NO HOLDS BARRED

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the first big fight of 2016, the January 16 heavyweight title fight between WBC champ Deontay Wilder (35-0, 34 KOs) and Artur Szpilka (20-1, 15 KOs). Also discussed is the volatile state of the heavyweight division following Wladmir Klitschko's loss to Tyson Fury, and who may emerge as the universally regarded best heavyweight.

The Deontay Wilder-Artur Szpilka fight will be held Saturday, January 16, 2016, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and will be telecast live in the U.S. on Showtime. We spoke with Deontay Wilder and Artur Szpilka on a recent media conference call.

We also discuss the dangers of head trauma and doping in boxing, the importance of the role played by VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Association), the mixed results for the first year of the Premier Boxing Champions in 2015, and much more.

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

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web, at http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/no-holds-barred-with-eddie-goldman.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player for iOS is available for free on the App Store.

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:

Gracie Tournaments, featuring regional, national, and world competitions in submission-only Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. For more information, go to GracieWorlds.com.

The National Registry for Wrestling, whose mission is to increase wrestling's fanbase, to build a registry of all wrestling fans, to serve as a connecting point for all wrestling fans, and to provide TV and Internet listings for wrestling. For more information, go to NR4W.com.
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Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Labels: Artur Szpilka, boxing, Deontay Wilder, doping, Eddie Goldman, head trauma, heavyweights, Klitschko, No Holds Barred, PBC, VADA

(Photo of Manny Yarbrough courtesy of Beatrice Davis of Sassy B Worldwide Productions.)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Bob Carson, the host of Carson's Corner.

Our topic was the life and legacy of the sumo wrestler and martial artist Manny Yarbrough, who passed away at age 51 a few days ago.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise funds to transport his body from Virginia, where he lived, to New Jersey, where his mother lives, and to assist his family. The page is here.

We spoke with Bob Carson by Skype Wednesday.

Much of what has been written about Manny Yarbrough has come from people who didn't know him or, worse, care about him, and included numerous factual inaccuracies. The people who did know him know that he was not only a giant of a man in stature and size, standing six-foot, eight-inches tall and often weighing over 600 pounds, but he was also a giant of a person, multi-talented, caring, thoughtful.

We discussed how he was a product of the historically Black college Morgan State in Baltimore, where he played football and wrestled, becoming an All-American in both sports, and how his size and talent led him to a career as an athlete. But it also prevented him from being accepted as an athlete and not just a huge guy, and had him kicked out of wrestling because weight limits were put into international and college wrestling during his career.

Manny became an amateur sumo world champion in 1995, but outside of the closely-guarded and often controversial pro sumo in Japan, no one was able to create a successful pro sumo circuit anywhere else, and he was thus unable to capitalize much on his talent in that sport. He fought a few times in MMA, including his famous or infamous loss in 1994 in UFC 3 to Keith Hackney. He got some small parts as an actor, where he showed his talents, but was there mainly because of his size and appearance, and was again stereotyped as just a huge Black guy.

Yet when news of his passing spread online, there was an outpouring of love, grief, and sympathy from many different types of people whom he had touched, including many who had known him at different stages of his life and didn't know each other.

"Manny Yarbrough's legacy and what he's done for wrestling, sumo wrestling, and for anyone out there that potentially is unusual, should be something that is commended and should be something that is appreciated for a long time to come," said Bob Carson.

"We can all become better people, I think, by really looking at Manny and how he acted and how he really conducted himself."

We also discussed much more about Manny's athletic career, how he seemed never to get his due from the sports organizations with which he worked, the issues related to what has been cited as his "food addiction", why it is another disgrace on our social system that funds have to be raised for such a talented athlete and individual as he was, how the lessons of his life must include the necessity for athletes to organize for the mutual aid and benefit of themselves and other athletes, and much more.

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

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web, at http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/no-holds-barred-with-eddie-goldman.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player for iOS is available for free on the App Store.

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:

Gracie Tournaments, featuring regional, national, and world competitions in submission-only Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. For more information, go to GracieWorlds.com.

The National Registry for Wrestling, whose mission is to increase wrestling's fanbase, to build a registry of all wrestling fans, to serve as a connecting point for all wrestling fans, and to provide TV and Internet listings for wrestling. For more information, go to NR4W.com.
.
Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Labels: Bob Carson, Carson's Corner, Eddie Goldman, Emanuel, Manny Yarbrough, MMA, No Holds Barred, sumo, Tiny, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the new film "Concussion", a dramatization of the battles of Dr. Bennet Omalu to bring to public attention the connections between head trauma, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and NFL football.

In this film, Dr. Omalu is very ably played by Will Smith.

This stunning film, which is a must-see, premieres in the U.S. December 25.

Everybody in America, and everwhere else when it comes out, should see this film.

Dr. Omalu also recently wrote an opinion piece entitled "Don't Let Kids Play Football".

Also discussed are the establishment of the Bennet Omalu Foundation, which aims to fund research, raise awareness, provide care, and find cures for people suffering from CTE and traumatic brain injury; how this will all affect the future of the contact and combat sports; and much more.

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

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web, at http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/no-holds-barred-with-eddie-goldman.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player for iOS is available for free on the App Store.

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:

Gracie Tournaments, featuring regional, national, and world competitions in submission-only Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. For more information, go to GracieWorlds.com.

The National Registry for Wrestling, whose mission is to increase wrestling's fanbase, to build a registry of all wrestling fans, to serve as a connecting point for all wrestling fans, and to provide TV and Internet listings for wrestling. For more information, go to NR4W.com.
.
Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Labels: Bennet Omalu, concussion, contact sports, CTE, Eddie Goldman, film, football, Foundation, NFL, No Holds Barred, Will Smith

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with catch wrestlers Thomas Velasquez, Justin Sumter, Joe Shick, and Pat Sabatini, along with Thomas Velasquez's coach Ray Karakas, right after their catch wrestling matches at the 2015 MMA World Expo. They were all part of the North American Catch Wrestling Association/King of Catch Wrestling competition, the third straight year in which there has been catch wrestling at the MMA World Expo.

In the four catch wrestling matches at the MMA World Expo this year, the victors were Thomas Velasquez, Justin Sumter, Joe Shick, and Pat Sabatini. With his victory over Travis Newaza, Thomas Velasquez captured the 2015 North American Heavyweight King of Catch championship.

The 2015 MMA World Expo took place Saturday, December 12, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

In our post-match interviews, each of the wrestlers discussed how their matches went, their varied backgrounds including college and high school wrestling as well as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA, their plans for the future, the future of catch wrestling, and much more.

Here are the complete results:

North American Catch Wrestling Association/King of Catch Results
MMA World Expo
December 12, 2015
Jacob Javits Center, New York

Joe Shick vs. Anthony Pipola, middleweight
1 - Joe Shick pinned Anthony Pipola, 4:30
2 - Joe Shick pinned Anthony Pipola, 3:01
Joe Shick wins, 2 falls to 0

Pat Sabatini vs. Lee Yalowitz, catchweight
1 - Pat Sabatini pinned Lee Yalowitz, 1:31
2 - Pat Sabatini pinned Lee Yalowitz, 1:30
Pat Sabatini wins, 2 falls to 0

Justin Sumter vs. George Mecaj, light heavyweight
1 - Justin Sumter wins by rear naked choke submission, 37 seconds
2 - Justin Sumter pinned George Mecaj, 24 seconds
Justin Sumter wins, 2 falls to 0

West Coast King of Catch Travis Newaza vs. East Coast King of Catch Thomas Velasquez, for 2015 North American King of Catch Heavyweight Title
1 - Travis Newaza wins by inverted heel hook submission, 6:11
2 - Thomas Velasquez pinned Travis Newaza, 1:44
3 - Thomas Velasquez pinned Travis Newaza, 12:21

There is a photo gallery from the North American Catch Wrestling Association/King of Catch here.

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

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web, at http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/no-holds-barred-with-eddie-goldman.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player for iOS is available for free on the App Store.

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:

Gracie Tournaments, featuring regional, national, and world competitions in submission-only Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. For more information, go to GracieWorlds.com.

The National Registry for Wrestling, whose mission is to increase wrestling's fanbase, to build a registry of all wrestling fans, to serve as a connecting point for all wrestling fans, and to provide TV and Internet listings for wrestling. For more information, go to NR4W.com.
.
Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Labels: Eddie Goldman, Joe Shick, Justin Sumter, King of Catch Wrestling, MMA World Expo, NACWA, No Holds Barred, Pat Sabatini, Ray Karakas, Thomas Velasquez

by Eddie Goldman

North American Catch Wrestling Association/King of Catch Results
MMA World Expo
December 12, 2015
Jacob Javits Center, New York

Joe Shick vs. Anthony Pipola, middleweight
1 - Joe Shick pinned Anthony Pipola, 4:30
2 - Joe Shick pinned Anthony Pipola, 3:01
Joe Shick wins, 2 falls to 0

Pat Sabatini vs. Lee Yalowitz, catchweight
1 - Pat Sabatini pinned Lee Yalowitz, 1:31
2 - Pat Sabatini pinned Lee Yalowitz, 1:30
Pat Sabatini wins, 2 falls to 0

Justin Sumter vs. George Mecaj, light heavyweight
1 - Justin Sumter wins by rear naked choke submission, 37 seconds
2 - Justin Sumter pinned George Mecaj, 24 seconds
Justin Sumter wins, 2 falls to 0

West Coast King of Catch Travis Newaza vs. East Coast King of Catch Thomas Velasquez, for 2015 North American King of Catch Heavyweight Title
1 - Travis Newaza wins by inverted heel hook submission, 6:11
2 - Thomas Velasquez pinned Travis Newaza, 1:44
3 - Thomas Velasquez pinned Travis Newaza, 12:21

Labels: Anthony Pipola, Dan Kanagie, Dan Severn, Eddie Goldman, George Mecaj, Joe Shick, Justin Sumter, King of Catch Wrestling, Lee Yalowitz, MMA World Expo, NACWA, Pat Sabatini, Thomas Velasquez, Travis Newaza

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the increasing number of grave crises and scandals facing the International Olympic Committee (IOC), its sports federations, and the Olympic movement in general.

This week many of these were highlighted in a 192-page report issued by the World Cup and Olympics Popular Committee of Rio de Janeiro, also known as the Comité Popular. This was the fourth such report issued by this group since 2012 in their series known as the Mega-Events and Human Rights Dossier.

This year's report is called Rio 2016 Olympics: The Exclusion Games.

The report details the many ways in which the preparations for the Rio 2016 Olympics have led to mass evictions, virtual slave labor, "social cleansing", privatization of public resources, militarization of Rio, and even the deaths of many, and principally poor Black youth.

We also hear some brief comments by IOC president Thomas Bach at the conclusion of this week's IOC Executive Board meeting belittling the struggle against corruption and human rights abuses.

Also discussed is the corruption in numerous Olympic federations including FIFA and IAAF among many others; the rejection by the people of a growing number of cities of hosting the Olympic Games, including Hamburg and Boston; the continuing failure of the International Olympic Committee leadership to take any effective measures against corruption and human rights abuses; why aspiring sports groups should NOT plan to join this corrupt Olympic movement but must organize themselves independently and with the athletes at the fore; and much more.

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

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web, at http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/no-holds-barred-with-eddie-goldman.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player for iOS is available for free on the App Store.

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:

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 12 and 13, 2015, for the sixth annual MMA World Expo, featuring submission-only grappling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, catch wrestling competition, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 12, and Sunday, December 13, 2015, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Gracie Tournaments, featuring regional, national, and world competitions in submission-only Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. For more information, go to GracieWorlds.com.

The National Registry for Wrestling, whose mission is to increase wrestling's fanbase, to build a registry of all wrestling fans, to serve as a connecting point for all wrestling fans, and to provide TV and Internet listings for wrestling. For more information, go to NR4W.com.

Labels: Comité Popular, corruption, doping, Eddie Goldman, Exclusion Games, FIFA, human rights, IAAF, IOC, No Holds Barred, Olympics, Rio de Janeiro

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with two-time East Coast King of Catch Wrestling Thomas Velasquez, and his coach, Ray Karakas.

As the reigning and two-time East Coast King of Catch Wrestling, Thomas Velasquez will be facing the West Coast King of Catch Wrestling, Travis Newaza, for the 2015 North American Heavyweight King of Catch championship.

This match will headline a catch wrestling card put on by the North American Catch Wrestling Association at the 2015 MMA World Expo.

The catch wrestling takes place Saturday, December 12, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

We spoke with Thomas Velasquez and Ray Karakas by phone Sunday.

Speaking of his extensive and varied background, Thomas Velasquez said, "I've been training for so long. I've enjoyed catch wrestling. It's a very beautiful sport. Vicious, and it really works every aspect of the grappling game, which is the most important in my eyes. So it's good. I have a little bit of everything."

He mentioned that besides catch wrestling, he is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, a judo brown belt, and has trained in sambo.

"So I have some stuff."

Interestingly, in the past he also had participated in the worked pro wrestling, and his arsenal also includes some submissions, especially crossfaces and armlocks, adapted from that to real competition. Since the worked pro wrestling largely emerged out of real catch wrestling, this should not be surprising.

We also discussed with both Thomas Velasquez and Ray Karakas how Thomas is a "hybrid wrestler"; how Travis Newaza's style is "made for us"; their training at the Endgame Combat Sports Academy in Teterboro, New Jersey, with people like grappler Nick Caggia, who was the catch wrestling absolute champion at the 2014 MMA World Expo; why catch wrestling deserves as much respect as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and any other sport; and much more.

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

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web, at http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/no-holds-barred-with-eddie-goldman.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player for iOS is available for free on the App Store.

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:

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 12 and 13, 2015, for the sixth annual MMA World Expo, featuring submission-only grappling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, catch wrestling competition, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 12, and Sunday, December 13, 2015, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Gracie Tournaments, featuring regional, national, and world competitions in submission-only Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. For more information, go to GracieWorlds.com.

The National Registry for Wrestling, whose mission is to increase wrestling's fanbase, to build a registry of all wrestling fans, to serve as a connecting point for all wrestling fans, and to provide TV and Internet listings for wrestling. For more information, go to NR4W.com.

Labels: BJJ, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Eddie Goldman, grappling, King of Catch Wrestling, MMA World Expo, No Holds Barred, Ray Karakas, Thomas Velasquez, Travis Newaza

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with grappler and martial artist Travis Newaza.

As the reigning West Coach King of Catch Wrestling, he will facing the two-time East Coast King of Catch Wrestling, Thomas Velasquez, for the 2015 North American Heavyweight King of Catch championship.

This match will headline a catch wrestling card put on by the North American Catch Wrestling Association at the 2015 MMA World Expo.

The catch wrestling takes place on the second day of this two-day Expo, Sunday, December 13. The location is the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

We spoke with Travis Newaza by phone Sunday.

"I love being on No Holds Barred," he said.

"And we got an awesome opportunity for a lot of the martial arts to see catch wrestling on display and to actually see a national title brought together there. And I can't wait to bring it home for California."

While he respects his opponent's ability, he said he expects to win by submission, which is "my whole goal". He promised, "I'm going to be very vicious," and said that the best-of-three-falls match may never make it to a second fall.

Besides this match, he is also scheduled to compete at the Good Fight's Tournament of Brotherly Love submission-only jiu-jitsu event in a heavyweight title match against ADCC veteran and two-time ADCC North American Trials champion Tom DeBlass. That takes place March 12, 2016, at Cairn University in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. This no-time-limit, submission-only match will have him facing, said Travis Newaza, his "toughest opponent."

We also discussed his free seminar at the MMA World Expo following his catch wrestling match, his training at CSW with Erik Paulson and Josh Barnett, why he finds it necessary to be "a well-rounded grappler," competing and training under different rulesets such as jiu-jitsu and 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.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web, at http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/no-holds-barred-with-eddie-goldman.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player for iOS is available for free on the App Store.

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:

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 12 and 13, 2015, for the sixth annual MMA World Expo, featuring submission-only grappling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, catch wrestling competition, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 12, and Sunday, December 13, 2015, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Gracie Tournaments, featuring regional, national, and world competitions in submission-only Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. For more information, go to GracieWorlds.com.

The National Registry for Wrestling, whose mission is to increase wrestling's fanbase, to build a registry of all wrestling fans, to serve as a connecting point for all wrestling fans, and to provide TV and Internet listings for wrestling. For more information, go to NR4W.com.

Labels: BJJ, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Eddie Goldman, grappling, King of Catch Wrestling, MMA World Expo, No Holds Barred, Thomas Velasquez, Travis Newaza