted.

"Penn State's got six wrestlers ranked from one to five. Five of those six wrestlers, everyone except [unbeaten and top-ranked 165-pounder] David Taylor, in order for them to make the finals, they have to defeat someone -- this is, if the seeds hold up, of course -- they would have to defeat someone that has beaten them during the year."

We also discussed why this tournament has such great appeal year after year and is the largest wrestling event in the U.S., why the individual seeding this year has been widely criticized, what upsets are likeliest, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

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

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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/.

Labels: 2014 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships, Bob Mayeri, college, Eddie Goldman, ESPN, Iowa, No Holds Barred, Penn State

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reposts a fascinating interview from June 2010, as usual ahead of its time, aimed at thinking people, which focuses on the culture and philosophy of mixed martial arts.

Here is the original description of this interview:

Our senior correspondent and colleague, the legendary former matchmaker and world champion kickboxer John Perretti, spoke on Monday, June 28, with Scott Ross, a pioneer in the field of digital media, the founder and former chairman and CEO of Digital Domain, and a fan of mixed martial arts.

Having worked for three decades at the center of the mainstream entertainment industry, Scott Ross has become disturbed at the current direction of the culture of mixed martial arts. "It's lost its direction in terms of its intellectual and philosophical approach," he said. He cited the devolution of the sport and the absence of any philosophy in it today, and decried that it has become just about "beating people up." It is marketed to people "who accept whatever Madison Avenue serves up," some of whom behaved with "a sense of redneck-Nazism," and is no longer about sport, but "about specter." With the culture of this sport "way out of hand," something, he argued, must be done to change it.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

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

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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/.

Labels: devolution, Eddie Goldman, John Perretti, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Scott Ross

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Jake Shannon of Scientific Wrestling.

The catch wrestling and combat sports worlds were saddened last week to learn of the passing of the catch wrestling legend Billy Robinson at age 75. Billy and Jake had been conducting numerous catch wrestling seminars around the world, and had collaborated on many books and videos, including Billy's memoir, "Physical Chess: My Life in Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling" (ECW Press, 2012).

Jake has also created a tribute page for Billy on Facebook, called the Billy Robinson Memorial.

We spoke with Jake Shannon by phone Tuesday about the life and legacy of Billy Robinson.

While he said that Billy is "irreplaceable," he noted, "He lived and breathed catch-as-catch-can. And he would be pissed if we didn't continue it on."

He added, "I don't know what people believe, but he'd haunt you, and whack you with a ghost cane if we didn't keep this going. I can guarantee you that."

We discussed a lot more about Billy Robinson and his legacy, how he was considered to be the best catch wrestling coach, the many tributes to Billy pouring in from all around the world, plans for the next phase in the rebirth of catch wrestling, and much, much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

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

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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/.

Labels: Billy Robinson, catch, catch-as-catch-can, Eddie Goldman, Jake Shannon, No Holds Barred, Riley's Gym, Scientific Wrestling, Wigan, wrestling

(Frank Shamrock and Eddie Goldman, New York, July 1, 2010.)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with MMA legend and the best MMA fighter of the 1990s, Frank Shamrock.

Now retired as a fighter, we discussed, in an interview recorded by phone Friday, what he is doing now and what his plans are.

A major focus of his life now is raising his five-year-old daughter, "five-year-old immersion" as he calls it, including all the tasks of a father from watching children's shows with her, to getting her to train in taekwondo, to explaining why so many people know him.

While he does not follow MMA much anymore, he does have an interest in the rebirth of catch wrestling. He said that both he and veteran combat sports announcer Mauro Ranallo plan to attend the Catch Wrestling Alliance International Invitational on June 7 at UCLA in Los Angeles, California.

"Catch wrestling is the basis of my fighting style. And the basis of catch wrestling is conditioning, athleticism, and continuously trying to finish," he said.

"Anybody doing that is exciting. You're in shape, you know what to do, and you're constantly moving. So It's a recipe for creating exciting action."

He did caution, "I know as soon as super-athletes come along, the game will change. But let's wait until the super-athletes come before we worry about it."

For now, he said, "This is the type of martial art and social presentation and participation that's really good for everybody."

What he does have second thoughts about are those sports where there are strikes to the head.

"If you do that for a continuous period of time, if you develop a style that eats punches, if you are not good, if you are in over your head, if you're taking shots, none of that is good for you, in any sport, no matter what you're doing. You cannot get hit in the head. You cannot mess with the computer that runs the machine," he said.

"My whole style is based around not getting hit. I don't have any memory loss. I don't have any speech problems. I've been very, very blessed. And when I started getting hit, when the game started turning to boxing and wrestling, I got out, because I didn't want to get mashed up."

As for his daughter, he said, "The brain is the most important thing. You cannot damage it. My daughter is not going into any contact sport that hits her in the head. It's not going to happen. Might be volleyball, at best."

Asked whether at the start of his fighting career he would have gone into professional grappling or real wrestling rather than MMA if the financial and career opportunities were equivalent to those in MMA, without hesitation he replied, "100 percent."

We also discussed his now mellow life as a father and "a normal house dude", how his views on violent sports have evolved over the past two decades, the "huge potential" for sports like catch wrestling, some of his favorite experiences in Pancrase and Strikeforce, the lack of a martial arts code in present-day MMA, how the martial arts changed him, his relationship with his brother Ken, and much, much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

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

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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/.

Labels: brain, catch, Eddie Goldman, fatherhood, Frank Shamrock, grappling, head, injuries, MMA, No Holds Barred, trauma, violence, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Kevin Jackson, the Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion freestyle wrestler, who is in his fifth season as head wrestling coach for the legendary Iowa State Cyclones.

The month of March will see the conclusion of the 2013-14 college wrestling season, with only conference and national championships remaining for Iowa State.

They will be competing at the 2014 Big 12 Wrestling Championships, which takes place Saturday, March 8, at the McCasland Field House in Norman, Oklahoma. The finals will be televised live in the U.S. on various Fox networks, including Fox College Sports, beginning at 8 PM ET/ 7 PM CT. As always, check your local listings.

The 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships also take place in Oklahoma, March 20-22 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. The finals will be televised live in the U.S. on ESPN, with extensive coverage of all sessions both on television and online on the ESPN networks.

We spoke with Coach Kevin Jackson by phone Sunday to preview these tournaments and to discuss what to expect from the Iowa State Cyclones.

"This is the most exciting time of the year for everyone. The Big 12 Championships, the NCAA Championships -- everything else is practice," he said.

Much attention is being given to Iowa State's redshirt junior Kyven Gadson, who will be the number one seed at 197 pounds for this year's Big 12 Championships, and is also currently ranked number one in the country at that weight.

Coach Jackson said that Kyven Gadson's performance this season has gotten the Iowa State wrestling community and many people on the campus "very, very excited, based on this year, based on where he is ranked right now, the opportunity to be seeded number one in the NCAA tournament, and the opportunity to be a two-time Big 12 champion."

We also discussed how this season in college wrestling has seen numerous upsets and these tournaments are very hotly-contested; what wrestling must do to add more fans; the role of real professional wrestling and catch wrestling; and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

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

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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/.

Labels: Big 12, championships, college, Eddie Goldman, Iowa State Cyclones, Kevin Jackson, Kyven Gadson, Mike Moreno, NCAA, No Holds Barred, wrestling

Photo credits: WSOF/Lucas Noonan

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with the world's top-ranked MMA fighter in the women's 115-pound division, and the WSOF women's strawweight champion, American Top Team fighter Jessica Aguilar.

Her debut fight with the World Series of Fighting was on January 18 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. There she captured WSOF's inaugural women's strawweight title by defeating Alida Gray by submission with an arm triangle choke at 2:45 of the first round.

We spoke with Jessica Aguilar by phone Sunday.

Having fought in MMA professionally now for eight years, she said that she expects to be fighting for about five more years.

"My goal and my plan is to go out as a champion," she said. "That's what I'm going to do."

Noted for her jiu-jitsu and grappling, she also would like to resume competition on the mat.

"After that, or in-between that, I still want to compete in jiu-jitsu, absolutely," she said. "I went back to training and I'm doing more of that. So I would love to start competing in the grappling arena as well."

Besides fighting and training, she is very involved with many community organizations in south Florida, and plans to do even more than she has already. She is a motivational speaker for the anti-bullying organization Sweethearts and Heroes. She is involved with the Miami Children's Hospital. And she works with the Pride Center in Wilton Manors, Florida, which serves the LGBTQ communities and friends and neighbors in south Florida.

We also discussed when she expects that her next fight will take place, her good experiences working with WSOF, why working with WSOF was the right decision for her, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

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

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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/.

Labels: American Top Team, BJJ, Eddie Goldman, grappling, Jessica Aguilar, jiu-jitsu, LGBT, MMA, No Holds Barred, World Series Fighting, WSOF

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with wrestling historian and author Mike Chapman and Raul Ramirez of the Catch Wrestling Alliance about the announcement Monday that catch wrestling legend Billy Robinson has passed away at age 75. We spoke with them by phone Monday afternoon.

Even though in recent years he had to use a cane to walk and could not get on the mat himself, Billy Robinson continued to train people in catch wrestling.

"He knew the moves so well that he could pretty much talk you through it," said Raul Ramirez, who had been trained by him. "Even if it was a new move you had never seen before, just the description itself was enough for you to understand. And then he would just drill it until you did it right."

Trained at the legendary Riley's Gym in Wigan, England, by Billy Riley himself, Billy Robinson knew freestyle wrestling, catch wrestling, and the worked pro wrestling. Even in the latter, he was known for exhibiting his many holds and moves.

Mike Chapman recalled the time when Billy Robinson's name came up for consideration for induction into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, of which he was founder. The panel making the selections included many who were proficient in real styles of wrestling, including at the time of Billy's nomination, Lou Thesz, Danny Hodge, Verne Gagne, Brad Rheingans, and Jim "Baron von" Raschke.

When Billy Robinson's name came up, Mike said, several people exclaimed, "He needs to go in immediately. That's all I have to say." And he went in unanimously, in the class of 2003.

We discussed the present rebirth of catch wrestling and the Catch Wrestling Alliance International Invitational: The Rebirth. This event will be held Saturday, June 7, in Collins Court in the John Wooden Center on the campus of UCLA, at 221 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, California 90095-1612.

On No Holds Barred, Mike Chapman announced that he will be attending this event, including having many books and wrestling items on display. In addition, Mike will be at the annual WIN Memorabilia Show at the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, March 20-22, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

We also discussed what is needed to be done to rebuild catch wrestling and to continue the legacy of Billy Robinson, and much, much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

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

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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/.

Labels: Billy Robinson, catch wrestling, Eddie Goldman, Mike Chapman, No Holds Barred, Raul Ramirez, Rebirth

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Robert Drenk, the founder of the Ultimate Armwrestling League (UAL).

"The Ultimate Armwrestling League is the premier arm wrestling league in the United States of America," he said in this interview, which was recorded by phone Saturday. "What we are is an organization with contacts to over 1000 professional arm wrestlers in the United States of America and outside the United States of America."

He continued, "What we are is an organized sports league with athletes that come to compete in tournaments and eventually become signed contracted athletes and have an opportunity at really big prize money and title belts doing ultimate matchups, which are one-on-one events, the best of the best."

Arm wrestling has gotten a lot of publicity of late with the start of an unscripted series about the sport on the AMC network in the U.S., called "Game of Arms". The debut show on February 25 drew over one million viewers, which AMC called the highest number for a debut of any of their unscripted shows on their network. Although that show has received criticism for, like other so-called "reality" shows, distorting the reality of arm wrestling, it still has ignited a discussion about the sport and increased interest in it widely.

Although the UAL is not involved with this show, Robert Drenk noted its impact on the sport.

"I think this is a huge year for arm wrestling," he said. "I think if we can't make something happen in arm wrestling this year, then I don't think arm wrestling's ever going to happen. And I'm a firm believer that this is going to be the year for arm wrestling."

We also discussed the growth of professional arm wrestling, the structure of UAL events, their plans for their UAL 7 event in May at a location to be announced, their plans for the future, the training their athletes do, how he got involved with professional arm wrestling, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

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

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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/.

Labels: arm wrestling, Eddie Goldman, Game of Arms, No Holds Barred, Robert Drenk, Ultimate Armwrestling League

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses how much the decision by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to eliminate therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is related to the attempt by Zuffa, the parent company of UFC, to get its amateur organization into SportAccord, the international federation of sports federations. SportAccord, along with the International Olympic Committee, requires federations to follow the protocols of the World Anti-Doping Agency, and all of these very, very rarely hand out TUEs for TRT for all sports, far less frequently than Zuffa and the Nevada commission have for just their own MMA events.

Also discussed is even more new information on the dangers of brain injuries and the risks of dementia and CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) in sports where there is head trauma, and how this remains the Achilles Heel of these sports. What happened to dueling in the 19th century, and smoking in the 20th century, is compared to what might happen to these combat sports with head strikes in the 21st century.

The month of March also marks several milestones, including the eighth anniversary of No Holds Barred as a podcast. Some of the plans for the show are discussed as well.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

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

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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/.

Labels: catch, CTE, Eddie Goldman, International Olympic Committee, IOC, MMA, Nevada State Athletic Commission, No Holds Barred, SportAccord, testosterone, therapeutic use exemptions, TRT, TUE, UFC, wrestling, Zuffa