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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

No Holds Barred: Jennifer Thomas, from Pro Wrestling to Catch Wrestling 


On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with wrestler Jennifer Thomas.

Formerly a noted competitor in bodybuilding and a performer in the staged pro wrestling, she has recently started training in real catch wrestling with Raul Ramirez of the Catch Wrestling Alliance.

Her first catch wrestling match will be on the card of the Catch Wrestling Alliance International Invitational: The Rebirth. This event will take place 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. Her opponent will be named shortly.

This invitational event will be held under catch wrestling rules, where you can only win by pin or submission.

We spoke with Jennifer Thomas by phone Monday.

"Pro wrestling has given me -- even though it's more based on entertainment, it's a work, it's everything, you know -- it's given me a good foundation to start with catch," she said.

"The pro wrestling in my life has been a gift to me, but now it's time to expand it, and go into a different chapter, and I think that catch wrestling is the perfect chapter for me to be in right now."

We discussed her athletic background, how she found out about catch wrestling (hint: thank keywords), how she is making the transition to real catch wrestling, why she believes that catch wrestling can once again become a major popular spectator 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/.

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Sunday, February 23, 2014

No Holds Barred: Combat Sports, Change, and Concussions 


On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the latest tragedy in boxing involving brain-damaged fighter Magomed Abdusalamov; how the sports world is changing in regards to concussions and head trauma, while MMA is racing down the same dangerous path as boxing, including emphasizing head strikes and de-emphasizing grappling; Saturday's Kemetic Masters of the Martial Arts event in Harlem, New York, and the need for catch wrestling in New York City; the growth of non-combat sports like baseball and arm wrestling; corruption and the uncertain future of the Olympic Games; the continuing education going on about concussions and head trauma in films such as "Head Games", which is showing for free in New York this Thursday, February 27; 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/.

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Friday, February 21, 2014

No Holds Barred: Dr. Shaka Zulu on Kemetic Masters of the Martial Arts 2014 




On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with martial artist, and producer and co-host of the Official True School Radio Show on WHCR 90.3 FM in New York, Dr. Shaka Zulu.

Dr. Shaka Zulu is also part of the Universal Zulu Nation, and is an organizer of the 12th annual Kemetic Masters of the Martial Arts.

Kemet, as he explained in this interview, is the original and indigenous name for what is now called Egypt.

This event takes place this Saturday, February 22, from 2 PM to 6 PM, at the National Black Theatre at 2031-2033 5th Avenue between 125th and 126th Streets in Harlem, New York 10035.

We spoke with Dr. Shaka Zulu by phone Friday.

"I have some of the greatest martial artists that are living on this Earth that are going to come out and demonstrate martial arts to the community," he said.

"This is a beautiful thing. So we're going to have demonstrations in karate, kung fu, jujutsu, ninjitsu, and a few others, and also capoeira, and also demonstrating and showing the hip-hop connections to capoeira, hip-hop, and martial arts."

This family-friendly event will also feature a salute to the warriors of the past, present, and future, as well as holistic health and historical information and much more. All ages are welcome, with admission being just $5 for youth and $10 for adults.

We also discussed many topics, including how the history about the real origins of the martial arts and combat sports in Africa thousands of years ago has been concealed despite mountainous documentation; how martial arts promotes positivity rather than negativity; how many of the commercial events, especially in MMA, have veered from this path; the history and background of the many warriors being honored at this event; Malcolm X and the martial arts; the need for holistic health and good nutrition; 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/.

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Thursday, February 20, 2014

No Holds Barred: Dan Kanagie and Billy Warlock on April 5 Virginia Shooter's Challenge 


On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Dan Kanagie and Billy Warlock of the North American Catch Wrestling Association (NACWA).

The next event for the NACWA will take place Saturday, April 5, called the Virginia Shooter's Challenge. It will be held at Amherst County High School, 139 Lancer Lane, Amherst, Virginia 24521.

The Virginia Shooter's Challenge is a regional qualifier for this year's NACWA national tournament, the Liberty Bell Classic, which will be held later this year in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

NACWA events are held under traditional American catch wrestling rules, where you can win by submission or pin. There are no points, no politics, and no sandbagging. Grapplers of all styles, organizations, and levels of experience are welcome. There are six weight classes for men. For women, the Madison System will be used, with competitors matched closest to their weights.

The tournament will not have any points scored, as matches are based on win, lose, or draw format. There are no divisions by experience level in order to stop sandbagging. All kinds of submissions are allowed, except groin attacks, fish hooking, spitting, biting, hair grabbing, intentional striking, and kicking.

We spoke with Dan Kanagie and Billy Warlock by phone Tuesday.

The NACWA national event will invite all the winners of the regional tournaments, said Dan Kanagie, the NACWA national director, in order to "find out who's the best of the best."

As for the competitors at the Virginia Shooter's Challenge, Billy Warlock, the NACWA Virginia director, said, "It's kind of across the board here in Virginia. We've got a ton of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu schools, several of them that I'm friends with that we've opened up to. So it's going to be a wide range of competitors, both amateur wrestlers from some of the high schools here in the area have confirmed that they're going to be attending and sending wrestlers to compete, as well as some of the area's top grappling and, as I said, BJJ gi schools are sending competitors."

Both have been discussing setting up regional catch wrestling tournaments which lead up to a national tournament for years.

The goal of this one, Billy Warlock said, is "to put on the best tournament that we can here in Virginia and get guys qualified to head on up to Philly for nationals."

We also discussed the tremendous potential catch wrestling has to recapture its place as a legitimate and popular professional spectator sport, why the catch wrestling rules result in exciting action on the mat, why catch wrestling is "the workmen's art", why it is "the greatest combat sport on the face of the planet", 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/.

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Tuesday, February 18, 2014

No Holds Barred: John Perretti on His Pioneering 1997 Grappling Event, The Contenders 



On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reposts a show from December 2012 with lifelong martial artist, former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker, TV commentator, and our senior correspondent, John Perretti.

The focus of that discussion was on his 1997 grappling event known as "The Contenders". With the more recent revival and growth of real professional wrestling and catch wrestling, as well as many grappling events, the lessons of what happened with "The Contenders" are particularly poignant today.

Here is the original description of this show:

On October 11, 1997, before the major no-gi grappling championships of today, John Perretti was the main organizer of a pioneering grappling event known simply as "The Contenders". The format was a seven-match card, held in Sioux City, Iowa, pitting a team of various martial artists against a team of elite U.S. wrestlers. 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. The martial artists won, four matches to three, including three wins by submissions, but controversy ensued during and after the event about the rules and decisions.

This ended up being a money-losing, one-shot deal, because attendance was sparse and pay-per-view buys were minuscule. Still, it is considered a pioneering event because its concept helped inspire the numerous no-gi grappling championships which followed it.

Calling the event his "brainchild," John Perretti said in this interview, which was recorded by Skype Sunday, "I am to blame for all the problems with it." But he added, quoting a widely-held view about this event, "It's the greatest show no one ever saw."

We thus discussed what happened at this historic event, many of whose matches can be seen on YouTube, some of the lessons for today, 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/.

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Saturday, February 15, 2014

No Holds Barred: Dr. Nicholas Rizzo on Testosterone Replacement Therapy in MMA and Boxing 




On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Dr. Nicholas Rizzo.

Dr. Rizzo is a board-certified internist, a former wrestler and wrestling coach, a ringside physician for professional boxing and MMA events, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Ringside Physicians.

On January 27, 2014, the Association of Ringside Physicians issued a statement which said "the Association of Ringside Physicians supports the general elimination of therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) for testosterone replacement therapy."

We spoke with Dr, Rizzo by phone Wednesday about this issue.

Here is the body of that statement:

"The ARP Releases a Consensus Statement on Therapeutic Use Exemptions for Testosterone Replacement Therapy in Professional Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts.

"The Association of Ringside Physicians (ARP), an international, non-profit organization dedicated to the health and safety of the boxer and mixed martial arts athlete, has released a consensus statement on therapeutic use exemptions for testosterone replacement therapy in professional combat sport athletes, as follows:

"'The incidence of hypogonadism requiring the use of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in professional athletes is extraordinarily rare. Accordingly, the use of an anabolic steroid such as testosterone in a professional boxer or mixed martial artist is rarely justified. Steroid use of any type, including unmerited testosterone, significantly increases the safety and health risk to combat sports athletes and their opponents. TRT in a combat sports athlete may also create an unfair advantage contradictory to the integrity of sport. Consequently, the Association of Ringside Physicians supports the general elimination of therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) for testosterone replacement therapy.'

"For more about the ARP, visit their website at www.associationofringsidephysicians.org."

Besides discussing the many reasons for this position, Dr. Rizzo noted in this interview: "There's some report that just came out that states that long-term testosterone replacement therapy may be associated with heart disease. Now, it's a preliminary report, the jury's still out, the concrete data's not in. But anytime you're introducing something artificial, you need to weigh the risks and benefits. And one of the caveats of medicine is 'Primum non nocere,' which is Latin for 'First, do no harm.'"

While he is not entirely opposed to granting therapeutic use exemptions for testosterone replacement therapy, he believes that the actual number of professional athletes who require this and who would not be given an unfair advantage by this is quite small. "You can count them on one hand on a national level," he said.

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/.

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Wednesday, February 12, 2014

No Holds Barred: Raul Ramirez, Eddie Goldman, and Scott Casber on Takedown Radio 





On this edition of No Holds Barred, Raul Ramirez of the Catch Wrestling Alliance and host Eddie Goldman were interviewed by Scott Casber, the host of Takedown Wrestling Radio.

This discussion took place on Takedown Wrestling Radio and was recorded Monday.

The main topic of our discussion was the revival 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.

Our discussion also included consideration of what structure and models catch wrestling should and should not use as it develops and strives to have good, clean governance.

Here is the press release announcing the June 7 event:

CWA Holds First International Invitational Catch Wrestling Event, June 7, in Los Angeles

Witness the rebirth of the sport of Catch Wrestling

Los Angeles, February 5, 2014: On Saturday, June 7, the Catch Wrestling Alliance will be holding their first catch wrestling event, an international invitational entitled "Rebirth." It will take place in Collins Court in the John Wooden Center on the UCLA campus, 221 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, California 90095.

This event will be held under traditional catch wrestling rules, where you can win by submission or pin. There are no points, no politics, and no sandbagging. A team of American Catch Wrestlers will take on a team of international Catch Wrestlers in USA vs the World matches.

Catch wrestlers with extensive wrestling and grappling backgrounds from around the world, including Europe, North America, and Asia, are confirmed to compete. Men's and women's matches will be held.

"I am looking forward to showing the world high level catch wrestling," said Raul Ramirez of the Catch Wrestling Alliance. "It is every catch wrestler’s dream to see catch wrestling in the spotlight again. We can achieve this goal if we work together."

Currently eight matches are planned for this event. Two women's matches and six men's matches are currently scheduled. No points will be scored, as matches are based on a win-lose format. All kinds of submissions are allowed, except groin attacks, fish hooking, spitting, biting, hair grabbing, intentional striking, and kicking. The winner of each match will win an award in honor of an important person in wrestling history.

Tickets will go on sale soon.

About CWA and Catch Wrestling:The CWA (Catch Wrestling Alliance) is an American organization that promotes and hosts international catch-as-catch-can wrestling events. The Catch Wrestling Alliance was started by Raul Ramirez in association with catch wrestling schools around the world with a goal of reinstating legitimate catch wrestling competition globally.

Catch wrestling is a classical, hybrid grappling type of wrestling developed in 1870. It was later popularized by carnival wrestlers who refined new submission holds and hooks to be more effective against opponents.

Web: http://www.catchwrestlingalliance.com

Facebook: https://facebook.com/catchwrestlingalliance

Twitter: @CatchAlliance

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/.

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Sunday, February 09, 2014

No Holds Barred: Qin Yunquan on Her Catch Wrestling, BJJ, and Martial Arts Vacation in the U.S. 


On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with martial artist, catch wrestler, freestyle wrestler, and our newest correspondent, Qin Yunquan.

She is an instructor for women's and children's self-defense at the Kapap Academy Singapore. She is also helping to build Catch Wrestling Singapore.

She has just completed a three-week trip to the U.S. packed with high level training in numerous disciplines.

First she spent five days training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the famed Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Torrance, California. She also trained with Raul Ramirez of the Catch Wrestling Alliance in catch wrestling in the Los Angeles area. Next, she spent about a week training at The Arena in San Diego, California, in MMA, no-gi grappling, wrestling, muay Thai, and muay boran. Then she went to the two-day Certified Catch Wrestler Training Camp in San Diego with catch wrestling legend Billy Robinson and Jake Shannon of ScientificWrestling.com.

We spoke with Qin Yunquan by phone Saturday night while she was preparing to leave San Diego for Singapore on Sunday.

"It has been indeed a very, very interesting stay in the States for this time," she said. "It has been a very fruitful experience going from one gym to the other gym, training in different systems of martial arts. There's so much to share about each experience. And every one of them has been amazing."

Speaking about the training with Billy Robinson, she said, "This time around was actually my second time I'm actually attending Billy Robinson's seminar, and once again it was a mind-blowing experience."

We discussed some of the key lessons she will take back to Singapore from her training; how the philosophy of the Gracies "complements" and helps what is done in catch wrestling; how she especially worked on takedowns when training with Raul Ramirez; why it is essential to understand the principles behind all these techniques; why catch wrestling has "a very, very bright future"; the plans to educate the public and develop catch wrestling in Singapore and Southeast Asia; her plans to compete in the June 7 Catch Wrestling Alliance event in Los Angeles; why this "training is my vacation"; 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/.

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Friday, February 07, 2014

No Holds Barred: Al Bevilacqua on National Registry for Wrestling 



On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum member Al Bevilacqua about his latest project, the National Registry for Wrestling.

The veteran coach, educator, and promoter of the sport of wrestling serves as co-chair of this organization, which is seeking to sign up wrestling fans as well as present and former wrestlers of all levels in order to popularize the sport.

We spoke with him by phone Thursday.

Speaking just about the U.S., he said, "There's six to eight million people that are alive today that have wrestling in their backgrounds."

The ambitious goal of the National Registry for Wrestling is to sign up one million people on its free web site.

"If you get a million, you're in the game. You got a shot." he said.

"We have no shot now. We have no power. Numbers gets power," he added. "And that's why we got started."

One of the many features of the National Registry for Wrestling web site is the posting of a list of televised and webcast wrestling meets in the U.S. This is particularly timely, since the college wrestling season is in full swing. This Sunday, February 9, the two top ranked teams, number one Penn State and number two Minnesota, will wrestle each other in a dual meet, which will be televised live on the Big Ten Network starting at 2 PM ET.

Our lengthy discussion included focusing on the need for grassroots efforts such as this Registry to promote wrestling, how the Beat the Streets program has resulted in the growth of high school and middle school wrestling in many U.S. cities, the worldwide power and popularity of wrestling, the need to get good ratings on television and build a fan base, the real main reason why many colleges have dropped wrestling (and it's not Title IX), 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/.

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Tuesday, February 04, 2014

No Holds Barred: Raul Ramirez on June 7 Catch Wrestling Alliance International Invitational: The Rebirth 




On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with our correspondent Raul Ramirez of the Catch Wrestling Alliance.

The date and place are now set for their first event, the Catch Wrestling Alliance International Invitational: The Rebirth. It 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.

This invitational event will feature catch wrestling, where you can only win by pin or submission.

Among the athletes who have so far been confirmed to compete in the Catch Wrestling Alliance International Invitational: The Rebirth, are:

Christopher Crossan of the U.K. He won a gold medal at the 2004 European BJJ tournament in Lisbon, gold at the 2005 Gracie European tournament, and was the Alan Woos and Ernie Riley Trophy Winner at the 2013 International Catch Tournament in Wigan, England.

Ian Jones of the U.K. He is a professional MMA fighter with 20 years of competitive martial arts experience. He holds a BJJ brown belt, is a three-time British Thai boxing champion, and has 13 years of grappling experience. He is also a catch wrestler and has wrestled out of the Snake Pit Wigan.

Luis Ojeda of the U.S. He is a Level 3 Scientific Wrestling Certified Catch Wrestler under Billy Robinson, a two-time King of Catch heavyweight champion, and has competed and trained in numerous disciplines including judo.

Jon Strickland of the U.S. A longtime catch wrestler, coach, and martial artist, he is now also building the Billy Wicks Foundation, named for the catch wrestling legend under whom he has trained.

Qin Yunquan of Singapore. She is a martial artist, catch wrestler, and freestyle wrestler, as well as an instructor for women's and children's self-defense at the Kapap Academy Singapore.

Many more athletes will be confirmed shortly.

We spoke with Raul Ramirez by phone Monday.

"Within the past few years, people have been really training hard in catch wrestling, all around the world. So this is basically going to be a big showcase for some of the people who have doing some higher level catch wrestling," he said.

"They're going to be coming from all around the world, straight here to the Wooden Center at UCLA. We're basically going to put on a really, really great show for people to see what higher level catch wrestling is."

We discussed the rules of this event, the difference between catch wrestling and other styles of grappling and wrestling, how catch wrestling was once a major and legitimate professional sport, how this event is open to all styles and all groups, and much more.

"We've got to get the politics out of it," he said. Otherwise, referencing what had happened to catch wrestling a century ago, it will become "extinct."

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/.

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Saturday, February 01, 2014

No Holds Barred: Brock Larson on His March 14 ONE FC Title Fight 




On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with American MMA fighter Brock Larson.

Riding a four-fight winning streak, including bouts in the middleweight and welterweight divisions, his next fight will be for the inaugural ONE FC welterweight championship. His opponent will be the Japanese fighter Nobutatsu Suzuki.

This fight will headline the ten-fight ONE FC: War Of Nations card on Friday, March 14. It will be held at the Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ONE FC: War Of Nations will be televised live in Asia on Star Sports, and will be streamed live to the rest of the world as an online pay-per-view for just US$9.99, at http://www.onefc.livesport.tv.

Brock Larson is known primarily as a grappler, and won his previous fight in ONE FC by unanimous decision over the dangerous kickboxer and MMA fighter Melvin Manhoef last April.

Nobutatsu Suzuki is known primarily as a striker, and won his ONE FC debut last May with a first-round TKO over veteran MMA fighter Phil Baroni.

Thus, the Brock Larson-Nobutatsu Suzuki title fight has all the makings of a classic grappler vs. striker battle.

We spoke with Brock Larson by phone Thursday.

Speaking about fighting in Asia, the Minnesota-based fighter said, "The culture over there is so much different. It's a little refreshing, just in the sense that it's just different. I've fought the same place for so long, and it's kind of nice to go and get a kind of a new look. With the rules and everything, it just kind of re-energizes me a little bit, with all the knees on the ground and the stomps, and everything kind of takes a little bit of the cheaps out of it, as far as everything in the States go, and makes it a little more real, forces you to pay attention more and keep moving. You can't just sit there."

He continued, "Asian fans are top-notch, and Matt Hume is a really good guy. And being the matchmaker over there, I think they hit a home run with him. And I just think altogether they put together a pretty good program over there."

We also discussed his upcoming fight with Nobutatsu Suzuki and why he expects to win, his previous fight with Melvin Manhoef, the role of grappling in MMA, the possibility of a future fight with the unbeaten Ben Askren, his training at American Top Team, 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/.

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